Chisoxfn

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 08:30 AM) I have to ask, as I think we all know people in similar employment circumstances...how much of that is their own fault? I know I can't speak for everyone, but I'm doing better now than I ever have been...so to answer a oft repeated Republican talking point...are you better off now than 4 years ago? Yes, I am. And 4 years ago I was better off then that I was the 4 years prior to that. And so on... Personally I can't complain. However, I've seen some pretty good and hard working people get laid off over the past few years and some have had hard times finding jobs. Are there people I know that are lazier, sure, but lazy people have found work at much higher rates in the past then now. A top performer is a top performer, but our economy and the unemployment #'s aren't based upon top performers. The way I see it, the % has always included lazy people and while I think to an extent, the younger generation is lazier (and I'm in that generation), I don't think it really explains the high unemployment because there were always those people. I'm also still young and developing though. I think if I were in a more seasoned position, that answer might be different. And I can flat out say businesses are struggling, places are struggling. Talk to sales people and I think most of them will tell you most of the customers they work with are still hurting. God a buddy who works in sales for Heinz. Makes pretty good money but everyone he calls is bleeding/hurting still. Grocery stores, fast food places, etc.

8.1% unemployment....that is bad, California at 10.7% and the actual real unemployment rate is significantly worse, imo. It blows my mind how many young people I know either can't get jobs or are getting minimum wage jobs. Pretty sad. Definitely makes me appreciate the opportunities my wife and I have had thus far in our young lives.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 04:30 AM) I didn't realize until after I posted that there was two seasons. I don't have Cinemax; my in-laws taped the shws for us. I was happy to find out that there's a second season that started in August. There have been comparisons to 24, and I can see that. It's funny how with 24, Jack's catch phrase was "Damn it!" while on Strike Back, Scott's catch phrase is "f*** me." It is what replaced my 24. I don't have cinemax either, but they had a free preview when they kicked off the most recent season and during that preview, they had a rerun of all of the prior season episodes so I DVR'd them all (while I had my free cinemax). Watched the whole season really quickly. Thoroughly entertained. No nonsense action flick with some pretty cool scenes for a TV show. Plus I dig the characters a lot. Scott is awesome.

QUOTE (Jake @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 07:47 AM) The debates are usually worth watching, but they do what they should do and respond to most things ideologically. "What will you do with taxes?" Romney: "I will empower job creators to grow their business and hire people instead of paying for welfare" Obama: "I will get those evil corporate elites to drown in their tax obligations! Go middle class!" ooooo, ahhhh That won't win the election for Romeny. If Romney is going to win, he's going to have to really pull out all of the stops in the debate and really lay out a policy plan that people can get behind. Until then, he has no chance winning over those undecided.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 7, 2012 -> 07:34 AM) I guess it is becoming tradition now that I show back up in the Buster every few months... I don't get where people say Biden's speech was good. I thought it was pretty terrible. He's just not a gifted speaker. How many times did he start a sentence with "folks"? I thought his speech was oddly paced, thin, and badly delivered. Grade: D Obama's speech was good but nothing special. And he didn't get into any more specifics than Romney did - but he delivered better. Obama did what you need to do in the conventions, which is spark the base. Grade: B Michelle's speech was very good, I thought, but as with Ann Romney's speech, it just doesn't carry much weight since she's not running for office. Grade: A- Paul Ryan is a better speaker than I had previously thought, he gave a pretty good speech... except that it turns out a metric f***-ton of the supposed facts he espoused were just utterly false. Grade: C+ Romney improved over any other speech I've seen him give, so that's a good thing. But he is still not terribly charismatic, and that will hurt him in the debates. Grade: B- As for the debates... I am pretty sure Obama will crush Romney, but I am also pretty sure Ryan will crush Biden. Romney can't beat Obama in terms of speaking ability or relatability, so his only real shot is a combination of wilting attacks on the current economy, and providing some specific policy ideas that are his own. The only chance the republican's have is if Ryan and Romeny really hit them with specifics during the debates and just attack them on the economy and what should have been done and what they are proposing. Without that, Obama will win.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Sep 6, 2012 -> 07:02 PM) He's down to .225 with a .290 OBP this year and .214 with a mid .600 OPS during his time in Toronto. Yep. He's been quite bad.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Sep 6, 2012 -> 04:21 AM) Watched the first episode of Strike Back on Cinemax last night. Good show. Hopefully the pace keeps up. Its a great show. I've gotten caught up and watched the whole 1st season (technically, it is the 2nd season; there was a 1st season done only in England).

Well, with MLB's flat out denial, I've updated the title of this thread. It should be very clue to anyone that stumbles by that the rumor was FALSE.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 09:33 PM) I suppose I'm far more cynical on the subject than most. But it's based off of what I know, what I've seen and what I've been told. A few years ago, I had been told the majority was juicing. From everything I've been told the numbers have been drastically reduced. Still not to where it is perfect and there is probably on average 2-3 guys per 25 man roster using, but that is down significantly from what I had always heard the use was. And this is still all speculation based upon what I've heard from various people within the majors/minors.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 09:30 PM) Except these criminals are harming innocent people. Players using PEDs aren't harming anyone else. They are harming those players who aren't using? If your success is solely related to drugs, then you are taking the spot of another player who could be up at the majors making that paycheck (without cheating). If I was a clean player, I'd be livid. And from everything I've heard and can tell, the majority of players are clean.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 09:20 PM) Couldn't disagree more. The guys who are using and getting away with it are ok and we can still root for them, but the guys who get caught are evil and should be ostracized? Ok. Look, I don't know who is using. But that doesn't mean those that do get caught should get a free pass because others are getting away with it. Should we not punish people just because other people get away with it?

QUOTE (kev211 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 09:01 PM) If this is true then good on AJ for trying. It's a shame he got caught but after Melky and braun there's not doubt in my mind that this is running rampant in the league again. I don't know. It would seem that at least a greater chunk of players are getting caught. I don't know if testing is getting better or if players just think they can get away with it. I also won't be surprised when they make the penalties harsher in the offseason.

On a sidenote, if true, next man up. Flowers has done a good job as a backup this year. Defensively he's solid and he's been calling good games and offensively, he's looking better as he's gotten more AB's. I still think Flowers has a shot to be a solid starting catcher in this league and if AJ did in fact get busted, then Flowers is going to get a hell of an opportunity here.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 08:37 PM) Don't crucify the guys who have gotten caught, because they are simply the unlucky/careless ones. They are still the one's caught and they should be crucified. They cheated. Just cause others are getting away with it, doesn't mean that if someone tests positively for PEDS, they shouldn't be booed for the rest of their career.

SOB.

Wow. Was so busy with work I didn't realize we had a day game. Nice that we won!

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 5, 2012 -> 02:57 PM) Those guys might stay home if they don't like the candidate. Or at least they won't be donating money and organizing even if they still cast the vote. They hate Obama so much that we know that isn't the case. The hardcore people vote. They don't stay home.

I wish the republicans would actually spend time focusing on issues that matter, instead of constantly talk about stupid s*** that the hardcore ultra conservative wacko's want to here. It irritates the hell out of me. Come on...figure it out you morons, those guys are still going to vote republican. Irregardless if you aren't a complete ultra conservative yourself. Stupid morons.

KW...STFU. On a sidenote, Humber, you freaking blow.

Awesome. Lets win baby!

Peavy has been fantastic this year and has truly been jobbed out of quite a few wins. Between the team scoring very few runs in quite a few of his good games and the bullpen blowing some big leads, he's been completely robbed of a good # of victories.

We know I hate it, but it always seems like the majority here prefer it. Is that still the case?

Urlacher practiced yesterday. Supposedly was "one of the guys". Curious to see how he's feeling today.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Sep 1, 2012 -> 08:36 PM) I'm pretty optimistic about this season for NIU considering we nearly beat Iowa without a passing game of any kind today and with several critical mistakes. Today still hurts though because the game was there to be won. Hopefully, we don't lose again this year, because the schedule suggests it's possible. I'll be bemoaning the game today if such a scenario occurs, but whatever. Our defense is pretty good, but I'm not sure how Iowa's offense is going to do in Big Ten play if they can only put up 3.4 yards a play against us. They got into your territory all day long, and then consistently failed to do anything of value. New OC so hopefully it has more to do with the team still adjusting and the coach still learning his personell, etc. At the end of the day, at least they got a win against a solid NIU team. They aren't more then a 7 team win.

Just win baby!