Thursday, June 16, 2011

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

Posted by The Meck

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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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

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

Posted by The Meck

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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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

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

Posted by The Meck

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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Saturday, June 11, 2011

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.

Read more
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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Friday, June 10, 2011

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

Posted by The Meck

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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Thursday, June 09, 2011

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.

Read more:
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

Posted by The Meck

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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Wednesday, June 08, 2011

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

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Monday, June 06, 2011

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.

Read more
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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Sunday, June 05, 2011

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:

Read more
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?

Read more
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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Saturday, June 04, 2011

Rare Photos of Gary Carter -- SI.com

Posted by The Meck

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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Friday, June 03, 2011

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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Gary Carter Newsday Commercial (1986) - YouTube

Posted by The Meck

The Kid makes a funny commercial regarding Newsday's reporting of his play with the Mets.
Gary Carter Newsday Commercial [1986] - YouTube
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 3, 2011 - 1:54p
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Gary Carter - Ivory Soap Commercial - YouTube

Posted by The Meck

The Kid's Ivory Soap Commercial after the Mets World Series victory in 1986.
Daughters, Christy and Kimmy join Dad.

Gary Carter - Ivory Soap Commercial - YouTube
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 3, 2011 - 1:46p
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Thursday, June 02, 2011

GARY CARTER'S NUMBER 8 SHOULD BE RETIRED BY METS - MIKE VACCARO / NY POST

Posted by The Meck

excerpts ..
The disgrace is that the Mets had 22 years to do the right thing based on performance, based on accomplishment, based on Gary Carter’s inviolable place in the collective heart of their fans. He is a Hall-of-Fame player who played the meat of his prime as a Met. He was the missing piece to a championship puzzle.

On a team forever remembered as much for its indefatigable bacchanalia as its baseball, Carter was one player you never feared would break the fans’ covenant of faith. He spent far more time in chapel and trainer’s room than saloon or casino. And from the moment the Mets released him on Nov. 14, 1989, there should’ve been a plan to invite him back for a Day, capital “D,” to put his number 8, forever, on the wall.

The Mets, being the Mets, never did that.
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Carter is sick now, news that has devastated the Mets’ family and fan base. And the Mets face a disquieting choice now. Even an operation as tone-deaf as this ought to know that it should finally step up and do the right thing, have a day sometime in the next few months, put Carter’s 8 up on the wall next to 37, 14, 41 and 42.

Would it look like they would be reacting to the horrific news of Carter’s brain cancer? Maybe. And you know what? That’s tough. The Mets could’ve done the right thing on their own years ago.

Read more: GARY CARTER'S NUMBER 8 SHOULD BE RETIRED BY METS - MIKE VACCARO / NY POST
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 2, 2011 - 1:15p
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Florida Marlins broadcaster Tommy Hutton on illness of his friend Gary Carter: 'He'll battle it' -- Palm Beach Post

Posted by The Meck

excerpts ..
Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter plans to fight brain cancer with the same determination he showed with the New York Mets in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

That's what he told Marlins broadcaster Tommy Hutton this weekend in a tearful phone conversation with his close friend and neighbor after doctors diagnosed as malignant a tumor on Carter's brain.

"He used to tell us a story of 1986 when the (Mets) won the World Series, how the guys in the dugout said, 'I'm not going to be the one to make the last out,' ' Hutton said Wednesday. "He said that's how he's going to battle it, like Game 6.'
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Hutton was in Los Angeles on Saturday when he had a 10-minute phone conversation with Carter. It was the first time they had spoken since the initial diagnosis May 21.

"He broke down, I broke down," Hutton said. "We were talking about a friend of ours who kind of went through the same thing.
"His spirits were all right. He's got a good attitude. That's what he has to have.'

Read more
Florida Marlins broadcaster Tommy Hutton on illness of his friend Gary Carter. 'He'll battle it' -- Palm Beach Post
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 2, 2011 - 12:54p
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Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Kimmy Carter's Journal: Heading Home Wednesday With Dad and Family - May 31, 2011 / 9:10p

Posted by The Meck
Please Pray For Gary and His Family: Sandy, Christy, Kimmy, and D.J. My heart breaks for them. I can't even imagine their pain. If anybody can defeat this .. I'm Certain it's Jesus and The Kid - Gary Carter. A Wonderful Man and A Blessing To So Many. Thanks For Always Including Me In Your Life, Kid. And The Many Wonderful Memories. I Love You Kid 8. .. Meck
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011 9:10 PM, EDT
Tuesday...last night in N.C.
Hello to the roster of TEAM CARTER - 


If you haven't found out already, we met with Dr. Allan Friedman today and the prognosis is that dad has GRADE 4 GLIOBLASTOMA. We are saddened by this news and are in shock remembering just two weeks ago that dad was in uniform coaching his college guys in a Regional game. 
Dr. Allan Friedman was so encouraging and positive - exactly the kind of doctor we need. He told dad to LIVE LIFE and ENJOY LIFE...that is what dad is going to do! He will golf, exercise, coach, spend a lot of family time together and we will all cherish every single moment. I pray you all can do the same thing in your own life. 

ISAIAH 41:10 - Scriptures say, 
"Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."


Life is throwing us curveballs right now and without a doubt, our lives are forever changed. I ask that you continue to join TEAM CARTER as we fight dad's biggest battle. Mom and dad are beyond excited to go home tomorrow...it will be incredibly uplifting.
We meet tomorrow with Dr. Henry Friedman, Dr. V and staff to setup his Duke treatment plan that will be done in Florida.

We thank you again for everything you all have done. Thank you for your love, support, tears, encouragement and cheers from around the world. WE APPRECIATE IT AND WILL CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE IT!!!
I will not write everyday but I promise to post as often as I can...possibly once a week. Dad will begin his treatments very soon. Our hope and daily strength is in Jesus. As you continue to pray for dad and talk to our Savior, I pray you can grow in your own faith or start your own relationship with Him. 

John 14:6 
"Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

God bless you all.

Sign My Guestbook
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 1, 2011 - 8:41a
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Why the Mets Number 8 Will Always Be My Number 1 -- Thomas Saladino - NJ.com Blogger

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..
I was only 5 years old but I immediately understood how important number 8 was. Not only important, number 8 further represented something that I could identify with; my first "favorite" baseball player. In 1986, and being 5 years old, my knowledge associated with the sport of Baseball was still in its primitive stages.

However, there was this "kid" who just so happened to wear the number 8, who to me, made the game of Baseball look very easy and also very fun to play. This "kid" was my favorite player. This "kid" made me want to wear the number 8 on the back of my shirt. This "kid" made me want to be a catcher. And above all, this "kid" made me want to be a New York Mets fan.

I could not escape him. He was everywhere. In the afternoon, I would see him out in the sunshine, "sitting" in the middle of this big field, catching balls which were being thrown at him very fast by a guy standing atop a small hill. That "sitting" was called "catching". In the evening, any time after 7:40 PM I would see him swinging at balls, driving them to left field with regularity. Again, he was everywhere and it was rare that I did not see him every day.

Read more
Why The Mets Number 8 Will Always Be My Number 1 - Thomas Saladino / NJ.com Blogger

To me, the "kid" is all of that and more. However, he represents something bigger than the kid's game that he played. The "kid" represents my bond to the great game of baseball. Most baseball fans have their favorite player, their "number 8". Gary Carter will forever be mine.
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 1, 2011 - 8:29a
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Gary Carter Has Aggressive Brain Cancer - NY Times

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..
Gary Carter was diagnosed on Tuesday as having glioblastoma, an aggressive, fast-moving brain cancer that that will be treated with radiation and chemotherapy, but not with surgery, according to a statement from the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Cancer Center at Duke University Medical Center, where biopsies of the cancer were tested.

Carter’s doctors, Henry S. Friedman and Allan Friedman, the co-deputy directors of the Tisch Center, said in a statement that surgery is “not a good option given the location of the tumor.” They said that Carter would return home to Florida “to begin the next phase of his treatment” and that his age, 57, and “strong physical condition and fighting spirit will be to his advantage as the treatment commences.”

Read more
Gary Carter Has Aggressive Brain Cancer - NY Times
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The Meck Report / Blog - June 1, 2011 - 8:17a
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

More than 500 cities see more homes become rentals - USA TODAY

Posted by The Meck

excerpt ..
                          Pop. 2010   %Rent2010   %Rent2000           % Pt Diff
AL  Birmingham  212,237      50.7%           46.3%4.4
AL  Decatur55,683      36.9%            36.2%  0.7
ALDothan65,496     39.9%           37.1% 2.8
ALHoover81,619           32.6%          34.0% 1.5
ALHuntsville180,105     42.0%          38.4% 3.6
ALMobile195,111     43.6%          40.7% 2.9
ALMontgomery   205,764     41.1%          38.1%3.0
ALTuscaloosa90,468     57.7%          52.3%                5.4 
       
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Almost 4 million homes have been lost to foreclosures in the past five years, turning many former owner-occupied homes into rentals.
The shift to rental housing is potentially long-lasting and portends changes for neighborhood stability and how people build wealth, economists say.
"The changes are big but glacial," says Mark Zandi, economist at Moody's Analytics.

Read more
More than 500 cities see more homes become rentals - USA TODAY
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The Meck Report / Blog - May 31, 2011 - 12:59p
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