BERIGAN

Claude, thanks for the suggestions! I forgot to mention I swapped cables to see if that might be the problem, it wasn't. I made sure it was plugged in the the right port as well. I just checked the Volume controls, device and speaker settings are right in the middle, and nothing is muted. Never messed with sound cards, I guess it could go bad? (Need Johnny's shrugging smilie)

Her finest moment on record!

I had this happen once before, when I stupidly turned the sound down not on the speaker, but on the Media player itself. So, I thought I would find that was the problem this time, but Media Player, Quicktime, Realaudio are all set right, not muted or anything. We know power is getting to the speakers, and Dad played a radio though the secondary speaker. I can record a cd and play it elsewhere, so what can the problem be

The Big Heat is worth checking out for sure... http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:5428~C

Gee, whatever happened to getting a red Corvette, or cheating on your spouse? Boomers' Overdose Deaths Up Markedly By Daniel Costello, Times Staff Writer Californians age 40 and older are dying of drug overdoses at double the rate recorded in 1990, a little-noticed trend that upends the notion of hard-core drug use as primarily a young person's peril. Indeed, overdoses among baby boomers are driving an overall increase in drug deaths so dramatic that soon they may surpass automobile accidents as the state's leading cause of nonnatural deaths. ADVERTISEMENT In 2003, the latest year for which the state has figures, a record 3,691 drug users died, up 73% since 1990. The total surpassed deaths from firearms, homicides and AIDS. Remarkably, the rate of deadly overdoses among younger users over that period has slightly declined, while the rate among those 40 and older has jumped from 8.6 to 17.3 per hundred thousand people. The change has caught many prevention programs, which tend to be geared toward young people, off guard. Several drug abuse prevention officials and other experts said there was virtually no strategy in place to address the risk of overdose among older users. "We have seen a massive, long-term trend toward more middle-age drug abuse that is leading to an unprecedented number of deaths," said Michael Males, a sociology researcher at UC Santa Cruz. But "no one is doing anything about it. It has gotten almost no attention at the state, federal or local level." Because the problem has been recognized only recently, it is difficult to say what is behind the generational split. Some experts suggest, however, that California is merely reflecting a national trend in which Americans increasingly are using illicit drugs long past the days of youthful resilience. According to the U.S. Substance and Mental Health Services Administration, more than a third of drug users today are older than 35, compared with 12% in 1979. "Baby boomers are the first generation that is facing a drug and overdose epidemic in their middle age," said John Newmeyer, epidemiologist and drug researcher at the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinics in San Francisco. "They started using drugs recreationally or regularly over 20 years ago, and they aren't really slowing down." To a degree, it seems overdoses are following the same generation through time. In California, the age at which someone was most likely to die from a drug overdose in 1970 was 22; by 1985, it was 32; and today it is 43, according to calculations by Males, based on state health data. Many of those who die are hard-core drug users who never quit, even when they reached middle age. As such, they are likely to be in poor health, enhancing their overdose risk. "Using year after year can have a clear and deleterious physical effect. [Drugs] take a toll as people continue to use," said Dr. Karl Sporer, a San Francisco emergency room physician and drug treatment expert. With age, even occasional users grow more susceptible to medical complications such as strokes, heart attacks and respiratory distress. By far the greatest number of overdose deaths is among users of opiates, such as heroin, which in excessive doses can shut down the lungs. Doctors say that because older users tend to have slower metabolisms, the opiates may remain in their systems longer, increasing the risk of cumulative overdose. Cocaine is the next most lethal drug. It can lead to heart attacks, especially among long-term users, whose habits can cause their hearts to become weakened or enlarged. Drugs such as methamphetamine and barbiturates account for a smaller number of overdose deaths. Treatment experts said people most at risk are older users who try to stop, then return to using drugs at their previous dosages. The drugs may kill them because the users have lost tolerance or the drugs are more potent. Many street drugs have gotten purer in recent years, experts said, which adds to their potential lethality. It is unclear from the data available what role prescription drugs play. The state's drug overdose data do not include a small number of cases in which medications led to an overdose even though they were taken as directed. Some researchers believe that rising incarceration rates around the state could be leading to more overdoses, because many released prisoners return to drugs after long periods of abstinence. Adding to the problem: Older drug users often use alone. Younger people, research shows, tend to use in groups. One of the major risk factors for a fatal overdose is not having anyone to call paramedics when someone first shows signs of overdosing. Drug treatment officials and the families of addicts know the personal tragedies behind the statistics. ADVERTISEMENT "From what I see, there is no doubt that people are doing drugs later in life and, like for anyone, that can be dangerous," said Dr. Michael Stone, medical director of Cornerstone of Southern California, a drug treatment facility based in Tustin. He estimated that about 10 former patients have died from overdoses this year alone. Paul Tanner of San Rafael lost his 48-year-old daughter Toni Marie Tanner to an overdose in 2003. The elder Tanner said his daughter had been addicted to drugs on and off her entire life but had been sober for two years. She was caring for her mother, who was sick with cancer, when she relapsed — for the first time, he believes — on a mix of heroin and cocaine. She died later that day. "I think her mother's illness got to her and she couldn't take it anymore," he said. The question now is what, if anything, can be done to combat the problem. For decades, the bulk of federal prevention money, which makes up the majority of state prevention budgets, has been aimed at deterring young nonusers from trying drugs. Kathy Jett, director of the state's Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, said the agency wasn't aware until recently that drug overdoses were rising so quickly — let alone so dramatically among older users. She asked an internal task force assessing the department's overall drug abuse prevention strategy to come up with new approaches. But Jett said budget constraints may limit what the agency can do. Researching and reacting to trends like rising overdose death rates is "not something that we're typically equipped to do," she said. "We have very limited resources." Males, of UC Santa Cruz, said overdose trends call for a major realignment of the state's drug policy. "We're going to have to adapt our treatment and prevention model to older users," he said. "We must stop obsessing solely on younger people doing drugs and focus resources on aging addicts." http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ov...ines-california

The hanging curveball that Wells threw was much worse. ← But would there have been a hanging curve if there had not been an error? Hats off to Wells for taking the blame though...

great game for sure...happy for Scrap Iron...just wish the braves had a bullpen, but think of all the money the Braves saved not getting a big gun?

Goin' to the 17th, longest post season game ever!!! If the Braves had the Astros bullpen the series would be over....

http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/studio.cfm?...promocode=01373

Ok, for some reason my Dad's cell phone crapped out. His looks brand new, mine(We got 2 at the same time in May of 2004) looks like it has been thrown a few times, it works fine. I swapped batteries, not the problem. It is just a dead phone. So, we go to the local Cingular office to get the phone fixed. Well, they don't do that anymore!!! You have to mail it in! Oh, that is convenient, isn't it? Fine, So they give me a card with a number to call. So, I call them...well, the phone is more than a year old, no longer under warranty. Umm, I pay $3.99 on each phone for wireless phone insurance and svc fee. That doesn't apply here. Oh, I see. I have insurance if I am stupid and drop the phone in the toliet, or drop it, but if it just stops working, I need to buy a new one! So, what should I do? Lie and say I dropped it? Say it was stolen? The guy who I talked to earlier, couldn't even tell me how long I had been with this plan, he only saw my start date. He said they don't even show this Siemens phone as one they carried. (Funny, they did mail them to me though) Damn, this just pisses me off. A couple years ago, you could drop in and drop the phone off to be fixed, now you have to MAIL them the phone IF they would have fixed it, which they won't. How long would I be without a second phone? Could be a minor problem, but they don't care. And I am stuck til May I guess til this contract runs out...should I just say screw it, not pay and go somewhere else?? Great service I get staying with them for 4 years.

Up...don't wanna hear people whine tomorrow that they didn't know about it!

I'd say at the back of the disc as well....especially when there are 3 or 4 alternates of the same track! You can then program them together if you want.

Conan giving show to U2 Thursday's 'Late Night' to be 'U2 edition' Wednesday, October 5, 2005 Posted: 1240 GMT (2040 HKT) U2 will be the sole guest on Thursday's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Conan O'Brien or Create Your Own Manage Alerts | What Is This? NEW YORK (AP) -- In his 12 years in charge of booking musical guests on Conan O'Brien's "Late Night," Jim Pitt always listed U2 and Johnny Cash as the dream artists he'd tried but never succeeded in getting. He lost his chance with the late Cash, but the U2 dream is coming true Thursday in a major way. O'Brien will turn over his entire show to the band, which is in New York for seven sold-out engagements at Madison Square Garden. "We were able to offer them something to feel enough like an event for them to do the show," Pitt said. "It's basically 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien,' the U2 edition." The NBC show has never before devoted itself entirely to a musical guest, although it gave major time a few years back to a holiday appearance by bandleader Max Weinberg's other employer, Bruce Springsteen. O'Brien's a big U2 fan, and made a personal connection by talking at length with Bono during breaks in rehearsals for the band's "Saturday Night Live" appearance last season, Pitt said. It may be a nervous time for Bono, who is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in trying to ease Third World poverty. People who watch the Nobel closely list the lead singer as one of the favorites. The winner is expected to be named Friday. The band is expected to perform three songs and be interviewed by O'Brien. Pitt is not pushing for any material in particular. "When U2 decides they want to come on the show for an hour, you don't get too picky about what they play," he said. http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/...2.ap/index.html

"You say it's your birthday It's my birthday too--yeah" Wait, no it isn't.... Anyway, have a great one!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!! My best friend in high school was also named Brad, and a Libra. But I don't think it was you, cuz I would have noticed him being 17 years older than me!

I know what you mean about age...he was about 10 days away from 81! Can anyone find any of his poety online? I sure can't and the youngsters here need to see what we are talking about...his role in the wiz is not what folks should remember of him....

I was a little surprised at the firing of Trammell, but I think 2 things hurt him. One was how unexpectedly well they did in 2004. The bigger problem is Jim Leyland wants to manage again and Detroit is trying to grab him. Though I don't like the Dodgers I too thought Tracy did the best he could with what was given him. But the lack of playoff success over the past 17 years is tough to take, so when in doubt, fire the manager. ← I would just post a link, but it is the LA times, so here is the article... Dodgers and Tracy 'Part Ways' Team cuts ties with its manager one day after the conclusion of a disappointing season. By Steve Henson, Times Staff Writer The Dodgers acted swiftly and decisively Monday, severing ties with Manager Jim Tracy one day after the end of a disappointing season, one month after Tracy asked for a contract extension and one year after the team won its first division title since 1996. The parting was described by General Manager Paul DePodesta not as a firing or a resignation, rather as "a mutual parting of ways." Neither side could reconcile disagreements over roster changes made last off-season, and Tracy did not want to continue without an extension that would provide him security through 2008. ADVERTISEMENT "It was not going to be in my best interest to be in the dugout as a lame-duck manager," Tracy said. "I asked myself the question, 'Could I get the club back to where it was at the end of 2004 before the end of 2006?' I thought there was a good possibility it would take more time than that." Tracy, who posted a 427-383 record in five seasons, will be paid his base salary of $700,000 — at the low end of compensation for an experienced manager — if he doesn't find another job next season. He is considered a leading candidate for the Pittsburgh Pirates' opening, and his name has been mentioned for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' vacancy. His departure is the latest in a string of moves bewildering to many Dodger fans. The team's future is now firmly in the hands of DePodesta, the 32-year-old Harvard-educated executive brought in after the 2003 season a few weeks after Boston real estate developer Frank McCourt purchased the team. McCourt is out of town and did not speak to Tracy. But reached through his spokesperson, he said, "On a personal basis, I am very fond of Jim Tracy and his family, and thank him for his professionalism and dedicated service to the Dodgers. The relationship between a general manager and a manager is critical for the long-term success of a franchise. Given this, I fully support Paul DePodesta in his decision to make a change." DePodesta overhauled the roster through trades and free-agent signings, and now will bring in a manager of his choosing. But the team he largely inherited posted a 93-69 record and won the National League West division championship in 2004, while the roster that reflected his dramatic changes went 71-91, the team's second-worst record since moving from Brooklyn in 1958. Tracy values defense and speed more than DePodesta, who is convinced that power and an ability get on base are paramount. Many of DePodesta's ideas were spawned when he served under General Manager Billy Beane in the Oakland front office, an approach described in the book "Moneyball." "These philosophical differences would exist whether we won 71 games or 95 games," DePodesta said. "And we would [be changing managers] regardless of our record. It's not necessarily about disagreeing with me. It's ultimately about all of us in baseball operations being on the same page." DePodesta said the search for a new manager could take several weeks. He will be in Italy for six days beginning Wednesday for his sister's wedding and expects to begin interviewing candidates next week. Dodger minor league staffers Terry Collins and Jerry Royster, Angel pitching coach Bud Black, Oakland Athletic coach Ron Washington and former New York Met manager Bobby Valentine could be among those considered. Tracy was an obscure bench coach when the Dodgers hired him in 2001 to replace Davey Johnson. He was 86-76 each of his first two seasons and 92-70 in 2003. The Dodgers broke through and won the division title in 2004 before the bottom fell out this season. "When 'Jim Who' was hired, everyone was waiting to see if I would make it to the All-Star break," Tracy said. "I proved to a lot of people my capabilities." Tracy, 49, asked for a contract extension in a Sept. 8 meeting, a bold request considering the team's place in the standings. DePodesta's thinking changed at that point. He had spent numerous hours with Tracy trying to reach common ground and was comfortable with keeping him under his current contract. But Tracy was just as adamant about the extension, stopping just short of calling it an ultimatum. Had the Dodgers refused the extension and Tracy stayed, it would only have exacerbated the resentment the manager already felt toward DePodesta for the roster changes. "From my end, the biggest thing was the personnel factor and the evaluation of those players," Tracy said. "I just felt very strongly that the right thing to do would be to move on." Some of the disagreements have been clear. DePodesta believes first baseman Hee-Seop Choi and infielder Antonio Perez can be productive everyday players. Tracy is partial to players such as shortstop Cesar Izturis and former Dodger Alex Cora, whose contributions aren't necessarily reflected in statistics. DePodesta traded outfielder Shawn Green and did not re-sign Cora, third baseman Adrian Beltre or outfielder Steve Finley, among others. Tracy declined to criticize DePodesta about their differences in opinion. "I really feel the ultimate answer will play itself out over the long haul," Tracy said. "To say my feelings are correct or Paul's are correct is unfair. "What took place in my first four years is a testament to the fact that a lot of it worked."

Get a haircut ya hippy!

Chris, I hate the smell of Goo Gone as well....Have to use it sometimes I find. But what has worked best for me, better than WD40, anything is Prestone Silicone. I have tried other silicones, and they just didn't work the way this does. I can even get stickers off of Video boxes, but you have to be careful. I would guess I have had to clean sticker crap off of more cd cases and videos than any man alive..... Now someone try if already!!!!

Anyone surprised that Alan Trammell was let go? Or Jim Tracy??? They seemed to be doing the best they could with the talent they had....and truly bled the colors of their respective teams. Did I miss some negative stories somewhere???

They have nowhere to go, but up! They should be a lot better next year, I see Adrian Beltre salvaged what looked like a pretty bad year....

Well, I am pretty sure the Cards can take the Padres, even if the Padres somehow won the season series...I am not that sure about the Braves losing again to the Astros. The Astros have great pitching, no doubt, but they do not have much offense(See Clemen's 13 wins with a 1.81 E.R.A.) and the braves have much, much, much more energy than they have had in years past. Francoeur cooled off at the end of the season, but he really seems to be the real deal. He may have the best arm in baseball...I saw one assist where from right he thru a strike to the plate, no one bounce, no nothing! The astros also don't have Beltran or Kent this year either...Hey Dan, only 11 of the 12 "experts" predict the Astros!

No way at all. Cashman as GM of the year? Maybe. He certainly has more to do with the end result than anything Torre has done. I'm so sick of this St. Joe treatment he gets. You catch lightning in a bottle with a career minor leaguer (how the hell do you spell that word?), get lucky again with a Coors reject.... ← (If this seems a bit of a jumbled mess, I was watching the scrabble tournament on ESPN ) Dan, about that Coors reject..True, didn't win much, but had an E.R.A. of 4.09 with is REALLY good in that stadium, with not so hot defense behind him...most teams should have been beating down the door to the dumb Colorado G.M. office if they had known they were going to give away one of their best pitchers. 5.46 and 5.68 are the E.R.A.s of their "best" starters at the end of the season (guys who pitched the most innings) You may be right about Cashman as GM of the year, bet they thought they would get 15 wins out of Jaret Wright, not 5. And that hot headed, forever injured Kevin Brown's ERA went from 4.09 to 6.50 this year...they have had some terrible pitching as well, but you are right, not from the closer.... I think Torre has to be a HOF Manager, because of his skill as well as George's millions! Lots of very talented teams still manage to lose. I don't think many teams can come back from an 11 and 19 record(there was some espn column talking about how the statistical odds were really against them doing this) Hell, there are still many Braves fans that think if we would only get rid of Bobby Cox, we could really win in the playoffs...(Yes, he does make stupid decisions in the playoffs, but the last 14 division winning teams have not all been that talented either) Hey, where would your team be if the brilliant Minnesota Twins hadn't been so nice as to gift wrap some guy, forget his name...they released him....

How do ya like me now????? And Dan, just keep badmouthing the Red Sox!