Chisoxfn

All of the above said, I would have a hard time telling generically telling someone what an idiot they are for spenidng money. It all depends on their income and situation and incomes/situations can fluctuate a huge amount between people (even within classes), but the reality is if you don't make as much money than you shouldn't spend as much. Spend on the essentials and maybe you can't have all the luxury items you want, but whatever. For example, you live on your own you have more leeway than if you have to take care of a wife and kids on one income (so 50K for a single person might be middle class where as for a family of 4 I'm gonna say its much more lower middle class). They are luxury items for a reason. And yes, buying an iphone and having a ridiculously expensive plan is a luxury item. If you can afford it great, but if you are barely getting by than you probably don't need it. Just have a basic internet connection at home and use your cell phone for voice calls. Or if you really need data, get one of the free data phones and the cheapest data plans out there. Of course, most of the people I know with Iphones probably shouldn't have them because they have loads of credit card debt but every year find ways to buy that new iphone (and I mean every year). Credit Card debt is awful. It is like the worst kind of debt, the kind where you get raped at double digit interest rates.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Feb 14, 2011 -> 02:36 PM) Good man. It means you are living within your means. Now, you could always do what 80% of the country does, and live above and beyond your means, and then b**** about your credit card interest rates... While I guessed at the 80% number, and it's been a while since I've looked it up, a vast majority of the country is in something like 5000$+ credit card debt (not counting other debt). The other thing we both do that we feel is a important and I'm amazing at how many people don't do it, but both of us put aside a minimum of 12% of our income into our retirement funds. Never touch and never change and each of us have done so since our first professional jobs. But than again, we are both accountants, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, haha. It makes it easier that we make good money, but even when I was single and at my first job, I was able to find ways to save and always stay within the means. I think the key is that as you income grows, try not to just leasurely spend more. Think about saving more. I've always said I don't need much more than a nice car. Sure it would be nice to have every single bell and whistle in a BMW or Lexus but for me, that wasn't a priority. I'll take the pretty nice version of the other cars, still a good cost, but it is safe, spacious and has all the key features I need. But each has there own priority. And for us, since we are in the process of saving up for a bigger home and planning to start a family (hopefully with a nice savings since we know that there will be periods of time where we drop into being a one income family and on top of it see increased expenses associated with a kid), it has became more important to try and increase that savings.

I'm pretty anal about what I spend on and when I spend it. That said I have two nice tv's (one nicer plasma that is a year old and than a 5 year old DLP). Desktop & Laptop (for my wife and I), plus a PS3. We eat at home a lot and tend to eat pretty healthy (good cuts of meat, but we shop and buy when the meat is on sale). From a car perspective, we have two cars, one we own free and clear and the other we just bought (put a pretty good amount down and pay it off over about 3.5 years) and it is nice (both are nice in my opinion) but we plan on owning each of our vehicles for an extended period (about 10 years). So it works well for us. Our cost where we live right now is cheap and we are just saving whatever we can, but luckily, we have pretty much zero debt at this point in our lives, and even after forking up for our wedding, we have a good amount in savings and hope it can keep growing. Of course, we have our vices and enjoy traveling (trying to go on an international vacation later this year) and my vice of having the baseball package, but we eat at home most of the time and bring our own lunches to work 3 to 4 days a week which helps.

Evidently, it was only visible to mods/admins. It should be fixed now and visible.

Angels, Dodgers, Cubs, maybe the Mets are about the only teams I see in the mix. Yankees and Red Sox just don't have a need.

So all general baseball talk goes there, where as, Sox related talk is in pale hose talk.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 10, 2011 -> 08:27 AM) I still can't figure out why this move hasn't happened yet...unless Carmelo has made it clear he won't immediately sign an extension in Chicago. That's a better offer than anyone else has had on the table since the Netropolitans pulled out. I think the Bulls are just laying quietly in the weeds. Denver has insisted on Noah and I think the Bulls hope when push comes to shove they'll bite and go for the Taj plus expirings deal. The key is going to be who is willing to take Deng and I think the Clippers might be a potential candidate in that sweepstakes. Put Deng with Gordon and Griffin and DeAndre and that is a pretty nice 4 out of 5 starters.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 10, 2011 -> 08:31 AM) Something I keep hearing is that the Nuggets want Landry Fields to be a big part of the Melo to Knicks trade. I might be Landry's biggest fan, but players like him are a dime a dozen. Kinda like Bulls fans who begged the Bulls not to get rid of Taj last offseason. Taj is incredibly valuable in this league. He's a big who can play well above average defense and has some decent offensive potential. Not many of those guys in the league. And he can play D on both C's and PF's. It is why we are talking about potentially moving him in a Carmelo deal.

I don't like the idea of trading Asik for Lee. I think Lee is a lot overrated and Asik has some nice potential. Bigs like that don't grow on trees. He can rebound and play some solid defense and will be very valuable coming off the bench for the next few years. I think our best move out there is a deal for Melo centered around Taj & Deng (w/Deng going to another team for expirings which go back to Denver) plus draft picks. I think teams have noticed what Deng is doing and I think the Bulls can afford to move both of them if it means getting Melo back.

QUOTE (PeavyTime @ Feb 10, 2011 -> 08:02 AM) I want to go into Forensic Accounting, so I figure a good start would be Auditing. I have heard both good and bad things about public, but given the opportunity, I would jump at it. What were you grades like? I can try to point you in the direction of some people. Unfortunately for you, I don't work in the Chicago office (So Cal instead) but I know a few people who work there. I highly recommend public. You get the living s*** kicked out of you but the longer you can stay in it, the better off you are from a career standpoint. Definitely not a requirement and there are plenty of people that bounce real early or never go into it (within our field) who eventually make it as CFO's, etc, but in general, so much value to be gained working in public. I can't think of many careers/places where you can move up and get the raises that they do offer in public (and this is coming from a guy who was in public at Deloitte, went to private for 2 years and am now squarely in the midst of busy season hell, haha). The money might not be amazing in public, but you spend 3 (70-90K job waiting for you in private) or even better 5 to 7 years (100-125K+ waiting for you in private) and you will find a salary job where you make very good plus benefits and bonus. All while being in your early 30's (depending on when you graduated, etc). Not many places out there like that, imo. But it isn't for everyone.

QUOTE (Disco72 @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 04:25 PM) I agree on the MBA comments thus far. Not much value to employers nor to you if you do not have some work experience to back it up. MBAs are great for networking and also great for mid-career changes (that's the main benefit I got from it), but the best part of the classes is the interaction with your classmates. Be wary of any MBA program where most students have limited work experience. For me, the tough part of the GMAT was remembering math I hadn't had since high school. If you think you'd do ok, go ahead and take it, but it would be best to take a couple of practice tests first to make sure you really would do ok on it. By the way, the last time I took the GMAT was about 6 years after the first one, and my score only declined about 10 points. I could easily have made up that 10 points by studying a little harder for it. I completely agree. You wait on the MBA. Get some good real world work experience and than supplement it with an MBA to help you get to that next step. And the better the program you can get into the better because right now, in this current environment, unless you are graduating from a top of the line MBA program you aren't getting much economic value considering the cost. Another great asset for the MBA is for people not in business who work in Corporate America (as engineers, etc) and they can go back and get there MBA as they move out of the direct engineering lines and into mid and upper management roles.

I'll take it. Would have been sweet to win 3 in a row though.

QUOTE (PeavyTime @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 02:57 PM) I have an bachelor's and master's in accounting and can't find a job! No intern experience is killing me I think (and the economy) What sort of job are you looking for? I'm in the field (Deloitte) and might be able to give you some pointers. Are you looking to go into public as your first job?

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 9, 2011 -> 08:53 AM) Saying goodbye to The Taylors, Tim Riggins, and the town of Dillon, Texas tonight. Sounds like the room could get a tad dusty tonight. It really is a great show.

The Rangers would pretty much give Young away if they could. They would fall over backwards if someone offered up Danks. All it would take is a mediocre prospect and the willingness to take on his ugly contract (or at least a significant portion of it).

He Gawn!

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 8, 2011 -> 03:12 PM) Sprint has me upset. It seems that they now have added a $10 premium charge to phones that use internet connectivity ON TOP OF the everything plans. F*ck the heck? It will be on all new smart phones (4G or 3G). Existing phones will be fine (until you buy a new phone and than you pay that 10 buck surcharge). As a sprint user, I feel it is horribly lame.

It is hard not to like this guy. I really hope he is able to get back from this. His attitude, work ethic, and intensity are amazing. But all of that amazing doesn't matter if you can't stay healthy and be productive. Come on Peavy!!!

I think the easiest would probably be to do it on here and somepone have a set template cause than no one else would need to re-register.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 7, 2011 -> 04:53 PM) Eh, 1st overall? I know 2006 sucked, but they'd have been better off going with Aldridge, Roy, or Gay at that pick (not that at the time it would have been advocated). Bargnani is one of the worst 1st overall selections in the last 20 seasons. I've bolded whom I think could arguably be considered a worse pick. 2010 John Wall 2009 Blake Griffin 2008 Derrick Rose 2007 Greg Oden* 2006 Andrea Bargnani 2005 Andrew Bogut 2004 Dwight Howard 2003 LeBron James 2002 Yao Ming 2001 Kwame Brown 2000 Kenyon Martin 1999 Elton Brand 1998 Michael Olowokandi 1997 Tim Duncan 1996 Allen Iverson 1995 Joe Smith 1994 Glenn Robinson 1993 Chris Webber 1992 Shaquille O'Neal 1991 Larry Johnson * - Only for injuries Sure, there's time for Bargnani to continue developing, so the jury isn't out as he's only 25, but yes, you could do worse taking a Bargnani first overall, but not much worse. I'd probably say you could debate Kenyon Martin and Andrew Bogut as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 7, 2011 -> 04:28 PM) He is pretty much Luol Deng. Except Deng is a superior defender and far more efficient scorer.

I'll pin this up for those that want to participate. JoeCool, you want to take the lead on this?

As of this point, caffeine does nothing for me (I can sleep after drinking coke or tea or whatever). However, I hate the taste of coffee. Only kind I can drink are those horrible for you frozen coffee drinks at starbucks/etc, which I might have once a year when someone gives me a starbucks gift certificate which I have no use for. But I love tea. I'll drink it throughout the morning. A nice black or earl gray or even green tea and unsweetened ice tea too for lunch/etc. Pretty much tea replaced soda in my diet and since I don't put any sweetners in it and never put sugar in it I figure its about as good as it gets (antioxidants, some cafeine, but not a ton, and no sugar/artificial stuff).

Image attachement of my accidental doo. The worse picture is the one with me having some hair long and some hair gone. I did learn my widows peak is bigger than I thought, haha. Luckily outside of those areas I still have all my hair.

QUOTE (Brian @ Feb 7, 2011 -> 09:48 AM) I shaved my head in college once just because there was no barber. I look horrible bald. Lots of bumps and moles I didn't know I had up there. That was the one good thing. I have no scars on my head and in general it is very smooth. So I guess I have that going for me. I also learned my parents must not have dropped me too often on my head.