BERIGAN

a slight variation I have gotten twice.... Dear eBay Member, Dear customer, you have been billed for $15.00 recently. Please update your billing information at eBay Billing Center. This is eBay auto generated message, if you think you received it by mistake or you want to remove these notifications, please update your profile at Billing Center Not that clever, but when I was looking for a link to hover the mouse over, there isn't one, just a "button" but it gives no info to the web address!

You are much older than I thought!

I am sure her enhancements help the process, I guess I am just having trouble seeing how....

The 'Evil Empire' Acquires A-Rod The Yankees finally live up to their reputation. BY ALLEN BARRA Tuesday, February 17, 2004 12:01 a.m. EST Through a series of flukes so seemingly contrived they would have been rejected for a baseball movie, Alex Rodriguez, the best player in baseball today, has wound up on baseball's richest and most famous team. If George Steinbrenner's team was what it is often accused of being--a "Yankee" imperialist that spends its way to the World Series--this would have happened years ago. If the Boston Red Sox hadn't been so brutally aggressive and then blinked when it came to paying Rodriguez about two million more per year; if the Yankees hadn't freed up some cash by messing up their negotiations with ace lefthander Andy Pettitte; if starting Yankee third baseman Aaron Boone hadn't foolishly torn up his knee by playing off-season basketball--if all this hadn't happened, then the Yankees would not now be fielding a team with the best shortstop in modern major league history. Or perhaps we should say the best third baseman in modern major league history, which is what Rodriguez will soon be. Add one more fluke to the roster: The Boston Red Sox forgot to ask A-Rod if he would play third base. Though the fact seems to have escaped most of their critics over the past eight years, the Yankees from 1996 through this season have never been free spenders--big spenders, yes, but not free spenders. The core of the recent Yankee dynasty has been home-grown talent: Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte. And, in fact, despite all the talk of the old gang breaking up, Pettitte is the only player in that group who is not still a Yankee. Two years ago the Yankees lured Jason Giambi from the Oakland A's; Giambi was the first high-profile free-agent slugger the Yankees had acquired in more than two decades, since Dave Winfield in 1981. The Yankees could be accused of numerous sins over that span, but buying a pennant is not one of them. Their payroll has been the highest in the major leagues for several seasons, but only because the front office has used its money wisely, choosing to sign the team's leading stars to long-term contracts. So now, out of chance and desperation, the Yankees have the deal and the player that by logic they should have had all along. One wonders why the New York-based sports media were so much in favor of sending Rodriguez to the Red Sox only two months ago but are hesitant to accept the obvious fact that A-Rod in pinstripes is a good thing not only for New York and the Yankees, but also for the Texas Rangers and for baseball in general. The benefit for the Yankees is obvious: They now have the only all-around superstar in baseball under the age of 30. There are those who caution "A-Rod can't pitch," which is true. But they are forgetting that Babe Ruth could pitch, yet the Yankees chose to use him as an outfielder. The Texas Rangers would have gotten Manny Ramirez if they had pulled off the Rodriguez deal; now they get Alfonso Soriano, who is younger and faster than Ramirez and potentially as good a hitter, and they get him for substantially less money than they would have had to pay Ramirez. (Now they can afford some of that pitching they claimed they couldn't go after because of all the money they had to pay A-Rod.) How is the deal good for baseball as a whole? First, it has stirred an enormous amount of preseason baseball discussion. (What other sport even has a preseason worth discussing?) Then, as baseball economist Andrew Zimbalist points out in his latest book, "May the Best Team Win--Baseball Economics and Public Policy," "A league that seeks to maximize its revenue will not want each of its teams to have an equal chance to win the championship. Leagues want high television ratings. These are best achieved generally when teams from the largest media markets are playing in the championship series. Other things being the same, MLB would like to see the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Anaheim Angels, the Chicago Cubs, and the Chicago White Sox appear in the World Series more frequently than the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cincinnati Reds, the Kansas City Royals or the San Diego Padres." In other words, match-ups that produce the highest TV ratings are the Yankees vs. a smaller market, National League underdog. This is what baseball has had in two of last three seasons, with the underdog coming out on top. The recent World Series scenario looks good for 2004, with the Yankees now the favorite in the American League and the National League up for grabs. Through revenue sharing and the luxury tax, the Yankees will, according to Zimbalist, distribute perhaps $75 million to baseball's so-called have-not teams. Whether or not those owners choose to pocket the money or reinvest in team improvements is their choice. http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110004703

But then again, who doesn't! Ananova: Italian police seek huge breasted woman Italian police are looking for a woman with huge breasts who has gone on the run after failing to pay for £5,000 implants. The 46-year-old woman, who has been identified only by her initials AM, slipped out of her hospital bed following the surgery and disappeared. Doctors at the clinic in Rome say that apart from the unpaid bill they are also concerned for her health as she requires close monitoring following the surgery. Dr Jamal Salhi said: "She told me that she needed the surgery because she worked in a hostess bar and that clients preferred big chested women. "She went from a size four to a size eight which is the largest you can get in Italy. When she came to my surgery she said: "I want the biggest chest possible." "'It has since emerged that she gave false information when she arrived at the clinic and apart from running off without paying, as with any surgery she needs to be monitored afterwards." Dr Salhi then revealed it was not the first time he had been the victim of a fraudster. He said: "This has happened to me several times before, the most recent was last December. "A man had a penis enlargement and disappeared without paying. We still have to be paid for that operation." Police spokesman Adriano Lauro said: "We have issued a warrant for the woman's arrest and also one for her husband following the complaint from the clinic." http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_86658...u=news.quirkies

>old, old school history<

Tony, another site with some basic by the year info that might be of help/interest.... http://www.cccvette.com/corvette-history.htm The last year for a big Block Corvette was 1974 it appears(The 454 C.I.), everything afterwards would be a small block...saw that some 1982's had Cross Fire injection system, might want to just stay with the Carburetor fuel systems, unless you like a challenge!

www.collectorcartraderonline.com is a great site! Ebay has tons of cars as well, but I don't know about shipping issues, which get back to Catesta's question of availablity over there! Tony, keep us informed, it will be interesting to hear the story unfold!

How did those doctors get his personal records, anyway??? by Neil Cavuto I want you to picture yourself dead. The coroner is confirming you're dead. Weighing you. Measuring you. Then sliding you in a refrigerator and saying goodbye to you, if you're lucky. I want you to picture yourself being Robert Atkins. The diet guru died last April. But rather than let him rest in peace, a group that was long critical of the low-carbohydrate diet he espoused is using his corpse to make a point. That group is called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. It advocates vegetarianism. That's all well and good. What's not good is what that group did after that. Somehow, some way, it got its hands on the final medical records of Atkins. Let me be blunt here: the crass details of a dead man on a hospital gurney. The group says Atkins was fat, 258 pounds, proof, one of its members later told me, that Atkins either didn't practice what he preached, or did, and got fat anyway. What the group failed to point out, and USA Today confirmed, is that Atkins went into the hospital weighing 195 pounds. He quickly fell into a coma and lingered for nine days in that vegetative state, being fed liquids that doctors tell me can indeed add dramatic weight in a short period of time. But what Atkins ultimately weighed getting into, and sadly out of, that hospital doesn't matter. Common decency does. And this Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine wouldn't know the first thing about it. It's one thing to hate a diet. It's quite another to use a dead man to make your point about that diet. That dead man can't defend himself. So allow me. I knew Atkins. I covered Atkins. The times I saw him he didn't look obese to me. And why would he? He was the poster child for the most talked about diet revolution in human history! You don't stay on message if you're not staying in shape. And the Atkins I saw was staying in shape. He freely told me he battled weight in life. It's a pity he can't battle classless fools in death. The same fools who selectively cite only what they want in Atkins' medical records, who claim he had cardiomyopathy but fail to claim it wasn't his diet that caused that heart ailment. It was a viral infection. Look, I have no ax to grind on Atkins. I do have an ax to grind on fairness. Try as critics have to disavow the health benefits of eating a low-carbohydrate diet, those who have tried it have lost weight, lowered their cholesterol and lowered their blood pressure. Look, some people don't like low-carb diets. That's fine. What isn't is condemning the success of those who have lost weight on it and have fitter physiques because of it. The medical establishment never much flipped over Atkins when he was alive. But they waited to pounce only when he was dead, and only then to use his corpse to make a point. These critics say the diet makes you sick. Right now, they make me sick. Their inconclusive studies. Their unsupported claims. Their high and mighty nutritional appeals. They think they've cornered the market on diets that work but ignore the very real medical proof that Atkins' worked better. I'm not saying they have to eat a steak to see the light. Just quit stabbing a "steak" through a dead man's heart to make a bloated point. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/neilcav...c20040216.shtml

Of course, the one and only penguin in baseball!

THE REALLY GOOD HITS ONLY WENT 200, THEN A SO-SO ONE WENT 320.9!

An interesting, if not a little bitter column.... A-Rod will push for Jeter to step aside Print story AIM story Email story Ken Rosenthal / Posted: 6 minutes ago No longer should anyone believe a word out of the mouth of Alex "Captain" Rodriguez. His stated desire to stay with the Rangers was as comical as the Rangers' stated desire to keep him. And if you believe A-Rod will be content moving from shortstop to third base with the Yankees, you probably think Jack Nicholson would be willing to accept second billing to Ben Affleck. On the occasion of one of the biggest trades in major league history -- Rodriguez for second baseman Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named -- at least certain truths are self-evident: Now that Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are Yankee teammates, will Rodriguez play third base, or push for Jeter to make room for him at shortstop? Mark Lennihan/Associated Press A-Rod will be the Yankees' shortstop. It's not a question of if, but when. Manager Joe Torre might never move Derek Jeter, but who's to say Torre's replacement wouldn't? Jeter eventually will end up at third base -- or better yet, second. Rodriguez is a far superior defensive shortstop, and it would be counterproductive for him to abandon the position at age 28 to accommodate a lesser fielder, albeit one who has led the Yankees to four World Series titles. Jeter, 29, suffered in the field last season after dislocating his left shoulder on opening day, but his decline preceded his injury. He has ranked last among qualifying American League shortstops for five consecutive seasons in range factor, the average number of plays a fielder makes in a nine-inning game. Like most defensive stats, range factor can be misleading, especially because the Yankees' pitching staff typically ranks high in strikeouts and low in ground balls. But Jeter also has been last or next to last in zone rating -- an estimate of a player's efficiency fielding balls hit into his typical defensive zone -- in each of the past four seasons. Rodriguez's defense, meanwhile, rivals his offense. He led A.L. shortstops in fielding percentage last season, though he declined in range factor and zone rating from 2002, perhaps because of a herniated disk that he endured for much of the season. In previous seasons, he was among the leaders in both categories. One of Rodriguez's idols, Cal Ripken, moved from shortstop to third without difficulty but didn't make the switch until he was 36. The Yankees will have a hole at second or third no matter what they do. With Jeter at second, they would be stronger up the middle than they were with Jeter and Soriano. And they still would have the same cast of characters -- Miguel Cairo, Mike Lamb and Co. -- at third. Jeter surely doesn't want to move, but his defense will be under immense and unpleasant scrutiny if the Yankees keep him at short. Rodriguez politicked his way out of Texas; it's easy to imagine him politicking for his old position and dividing the clubhouse. Better for Jeter to accept his fate and play the role of selfless teammate. Who's on second? Several of the team's earlier third base options are now second base options after the trade for 3B Alex Rodriguez. Enrique Wilson might be solid in the field, but his hitting won't scare many pitchers. Miguel Cairo has the most experience as a starter, but he hasn't played the position regularly since 2000 with the Devil Rays. Erick Almonte, Tyler Houston, Mike Lamb and Homer Bush also are in the mix. Bush is the most experienced of that group. Sporting News Yankees team report If the Yankees sign free-agent first baseman Travis Lee and make Jason Giambi a DH, their infield defense no longer would be a liability. It would be a strength. Another advantage in moving Jeter to second is that it eventually might be easier for the Yankees to upgrade at third. The Dodgers' Adrian Beltre, the A's Eric Chavez, the Angels' Troy Glaus and the Twins' Corey Koskie are among the third basemen eligible to become free agents after this season. The Yankees could trade for one of them at midseason or sign one next winter. The Red Sox blew it. You already can hear The Nation moaning, "There's no defeating the Evil Empire. They've got too much money. They always get their man." Absurd. The Sox's attempt to acquire Rodriguez for outfielder Manny Ramirez and pitching prospect Jon Lester began falling apart when the players union rejected a restructuring of Rodriguez's contract that reportedly would have reduced its value by $4 million a year. But the deal could have been revived when Rangers owner Tom Hicks made a last-minute concession, dropping his demand for cash as part of the trade. The difference between Ramirez's and Rodriguez's contracts would have cost the Sox an additional $81.5 million over the next seven years -- or $11.6 million per season, hardly an insignificant figure. That price, however, also reflected the value of keeping Rodriguez away from the Yankees, the only other team to which he was willing to approve a trade. The Yankees might have made a run at Rodriguez even if third baseman Aaron Boone had not suffered his major knee injury; owner George Steinbrenner is not one to ignore a chance to acquire the best player in the game. And with the Rangers assuming $67 million of the $179 million remaining on Rodriguez's contract, the Yankees will pay A-Rod an average of $16 million per season -- less than what Blue Jays first baseman Carlos Delgado and, ahem, Ramirez will make in '04. Sign up Now! Fantasy Baseball League Manager Customize and manage your league! It's reliable, fun, affordable and info-packed. Draft & Trade Baseball Compete for $125 in league prizes. Join a roto or points league and utilize the best fantasy info. Ultimate Fantasy Baseball The best market-based baseball game is better than ever. Over $100K in prizes. Early Bird Special until 3/10! Fantasy Source Baseball Draft and manage a winning team using our unparalleled fantasy research tools. Now the Sox are in a bind. With Rodriguez no longer available, they need to sign shortstop Nomar Garciaparra long-term -- and Garciaparra might prefer to leave as a free agent at the end of the season rather than take advantage of his newfound leverage. The Sox then could turn to other potential free-agent shortstops, such as the Cardinals' Edgar Renteria or the Expos' Orlando Cabrera. Another way to counter the Yankees' latest escalation of this offseason's arms race is to trade for Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who appears increasingly unlikely to sign long-term in St. Louis. A-Rod will struggle for acceptance in New York. Sure, Rodriguez was born in New York, but so was Bobby Bonilla, who became a villain with the Mets. If there's one thing New Yorkers won't tolerate, it's a phony. Rodriguez is a solid citizen who plays hard every day, but he's a threat to Jeter, the most popular Yankee. And if he is as manipulative in New York as he was in Texas, the media will crucify him. Three weeks before his trade to the Yankees, Rodriguez seemed to settle his differences in a five-hour meeting with Rangers officials, even accepting the honor of team captain. "I feel a grand responsibility, not only to the Texas Rangers, but to our fans," he said then. "I feel very good about our plan as we move forward." Sure he did. Even on the field, Rodriguez will face a difficult transition. He's moving from The Ballpark in Arlington, one of the best hitters parks in the A.L., to Yankee Stadium, a neutral park with challenging dimensions for righthanded hitters. During the past three seasons, Rodriguez's on-base/slugging percentage was 1.082 at home, .939 on the road; Soriano's OPS was .771 at home, .889 on the road. Soriano had a higher road OPS than Rodriguez in 2002 and better road numbers in each Triple Crown category last season over 55 more at-bats. Soriano's 2003 season was considered a disappointment. Rodriguez was named A.L. Most Valuable Player. Rodriguez will form a devastating middle of the order with Giambi and right fielder Gary Sheffield. However, Rodriguez expanded his strike zone with men on base last season, batting only .276 with runners in scoring position. Giambi occasionally is booed at Yankee Stadium. The expectations on Rodriguez will be even higher, and in New York every wart is exposed. The Rangers will be better off. They can't be any worse, can they? The subtractions of Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro will increase the pressure on their young hitters, but Soriano, Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira are three of the best in the game. And while Hicks is cutting payroll, the Rangers' newfound flexibility will enable them to be players in next year's free-agent market, which is deep in starting pitching. Alfonso Soriano is a great addition for the Rangers. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Soriano could end up in center field, where his athletic ability wouldn't be as restricted as it is at second base. On the other hand, few second basemen hit like Soriano, and he could put up monster numbers in Arlington. If he plays reasonably consistent defense -- one baseball publication's measure of fielding performance shows he has improved to the point where he is now average -- he would be more of an asset at second. Either way, Michael Young likely will move from second to shortstop, with Eric Young playing second if Soriano is in center. Laynce Nix will play center if Soriano is at second, but he's more of a corner outfielder. The lineup will be less experienced but no less talented. Michael Young is developing into a potent offensive player, and Nix showed potential as a rookie last season. As for pitching, the Rangers know they will face continued difficulty attracting free agents, but next year's class should be deep enough for Texas to make an impact. Kerry Wood, a native of Irving, Texas, likely will be the Rangers' primary target if he doesn't re-sign with the Cubs. The list of other potential free agents is imposing: Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe and Kevin Millwood; Matt Morris, Freddy Garcia and Odalis Perez; Russ Ortiz, Brad Radke, Eric Milton and Matt Clement. The Yankees are no lock. Potential conflicts include Steinbrenner-Torre, Jeter-Rodriguez and Bernie Williams-Kenny Lofton, not to mention Kevin Brown vs. the disabled list and Sheffield vs. the world. Even with a potentially disgruntled Garciaparra and a nutty Ramirez, the Red Sox could be The Waltons by comparison. How long before A-Rod wants out? Senior writer Ken Rosenthal covers baseball for Sporting News. Email him at kenrosenthal@sportingnews.com. http://www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=2148326

That would be on the show your self, or what ever that thread was called...nope, milk(Minus the butter) for me!

Yuck, Buttermilk! My Grandmother had that in the fridge....she was always kind enough to offer it, and the long expired chocolate milk to me...of course, she would get mad at me for saying the milk had expired and smelled, it was just fine, it didn't smell to her!

I thought that was Lester Young impersonator, who happened to be a midget!

Some Liberals hate Bush too much to be bothered with facts....

Yeah, them MRI's are loud! I kept telling myself Buddy Rich was doing a drum solo, that went on for most of an hour..kind of worked...need earplugs for sure.

Only 500 made, yet this one just sold, and there are 2 up now... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...77&category=367

YOU ARE SO RIGHT! HE IS THOUGH....

Tony, did you have your eye on one? If not, you might be better served by a late 70's model from what I read in >this< article... Chevy along with the rest of American car manufacturers, were not building the best quality cars in the early 80's. But, like anything, if a car has been well maintained, it should be fine. I have a friend who has a 1980 Cadillac(Something I would not dream of having today what with cutting edge for the time technology) and has put over 220,000 miles on it, it looks brand new, and no engine work ever!) I assume you know that parts should be fairly easy to get , at a price. And The Chevy small block V-8, and the 350 in particular is the best engine ever built, IMHO! I had a 350 in my 1969 Chevy Impala, and after my Grandmother used and abused it(She couldn't hear well and raced the engine when starting the car! ) I used and abused it (I got to drive it when I turned 16) Put the petal to the metal most every single day for the first few years. I only had to put a camshaft and a timing chain in it, by the time I sold it with 155,000 miles on it. There are about 3 zillion companies making parts to hop up the engine (Sorry if you know all this, or are more concerned about the outside, than the inside!) Catesta, you ever have one of these cars????? Or just those crazy British sports cars?

Rot or Rust??? Them's got fiberglass bodies! T-Tops might leak a bit...

Oh wonderful! If this happens, just change the name of the Red Sox to the Generals(As in Washington)

Thanks B! You are worth every cent we pay you! :rsmile:

interesting recommendations guys! I worked at bookstores for most of the 90's, but when you can get 25% off cds every day, and 30 bucks of credit a month to spend, why waste it on books! (I could also check out 2 books at a time to read at home, REALLY miss that these days ) Now I am into.... AMERICAN ARTIST MAGAZINES 1970-73 $24.99 1 1h 05m Time Life Nature/Science Annual 1970-1976 $19.50 $33.50 -- 1h 15m Peter Max Set of 4 Mini Books 1970 Wow ! $95.00 -- 1h 16m Crown Zellerbach~Logger Book~Camas, Wa.1970 $25.53 17 1h 35m 1970 Hansel & Gretel 3D Puppet Story Book $9.99 1 1h 54m