Clarence Clemons, Springsteen's right-hand man, dies at 69 -- Chicago Tribune / Greg Kot

Posted by The Meck

Clarence Clemons, Springsteen's right-hand man, dies at 69 -- Chicago Tribune / Greg Kot 

excerpts .. 
Clemons, 69, died Saturday in a Palm Beach, Fla., hospital after suffering a stroke several days ago. 

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• Video: Video: Clarence Clemons, Springsteen's right-hand man  
•   Photos: Clarence Clemons 
 

• Clarence Page remembers Clarence Clemons

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In a stark black-and-white fold-out image on the cover of Bruce Springsteen's 1975 breakthrough album, "Born to Run," the imposing saxophonist hunched over his instrument while a bearded, leather-jacketed Springsteen leaned on his shoulder. The image suggested a brotherly bond between the two and in this case it wasn't just record-industry hokum. Clemons was an integral part of Springsteen's E Street Band for four decades.
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In a statement issued Saturday, Springsteen said of his longtime friend and bandmate: "Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."

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Clarence Clemons, Springsteen's right-hand man, dies at 69 -- Chicago Tribune / Greg Kot 
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 19, 2011 - 12:25a

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Obama, Boehner play much-anticipated golf match - Washington Times

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Obama, Boehner play much-anticipated golf match - Washington Times
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 19, 2011 - 12:09a

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Mayors See End to Wars as Fix for Struggling Cities - NYTimes.com

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excerpt ..
Local governments shed 28,000 jobs last month, the Department of Labor reported, and have lost 446,000 jobs since employment peaked in September 2008.

So when downturn-weary mayors from around the country gathered here on Friday for the annual meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, they decided to make a statement: they introduced a resolution calling for the speedy end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and calling on Congress to use the $126 billion a year the wars cost for urgent domestic needs.

The resolution, which will be decided Monday, seems likely to pass. “There are so many better uses for the money,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore. Mayor R. T. Rybak of Minneapolis lamented that cities across the nation were being forced to make “deeply painful cuts to the most core services while the defense budget continued to escape scrutiny.” And Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles said that the idea “that we would build bridges in Baghdad and Kandahar and not Baltimore and Kansas City absolutely boggles the mind.”

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Mayors See End to Wars as Fix for Struggling Cities - NYTimes
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 18, 2011 - 11:46p

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NFL looking into players' Country Crossing investment - Dothan Eagle / AP

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 NFL looking into players' Country Crossing investment - Dothan Eagle / AP
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 17, 2011 - 4:41p

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Chipper Shares Major League Dream With Dad -- Braves.com / Mark Bowman

 Posted by The Meck

 excerpts ..
"The guy knows what he's doing," Jones said. "In all honesty, my dad is a better baseball man than half the baseball men that I've known since I turned pro. But because he didn't play professionally and because he didn't have a backer -- somebody within Major League Baseball who would take him in as a coach or instructor -- he's just been my personal guy for the last 20 years."
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"It's what we worked for my entire life and most of his life," said Jones, who has been with the Braves since they took him with the first overall selection in the 1990 First-Year Player Draft.

As he raised his son about 40 miles north of Orlando in the rural Florida town of Pierson, Jones Sr. coached high school athletics and eventually spent time as a coach at neighboring Stetson University.
But his greatest and most successful coaching endeavors came courtesy of the countless hours he spent instructing his son how to play and act like a professional.

"I always took his word over everybody else's," Jones said. "In fact, I would let things other people would say go through one ear and out the other just for the simple fact that I knew it contradicted what my dad was saying.

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Chipper Shares Major League Dream With Dad -- Braves.com / Mark Bowman
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 17, 2011 - 12:23p

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Call Off the Global Drug War - NYTimes / By Jimmy Carter

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..

By JIMMY CARTER

Atlanta
IN an extraordinary new initiative announced earlier this month, the Global Commission on Drug Policy has made some courageous and profoundly important recommendations in a report on how to bring more effective control over the illicit drug trade. The commission includes the former presidents or prime ministers of five countries, a former secretary general of the United Nations, human rights leaders, and business and government leaders, including Richard Branson, George P. Shultz and Paul A. Volcker.

The report describes the total failure of the present global antidrug effort, and in particular America’s “war on drugs,” which was declared 40 years ago today. It notes that the global consumption of opiates has increased 34.5 percent, cocaine 27 percent and cannabis 8.5 percent from 1998 to 2008. Its primary recommendations are to substitute treatment for imprisonment for people who use drugs but do no harm to others, and to concentrate more coordinated international effort on combating violent criminal organizations rather than nonviolent, low-level offenders.

These recommendations are compatible with United States drug policy from three decades ago. In a message to Congress in 1977, I said the country should decriminalize the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, with a full program of treatment for addicts. I also cautioned against filling our prisons with young people who were no threat to society, and summarized by saying: “Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself.”

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Call Off the Global Drug War - NYTimes / By Jimmy Carter
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 17, 2011 - 12:11p

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Investing with gaming operation could be trouble - CBSSports.com

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 excerpt ..
A bingo and entertainment operation near Dothan, Ala., has caused headaches for a number of NFL players who have invested money in the project. It’s been closed since February when the state decreed that slot-machine lookalikes in bingo halls were illegal, and the project’s developer pleaded guilty to 10 counts of corruption.

But there’s another problem for Terrell Owens, Santana Moss, Santonio Holmes, Gerard Warren and Adelius Thomas – all of whom invested in the $20 million project now known as Center Stage.

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Investing with gaming operation could be trouble - CBSSports.com
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 16, 2011 - 10:04p

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Players may be disciplined for gaming investment -- Yahoo Sports / Jason Cole

Posted by The Meck
Thanks RickeyStokesNews.com for the heads up on this breaking story.

Players may be disciplined for gaming investment - Yahoo Sports / Jason Cole
 excerpt ..
DOTHAN, Ala. – Wide receiver Terrell Owens(notes) is one of at least 25 NFL players who could be forced to divest and face discipline from the league in connection with an Alabama bingo and entertainment operation that is hoping to re-open late this month or in July.

Under the NFL’s rules barring an employee’s association with any gaming operation, Owens and other current players such as fellow wide receivers Santana Moss(notes) and Santonio Holmes(notes), defensive tackle Gerard Warren(notes) and linebacker Adalius Thomas(notes), could be forced to cease involvement. Owens did not respond to a phone call and email seeking comment. Other players could not be reached for comment through their agents.

According to multiple sources associated with the players or the operation, the athletes in question invested approximately $20 million total in a project now known as Center Stage, approximately 10 miles south of Dothan. Boxer Floyd Mayweather was also an early investor and has legally sought a return of his money. The project, which separately has a 20-year, $30 million bond that is being handled by the Lord Abbett investment company, was previously known as Country Crossing, but was shut down in February 2010 when electronic bingo halls in the state were closed for using illegal slot-machine lookalikes.
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Players may be disciplined for gaming investment - Yahoo Sports / Jason Cole
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 16, 2011 - 4:55p

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Bingo Trial Update at 4:13, Day 9 - RSN

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Bingo Trial Update at 4:13, Day 9 - RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 16, 2011 - 4:24p

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Day 8, 3:51 - Parkman finished his cross -- RSN

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Day 8, 3:51 - Parkman finished his cross -- RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 15, 2011 - 5:26p

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Day 8 Bingo Trial, Parkman is Cross Examining -- RSN

Posted by The Meck

Famed Defense Attorney Jim Parkman is laying some fajita cheese on Beason.

Here's the link.
Day 8 Bingo Trial, Parkman is Cross Examining -- RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 15, 2011 - 3:31p

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Final Update, Day 7 of the Bingo Trial. - RSN

Posted by The Meck

The talk is that Jim Parkman will be up tomorrow for cross-examination.
Help me Rhonda .. for those being questioned by Mr. Parkman.
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Final Update, Day 7 of the Bingo Trial. - RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 14, 2011 - 7:03p

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Day 7 of the Bingo Trial - Part 1 (The morning session) -- RSN

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Day 7 of the Bingo Trial - Part 1 [The morning session] -- RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 14, 2011 - 1:03p

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Troy's legendary baseball coach Chase Riddle dies at age 85 -- Dothan Eagle

Posted by The Meck

Coach Gene Dews introduced me to Coach Riddle several years ago.
He was a kind, gentle giant. A man who touched many lives on and off the field.
Coach Dews told me about the many players Chase Riddle scouted/signed for
the St. Louis Cardinals.
'Chase, at one time, had 12 players in the Major Leagues that he had scouted/signed', Coach Dews said.

My favorite story [per Gene Dews] was a LH Pitcher Chase had scouted and wanted to sign. The Cardinals didn't believe he was good enough. But Chase Riddle insisted they take another look .. so he and the LH pitcher from [Miami Dade Jr College] flew to St Louis and the pitcher worked out for the Cardinals.

The Cards finally said OK .. offer him 10 thousand to sign. On the plane going back, Chase offered the pitcher, Steve Carlton, 5 thousand and he signed. One of the best LH Starters in ML History. A Hall of Famer, Steve Carlton. Chase Riddle knew baseball and people .. obviously better than most.
Chase Riddle .. A Kind Gentle Giant. -- Meck

Troy's legendary baseball coach Chase Riddle dies at 85 -- Dothan Eagle
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 14, 2011 - 12:52p

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Who Is This Attorney For Bob Riley -- RSN

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Who Is This Attorney For Bob Riley -- Rickey Stokes / RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 12, 2011 - 1:51p

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Mentor molded Dirk physically and mentally - FoxSports.com

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Mentor molded Dirk physically and mentally - FoxSports.com
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 12, 2011 - 1:46p

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Dirk Nowitzki: Lebron James, Dwyane Wade antics were 'childish, ignorant' -- ESPN

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..
MIAMI -- Dirk Nowitzki didn't find anything funny about the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade and LeBron James coughing and cracking jokes about being sick in front of cameras, calling it "childish."

Wade and James didn't mention Nowitzki's name, but it appeared they were mocking the Dallas Mavericks superstar while walking out of the American Airlines Center following Thursday's shootaround, before Game 5 of the NBA Finals. That's certainly how Nowitzki, who battled a sinus infection that caused a 101-degree fever during Dallas' Game 4 win, perceived the incident when he watched the video.

"I just thought it was a little childish, a little ignorant," Nowitzki said before Saturday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I've been in this league for 13 years. I've never faked an injury or illness."

Read more/Video
Dirk Nowitzki: Lebron James, Dwyane Wade antics were 'childish, ignorant' -- ESPN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 11, 2011 - 1:45p

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LeBron can't handle it, but who could? -- Jason Whitlock / FoxSports.com

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..
The crown is too heavy now.

It crushed Tiger Woods. Serena Williams rejected it. Peyton Manning only wears it when it suits his needs. Alex Rodriguez had it stripped from his head by performance-enhancing drugs. A rape allegation dethroned Kobe Bryant.
Michael Jordan is our last global sports icon, and even he couldn’t bear the weight of the crown in this era. Neither could Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth or Joe Montana.

LeBron James had no idea what he was signing up for when he accepted the nickname “King James,” tatted “Chosen One” across his back and teamed with Nike in pursuit of global-icon status.

There was no Facebook or Twitter when this all began. James had probably never heard of Skip Bayless or Stephen A. Smith. Cellphones didn’t double as cameras and devices to watch, send and receive porn. Hardcore sports fans weren’t in their parents’ basements dreaming of inventing Deadspin.

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Lebron can't handle it, but who could? -- Jason Whitlock / FoxSports.com
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 11, 2011 - 1:20p

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Alabama bingo trial: Attorneys for 4 politicians deny clients solicited or took bribes - Bham News

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..
William White, an attorney for Smith, noted that her constituents overwhelmingly returned her to office despite the fact that she had been indicted the month before on the corruption charges.
White characterized his client’s support of the referendum as part of her career-long desire to support her constituents’ desires.

“From our perspective, this case is about the right of the people to vote,” he said.

White said evidence will show that Smith tried to get then-Gov. Bob Riley to support a gambling referendum as far back as 2008 – long before the alleged vote-buying conspiracy. It was before she even had met Gilley, White said.
Noting that prosecutor Justin Shur said in his opening statement that Smith wrote a note to Preuitt trying to support a bribe of him. “I can’t wait for that one,” White said, drawing loud laughter form his client.

White ridiculed Shur’s allegation that his client accepted more than $500,000 in campaign contributions in exchange for her vote. He said his client did not knowingly take a penny from Gilley in 2010. He said she did accept a much smaller amount of money -- $50,000 to $60,000 – from a fundraiser that Gilley hosted for her the previous December.
But it had nothing to do with any vote, White said.

“I’ll submit to you they can’t get close to a half-million dollars,” he said. “They can’t get close to a ‘truckload of cash.’”

Read more:
Ala bingo trial: Attorneys for 4 politicians deny clients solicited or took bribes - Bham News
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 10, 2011 - 4:21p

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Bingo Trial Day 1 - Rickey Stokes reporting/updates from the Federal Courthouse in Montgomery - RSN

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Bingo Trial Day 1 - Rickey Stokes reporting/updates from the Federal Courthouse in Montgomery - RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 10, 2011 - 3:27p

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What can Google do for snail mail? -- Politico

Posted by The Meck

excerpts ..
What do Google and the U.S. Postal Service have in common? Not a lot, you might say.

But next week, tech geeks will gather in a hotel conference room in Crystal City to discuss what icons of the digital age like Google can do to save the outmoded and unprofitable — but essential — business of snail mail.
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Delivering the keynote address will be Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the Web and chief Internet evangelist for Google. Jeff Jarvis, author of the book “What Would Google Do?” will open the daylong conference with a talk on “The Age of Digital Disruption.”

One topic that participants are expected to discuss is digital mail delivery. Under such a system, every U.S. resident would be given an “eMailbox,” the Postal Service Office of Inspector General wrote in a recent report, which would serve as a “digital counterpart” to a physical mailbox.

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What can Google do for snail mail? - Politico
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 9, 2011 - 8:14a

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Twitter finds a place in the classroom - CNN

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Twitter finds a place in the classroom - CNN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 9, 2011 - 8:02a

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Lowe flirts with no-hitter, Braves win in 10 innings - AJC.com

@ajcbraves: After Lowe takes no-hitter to seventh, #Braves blow lead and beat #Marlins in 10 innings UPDATED GAME STORY http://bit.ly/mA8Qbk

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Chipper: Braves need Heyward back on field | Atlanta Braves

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2011/06/07/chipper-braves-need-heyward-back-on-field/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_braves_blog&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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WebExtra/Video - Defendants arrive at Federal Courthouse - WSFA 12

Posted by The Meck

Day 1: Bingo Trial defendants and lawyers arriving at Federal Courthouse in Montgomery this morning.

WebExtra/Video - Defendants arrive at Federal Courthouse - WSFA 12 - Monday June 6, 2011
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 6, 2011 - 2:42p

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Mayor, Sheriff, chamber president all on Harri Anne Smith witness list - Lance Griffin / Dothan Eagle

Posted by The Meck

Senator Harri Anne Smith has an interesting list of witnesses [from Dothan]. She is being represented by famed defense attorney, Jim Parkman. He knows how to deal in a courtroom, especially with the Justice Dept.

In 2005, Jim Parkman and Donald Watkins won the largest corporate fraud case in U.S. history, defending Richard Scrushy in the Health South case, brought by the U.S. Justice Dept. No doubt, it was a smart move for Senator Harri Anne Smith to hire Mr. Parkman. It leveled the playing field for her against the government and their unlimited resources. Check out the list/link below. - Meck
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excerpt ..
Some of the names on the witness list for Sen. Harri Anne Smith are: Dothan businessmen John Watson and John Downs, State Sen. candidate George Flowers, former attorney general Troy King, former Country Crossing spokesperson Doug Rainer, Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver, Sen. Jimmy Holley, R-Elba; former Rep. Locy Baker of Abbeville, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce president Matt Parker; former Ronnie Gilley attorney Doug Jones, current Gilley attorney David Harrison, former Slocomb mayor Vicki Moore, country music singer and Country Crossing investor Lorrie Morgan, former Lt. Governor Steve Windom, Dothan Mayor Mike Schmitz, Houston County Sheriff Andy Hughes, attorney and former Dothan Chief of Police John White.

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Mayor, Sheriff, chamber president all on Harri Anne Smith witness list - Lance Griffin / Dothan Eagle
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 6, 2011 - 1:07p

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The Bingo Trial, Court Underway -- Rickey Stokes / RSN

Posted by The Meck

Bingo Trial, Day 1: Rickey Stokes reporting [in real time] from the Federal Courthouse in Montgomery.
The Bingo Trial, Court Underway -- Rickey Stokes / RSN
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 6, 2011 - 12:43p

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Actually, that's not in the Bible -- CNN / John Blake

Posted by The Meck


 excerpt ..
(CNN) – NFL legend Mike Ditka was giving a news conference one day after being fired as the coach of the Chicago Bears when he decided to quote the Bible.
“Scripture tells you that all things shall pass,” a choked-up Ditka said after leading his team to only five wins during the previous season.  “This, too, shall pass.”

Ditka fumbled his biblical citation, though. The phrase “This, too, shall pass” doesn’t appear in the Bible. Ditka was quoting a phantom scripture that sounds like it belongs in the Bible, but look closer and it’s not there.

Ditka’s biblical blunder is as common as preachers delivering long-winded public prayers. The Bible may be the most revered book in America, but it’s also one of the most misquoted. Politicians, motivational speakers, coaches - all types of people  - quote passages that actually have no place in the Bible, religious scholars say.

These phantom passages include:

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Actually, that's not in the Bible -- CNN / John Blake
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 5, 2011 - 2:28p

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Commentary: Friends believe Gary Carter's upbeat, outgoing spirit will help 'The Kid' beat cancer - Dave George / Palm Beach Post

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..
Baseball is a kid's game, but there's only one plaque at Coopers-town with the name "Kid" stamped out in bronze to keep the years at bay. That makes Gary Carter pretty special, and makes a serious challenge out of trying to describe his casual charisma in just a few words.

Here's how the Baseball Hall of Fame summed it up on Carter's nameplate in 2003, when the 29-year Palm Beach Gardens resident made the game's ultimate all-star team:
"An exuberant on-field general with a signature smile who was known for clutch hitting and rock-solid defense over 19 seasons."

If that doesn't spell fan favorite, what does?

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Commentary: Friends believe Gary Carter's upbeat, outgoing spirit will help 'The Kid' beat cancer - Dave George / Palm Beach Post
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 5, 2011 - 2:14p

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Rare Photos of Gary Carter -- SI.com

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Great photos of The Kid .. thru the years.

Rare Photos of Gary Carter -- SI.com
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 4, 2011 - 1:32p

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Gary Carter 7up commercial with daughter Christy - YouTube

Posted by The Meck

The Kid's 7up commercial with daughter Christy throwing a heater to Dad.
Great job Christy and Kid 8.

Gary Carter 7up commercial with daughter Christy - YouTube
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 3, 2011 - 2:05p

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