bjkrautk

Moskos and Moustakas off the board. Guess I'll have to hope for Detwiler to drop a few picks.

Considered...? It's still up and running. (It just isn't being kept on-site, since Brian has decided not to allow that kind of discussion to take place here. We get dogmatic enough arguing for and against Russell Branyan, much less talk politics.)

Where have ye gone, Peter Tomarken? As the host of "Press Your Luck" back in the 80s, you were America's last, best hope to carry on the mantle of TV game show host. Now that Mr. Barker has finally stepped down from his throne, Tomarken probably has the white hair to fill the job. I used to watch TPIR every day as a kid.

My understanding of the 2009 FCC timetable is this: - TV Stations cut off their analog broadcasts (and go digital only). ...that's it. If you have cable tv, this isn't going to affect you at all. If you're watching OTA television on an HDTV (or a Standard Def TV with a digital tuner), nothing changes. If you watch analog OTA programming, you should plan on buying a digital TV tuner before 2009.

Just to keep this thread going, an interesting Slate.com article about one of the perks of buying a QAM Tuner. Mine does exactly the kind of thing that the author is talking about.

The only problem with Colby's information....it allows me to know so much information about the players I wish we would draft (LHP and non-High Schoolers need not apply for our first round pick). I can't say enough about the good work Patrick does putting together profiles, and as an ongoing resource in this forum.

I don't think it has much to do with the other tracks on the album; it's just something that some motion picture studios do (presumably to force people to buy soundtrack albums). Without actually knowing....I'd guess it's a Sony Pictures soundtrack (they do the same thing for Spider-Man 1-3). That being said, 'The Promise' by When in Rome predates the movie...and should be available for individual download somewhere else.

I was just about to say 'get someone up, Ned' ....but he's already got CV throwing in the bullpen. I don't want this to be a 1 run lead (or less) by the time Claudio is taken out.

I used to dislike the idea of Aumont solely due to his being a HS RHP in the first round. ...then I open Colby's draft profile and see he's 6-7... ...and - like seemingly every pitcher that size - has trouble repeating his mechanics... ...And I'm penciling in May 2009 for the Tommy John pool. I get that even 'closest to the majors' -type first round picks sometimes fall short. Likewise, I understand that you don't often get top-of-the rotation talent unless you draft it in the opening round(s). Still, do they have to take a guy who's so clearly a 'boom or bust' prospect? (I have to say this now because, presuming he is our pick in the first round, I will be hoping for the best as soon as he signs his contract. Much like Jones, Rogers, and Jeffries, once he's our guy, then I'm wishing for the best. I just don't really want him to be our guy.)

moskos only brings the heat when he is in the pen. he has been about 87-89 in the rotation and not striking out anyone. personally, i don't understand why he is ranked so highly. IMO he has 3rd starter upside in the rotation and is probably better in the pen. everyone says you don't take a closer that high when talking about weathers, so why don't they say it about moskos? I can't say it as a universal truism, but I remember being surprised by the radar gun when a certain Brewers pitcher made a relief appearance and threw much harder than I had been accustomed to. 3-4 years later, as his stamina increased, Ben Sheets showed an ability to hit the low-to-mid 90s with regularity as a starter. (The relief appearance, BTW, was in his first All Star game.) I don't know that Moskos can or will do the same, but there aren't a ton of lefties that can throw with that velocity (either in the bullpen or the rotation); there are more than a handful MLB lefty starters who only throw 87-89. I will agree, though, that it's awfully hard to pick someone in the top-10 unless you think they can be a starting pitcher. (Ultimately, I have to defer to people who have actually seen most of these players in action.)

"Beat the Adwords System" is the product currently being advertised at the bottom of the screen. It's so delightfully meta...

I'll give some of my basic HDTV tips, then try to address some of your specific issues. For reference, my HDTV is a 34" Sony CRT (XBR 970). Things to look for: - Contrast ratio -- higher is better, as it measures the difference between black and white areas. Cheaper LCD's have black levels that look gray. - TV Tuners -- Digital tuner allows for Over-the-Air (OTA) reception of high definition channels, provided your local stations are broadcasting in HD. A QAM tuner allows you to view your local HD signals....and anything else your local cable station leaves unlocked. Cable Card support means that you can rent/purchase a device that plugs into your HDTV, and eliminates the need for a digital cable box. (Note: the latest version of TiVo - which supports HD - also supports cable cards.) If a TV is labeled a 'monitor,' it doesn't have any tuners in it. - Inputs -- Ideally, you should have at least a component (the red, blue, and green colored plugs) input for every device you want to watch in HD. HDMI looks to be the standard connection going forward, so the more of those inputs you have, the better. (You could always buy a home theater reciever, or some other sort of switcher, but IMO that will generally prove to be more expensive than just routing all of your inputs through the TV.) - Picture quality -- Hardest thing to measure in a store, since the viewing environment is so very different from your home. Additionally, most manufacturers include a mode that's very bright and looks good in the store, but drastically reduces the life of your TV if you don't adjust the settings at home (which is why the setting is referred to as 'torch mode' over on the AVS forum). Ideally, you should be allowed to adjust the settings a bit to see what you're really getting. - Remote Control -- Sounds stupid, but not every remote is user-friendly. If you like to adjust settings on the fly (especially when watching 4:3 'standard def' images on your 16:9 widescreen HDTV), simple controls will come in handy. - Native Resolution -- 1080p is a buzzword in the industry, but the only things that actually provide a 1080p image are HD DVD / Blu-Ray movies &/or some PS3/XBox 360 games. TV networks tend to broadcast in either 1080i or 720p: you should get a set that recognizes and accepts both of these resolutions (as well as the SD carry-overs of 480i and 480p). You probably won't find a 1080p set in your price range for quite some time. Now, on to the specifics: 1) Most people like to sit further away from larger HDTVs....but there's really a personal preference issue. In the store, try to distance yourself as far from the TVs as you can (or as far as you would in your bedroom) and decide how much it matters to you. If you can get a feel for picture quality at that distance, that would be the bigger determinant. 2) I've heard about serious issues with Samsung CRT's (the images tend to 'bow' in towards the center) and they at least used to save money by marketing a number of HD Monitors, but their picutre quality is generally considered pretty good. I've also heard decent things about Vizio and Olevia (my friend bought one of their LCDs based on my advice and loves it). Whatever you decide, I'd recommend browsing the AVS Forum message boards....as there are some pretty serious videophiles out there who can be a valuable resource. 3) I could say that you'll find some decent price drops around the holiday season in most years....but that really doesn't matter if you want an HDTV in the short-term. IMO, the best place to buy the system is whoever has the lowest price (provided they have a decent return policy). If you join something like the Best Buy Rewards Zone, it could save you $20-50 if you catch the right offer at the right time. Extended Warranties are usually something I don't like. The failure rate isn't nearly as high as the premium you have to pay for the warranty (that's why companies sell them, to make money). That being said, it doesn't matter if 99% of the sets work perfectly fine if you bought a 1-percent-er. The extended warranty is largely a measure of your risk aversion (I bought one, FWIW). EDIT: monoprice.com &/or bluejeanscable.com are your friends. There's no real difference in picture quality when dealing with digital signals (like DVI or HDMI). Analog cables (like component) experience far more degradation over long distances (or bad cables). If you have a bad HDMI cable...it won't look fuzzy, it will look pixelated (as not all of the image is being sent properly). Almost always, a $5 HDMI cable will look just as good as a $50-100 HDMI cable.

I just posted the following question to one of my good friends (who retains that title despite being a Cubs fan): Who's going to get more hits in the series: a) Brewers b) Cubs c) Carlos Zambrano (on all of the above) ??? I'd rather not have the back-end of the rotation going up against the Cubbies, but let's hope for some quality starts out of Bush and Vargas (and a winning series, naturally).

Since no one else has mentioned his name, is it safe to assume that Casey Weathers bears no familial link to former Brewer David? (I suppose it's probably not that uncommon, but I can't think of too many people with that surname.)

A few observations / questions from the game (I was there, so I didn't have the chance to hear the broadcasters). 1) An RBI single in the first inning....I can't help but think that is one of the better outings by a player at their bobblehead day. (Then again, I've only really started watching for this sort of thing after Turnbow's abysmal bobblehead performance last year.) 2) What was the official ruling on the J.J. Hardy CS? Was he ruled out of the base line, or was it something else? It's hard for me to get too up-in-arms over a literal slip-up on the base paths, provided it doesn't turn in to a pattern. (The other times I can think of when J.J. has been thrown out on-base is when he's put himself into a rundown to allow a run to score.) 3) I keep worrying about J.J. trying to hit home runs, especially when his BA starts to dip under .300 (like it did this weekend). Then I look at the results of his AB's, still see more groundouts than fly balls, and see that those fears are misguided.

$20,235,224 Michelle Wie is 22nd on SI's Fortunate 50. I wish my parents had 'ruined' me that way. Even if she never improves her golf game, she's set for life. (Moreover, I'm guessing most of those endorsement deals are for more than just 2007.)

Are there any mock drafts out there (I know BA does a top 100)? Or is it too much of a crap shoot to even bother? Colby did you do one? Jonathan Mayo at mlb.com also has a Projected Top 30 that they're updating weekly.

The autographed Donald Driver football in my office suggests that I have... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif

Didn't get my info in before the BoC sold out....so close...

Per the current Ask BA, Howie Long's son Kyle is a 6-7, 280 pound 1b / LHP who's committed to Florida State on a baseball scholarship. From a pro standpoint, the physical comparisons as a pitcher would be Jeff Juden and Andrew Sisco, and as a position player they'd be Calvin Pickering and Big Walter Young. There have been precious few major leaguers with his kind of build. Long's high school competition isn't the strongest, and he may be so big that his size works against him. But it's possible some team might really love his arm or his power and could pop him in the fifth round or so next year.

Admittedly, I haven't been following the Draft nearly as much this year as I have in previous seasons. That being said....since when have I ever let that stop me from being opinionated? My default strategy (top college pitcher available, preferrably lefty) seems to fit the talent rankings fairly well. Either Detwiler (who probably won't be there) or Moskos would make me happy. ...and, admittedly, I'd have a hard time finding fault in a power hitting corner OF like Heyward. (I like Gillespie and Katin in the Farm System....but neither is a sure thing....and certainly shouldn't prevent the Brewers from going after another young talent.) ...that being said, I've all but resigned myself to the Brewers taking the HS RHP from Canada (Aumont). I know we all say that a team should never take its current players / needs into account, and should draft the best player available....who thinks they're going to take an infielder?

I think "Season 1" goes through Episode 8.

I actually knew one of the two guys behind Chad Vader (Matt Sloan); he was part of ComedySportz back when I was living in Green Bay. The videos are hilarious, FWIW. I just went back and watched most of season 1 last week.

My biggest gripe on Pirates 3 is that it never rose above the level of the second film. (I realize that I'm in the minority, but I loved Pirates 2.) From the moment Davey Jones' chest is dug up....right on through Norrington running away....is one of the most intricate and layered action sequences that I've ever seen. Relative allegiances turn on a dime, the environment is heavily integrated into the action, and the pacing refuses to let up. The fighting towards the end of P3....tried to get to that level (most notably the duel above the ship's rigging, fighting over the same key from Pirates 2). I'm also lost as to how Jack (the monkey) turned super-intelligent (setting off chain fireworks, launching itself from a cannon, etc.). {Plot Spoiler ahead} Finally....while I did miss the extra scene, the resolution kinda sucked: it's one thing to see someone once every ten years when that other person is immortal, but Will is living an eternity for what....eight days?!? How is that a happy ending? {End Plot Spoiler} Have also seen Spidey 3, and I liked the movie....but I loved 1 & 2. The characters were relatively well-developed (which isn't always the case when you have two villains) and motivated. The fight scene at the very beginning is the best one in the whole movie. The end fight just felt a bit too "Rush Hour with Superheroes" for my taste. I would also gripe about Sam Raimi's decision to mimic the Gwen Stacy storyline in the first movie without Gwen....only to "introduce" the character in movie # 3. Aside from being Commissioner Stacy's daughter....there's no part of that role that couldn't have been filled with one of Peter's other girlfriends from the comics (including the tragically under-used Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant). Well....I would....but I don't think I've established enough comic book geek 'cred' as some other people in the forum have. (I'm a lapsed Marvel Zombie, FWIW.)

Failing that, you could loudly talk about them when your parents or his are around, like so: ?Yes, the Brewers are certainly doing well this season ? perhaps it?s because of their ecumenical approach to headphone style, as embodied in the Virtual Reality VRDH200 Stereo Headphones w/Ear Buds.? I've never bought a single item from Woot, but I do love their product descriptions.