GAME05

I had mine installed at Best Buy many years ago and they didn't charge to install (but of course there were extra parts I needed to buy). But they didn't do a great job with the wiring. I've taken it apart and so much seems to be pretty basic plug-and-play and then just finding the right size faceplate, and I'm sure wherever you buy it could tell you just which parts to get. It sounds like installation could be a fun project, actually. That's a nice gift. ------------------------------- just bought myself a new internet radio. I've been without one for a year and I miss listening to good talk radio stations at night. Plus this one plays podcasts!

My biggest issue is how long it takes the small/mid market teams to become playoff contenders compared to the big spenders. GM decisions being equally good/bad, we can be talking 20 years versus 5, not to mention going back every year for a long stretch instead of being a one-and-done. Heck, look what the Dodgers have done. Plus they've got a ton of terrible contracts on that team but it doesn't really matter. Put Adrian Gonzales' contract in Milwaukee and we'd be sunk until the contract is up. Are we supposed to believe that the Dodgers' GM was just really savvy? Selig merely defined parity by looking at playoff teams on a year-to-year basis, and strengthened the argument that only he was making by adding that stupid one-game playoff. But nobody else is really defining parity that way. Between Boston, NYY and Tampa Bay, who really thinks Tampa Bay will be the first of the three to win the Pennant again?

Is a sign-and-trade of Knight in the offseason a possibility? And what would a deal like that usually land in return? Does OJ Mayo have any trade value with his contract? And is a FA signing of a quality player quite as far-fetched as it used to be since a new arena is just a vote away and we have a coach whom players seem to like playing for? And if we're targeting a PG or defensive Center in the draft but want to move up to get a more impact one, could that realistically be accomplished? As much as I'd like to see someone like Mudiay on the team, most mocks have him going #2, and we certainly don't have what Minnesota gave up to get a #1.

My folks own a second place in Arizona that's walking distance to the football stadium and most of the year they rent it out. They considered upping the rent for this month, but the renters are yearly regulars so they got the normal price. Anyway, they were there yesterday and someone knocks on their door and says "Uh, I have this place rented this week. Here's my paperwork." I'm guessing the scammers must have created some mirror website to the rental agency my folks use. The couple were scammed out of $6000. Unrelated, but the cleaning lady went to the house once but the renters hadn't left at their appointed time. The cleaning lady is checking things out (the people weren't home) and she finds 100 pounds of marijuana in the bathtub. The police staked out the house but the people never returned, so they eventually called the renters and said "Yeah, if you want your marijuana back you can come pick it up at the police station." My folks no longer rent to people who live in town.

What? But if I don't get to hear the answers to questions like "What are the keys to this game?" and "What are you doing to prepare?" from just one of the many players out there, how will I ever find out these important answers? What good actually comes out of media day, anyway? Seems to me that mostly what comes out of it is reporting on what media day is like.

not to mention not stopping that two-point conversion.

Larry Sanders suspended for violating the League drug policy. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332640-larry-sanders-suspended-for-violating-nba-drug-policy-latest-details-reaction No announcement on just what drug it was, and I guess his current absence does not count toward the suspension time. Looks like he's got a heck of a lot of personal problems to deal with.

I read a comment from someone who makes a couple hundred dollars per month from buying niche items from alibaba and reselling them on ebay. A friend of mine makes about $100/mo selling books on Amazon. He said the key is getting free books from libraries and universities who are about to throw some away.

Here's a list of pick-your-own farms in Wisconsin: http://www.pickyourown.org/WI.htm. It may not be a home garden, and it can be hard to find something that's anything but strawberries, but maybe some places will have beans/raspberries/peas that aren't entirely picked over in season. Last time I had an apartment with a balcony I put out about eight pots and tried to grow green beans, letting the stalks run up the railings. They'll grow pretty crowded, so you can get a good amount from it all.

boy Kenyon Martin was sure energetic when he first got into the game last night. Assuming the short-term-ness of his contract will reign in his attitude problems, some toughness and a big body will be a nice addition to this team.

Saw another tweet from a writer who said Sanders leaving wasn't true and that he was planning on being back in about a week. I think maybe we're in that stage where really nobody knows what's going on but some writers want to be the first to announce something. edit: Sanders' agent just denied the Twitter post that he was done playing.

My grandmother listened to every single Brewers games on the radio. Every single game right there at the kitchen table with the radio in front of her. And when the Brewers let Molitor go, she refused to listen to a single game after that. I also remember some happiness that the Indians chose Brantley over Green. Green was also about seven spots higher on the Power 50.

Nope, didn't get the job. A friend of mine is going to be an insurance claims adjuster. I guess it's a four-day class then you pay the fee to get licensed, then you apply to the insurance companies. He says the work pays ok and as an independent it can pay a lot. I keep thinking that if I stayed another summer as a low rung I could be a Park Ranger, but the job pays $32K, almost never gives raises, rotating shifts, weekend work...Maybe the negatives are just too much that something else would be a better idea.

So I got an automatic email from the bank that my account access had been attempted three times and then it locked, but it wasn't me. The email suggested I change my username. Is there anything else I should be doing? Make a crazy-long password?

Awesome!!! I have a few friends who thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, and they said that John Muir was by far the best section of the whole thing. It's easily one of the prettiest hiking trails in the US, if not North America. You're going to have such an awesome trip. Have you done much long-distance hiking before? Have you purchased all your gear yet? I don't want to stick my nose where it doesn't belong, but I've done a good amount of long-distance hiking myself, and I'd be happy to talk with you about gear selection and whatnot.

I read that the Bucks were going to be trying out Kenyon Martin, a known clubhouse cancer.

Thought I'd take the Random Thoughts mention back over here. It wasn't a good movie by any stretch, but I didn't mind it. But I'm one for stupider movies with a happy ending. RomComs can be such garbage and The Holiday was at least vaguely watchable for a guy. I would probably say that "Here Comes the Boom" probably fits my own tastes well. But I saw a bunch over Christmas: Dumb and Dumber To: Same basic plot as the first and they just re-told the same exact jokes without really even adding in new ones. Absolutely terrible zero-effort film. Not even worth a cheap rental. I doubt I even cracked a smile through the whole film. This is Where I Leave You: The disfunction in the family really isn't that interesting or entertaining and nothing really gets solved at the end. You'll wish you watched a different movie. Zookeeper: Ok, I was hard-up for a comedy I hadn't seen. Within 20 minutes I had the audio on in the background while I read brewerfan, and 10 minutes later I'd turned it off. I expected a bad movie yet it still managed to disappoint. The Skeleton Twins: Bill Hader is going to be a big star, just wait and see. He's absolutely incredible and Kristin Wiig is also very good. Not a happy movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it's worth watching to see their two performances. Birdman: It's an awesome movie if you're into the egos and disfunction and personalities of theater. Pretty philosophical and good camera work that really makes you feel like you're a part of the guts of the backstage. I don't know why they labeled this a "comedy." Edward Norton was great in this, as usual. Not my cup of tea, but I can definitely see why some people adore this movie. The Interview: Garbage. The acting, the writing, the plot...just garbage.

I miss Fatter than Joey.

What about the Minor Leagues, though? a AAA team for Havana? Would I be wrong to guess that the Cuban Leagues would work like Japanese baseball so that Cuba could at least make a few million from a MLB team who bids on the talent?

Had a final interview 12 days ago against just one other candidate. I'm very overqualified and almost all of the interview questions reflected that. They're understandably nervous that I'd be one to quit after just a few months of working, so it looks like their decision will be based on that.

You might like this Wynton Marsalis album, then: http://wyntonmarsalis.org/discography/title/joe-cools-blues

yeah, reports are saying it's a torn ACL and he's done for the year.

apparently the x-ray was negative.

But isn't it half the point if you're a good high-school athlete that sports will open the door to opportunities you couldn't otherwise get? Fine by me if any school wants to lower their standards for athletes. Madison also let Rashard Griffith in, so I'm not quite ready to give them the moral high ground on academics.

http://forum.lambeauleap.net/viewforum.php?f=59&sid=f9b9dadd08f3995ff32a6cefd7a15891 Sorry, Ely, I didn't realize there was a College Football section at LL.net or I wouldn't have made the post. btw, if anyone hasn't visited over there yet, those guys really know their stuff.