Credo Synchro Cutter

Hooray, my synchro cutter arrived today! Look at my sweet collection!

TomC

Greasy Fucker Jason Giambi Finally Admits Apology Was For Taking 'Roids. Cops out and Blames The League

More info via USA Today!

New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi, saying he's likely tested for illegal performance-enhancing drugs more often than anyone else, believes Major League Baseball should have apologized years ago for its widespread drug problem.

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi told USA TODAY on Wednesday before playing the Chicago White Sox. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up — players, ownership, everybody — and said: 'We made a mistake.'

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. … Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

The San Francisco Chronicle reported in December 2004 that Giambi told the grand jury investigating BALCO in December 2003 he used steroids and human growth hormone. Giambi held a news conference before the 2005 season to apologize but didn't say for what, telling reporters, "I can't get into specifics."

He said Wednesday he's thankful for MLB's steroid and amphetamine testing program that was revised before last season. MLB does not test for HGH, but Giambi said he does not use the drug, either illegally or with a doctor's prescription.

"Unfortunately, (the rumors) are going to be a part of it. But that's OK. I'm probably tested more than anybody else. I'm not hiding anything," said Giambi, hitting .273 with five homers this season. "That stuff didn't help me hit home runs. I don't care what people say, nothing is going to give you that gift of hitting a baseball."

When asked, "So why did you take steroids?" Giambi said: "Maybe one day I'll talk about it, but not now."

I used to LOVE this guy when he played in Oakland, why did he have to become such a tool?

TomC

Trey Anastasio Update.

I thought I would update a story about the Phish lead singer, I first mentioned in this post.

http://www.livedaily.com/news/11922.html

Trey Anastasio (music) pleaded guilty Friday (4/30) to a felony drug charge as part of a deal that will allow the former Phish frontman avoid jail time.

Anastasio, 42, reportedly pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance, a charge stemming from his December arrest for alleged drug-related offenses. As a result of the plea deal, Anastasio will make weekly court appearances for 12-15 months, will subjected to drug testing and will have to perform community service, the Associated Press reported.

According to police, Anastasio was pulled over on Dec. 15 at about 3:30 a.m. for failing to keep to the right, and was administered a field-sobriety test, with police determining that the singer was under the influence of narcotics. He was also found to be in possession of two prescription narcotics--hydrocodone and percocet--and the anti-anxiety medication Xanax. All three medications were prescribed to another person, authorities said. Police also allegedly found a substance in the car that was later determined to be heroin.

Since the incident, Anastasio spent 28 days in rehab at the Eric Clapton Treatment Center in Antigua.




TomC

Beckett Heading to DL, Alas Lester will not replace him.

More Info Here!

BOSTON -- The Red Sox mulled it over with Josh Beckett for a few days, then took definitive action. On Friday the Red Sox will place the right-hander on the disabled list -- retroactive to May 13 -- with an avulsion on his right middle finger.

The good news is that the Sox have already slotted Beckett to start on May 29 against the Indians, the first day he's eligible to come off the DL.

Devern Hansack will be recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket and take Beckett's turn in the rotation on Friday night against the Braves. The Sox are still undecided for Sunday, but Pawtucket left-hander Kason Gabbard is looking like a heavy favorite to make that start. Gabbard last pitched on Monday and isn't listed anywhere in Pawtucket's rotation in games through Tuesday.

Hansack was supposed to pitch for Pawtucket on Thursday, and once he was scratched, it was evident that he was coming to Boston and Beckett was headed for the DL. Because Hansack was just sent to Pawtucket on May 11, the only way he could rejoin the Boston roster this quickly is if another player went on the DL.

Beckett will proceed as planned and throw a side session on Friday.

"Nothing went backwards at all," said manager Terry Francona. "In fact, he's doing great."

The decision was not made unilaterally. All parties played a role.

"We included [Beckett] in this decision a lot," said Francona. "Thought he deserved it. We actually appreciated his input, because he was very thoughtful and conscientious in what he was saying to us. We talked to him for a long time about it because we wanted to do the right thing."

This is the seventh time in Beckett's career he's been placed on the disabled list with either a blister or an avulsion. The previous six times came in a four-year span (2002-06) with the Florida Marlins.

But why are the Sox undecided about Sunday, when it would be Tim Wakefield's turn in the rotation? The answer is that the Sox thought it made more sense to hold Wakefield out for Monday's opener of a three-game series in the Bronx against the Yankees. If Wakefield had pitched on Sunday, the Sox would have been searching for a starter for Monday.

And for all the conspiracy theorists out there, Jon Lester will not make a dramatic return and be Sunday's surprise starter. Francona reiterated the plan that Lester will start for Pawtucket at Ottawa on Saturday night, throwing 50 to 55 pitches.

Whats Better Than One Win On Thursday?? TWO!

Thats right! The Red Sox won both halves of a day night doubleheader at home against Detroit on Thursday, gaining them all kinds of momentum going into a weekend Interleague Series against the Atlanta Braves. Read about the pleasant carnage here!

(Lugo Scored in game one.)
(Papelbon got the save.)

The first game was all about the surprising performance of fifth starter Julian Tavarez, as the Red Sox won 2-1. Adding to the string of great pitching performances by Sox starters, Tavarez truned in the following line:

7IP 4H 1ER 4BB 3K

This was good enough to out pitch a decent start by the Tigers Zach Miner. Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis both had RBI singles to account for the scoring. Papelbon pitched the ninth for his eleventh save.

(This is the dive Hinske missed, the other was cooler.)
(Hinske hits a home run too!)(Okajima gets the save.)

Between a game-saving catch and a game-deciding homer, Thursday night was made for Eric Hinske.

Hinske's seventh-inning two-run homer into the Boston bullpen was the difference as the Red Sox completed a day-night doubleheader sweep of the Tigers, 4-2, at Fenway.

Hinske, starting in right field for the injured J.D. Drew, helped Schilling with the catch of the night, diving for and catching a drive down the right-field line off the bat of Mike Rabelo.

"No, I don't even remember it," Hinske said of his up-close-and-personal meeting with the warning track. "I just remember looking up at my glove to make sure the ball was still in there, because usually it bounces out. I would have looked bad if that ball got by me, but I committed and was able to come up with it."

The spectacular catch, coming with runners on second and third and two outs, ended Detroit's fifth-inning rally. Hinske lay on his stomach for several moments after his chin snapped into the warning-track dirt.

"It was all over my mouth, eyes and nose," Hinske said. "The back of my neck is kind of sore right now. They told me I would have kind of whiplash symptoms tomorrow, but the adrenaline's going now, so I'm happy."

"Unbelievable," said a grateful Schilling. "One of the best catches I have ever seen anywhere."

Then came the bottom of the seventh. With the score tied at 2, Hinske drilled a fastball from Tigers reliever Wilfredo Ledezma (3-1) into the Boston bullpen with Jason Varitek aboard. A triumphant Hinske raised his fist as he rounded first base.

Brendan Donnelly pitched an inning and one third for the win, and Hideki Okajima, who pitched in both games, pitched the ninth for the save.

With the sweep the Red Sox ran their Record to 28-12 and their lead in the AL east to 9 and one-half games.


GO SOX!

TomC

Sean Casey: Humanitarian

There isn't enough good I can say about the Detroit Tiger's first baseman. I mean, look at this.

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=1001498&srvc=home


Casey steps in, connects: Goes to bat to help feed hungry
By Michael Silverman

When Sean Casey left Fenway Park following Monday night’s game against the Red Sox , the Detroit first baseman didn’t return to the team hotel with the rest of the Tigers. Instead, he caught a ride to Lawrence in anticipation of a 6 a.m. wake-up call to prepare to feed the hungry at Cor Unum Meal Center.

The center is run by the Labels Are For Jars organization (labelsareforjars.org) that Casey helped fund and found back in 2001 with his friend, the Rev. Paul O’Brien. The doors opened last autumn, but yesterday marked the first time Casey had been able to be in action and help feed, and then clean up after, more than 75 people.

“It was a dream five years ago and it was a reality today,” said Casey before last night’s game. “What for me was so special was that five years ago, Father Paul and I were talking about how wouldn’t it be neat if we started the Labels Are For Jars group, and raise enough money with T-shirts and all to build a center to feed the hungry.”

Casey met O’Brien through a mutual friend while attending the University of Richmond. The friendship grew when Casey played for Brewster in the Cape Cod League in 1994, when O’Brien was a priest in Concord. O’Brien officiated Casey’s wedding and baptized his three children.

“He’s been a big part of my life and we’ve had a great relationship,” Casey said. “Even to do this together was pretty neat.”

A steady stream of people arrived at Cor Unum yesterday, ranging in age from 6 years old to 85, Casey said. The tables were full for most of the morning. By the time everyone had left, and Casey, O’Brien and the center’s workers were done cleaning up the kitchen and dining area, Casey was left with a renewed sense of mission.

“It is a very, very humbling experience,” Casey said. “To think that there are people - not only homeless people but just people in general - who still need one meal a day, one good meal. To see those people get a hot meal, that’s what was so special about the whole thing. It was an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, no one should be hungry.’ ”

The Tigers’ one and only visit to Fenway Park ends tonight.

“I’m going to come back here with the whole family once the season is over,” Casey said. “It’s an easy flight.”


I liked him when he was on the Reds, and I have even more respect for him now. Cool shit, man.

TomC

Cigar Enthusiasm: It's Not Just About Tobacco! (Part Two)!

In honor of the post I made about Cigar Lovers & Camaraderie, here are some of the cast of characters at Stogie Chat:

(Ashman & the Missus)

(BuffaloBill)
(Dr.StogieFresh)
(IrishCelt)
(MaduroPIPs)

(Skipper & Mikey)
(Keith)
(ScoopKW)
(NANP)
(sergione)
(Skip)
(Tommy2Guns)

TomC

Killer Beans Carribean Cut Throat (Dark Roast)

(Just A Few Easy Steps.)
(Look At Those Tasty Oily Beans.)
(Ground Up In The Bottom Of The French Press.)
(Just Finished Brewing.)
(Ready For Consumption.)

Should You Want Some of this Coffee, You Can Order It HERE.

All right, I guess because this is my first attempt at a tasting I need to lay some framework. The hardware involved in my cups of coffee are shown in the first picture above. I use a little blade grinder, and grind the beans to a medium setting. I follow most suggestions which say to use around a tablespoon of grounds per four ounces of water, give or take a smidge. he water is Bryan Municipal Tap water run through a filter pitcher and I use a Bodum French Press. The one thing not pictured above is a teapot. The water I use is about a minute or so off the boil and it steeps for 4 minutes. That seems to cover the basics to me. Oh yes, and I drink my coffee black.

Beans: These beans are amazing looking. They are dark and have an oily sheen to them, unlike anything I have seen before in my life. Evidently this rich oiliness is something that is quite desirable in a dark roasted bean. Well it was here in force.

The whole beans smell amazing as well, when you open the bag you are hit with a bracing, refreshing blast of flavor. the aroma is so strong you can taste it, and its a great flavor. Lots or Dark Cocoa, and a smell not unlike an autumn campfire is what I got. Great.

Coffee Body: This coffee is quite rich, but surprisingly smooth, with a nice medium round feel in the mouth, it coats you tongue a little bit and the flavor lingers on your palate for a while. This is a good thing.

Taste: This coffee really seems to be growing on me. Complex on the palate, it tastes dry around the edge of your tongue and rich in the middle. Notes of thoroughly unsweetened dark chocolate contrasts with a not all that unpleasant acidic note. And not to get too froofy hoity toity tasting notes on you, but a note of dark fruit like prunes or dates. While the acidic note balances it a bit, but the one word I would use to describe this stuff is rich. Oh yeah, and that unsweetened cocoa finish goes on forever. . .

I got to say that this was a great introduction into the world of "Good" coffee, and excites me about future endeavors into this field.

MMMMmmmm. . .

TomC

Coffee Tasting Information

While you are tasting the coffee, here are the major characteristics you should be paying attention to:

Acidity - The sensation of dryness in the back and under the edges of your mouth. This is a desirable quality and not to be confused with sour (which is considered a bad quality of coffee). Acidity creates a lively, bright taste which without it, the coffee would taste flat.

Aroma – Without aroma, we could only taste sweet, sour, bitter and salty. This is where we get the subtle differences such as floral, nutty or fruity.

Body – The way the coffee feels in your mouth, its viscosity or heaviness. The best way to describe it is the comparison to how whole milk feels in your mouth compared to water. If you are unsure as to the level of body in the different coffees, add an equal amount of milk to each one and the one with the heavier body will retain more of its flavor when diluted.

Flavor – This is the overall perception of the three characteristics above. Flavor can be rich (full bodied), complex (multi-flavored), or balanced (no one characteristic over powers the other.

Here are some terms used to describe DESIRABLE flavor qualities:

Bright or dry – highly acidic leaving a dry aftertaste
Caramelly – caramel like or syrupy
Chocolaty – aftertaste similar to unsweetened chocolate or vanilla
Earthy – a soily-like quality (sometimes unfavorable)
Fragrant – an aroma ranging from floral to nutty to spicy, etc.
Fruity – having a citrus or berry scent
Mellow – a smooth taste lacking acidity but not flat
Nutty – similar to roasted nuts
Spicy – an exotic aroma of various spices
Sweet – a lack of harshness
Wild – a gamey flavor rarely, but sometimes considered favorable
Winy – aftertaste resembling a mature wine

Here are some terms used to describe UNDESIRABLE flavor qualities:

Bitter – aftertaste perceived on the back of the tongue
Bland – neutral in flavor
Carbony – burnt charcoal flavors
Earthy – a musty, soily-like quality
Flat – lacking aroma, acidity, and aftertaste
Grassy – aroma and taste of grass
Harsh – a caustic, raspy quality
Muddy – thick and flat
Musty – slightly stuffy smell (sometimes desirable in aged coffees)
Rubbery – a smell of burnt rubber
Sour – a tart flavor such as unripe fruit
Turpeny – a flavor resembling turpentine
Watery – a lack of body
Wild – a gamey flavor

Tasting the Roasts

As coffee is roasted, it goes from a sharper, more acidic taste, to a smoother more full bodied taste, and finally to a full bodied, almost charred taste. Here is a breakdown of the typical roasts followed by the flavor characteristics.

• Cinnamon or Light Roast (Light brown and dry surface): a bright, acidic, toasted grain taste.

• Medium High or Regular Roast (Milk chocolate brown with a dry surface): acidic and bright but lacks the grain taste.

• Full City or High Roast (Darker brown with a satin appearance): Slight bittersweet tang with less acidity.

• French, Italian, or Espresso Roast (Dark chocolate with patches of oil): Very little acidity and noticeably bittersweet.

• Dark French or Heavy (Almost black and very oily): Almost no acidity and very bittersweet.

TomC

CAO Brazilia Gol!

Country: Nicaragua
Length/Ring: 5' x 56
Shape: Robusto
Wrapper: Brazilian Natural
Strength: Full

Appearance: A big thick firmly packed dark cigar. If it was chocolate it looked good enough to eat. Wrapper was smooth and had a pretty sheen to it. Brazilias always look nice.

Pre-Light: Clipped easily and flush. Prelight draw seemed free and easy. It also yielded several yummy flavors, hinting at the smoke ahead. Cocoa and coffee, and a nice tangy note.
Burn/Draw: One of the few knocks I have had on the Brazilias in the past was this aspect. On occasion, this line of cigars would have burn issues. A lot of it I think has to do with the large ring gauges that are the more popular cigars in this line. After a brief obsession with large ring gauges when I first started smoking cigars, I have decided that anything larger than a 54 gauge is really just uncomfortable to smoke, and I tend to the more traditional sizes, with gauges of 50 or less. Thankfully, in this specific case, there wasn't much of an issue. Smoking the cigar was comfortable, it burned fairly evenly, and the draw was free and easy. There were no issues with this stick, as it yielded volumes of fragrant smoke.
Flavors: These are some rich, tasty cigars. All the promise of the prelight flavors were realized. There was a rich cocoa base, on top of which a rotating caste of tobacco tang, coca, and coffee flavors played. Also, there was a nice note of woodiness that teased in and out on occasion. This cigar was a joy to smoke, very complex. In my opinion, the best tasting cigar in the CAO line I have tried. If I were to buy a box I would probably get the Lambada (6" X 50), or the Ipanema (4 1/2" X 46) because of the lesser thickness, I can say that if you are willing to deal with the occasional funky burn, the CAO Brazilia line is a worthwhile purchase.

TomC

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning American film and television actress. Aniston began appearing in stage productions in the late 1980s. After several lesser-known film and television roles during the early 1990s, Aniston came to fame playing Rachel Green on the hugely popular television sitcom Friends for which she won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.

She has since focused heavily on her film career, having starred in several successful Hollywood films, including Along Came Polly and The Break-Up. Aniston has also become known for her marriage to, and eventual divorce from, actor Brad Pitt.

Aniston was born in Sherman Oaks, California and grew up in New York City. She is the daughter of the Greek-American actor John Aniston (originally Ioannis Anastasakis) and actress Nancy Dow. Aniston has two half-brothers, John Melick and Alex Aniston. Aniston's father was born in the island of Crete, while her maternal grandfather, Gordon McLean Dow, was of Scottish and English descent, and her maternal grandmother, Louise Grieco, was of Italian ancestry. Aniston's godfather was the late Greek American actor Telly Savalas, her father's best friend. Aniston spent part of her childhood in Greece, but most of it in New York City, where her father appeared in the soap operas Love of Life and Search for Tomorrow. In 1985, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Aniston's father starred on the soap opera Days of our Lives as Victor Kiriakis. Aniston graduated from Manhattan's Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Arts and Performing Arts. Among her high school friends was future gay rights activist Chastity Bono. Aniston's desire to become an actress grew as she worked in Off-Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave. During this time, she supported herself with several part-time jobs, including working as a telemarketer and bike messenger.

Aniston appeared as a "Nutri-System" girl on The Howard Stern Radio Show in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She moved to Hollywood and was cast in her first television roles in 1990, starring as a regular on the short-lived series Molloy and in the TV movie Camp Cucamonga. She also co-starred in Ferris Bueller, a television adaptation of the 1986 teen movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the same year; the series was quickly canceled. Aniston then appeared in two more failed television comedy shows, The Edge and Muddling Through, and guest-starred on Quantum Leap, Herman's Head and Burke's Law. After the string of cancelled shows, along with her appearance in the critically derided 1993 Horror Film, Leprechaun, Aniston seriously considered giving up acting.

Aniston's plans changed, however, after auditioning for Friends, a sitcom that was set to debut on NBC's 1994-1995 fall line-up. The producers of the show originally wanted Aniston to audition for the role of Monica Geller, but she persuaded them that she was better suited for the role of Rachel Green. She was cast in the role and played the character from 1994 until the show ended in 2004. The program was very successful and Aniston, along with her co-stars, gained wide renown among television viewers. Her hairstyle at the time, which became known as the "Rachel", was widely copied. Aniston received a salary of one million dollars per episode for the last two seasons of Friends, as well as five Emmy nominations, including a win for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series". According to the Guinness World Book of Records (2005), Aniston (along with her female costars) became the highest paid TV actress ever with her $1 million-per-episode paycheck for the tenth season of Friends.

Aniston was the very first guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The gifts she brought her are featured on every show. She appeared on a promotional video for Microsoft about Windows 95 alongside her Friends co-star Matthew Perry.

Aniston has starred in several theatrical films, including the cult hit Office Space. She gained the most critical acclaim for her role in the low-budget 2002 film, The Good Girl, directed by Miguel Arteta, playing an unglamorous cashier in a small town. The film opened in relatively few theaters - under 700 in total - taking $14M in the U.S. box office. Jennifer's biggest box office success was her appearance in 2003's Bruce Almighty, in which she played the girlfriend of title character (Jim Carrey); the film grossed $243M at the United States box office and almost twice that worldwide. Aniston's 2004 film, Along Came Polly (opposite Ben Stiller), also did well at the box office after opening at the #1 spot. In late 2005, Aniston headlined two major studio films, Derailed and Rumor Has It, both of which performed fairly at the box office, grossing over $36 million each despite little support from critics. In the same year, she appeared in a European Heineken television commercial frequently aired before UEFA Champions League matches.

In 2006, People magazine voted her Best Dressed. She was also labeled "the natural" by the same magazine. The same year, Aniston appeared in the low-budget drama, Friends with Money, which was first shown at the Cannes Film Festival, received a limited release, and grossed over $13 million. Aniston's next film, The Break-Up, which was released on June 2, grossed approximately $39.17 million during its opening weekend, despite lukewarm reviews. It has currently grossed over $118 million at the U.S. box office and over $203 million worldwide. Aniston was involved in a controversy connected to this movie when outtakes from The Break Up revealing her topless appeared over the internet.

She will co-direct a hospital emergency room-set short film named Room 10, starring Robin Wright Penn and Kris Kristofferson; Aniston has noted that she was inspired to direct by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who directed a short film in 2006.

Forbes listed Aniston as the 10th richest woman in the entertainment industry for the year 2007. She is behind such powerhouses as Oprah Winfrey, J. K. Rowling, and Jennifer Lopez and is ahead of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and the Olsen twins. Aniston's net worth is approximately $110 million. Aniston was also included in the annual Star Salary Top 10 of trade magazine "The Hollywood Reporter" for 2006.

TomC

Televangelist, Christian Leader Jerry Falwell Dies

While I don't really agree with much Mr. Falwell stands for (just the idea of the Moral Majority scares me), there is do doubt that he was a very influential voice in the the debate about where Christianity belongs in the land of American politics. It will be interesting to see how his passing will affect on current events, especially the 2008 Presidential elections.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10188427

Televangelist, Christian Leader Jerry Falwell Dies
by David Molpus

All Things Considered, May 15, 2007 · The Rev. Jerry Falwell, a pioneer among televangelists who later became a leading voice in the national debate over Christian values, has died at the age of 73.

Falwell was discovered without a pulse Tuesday in his office at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. He was pronounced dead at a hospital an hour later. Dr. Carl Moore, Falwell's physician, said he had a heart condition and presumably died of a heart rhythm abnormality, according to Associated Press reports.

A fundamentalist preacher, Falwell burst onto the national scene in 1979, when he launched an organization he presumptuously called the Moral Majority. Critics liked to say that it was neither. What is undisputed is that the Moral Majority became the vehicle that carried millions of born-again Christians out of their separatist tendencies and into the center of political activism.

They did it by bringing politics to the pulpit, getting churches to hand out voter guides, and creating get-out-the-vote drives that would become the envy of many a politician. The religious right was born — and Falwell became its chief spokesman. The goal was to overturn the Supreme Court's ban on school prayer and reverse the nation's direction on feminism, abortion and gay rights.

"I believe that homosexuality is moral perversion," Falwell told NPR in 1996. "I think it is a violation of the laws of nature, as well as the laws of God. I do not think that that gives me permission to be unkind or ungracious to a person who may be living a homosexual lifestyle."

In some ways, Falwell was an unlikely religious leader. He was born Aug. 11, 1933, and grew up in Lynchburg, the son of a one-time bootlegger who hated preachers. His grandfather was a staunch atheist.

But Falwell heard the call while listening to a radio preacher. He built a church from scratch — Thomas Road Baptist — in Lynchburg. It grew to a mega-church of well over 20,000 members. He started a Christian school, then a college and most recently a law school, raising much of the money from his television ministry. Critics said he spent more time asking for contributions than ministering to viewers.

Falwell followers saw him as a capable defender of decency and of godly values, but he often had detractors gnashing their teeth. He once told a gathering of ministers that the anti-Christ is a Jewish male who is alive in the world today.

Two days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, during an appearance on Pat Robertson's television show, Falwell claimed that the attack was God's judgment on America's immorality.

"I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians, who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way — all of them who try to secularize America — I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"

Later, Falwell apologized, saying his remarks were insensitive and that he never meant to blame anyone except the terrorists.

Barry Lynn, leader of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has been one of Falwell's harshest critics over the years. Lynn says Falwell was wrong about everything, but he does give Falwell credit for standing up for his beliefs.

"He was the key point-man in the creation of the modern-day religious right. And for a lot of Americans, he will be forever the face of the religious right," Lynn said.

In the late 1980s, the Moral Majority disbanded and Falwell went back to saving souls. Other groups took over the political legwork. In terms of legislation and constitutional amendments, the Moral Majority failed. But it did force politicians to address questions many would rather have avoided.

And Falwell's legacy of spurring religious conservatives into political action has hardly abated. One example: Christian protesters and their allies in Congress forcing the nation's attention on Terri Schiavo.

Falwell added his voice to that debate, referring to the Schiavo case as part of America's "death syndrome." It started, he said, with the "legalization of abortion — now euthanasia."