JimH5

Boy, gasoline would fall to about a nickel a gallon! Based on my experience outlined on page 2 of the Big Mac thread, I agree.

I was inspired to have a Big Mac combo for lunch today. I was taken aback by how salty the meat tasted, and how terrific the secret sauce tasted. Then about 30 minutes later, I was forced to the bathroom. I guess my body wasn't quite ready for all that muck.

From the article: The correctional-institution employee says he doesn't care when people call his Big Mac obsession crazy. He says he's in love with the burgers, which are the highlights of his days. As much as I want to make fun of the guy, it just seems too sad to do so. . . Let's just say: I also like Big Macs, but I don't think I like them as much as he does.

It seems to be a little odd to call that Sabathia thing a Private Signing. If you can't send in your own items, and you can't attend the event, why don't they just say they'll have autographed photos and balls available on such-and-such a date? I like Jeff's, but that's the most limiting Private Signing I've ever heard of.

My sister and brother-in-law and three kids have rented a popup each of the past 4 years. I think they got their last one from a place in Lake Mills. It works best for them, as they don't have to store it for the other 51 weeks of the year, and they get a new one every year. Something to consider. Edited to add that my other sister and her family (husband and 4 kids) have had a Coleman for at least 7 years, and it has held up wonderfully. It still works well, it feels solid and the surfaces have remained durable. They're very happy with their purchase.

It's a good read. I was not aware of Mussina's winning percentage stat that Jonah cites early in the piece. My problem with the current discussion which discounts the pitcher win stat is that it's not a bad thing when a pitcher gets credit for a win. It may not be all that, and I understand you'll occasionally have a Bob Welch season, or a Nolan Ryan 8-16 year, but those are anomalies.

Congrats, Jason. That's a serious group of writers, and you've got to have some quality chops to make it with them. . . Isn't there a Grimes exhibit at a small museum or library up there? Emerald Lake? I thought I had read that somewhere. . .

I went with Earl Gillespie, Merle Harmon and Tony Kubek. Homer picks, but on this one, I'm a homer. Look for Skip Caray and Bobby Murcer to get huge pushes.

Yes--definitely call. There's nothing wrong with expressing continued interest in the that job. Assertiveness is a good trait 95 percent of the time. PS--I was a recruiter for 10 years.

Three Words. . . Farrah Fawcett Poster! If you're going to have your own room, you at least need to class it up!! There are times when my snoring will force one of us to the guest room. Maybe 30 percent of the time. But we don't envision a time when that becomes a permanent move--or at least I don't. . .

A couple of faves from Door County: Ephraim--The Summer Kitchen Sister Bay--The Inn at Kristofer's Sister Bay--The Mission Grille Overrated. . . Al Johnson's Wilson's Both landmarks and must see places, but the food. . .not so much.

Berlin, New Berlin, Belgium edited to say--I'm clearly a dope. Of course Berlin is a city. Not sure why I posted it as an answer, but that was boneheaded. Is Wales its own country? I think so. . .but with my recent track record, maybe that's dumb, too. . . I also think there's a Peru, Wisconsin. . .

I agree fully with rwa12's answer--both on the authenticators of choice and on waiting until you plan to sell. By chance Braun turns into Joe Charboneau the jersey wouldn't be worth the authentication fee. And there are plenty of buyers who will buy something without authentication, provided you have strong provenance.

1. Ben Sheets--Win 18 games for once and shut me up. 2. Eric Gagne--Drug User and Non Apologist. 3. Albert Pujols--Awesome talent, but something still doesn't seem right to me. 4. Lance Berkman--I think he wears eyeliner. 5. Dustin Pedroia/Kevin Youkilis--Both guys seem awfully chippy to me. 6. Carl Pavano--That was just stealing money. 7. Jeff Kent--More of a lifetime achievement award. 8. Robinson Cano--No Hustle=No Love 9. Pudge Rodriguez--40 lb. weight loss, and hasn't really ever faced the music. 10. Darin Erstad--13 years in the league, and I don't think I've ever seen him smile.

Thanks to everyone who responded. I'm going to give the online trial verisons a try, to see how it goes. Plus, I'm curious how the merger is going to work, but if the programming is good--and so many of you said it is--then with or without podcasting, it seems like a worthwhile purchase.

Does anyone here have a subscription to satellite radio? If so, do you listen online? Is the baseball programming good? I'm trying to decide on whether or not to get a subscription. With Chris Russo's departure from WFAN and set to debut on Sirius/XM next month, that at least got me thinking about it. Do they podcast programming? Or is there any other way to time-shift specific shows? Do you get MLB games? Right now, I'm in Asia, and would only be able to utilize the service online. I'm currently listening to podcasted shows--Dan Patrick, ESPN Radio's daily baseball podcast, WFAN segments, MLB.com's Fantasy focus, Tony Kornheiser (January to June)--and I'm always looking for more. With the time difference, I wouldn't be able to listen to Russo live anyway, so podcasting would be a big factor (unless they re-run the shows during the overnights). Any help is much appreciated.

As an owner, I'll be eternally grateful to Bud for having the passion and diligence to bring baseball back to Milwaukee. To think how they must have worked in that first year, after getting that team in the closing days of Spring Training. . .that's really a story that needs to be told. You can put him, Uecker, Yount and Molitor on the Mt. Rushmore of Brewers baseball. Toward the end, his group just ran out of money to make the team work. And he continued to run the team like a family business with Wendy and Laurel. But his group did find an owner willing to keep the team in Milwaukee, so as an owner, I'd give him a top grade. As a commissioner, I'm not sure yet. I think the steroid issue will leave a pretty lasting stain. I'm a record books guy, and the last 15 years still leave too much in question. Still, the game is very popular. Teams are almost all playing in newer, publicly financed parks. There's labor peace, and it seems like it will last. Owner = A Commissioner = B-minus

For a time, my wife actually made me wash my feet each night before she would allow them into our bed. I'm proud to say that with some rigorous scraping and spending a fair amount of the day not in shoes, I'm able to complete my nightly going-to-bed ritual without the requisite sitting up on the bathroom counter, my feet in the sink. Besides that, I will say that anyone else's kid's dirty diaper is pretty horrifying.

My first name in Jim. My last name begins with H. I like the number 5. I sort of wish there wasn't the anonymity behind our names, so craigharmann, you're my hero.

Congrats to you, Jay. . .You made a wise decision, and when you're finished with school, you'll be extra-proud of the accomplishment. Best of luck to you from this 1985 Whitewater graduate. And it took me 5.5 years to get my act together. . .

I went to my first National yesterday, and was quite impressed with what I saw. I have no other National experience to compare it to, but I have been to the Philly show several times, several MAB shows, the East Coast National a couple of times, some of the old shows that Mark Grunske used to put on in the Milwaukee area, the Gonzaga shows, etc. . .anyway, this was certainly the biggest show I had been to, with lots of dealers with some very interesting stuff. Here's what I brought home. . . Autographed 8 x 10s of Ken Sanders, Danny Walton, Ted Simmons, Ben Oglivie and Mike Hegan Autographed balls of Gorman Thomas, Ben Oglivie & Mike Caldwell Vintage Pennants from the 1950s of the Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers & Chicago White Sox A DVD featuring 4 short films (restored) of the earliest Milwaukee Braves teams, and lots of great stuff from County Stadium and Milwaukee in the 1950s. Signatures of former Negro leaguers Hank "Baby" Presswood and Don Johnson. I also bought a bunch of supplies, which I kind of regret, as I really could have gotten that stuff anywhere, and it was pretty heavy and bulky, and it got to be a little burdensome. Carrying that stuff, plus the awkwardly shaped pennants was kind of a drag--and parking at the convention center is quite a hike away. It would have burned at least half and hour to take that stuff back to the car and return to the show. The Dodgers pennant was my biggest splurge. The bulk of my collection is actually vintage HOF autographs, and I was strongly considering a Hornsby cut, but left it on the table, and was content to give it a go next time. I thought attendance was pretty light. I was there on Thursday, which is probably going to be the lightest day, but it was still pretty much wide open. The MEARS booth had some terrific vintage Brewers jerseys. There's one guy there who specializes in Roberto Clemente, which was pretty cool. Lots of vintage cards. Lots of new boxed stuff. Some terrific vintage sports themed board games. Game programs, ticket stubs, bobbles, you name it, it was there. A fun time, and it definitely had me making plans for the Cleveland show next year.

My wife and I visited the Miracle Homes tour in Oconomowoc tonight. I'm not a builder, just someone who has visited a ton of these kind of events over the years. Miracle seem to be interested in adding creativity in a lot of their designs. Lots of little nooks and sneakaway spots for kids to enjoy, and still very livable for adults, too. They seem to have a lot of customization options and floorplans. I think there are some showhouses in Milwaukee, too. . .plus they'll build anywhere.

Kohl's in Waukesha had them two days ago.

I'm definitely going to be there Thursday July 31. If anyone else will be there that day, let me know, as we could meet up for some overpriced conference center fare. And I'd like to keep this thread open to get people's impression of the show. . .what did you buy? will you go to Cleveland in 2009? autograph experiences, etc. Just a week to go. . .I'm getting excited. . .hopefully one of the highlights of the summer. . .

Terrific writer. Great contributor to baseball history, and seems to have been well liked and respected by his peers across generations. RIP Mr. Holtzman, and thanks for making the American baseball experience better.