Dave James

And in terms of what the rest of us do for a living, whatever that might be, how does that differentiate him?

Would you rather have nothing about jazz put in front of the American public for its consideration or Ken Burns' "Jazz"? Don't anyone take this personally, but if you can answer that question, "yes", then you're as biased in your own way as Marsalis and Crouch. Burns had no intention of satisfying the needs of people like us. He was interested in introducing a subject most people knew nothing about in as accessible a manner as possible.

Like I said earlier, a chain of custody issue that MLB will do nothing about. Braun's sample had seven times the normal level of testosterone. He's going to get away with this on a technicality / loophole, but he's still guilty and everyone knows it. The guy who took the sample has done this hundreds, if not thousands of times. Don't tell me he doesn't know what he's doing and how you go about ensuring that samples are not tampered with. This is total B.S. (bullshit, not Bud Selig, although the acronyms are interchangeable).

Bobby V talkin' trash at Jason Varitek's retirement press conference. http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7626289/2012-spring-training-bobby-valentine-takes-jabs-new-york-yankees-alex-rodriguez-derek-jeter

Good stuff - Ted Dunbar & Freddie Waits along w/Patterson & Daniels. Origianlly released as Muse 5005, no idea what permutations it went through after that. Interestingly(?) enough, Daniels plays a little soprano & alto on it. But no clarinet. Also worth looking for is his debut date on Prestige, First Place, First Prize, First something-or-other. That's good stuff too. That is a good one for sure. Makes me wonder why he wandered away from that horn.

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Probably early to mid-60's. It was a Japanese deck marketed here by Sears Roebuck. http://vintage-technics.ru/Eng-Playtape_1200.htm

Anyone familiar with this one? I got an e-mail from Da Bastids today indicating that it was available.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? Not a chance. Looks like the Red Sox starting rotation is going to have to find someplace else to drink before, during and after the ball game. No word as yet on the fate of that other Fenway favorite, Popeye's Fried Chicken. http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7614717/bobby-valentine-bans-beer-boston-red-sox-clubhouse

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/24/mlb-to-appeal-braun-ruling-to-federal-court-good-luck-with-that/ Where you come up with this "oh well, we tried, what can you do" response by MLB is completely beyond me. if they really cared about this, they would have done something at some point during the last ten years to close these loopholes. Ultimately, the Ryan Braun situation is the result of MLB trying to maintain plausible deniability both now and throughout the history of steroid use in the game. All, I might add, on Bud Selig's watch.

That's really the question, isn't it? With the NBA hype machine operating at ramming speed, what happens if Lin tanks? His game against Miami the other night was awful. 1-11 from the floor and eight turnovers. I've heard pundits say that this may be similar to what happens in baseball when a pitcher faces a batting order the second or third time in a game. Athletes and coaches make adjustments. They review film and they find exploitable flaws. For Lin's sake, I hope he doesn't fall as fast as he rose, but I wouldn't rule it out.

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." If MLB is so distraught over the verdict, why don't they do something about it? Instead, they just gnash their teeth and wring their hands. Wink, wink. Nod, nod. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/mlb/2012/02/24/verducci_braun.SportsIllustrated/

Characterizing a chain of custody screw-up as absolution tells you all you need to know about MLB under the tutelage of Bud Selig. He's done his very best impression of an ostrich for years and this isn't any different. I'll tell you one thing. It would be interesting to find out what, in a 2-1 vote, the 1 was thinking.

Anyone see the story about the card guy in New York City who bought Jeremy Lin's rookie card for $1,000 ? He just flipped it for $21,580 on eBay. Nice. Moving right along, I don't ever need to know anything more about LeBron than "The Decision". That was the single most ego-fueled "event" in the modern history of sports. One of the reasons I have zero interest in the NBA, and there are many, is that it's nothing but a star driven league with zero time for the lunch bucket guys. So many of its so-called superstars are complete jerks, so filled with themselves it's sickening. If you want to watch a sport that respects both its fans and the blue collar guys who play the game, try hockey.

Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. It's blended. It's splendid.

I'd hold out for the Firehouse 5 + 2 box set. They do a version of "Hold That Tiger" that will bring tears to your eyes.

If Organissimo had existed in the early '80's, the title of this thread might very well have been Does it still make sense to buy LP's? Think that one through.

Anything with that sort of salty sweet combination is worth looking into. Here in Portland, we have a place called Voodoo Donuts. They've been showcased on several national shows including Man vs. Food. One of their most popular offerings is a maple bar with strips of bacon on the top. Those are really good

If that makes you feel bad, this will make you feel even worse. Looks like Jerry Mathers might have qualified for that "big head" thread that someone started a few years ago.

What they said. Hopefully, the fact that you're back on board is indicative of an improving personal situation.

Apparently, the A's have signed Manny Ramirez. They must be thinking he'll be a great role model for Yeonis Cespedes. Best reaction I've seen so far is from Mike Purdy of the San Joe Mercury News: That's how I feel right now about the people who are excited about this Manny Ramirez deal with the A's. They are rubberneckers. And he is the car crash. Or he will be, soon enough.

I don't know about that. Suitable tracks for your exit? Any suggestions?

Rodney King said, "Why can't we all just get along?" Dave James says, "Why can't we all just move along?"