Dave James

Unlistenable. Right up there with those drones from REO Shitwagon.

Prescription or subscription? I'd go with prescription. The Dead is good for whatever ails you.

Just to clarify, my "nuclear winter" statement has a lot more to do with the Yankees' overall situation than it does with the possibility of not signing Cliff Lee. And I certainly understand that being a Yankee fan on their worst day is probably better than being a fan of KC, Pittsburg, Houston etc. on their best. Nonetheless, having become accustomed to New York inserting themselves deep into the playoff on a regular basis, I fear that those days are coming to an end. Sure, signing Lee would probably make me feel better about our immediate prospects, but the Yank's troubles go much deeper than that.

Just a couple. Pat Metheny on the album "The Pat Metheny Group" and Jimmy McGriff on his album "Let's Stay Together."

Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels For what they are, they're about as good as it gets. Completely and totally mindless and completely and totally entertaining.

All the Yankees had to do last Summer was sweeten the pot just a little and Lee would already be in pinstripes. I hope when they do their post-mortems, someone is held accountable for that decision. All we have to show for this off season is the signing of a 37 year-old over the hill shortstop for twice as much and twice as long as he's worth. As I said before, note the time. The descent has begun. Nuclear winter is upon us.

Yanks have apparently bumped their offer for Lee to seven years. Welcome to the zany, crazy, whacky A-Rod world of New York baseball. In just a few years, their starting line-up could average 40 years of age. Wonderful. Sometimes it's awfully tough to be a Yankee fan.

Wow. Some team in the AL East not named the Red Sox is starting to fall behind. If said team does not sign Cliff Lee, you can note the time and the date as to when the new era of Yankee mediocrity officially began. Addendum: NYT is reporting that the Yankees offered Lee six years and $140,000,000. At those levels, I have to say, who much gives a rip about state taxes? Now that Crawford is gone, you wonder if the Angels will become an 11th hour suitor.

I'm guessing he dug having Beatle-like access to the women.

Apparently the Yankees met with Carl Crawford's people over dinner last night. ALthough the smart money still says Crawford will wind up with the Angels, there is some speculation that New York may have both Crawford and Lee in their sights. Others are saying that the interest in Crawford is limited to a back up plan if they aren't able to land Lee. Some of this depends on what Andy Pettitte decides and the need to deal either Curtis Granderson or Nick Swisher, but you know what they say about the Yankees. "What they want, they generally get." Also, The Nationals are not the team offering Lee a seven year deal. I just wonder if the Tigers aren't lurking in the weeds. They're one of the teams with money to spend.

I just turned on the TV and the BBCA channel was still on from last night. Anyhow, they're airing a special called "The Beatles - From Liverpool to San Francisco". Ringo is being interviewed right before he was admitted to the hospital to have his tonsils removed in 1965. One of the reporters asks if he's bringing any records with him and he says, "Yes, Bob Dylan, The Supremes, James Brown, Yusef Lateef and Chico Hamilton." Who knew?

"The new phone books are here. The new phone books are here." Just got an e-mail from Mosaic indicating that the Ellington set will ship within the next 24-48 hours!

There is another difference from the earlier box. This time the alternates are not put directly behind the master takes, but assembled at the end of each CD. A very clever decision, which makes listening to the complete CDs more varied and indeed more pleasurable. Finally.

If he never did anything other than turning Howard Cosell into a pin cushion on Monday Night Football, he would still be well thought of. That he did so much more, including some passable acting, just made him all that much more interesting. Dandy Don. R.I.P.

If the Yankees lose the Lee sweepstakes, I don't think they have any choice but to make a play for Zack Grienke. It's going to cost them just about everything they have left in their farm system and Grienke is certainly no sure thing in the ant under a mean kid's magnifying glass atmosphere of New York City, but if they're going to keep up, what other choice do they have? As David points out, there are just too many "iffy" pitching things that have to go the Yankees' way if they are going to stay competitive. The chance of all those breaking in their favor is pretty slim. For cryin' out loud, we're three months away from Spring training and I'm already getting verklempt.

While I didn't go to the UO (Lewis & Clark is my alma mater) I'm a life long Oregon resident. The idea of the Ducks playing for a national championship, even if it's part of the incredibly flawed BCS, is as good as it can possibly get. I was lucky enough to see the Ducks play this year in Eugene against UCLA, a game they won 60-13. I'll tell you, when they are hitting on all cylinders, it is something to behold. I'm thinking that the odds guys in Vegas might even peg the over/under at 100 points considering the potency of the Oregon and Auburn offenses. This place is going to be nuts between now and January 10th.

My Christmas gift to myself. The 21-LP Complete Keynote Collection. Got it for a nice price yesterday on eBay. Looking forward to this one.

Maybe, maybe not. This, on the other hand, leaves little doubt.

Where's Dan? I think he'd be shouting from the rooftops. If the Sox also land Carl Crawford, they're back in the game. Geez, they may be back in the game now. Not liking this.

The Jeff Lorber Fusion? I thought they dried up and blew away years ago. Kenny G got his start with that band. I saw them open for Pat Metheny many moons ago at an old Portland club called Euphoria.

ESPN is reporting the Rivera has signed a two year deal with the Yankees for "about" $30 million.

Did I read someplace that Zack Greinke said he'd waive his no trade clause and agree to a trade to New York? That might be a pretty attractive alternative to Cliff Lee. Greinke just turned 27 and he's healthy. As a matter of fact, he's thrown over 200 innings for Kansas City in each of the last three seasons. Granted, you'd have to give up some high level talent to get him while Lee is "free" in that regard, but over the long haul, I'm not sure he isn't the better option.

Stop the insanity. What in the world were they thinking? Were the Red Sox willing to pay this kind of money? Did they force the Yankees to meet or beat their offer? I can't believe how much they're paying this guy. He's already a stiff. By the time he's 42 years old, all he'll be doing is taking up a roster spot and keeping the bench warm for the guys who are playing.