Dan Gould

Furthermore, I feel safe in asserting that the latter motivation is what keeps Jim, Joe and Randy working toward their dream.

There's a difference between financial reasons of "getting rich" and financial reasons of "getting paid to do what I love to do and am good at doing". How many musicians have told stories about being 13 or 14 or 18 and getting paid to play for the first time, and how it changed their view of what they wanted to do? And a large part of that becomes sustaining an audience by creating music that appeals to them. I really don't think its that difficult or off base. Artists can be motivated by more than just what is inside yearning to find expression.

I am not a musician but I've been an artist in other endeavors. I'm pretty sure that this is not the primary purpose of music, unless you are a pretty vapid musician. The primary purpose of art in general resides in personal issues with the artist himself. Artists make art for themselves. It's great if others end up appreciating it, but we make music, or paint pictures, or write books, or create chess games for ourselves primarily. But then I'm being picky here. Have to disagree with you there, Paul. For any musician who's work is being downloaded, financial motivations had a lot to do with their chosen field. Of course they are being creative and expressing what is inside, but they're also doing it because in most instances, they've found that this is the way they want to make a living. And that starts with providing enjoyment to their listeners.

This is a problem that could be foreseen for anyone who is a "beneficiary" of that show, regardless of the mortgage crisis. I haven't seen more than bits and pieces when I stumbled across it and the remote didn't want to function but it seems that they target middle to working class people, often those with medical or other hard-luck stories. Everyone cries, but at the end of the day you've changed the economics of their home ownership, and if their luck doesn't change, anyone could foresee trouble ahead. If the show really wanted to change people's lives, it would transform their home while paying off the debt so that all the lucky winners would have to worry about going forward is property taxes. I'd be really curious to know how often this has happened previously, as well as how many participants sold their transformed properties because they realized they couldn't handle the additional expenses like enormously increased taxes and utilities.

Ditto on the items I purchased. Thanks Good Patrick, hope you enjoy them.

I didn't refresh but now its a good looking woman in a black and white photo.

I see a pretty dark haired girl in a red dress.

My pleasure Jon. Enjoy the Sonny Clark!

Well he does call it "very treatable" which makes it extra sad that the cancer took him so quickly after what was apparently an encouraging prognosis by his doctors.

Glad to hear it, Sandy. And for those of you still browsing, a Mike LeDonne was added.

Well the Sox weren't interested in Nady, of that I am quite sure. They've got their own fourth outfielder, his name is Brandon Moss. And I'm not sure who the "crown jewel" of the Red Sox system is (non-pitcher division) but I have no doubt that Theo doesn't think twice to refuse to deal him plus others for Nady and Marte.

I shocked my wife when I said that I might want to see this (the movies she wants to see, she usually sees with her sister). I got a little sick and tired of the conspiracy episodes also and always preferred the self-contained ones, so when I heard that was the case with this movie, I thought it might be worth it. I recently caught the haunted Christmas episode with what's-his-face, the guy who played Lou Grant. That's a minor classic - creepy and effective but funny too.

Here's the deal with Nady: He's having a career year for a second division club. Look at his performance before then: .280 BA, .330 OBP, and power numbers that are nothing to write home about (OPS+ around 104 on average, which makes him barely above league average and doesn't take into consideration that a corner outfielder should be a power guy, traditionally) And Marte, the new lefty for the pen, allows lefty hitters a higher batting average than righties this year. His ERA also represents a very large jump over last year, when the Bucs refused to part with him, and its up over his career number too. So essentially Marte is a useful arm for the bullpen, nothing more. David Robertson looked like a useful arm too, and he's young and can get better. But I'd imagine he'll be sent back down unless they wise up and DFA Hawkins. And I love what I am reading on some blogs - Nady is insurance if Abreu leaves. Compare those numbers up above and tell me that Nady doesn't represent a gigantic fall-off from Abreu? I'd love it if they make that move. And last observation, Nady doesn't exactly have A-Rod power. Unless he gets a hold of a few from the foul pole to straightaway left, he is hitting far fewer home runs in Yankee Stadium. Now, is Nady in the mix as part of a platoon? Or does Damon never play LF again? And if so, where does Posada get some at-bats. And, heaven help the Yanks if Matsui comes back somehow. Oh, and the talent given up - the Yankees are seriously thin in position talent in the minors. Giving up on Tabata and selling low on him could be a really bad decision. The two other pitchers are nothing, and we'll never know if Ohlendorf was a major leaguer now that he's in Pittsburgh. Personally I think he became the long man because in spring training he turned and spat before seeing that Girardi was down there, and hit him on his pants leg.

You're absolutely right about using Beckett to drill someone, but the fact is that after a warning is issued, he'd not only get tossed he'd also get suspended and miss a start. But Joba is going to get one of his teammates hurt, of that you can be sure. There's no way Manny is sent away because Atlanta wouldn't even take on two months of that salary. And if they want bats, they want bats they can control, not someone they have to exercise a twenty million dollar option on. Typical Boston media to ask about Manny. It doesn't make sense with two months to go for Tito to throw Manny under the bus. He's here, he has to produce for us to win. Deal with it.

THAT WAS THE WORST, MOST INCOMPETENT DISPLAY OF HOME PLATE UMPIRING I HAVE SEEN SINCE ERIC "I'M A FAT MOTHERFUCKING ASSHOLE WHO CALLS STRIKES A FOOT OFF THE PLATE" GREGG. IN FACT, IT WAS THE SAME FUCKING STRIKE ZONE. HE RUNG UP ELLSBURY ON A PITCH THAT TRAVELED DIRECTLY OVER THE RIGHT HANDED BATTERS BOX LINE. THE PITCH AGAINST LOWELL WAS IN THE SAME PLACE. NOT EVEN FUCKING REMOTELY CLOSE. ITS TOUGH ENOUGH TO BEAT RIVERA WE DON'T NEED THE FUCKING UMPIRES DOING HIS JOB FOR HIM.

Motherfuck Manny! If that MRI doesn't come back with something major, DROP HIS ASS NOW!!!!! I don't think that's an option unless you are willing to give up the farm for Teixeira (and risk him leaving) or that dude from Colorado who barely hits outside of Coors.

Jesus Christ, now Manny is scratched, right after they option Moss to Pawtucket. I guess now its Crisp at the bottom of the lineup, and it don't look nearly as dangerous. Fuck!

Two bits of news, one good, one freaking AWESOME: Manny is back in the lineup playing LF after missing Wednesday's game with a "sore knee" Ellsbury has been dropped to ninth, with Pedroia moved up to first and Youk second. This is exactly what I wanted to see with Ellsbury slumping so badly. Papi back, and the two guys in front of him have OBPs of .365 and .381 and OPS of .826 and .932. Until Ellsbury starts hitting again, this is the lineup they need. With Drew dropped down to six, and Lowrie behind him, really only Tek and Ellsbury are weak links. And Ellsbury can still get on via bunt; Tek has shown to tiny signs that he might start hitting again. Ideally by September, Ellsbury is hitting and getting on base, and the big boppers go all the way down to Youk or Drew batting seventh. That's a lineup no one will want to face in the playoffs. (and if you're wondering about Papi in the lineup, I'm not counting that as big news because it was already a given.

This is tough for his legion of fans, it must be extra tough on Michael Weiss, since Griff not only helped raise his profile when he was younger but I'm sure helped him in ways musical and otherwise.

Very sad news.

Chuck Nessa posts here and may very well have copies of that recording still available. I strongly encourage you to think about what you are planning.

No, I'll check it out, thanks. http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/ Check out the piece about Tiger at the US Open, and the Musial piece. Poz is a great writer.

Don't say that! After we beat back the Yanks and make our move, you've got to help keep the Yanks down! Nobody wants another October with both the Sox and Yanks in.

I don't understand that belief at all. The man had just hit a clutch home run in the ninth inning, with two outs, on the road, against the best closer in the game, and on a ridiculous technicality, had been called out and his team went from being ahead to being the losing team. I don't think any reaction could qualify as "over the top" in that situation. I think that situation might have seen the same reaction from Manny Being Manny, which would be as far from "over the top staged theater" as you can get. I see nothing but an expression of total rage and frustration and disbelief. Absolutely nothing theatrical or over the top or Piniella-like whatsoever. I don't know ... he came flying out of that dugout as if someone had just shot his dog or something. I guess I just tend to take the antics of these athletes with a grain of salt. His rage may have been sincere, but if that's the case, I'm not sure I'd want to be around the guy when something happened that was really worth getting pissed about. To a highly competitive athlete, having just for all intents and purposes won a game against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium over the best closer in the game, that was completely worth getting pissed about. You might have seen a more mellow reaction from, say, JD Drew, but I'm pretty sure that Brett was as driven by winning as any player of his era. I don't know if you read Joe Posnanksi's blog (which is simply the best sports blog in the world) but he recently posted a piece about Stan Musial. Musial was one guy who probably would have taken it in stride. As the story goes, late in a game against the Dodgers, Musial hit a home run to take the lead which was waved off by an umpire who had called time because a ball had rolled on the field. Musial's manager and someone else came out to argue so vociferously they both got tossed, one after the other. Musial never said a thing. When everyone calmed down, he said to the ump, "It didn't count? Well there's nothing you can do" and proceeded to hit a bases clearing double on the next pitch. Actually, the real story isn't quite as dramatic (Poz did some investigating on his own to find the truth) but the gist of it is true. In reality, Martin deserves a lot of credit. They had noticed that Brett used too much pine tar but they waited for the exact right moment to use it against him. And it worked - til the AL President did the right thing the next day.

Glad to hear it.