Edwin MacPhisto

Yeah, the single-cabling is really nice. I have a great old Onkyo receiver--like, 15-20 years old old--so I still have to deal with some extra cabling coming out of the DVD player, but cutting the number of wires or cable-ends you have to manage by 1/2 or 1/3 is still one of the better perks of the tech.

If you haven't solved your component/HDMI question yet: my roommate's got a 360 and neither of us have noted any appreciable differences between how games look on component vs. HDMI. Maybe HDMI will be notably different when more games for the 360 have native 1080p support, but as of now there are only 2 or 3 crappy ones that fit the bill. I don't think the difference is worth a crappy MadCatz adapter at this point. I just ordered the Samsung 46A550 the other day. I'm looking forward to staring lovingly into its haunting embrace.

There's a pretty gap between media darling and winning the conference. I'm sure Texas Tech will be pretty good this year, but I don't expect more than 9-3 or 8-4 out of them. The hype is that this year they may have a defense to match their top-notch offense, but I'm not really convinced. Even after firing their defensive coordinator in the 4th week of the season and hiring a new guy, they still gave up 41, 31, and 59 in conference losses. They beat Oklahoma at home with Sam Bradford out. I think they need to go at least 6-2 with a win over OU to get to the title game, and I don't see that happening. Smells like Cotton Bowl to me.

Fick is actually a lieutenant. Brad's the sergeant. I'm really enjoying this as well. Haven't read the book, but most of the military folks I know say this has been a pretty accurate representation of the clusterfuck the whole initial invasion was. I really like the non-intrusive way it's shot too, and the very washed-out color used for night shots.

That's why I don't go to church.

Well, I guess it's the world map music more, though I like her variation as well. So many great music setpieces early in that game.

Terra's Theme is probably my favorite videogame piece ever, in its various incarnations. Hearing that, playing the prologue, and taking my first trip into Narshe (with its own amazing music) pretty much had me set for life at 13.

Until the franchise is over. At the moment you get into falling into chemicals or having supernatural powers, this film series stops being interesting. As long as Nolan and Bale are involved I'm certain there won't be anything more than people doing things to other people.

I wouldn't question that, certainly. If the tie post was 9/11, this was the OKC bombing. Most others are just somebody shooting up a school.

I don't feel like doing the research right now, so answer me this: is the system governed by the NFLPA, or is it just the natural sort of state of things? The NBAPA sets the rookie salaries for first-round players--is the NFL doing the same thing, or is it just a natural escalation wherein agents have been saying "the #4 pick got $8 million per last year, so you better give my guy 9"?

It's not that bad outside the first 10-12 picks. If you look at this year's salaries so far, 14th pick Chris Williams signed a 5-year, $16 million deal with $10 million guaranteed. The drop between #1 and #14 is about 60%. Towards the end of the 1st round at #31, TE Dustin Keller signed a 5-year $12 million deal, but only $6 million is guaranteed. One of the last things a crappy team probably needs is to drop $10 million/year on a guy who hasn't played a down, but overall rookies contracts don't bother me too much since they stop being a big deal within the first 5% of the players drafted.

No.

Trenchant analysis there. Clemson's good on paper and should be able to at least win their division, given the largely average state of the ACC. However, I think the fact that they're breaking in almost an entire new offensive line is going largely unnoticed in all the preseason hype. Wouldn't be surprised at all to see them drop a few early, particularly that opener against Alabama. Also, Clemson gets huge mega-lame points for playing a pair of FCS teams.

Deng and Gordon are assclowns for not taking the more than generous extensions last year. Chicago's such a mess.

It's pretty lame. For such an originally forward-thinking company, they do pretty terrible every time they unveil some sort of aesthetic change or major feature.

I'm guessing Iggy got in bad with the sharks.

Best thing since the tie post.

I see Ripper in this thread and I'm expecting profanities. Or maybe just sadness and resignation.

The ACC's were this week. Best they've got is that teams are supposed to publish injury reports now. Nothing interesting ever really comes out of media days.

Yeah, I'd much rather never see him again. I mean, what more do you need from the Joker, and why would you want something that's not going to be as good as Ledger was? It's pointless.

There was money in that ventriloquist's dummy!

I don't get it, but those are some cute dogs.

I hope he was growling stuff like "SWEAR TO ME!!!" when he was knocking them around.

If only it were possible to do that!

"Lost that much"? They ended last year at #10 in the human polls, and were #19 in the BCS before the bowls. Not much of a difference between that and 15. Also, I hate preseason polls.