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QUOTE (3E8 @ Jan 19, 2011 -> 09:18 PM) Word is Ricky Gervais is guest starring on The Office next week as David Brent. Michael Scott is based on David Brent, who Ricky played in the original and superior Office UK, so this is exciting news. Wouldn't it be interesting if he took over after Steve Carrel left?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 17, 2011 -> 08:37 AM) Really? ESPN is always all over the Jets' nuts. And who wants that rapist to get another Super Bowl appearance? Not me. I haven't watched ESPN today, so I'm sure you're right about that. But, the announcers last night seemed to not like the Patriots losing. As far as Roethlisberger, I won't comment. There's more to that story than we know. He obviously did something wrong, but saying outright that he's a rapist is speculation.

Maybe it's because I just can't stand the Patriots, and I'm sick of hearing the announcers swoon over the likes of Brady, Manning (both of them), and the normal media favorite teams, but I'm glad to see the Steelers, Jets, Packers, and Bears in the finals. No matter what happens, there are going to be two teams in the Superbowl that the media typically do not like. I'm sure being a fan of the Steelers and Bears amplifies it, but it seems that there is always talk of a bad call or cheap shot or missed call when they win big games.

Being a Steelers fan first, and a Bears fan second, I can't help but get excited about the prospect of a Bears/Steelers Superbowl. But, the Jets are riding high right now, and the Packers looked great against Atlanta. Regardless, there is going to be much beer drinking and swearing this weekend.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 13, 2011 -> 10:00 AM) A few months ago, I bought a 1998 Toyota Camry from my great aunt. It only has 30,000 miles on it and I paid a ridiculously low amount for it. I got rid of the newer car that I had because I just couldn't pass up the deal. I really have no ideal car. Cars don't really impress me that much, just as long as it gets me to where I need to be. I agree with that. Fifteen years ago I wouldn't have thought so, but now that's all that matters. My little Cavalier with over 100K miles does a fine job getting me to and from work.

As we struggle through the winter months, waiting for the exciting 2011 White Sox season to start, we need some conversation stimulants to get things going on SoxTalk. Sure, this topic may not be long-thread worthy, but it's something. Having three kids, I have become practical in my cars. That's not saying I don't want something else. I have a 2003 Chevy Venture and a 2002 Chevy Cavalier. Real exciting, but they are both paid off. Before giving in and buying more practical cars, I had a Jeep Cherokee and two Wranglers before that. Even now, if I had the extra cash and could afford a automobile for fun I would buy a standard transmission Jeep Wrangler. I might even still be a bit practical and get a 4-door model. But, I've seen a few well-taken care of CJ7s that I would love to have.

QUOTE (LVSoxFan @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 08:31 PM) LOL. Point taken. Overall, I'm pretty happy with what we've got. Peavy is the big question mark. Not that he's not awesome--just: is he going to be able to return to form? If he does--look out. If Peavy returns to form, the rotation could be downright fantastic. Buehrle could be the weakest pitcher in the rotation...that's a damn good rotation.

Two more days until I can partake in some Spotted Cow. I gotta bring home a case this time.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:41 PM) If it's an FX Original you gotta give it a shot. That's a rule. From what I've read about the show, it takes place primarily a few years after the main characters last fight (which was brutal). Most of the ads on FX have shown only clips of a fight. I hope this isn't another case of FX mis-marketing a good show (Terriers).

The only band I recognized was Mumford and Sons, and that was only because my wife had downloaded one of their songs. I've heard a few songs since then, and I like what I've heard. Sounds a bit like Irish drinking songs.

Nice breakdown. I pretty much agree with your assessments. The Ohman deal has some question marks, but at $2 million/year it's fairly safe. I'm excited about 2011, and I think KW did a great job this offseason.

Lights Out starts on FX tonight. Anyone else going to watch?

I found another superb IPA. Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale. Very tasty.

J4L, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, and there's nothing wrong with being cautiously optimistic vs overly excited about the 2011 season. I'm not sure Tex's thread was a jab at you. There are others that are not as excited, just like you. And maybe the point of this thread was to get some conversation started between members. I for one am excited about 2011, but I'd be lying if I thought this team is a shoe-in for the Central title. There still are some question marks. However, KW accomplished much more than I expected him to this off-season. There was much doom and gloom regarding money, especially after the much-maligned Jackson trade. But KW (most likely with JR's blessing) went out and got Dunn, Konerko, AJ, Crain, and Ohman. In my opinion, this team looks much better than last season's. And I'm quite excited about it.

This post is almost not worth responding to, but I had to. I was going to lay down some sarcastic comment, but I decided to get some stats. Yes, Adam Dunn strikes out a lot. But he also walks a lot, hits a lot of homeruns, and drives in a lot of runs. In his 10 year career, he has hit 354 HRs, drove in 880 runs, walked 990 times, has an OBP of .381, a slugging % of .521, and an OPS of .902. Hardly the most overrated power hitter of this baseball generation.

I'm catching up on movies now that there are actually quite a few out on DVD worth seeing. Recently I took in Inception and The Other Guys. I thought Inception was very well done and not as confusing as many made it out to be. The Other Guys was hilarious. It was a little clunky at times, but the banter between Will Farrell and Mark Wahlberg was great.

I know we all like playing armchair GMs, and the Jackson/Hudson trade generated some of the most heated discussions in recent seasons. I wasn't a huge fan of the deal but was more forgiving than others. I understand the argument that the Sox took on too much money with Jackson. But, I still say the Sox got a good pitcher, a better pitcher in the trade. The reason why I'm less concerned about the trade now is that we still ended up with Dunn, Konerko, AJ, and Crain. My thought is that the money taken on by acquiring Jackson didn't affect the spending for free agents. I'm happy with Jackson in the rotation.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 4, 2011 -> 09:39 AM) That was easy. There was some amazing music this year. I'm sure there was, and that's why I'm looking forward to seeing the list. I have over 250 songs on my iPhone, and I bet not one is from the past few years. I'm sure I'm missing out on some good music.

I don't listen to a lot of new music, but I had no idea I was so uninformed. I looked at the Wikipedia link, and I hardly recognized anything. I suppose I'll have to unfortunately sit this one out. But, I look forward to seeing the countdown and possibly finding some new music to listen to.

Anyone else concerned with Fringe being moved to Fridays? This is a great show that may not make it because of this move.

I'm thinking of picking up either a PS3 with the Move or an XBox with the Kinect. Anyone have experience with either and have any suggestions?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 31, 2010 -> 06:43 PM) Probably because you put them there.

I see a lot of my list on the honorable mention list, including some of my top choices. Founders Breakfast Stout is a beer that blew me away. The 8.3% ABV made me a bit nervous, as sometimes the alcohol overpowers the taste of the beer. But this beer is so smooth and easy to drink that it could quickly become dangerous. Imagine walking into an upscale coffee shop and the barista is grinding coffee beans and whipping up a mocha. That's what this beer smells like. And the taste is top notch. Smooth as a glass of milk, and starts sweet like an iced mocha. Finishes appropriately bitter like a shot of espresso. There's just a slight alcohol warming, too. The weighted average on Rate Beer is 4.15/5 based on over 1500 reviews, which is about as high as you'll see. If you like stouts or even dark beers for that matter, find this beer and drink it.

Looking back at the list, I realized that I have had all of them except for the Allagash. For that, I should be ashamed of myself. I'm a fan of Belgian Whites, and I see this beer often. I'll have to rectify that this weekend. I'm looking forward to the honorable mentions. I'm hoping to see some lesser known beers pop up.

I can take or leave 312. Believe me, however, I'm not going to turn one down. Sunset Wheat is another beer I really like. I tried it for the first time when I was at Texas Roadhouse, and they had stopped carrying Blue Moon and had Sunset Wheat in it's place. Like Blue Moon, it's probably not a "great" beer, but I find it refreshing and very easy to drink. It's a bit sweeter than Blue Moon and maybe lacks a little spice. Guinness. This is a beer that I have to be in the mood for (by itself anyway), but when I am, nothing tastes much better.