kapkomet

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 03:11 PM) Let's not lump every administration policy into the argument here and just talk about the torture issue at hand. Can you really be suggesting that America can torture in your name and that it can be justified? Not in my name. That is not my America. We prosecuted Japanese military officials as war criminals for waterboarding POWs in WWII. But now it's a gray area?? As a nation, we have previously stood against imperialism and faschism and communism without having to compromise principles regarding the ethics of torture. But now that global terrorists are the proclamed enemy, torture is on the table? That is a good point. And to a large extent, I agree. I guess what I cannot understand is at what point is anything "acceptable", and where do you draw the line? I have a hard time with this issue, because I realize the need to get information, but at what cost/price (depending on how you look at it)?

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 8, 2007 -> 04:04 PM) This could be put in the Investing thread (re: oil), or the catch-all anything thread... but it seems best here. My wife and I finally bit the bullet yesterday, and ordered a hybrid vehicle. Due to the ridiculously high demand, it will take 3 to 6 months to get it. With gas prices soaring again, the amount of gas my wife uses to get to/from work, and out desire to try to reduce our energy usage and pollution levels, we thought it was time to seriously look at doing this. Since its been discussed in here many times, I thought I'd share the math with you... Our current car is a 2004 Saturn VUE AWD V6, and it averages about 17 mpg (though it can be 15 or 16 at times, or 20 at best on all-open-road miles). It was rated to get 18 city and 24 highway, via the older rating system, which was not realistic. The wife drives a 44 mile round trip daily to work and back, plus we put some miles on it here and there, and we end up with about 1100 miles per month. The miles are almost entirely "city" for mpg purposes, because in rush hour, the highway is stop and go. So our gas costs look like this... @$3.00/gallon: 1100 miles / 17 mpg = 64.7 gallons * $3.00 = $194.10/month @$3.50/gallon: 1100 miles / 17 mpg = 64.7 gallons * $3.50 = $226.45/month We wanted a car in the same small/compact SUV class (reasons are multiple, but they include camping trips, dirt roads to our property, AWD for snow/ice and safety issues). The only full hybrid in the class was the Ford Escape / Mercury Mariner, which gets 34 mpg for city use, which is on the newer more accurate guidelines (was 38 before I think). So now our gas costs would look like this: @$3.00/gallon: 1100 miles / 34 mpg = 32.4 gallons * $3.00 = $97.20/month @$3.50/gallon: 1100 miles / 34 mpg = 32.4 gallons * $3.50 = $113.40/month We're around $3.25 right now, but it will probably hover around $3.50 for most of next year, so we'd be saving about $113 a month, or $1360 a year. The differential cost of a hybrid over a non-hybrid in the Ford Escape (similarly equiped) is about $3400. That means that on gas savings alone, the payoff period is 2.5 years. That's shorter than we'd own a car typically, so, even just looking at the cost of gas over time, it looks like its worth it. But it gets better. The federal government gives $2200 one-time tax credit (not a deduction - a full credit) for this model hybrid, and Illinois gives $1000. That means that $3200 of the $3400 differential price is wiped out anyway, and the $200 you make up in gas savings in about 2 months. So, given the tax cycle, the payoff period for this car is now, at worst, a year. Everything after that is money in our pockets. Our situation is not the same as everyone else's of course. If you buy a Prius or something that gets even more mileage, you save more. If your current car is already very efficient, you save less. But for us, the cost savings alone will be quite significant over the 3 or 4 years we are likely to own that car. Then there are the side benefits. Resale value of a hybrid will probably be quite good, given the high demand. And then there is the fact that if we are using half as much gas, we are probably putting half as much crap into the air and water. Basically, this works out great for us. Payoff period in under a year, and we're doing a tiny little something better for the environment. Next time you are looking at cars, you should explore this path as well. That's really cool. I like the analysis you did. I wish I could get another vehicle, but I'm so close to paying mine off, I don't want anymore payments. When we look at getting another vehicle I will consider this, but unfortunately the tax breaks will be gone.

In our business, which reports in Euros and does most of its business in the US, we are getting KILLED on currency. It sucks.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Nov 7, 2007 -> 06:44 PM) This one is pretty weak. I've seen better ones posted in here before. The only thing brought up about the environment was ethanol, which I'm not in favor of. There's a lot more to it then ethanol. You're not in favor of ethanol? Why? (I'm not either, but I'm curious as to whether or not there's any paralells at all).

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 7, 2007 -> 05:50 PM) Good lord. Nevermind. I was trying to ask a serious question here, but between yours and BS's answers, I guess I shouldn't waste my time. For all the talk of wanting to get past hyperbole and rhetoric, that is exactly what I got here. Which is exactly why I posted what I did. Then, that was followed up by how great of a retort the hyperbole responding to the hyperbole was. My point was it's so easy to say what we are doing is "wrong" but is it really? Then of course, we (the US) are supposed to take the high road, which doesn't always work, either. But if we don't, then we're "eeeeviiilllllllll Americans", branded by our own living here, who in reality should know better but want to find contempt with every single policy our current President has. BS, I'm not saying that you do that entirely with every post, but it certainly walks up to those arguments in this case. That's why my hyperbolic response earlier.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Nov 7, 2007 -> 03:30 PM) Aren't we assuming the same when we torture others? It's all our fault. Us EVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLL Americans!

At this point I'm not sure who the hell will take him for the ridiculous amount he's asking for. BTW, Tom Hicks will now be mailing Bora$$ Christmas cards again.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 7, 2007 -> 03:19 PM) That sure sounds like a situation that would make our team significantly worse. Cabrera for Kong (more or less)? I'm not so sure that's a bad thing.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Nov 7, 2007 -> 02:50 PM) No money for that. It's all going to go to attract the olympics. http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stor...heworks/071025/ That's a good point. But isn't that ok?

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 7, 2007 -> 02:32 PM) Robertson has become so marginalized, that I don't think his endorsement means nearly as much now as it did a decade ago. Exactly. File this one in the micro-give-a-s***s file.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 7, 2007 -> 02:32 PM) So out of curiousity, what exactly do the study's say is the most effective way to get information out of someone who is trained not to give it up? Don't you know that we just need to be nice these people and they will just magically start spilling all the Al Queda information?

I qon't vomit on my own pants, but I agree. Shula is pretty full of himself.

Kalapse posted a video and it really screwed up that thread. I just went in and manually deleted his post and it's back open now.

ok, fixed, I just deleted that post. I can't tell what happened, Kalapse. It shouldn't have done that...

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Nov 6, 2007 -> 07:56 PM) When you are at the gym running on the treadmill and with all of the open treadmills a person with too much cologne or perfume decides to workout on the machine next to you. After a few minutes, you feel like you are about to choke from a chemical weapon. The lady begging for money who used to be at Higgins and 290, who is now at Highland and Butterfield. She holds a sign, need help children girl 4 and boy 9. Well the boy should be 16 by now, and the girl should be 11 as she has been using the same sign and gimmick for the last 7 years. -or- I'm sorry but that just is too funny.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 6, 2007 -> 01:49 PM) Since I've been travelling, I'll break out the air travel pet peeves... People who just stop in the middle of a busy airport walkway (usually while wheeling around a giant bag), thus causing everyone to walk into each other People who board ahead of their group number People who need 6 bins to get all their stuff through security (exception - parents with small children, which I imagine must be a royal pain to deal with) --- Not a pet peeve, but a funny - I watched someone recently who not only walked through the metal detector with her cell phone, but walked through while still speaking on it. Then looked surprised when it went off. The fact that she looked like the poster child for Valley Girl made it slightly funnier. Oh, I have so many of those when I was traveling more. And, it is a ROYAL pain in the ass to travel with little kids. It makes traveling NOT fun.

People who start a pet peeves thread on a message board. "THAT WAS EASY" - Circuit City Stupid button ™

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 5, 2007 -> 09:15 PM) Speaking of pet peeves, that is one of mine right there. Why would you play softball if you didn't want to swing the bat? Unless the pitch is crazy bat, swing the freaking bat! No s***. That really irks me in our league. /TRIPLE, BABY!

Happy Birthday, YAS.

QUOTE(Chet Lemon @ Nov 5, 2007 -> 05:50 PM) Mondale was easily the worst Presidential candidate in recent history. Except for George W. Bush.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 5, 2007 -> 03:14 PM) I know, its macroeconomic theory, and it runs counter to what most people have been brainwashed to believe. Its not difficult at all to reduce growth and still strengthen the dollar... Find a way to cut production costs of American goods across the board. Cut things like wages, benefits, material costs... Which is coming, sooner rather then later, I think.

QUOTE(Cknolls @ Nov 5, 2007 -> 02:51 PM) So were letting the dollar fall so we can take growth out of other countries? LOL So much for the strong dollar. How would you suggest we could raise the value of the dollar if we didn't want to take growth away from other countries? Actually, there's some truth to that. Think about it.

9/11 was an inside job. Just ask gosox05.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 4, 2007 -> 07:48 PM) He seems to have picked a close staff that just doesn't know how to campaign and how to market him. And I think its taken him from a possible top tier candidate, down to someone who just isn't going to compete. Based on his positions, I was excited to see him enter the race. Since then, his campaign has totally been useless and he is totally out of touch. He has no shot, and I'm EXTREMELY surprised by this. The guy thought his "conservative" background would win it for him by itself. Sorry, Freddy, it doesn't work that way. Show us that you want to win, not just have it handed to you.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Nov 3, 2007 -> 05:12 AM) They are just claiming that so that when inspectors finally get there and detedt traces of radioactivity, they can say it was from an American bomb instead of their nuke stuff that got blown up. Win-win for them. Very good point.