Aggie87

I have no idea how the Astros are going to end up looking, but they've been pretty busy this offseason, at least. Except for Berkman, Lee, & Pence, basically the rest of their (non-pitching) starters are new. Their pitching still looks suspect to me, but they did pick up Jose Valverde as closer from the DBacks. CF Michael Bourn 2B Kaz Matsui SS Miguel Tejada 1B Lance Berkman LF Carlos Lee RF Hunter Pence 3B Ty Wigginton C J.R. Towles

Another new Dave Douglas album is out, titled "Moonshine". It's the Keystone band (Douglas, Marcus Strickland, DJ Olive, Adam Benjamin, Brad Jones, & Gene Lake). It's not cheap this time around though - $20 at Greenleaf/Musicstem - and I think it's only available on the website, at least for now. One interesting thing on their website is that they are offering you the multitrack sessions from the track "Moonshine", and let you mix your own version, free.

Happy Birthday, Jim, and thanks - this board is a better place because of you. PS - I am staring and staring and staring at Matthew's "Magic Eye" image, but I don't see anything. Someone will probably tell me there's something silly there, like a smiley face or something.

You're glad people pumped their bodies full of steroids and whatever else, to gain artificial advantages over honest players? I think the game would have been just as exciting if everyone had been playing honestly, without P.E.D.s. We still have the best overall collection of skilled players in baseball history, IMO. Maybe a few of the "stars" of the game would have different names, but you'd still have stars. The obscene salaries for superstars partly drives the frenzy to do whatever it takes to gain a competitive advantage over other players.

Are you suggesting players who were doing unsportsmanlike things to improve their game (whether legal or not at the time) don't deserve scrutiny?

It was believable enough. Glad it wasn't reality, especially regarding Poo-holes. Apologies to Luis & all Gonzalezs. Luis is always referred to as a "nice guy." He's still got that Frankenstein noggin though.

All these players deserve whatever scrutiny is coming. Clemens, my new homeboy Tejada (who i'm not going to support merely because he's now an Astro), Pettite, etc. Bonds is one of them, and deserves scrutiny as well. He also deserves separate scrutiny for what he's been indicted on, which isn't his use of steroids and/or HGH. One thing about this report and the players that are named is that they are players from all backgrounds, all races. Nobody can claim it's a racist witch hunt.

Their selection is dwindling. They do seem to get the new BN RVGs and some of the Conns. They also get occasional ECMs, and Verves. But overall I think their selection isn't as good as it was 2-3 years ago at all.

Unlimited $3.99 CDs - code D7Y11 Good until 19 Dec.

Watch Earl blast the Patriots for cheating Sorry, Conn!

Or the voters (and MLB for that matter) could take a stand and say that any confirmed juicers will not be allowed in the Hall. Of course, all of these players will be going into Denial Mode later today.

Think the Falcons players are upset with Bobby Petrino for walking away in the middle of the season? Here's what Lawyer Milloy wrote on Petrino's goodbye letter:

Ike Turner Dead, Report Ike Turner is dead a report from AOL's entertainment website TMZ.Com is claiming. Turner was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on November 5, 1931. He was 76 years old. Alongside his former wife Tina, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and in 2001 was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. A short report from TMZ claims that they have confirmed the passing of the soul singing legend. Turner apparently died in his home in San Marcos, Calif., just outside of San Diego. Sources tell TMZ he may have died in his sleep, according to the report that is now published on their website. He has said to have been married as many as fourteen times, most famously to Tina Turner. Ike and Tina married in Tijuana, Mexico and Tina had a son with Ike. However in an October 17, 2007 telephone interview conducted by satellite radio personality Howard Stern, Ike claimed he and Tina Turner were never actually married, though he didn't explain why they shared the same last name.

Live Chat!

It's pretty limited though - it can't do the other things that google.com does - like image searches, maps, etc. Whether it makes an energy difference or not, if it's not useful, I'm not going to be using it.

GROOVY!!! But....... who posted on my behalf 900 times? I mean, I only took an hour for lunch. Sangrey, did you get my password mixed up with yours? Chris was using that funny ol' Danish math, I think!

Good Times, Bad Times

Coupla more pix, from the show:

I really just wanted to play with the cool SPOILER code And I have to run, but I'll finish updating the list later (unless someone else cares to), the show's not over yet. Edit - The setlist is complete now!

Complete setlist - don't want to spoil it for anyone if they don't wanna know. A quote from nme.com: "The crowd is going wild inside the O2. People are hugging strangers, some are crying, some are punching the air with joy. This must be the rock n roll equivalent of winning the world cup."

Jones lusts after McFadden for sure, and is on record as wanting a "wow" player out of the draft. I could see him trading both 1st rounders (and Roy Williams or something) to move up and get McFadden. Would be nice to have "Run DMc" and Marion Barber both running the ball for the Boys! I think Julius Jones won't be back in Dallas next year either way. And Terry Glenn is possibly going to be ready to play in his first game of the season for Game 15, against the Panthers. If that happens and he can round into decent playing shape for the playoffs, that will only help the passing game. They've been remarkable this year so far without him, being their leading receiver last year.

A couple of rehearsal pics... I'd love to see this show, but also fear it won't live up to the hype.

Vick sentenced to 23 months for dogfighting RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Michael Vick, once one of the highest paid players in the National Football League, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for financing a dogfighting ring and helping to kill pit bulls that did not fight aggressively. Vick's stunning downfall from NFL superstar to disgraced dogfighting defendant culminated Monday in a 90-minute sentencing hearing in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. Vick, 27, faced a maximum of five years in prison. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a sentence of 12 to 18 months. Animal rights protesters lined up outside the courthouse. Some carried signs with photographs of dogs, while others read "Dogs deserve justice," and "Report dog fighters." Vick and three co-defendants still face trial on state dogfighting charges in Virginia. They are accused of torturing and killing dogs and promoting dogfights -- all felonies that carry five-year maximum sentences. In his August plea agreement, Vick admitted bankrolling the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation on his 15-acre property in rural Surry County in southeastern Virginia. Vick also admitted providing money for bets on the fights but said he never shared in any winnings. According to court documents, dogs that failed to show enough fighting spirit or lost matches were executed. Some dogs died by electrocution and others by hanging or drowning. Co-defendants told prosecutors that Vick assisted in executing the dogs, and that they "executed approximately eight dogs." After initially denying any involvement, Vick acknowledged participating in killing to dogs in his plea agreement with prosecutors. The suspended Atlanta Falcons star quarterback publicly apologized for his role in the dogfighting operation and unexpectedly turned himself in on November 19 to begin serving his prison term early. He has been held in a state jail in Warsaw, Virginia. Last month, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson sentenced Purnell Peace, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, to 18 months in prison. Quanis Phillips, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 21 months. A third co-defendant, Tony Taylor of Hampton, Virginia will be sentenced Friday. He was the first to plead guilty. Peace, Phillips and Taylor entered plea agreements last summer under which they agreed to testify against Vick, prompting the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback to enter his own plea agreement a few days later. Vick agreed to pay more than $928,000 for the care of some 54 pit bulls seized from his property. Prosecutors also have disclosed the extent of Vick's financial ruin. According to court documents, the Atlanta Falcons are attempting to recoup bonus money from his 10-year, $130 million football contract, Vick is in default on a $1.3 million bank loan for a wine store, and two other banks have filed suits seeking repayment of a $4.5 million in loans and lines of credit. Vick's home in the Atlanta area is on the market for $4.5 million, prosecutors said in court papers. The Virginia home where the dogfighting operation was based, assessed at nearly $750,000, is on the auction block, according to reports published over the weekend. Vick's attorneys last month requested a jury trial on the state charges. It is set to begin in April.

I think they could be the stumbling block for a lot of playoff teams this year, including the Cowboys if they don't address those defensive lapses pronto. Folks around here know what it's like to have a team win a franchise record number of games, only to lose it all in the first round because obvious deficiencies were never addressed/corrected. Coughmaverickscough. Aggie, you OK? Sounds like you're choking on something....

I think they could be the stumbling block for a lot of playoff teams this year, including the Cowboys if they don't address those defensive lapses pronto. Folks around here know what it's like to have a team win a franchise record number of games, only to lose it all in the first round because obvious deficiencies were never addressed/corrected. Coughmaverickscough.