Middle Buffalo

Benetti is doing a national broadcast. Sutcliffe is announcing the game for the Cubs. Ross, though more comfortable with the Cubs, is doing a pretty good job a being unbiased.

So the pitch to Sanchez wasn't outside, but the pitch to Schwarber was? Ok, Sut.

Norm Macdonald's podcast is back. If you're a fan, it's classic Norm. Previous episodes are available as well. First episode of the new season is Norm & David Letterman. I haven't listened yet, but I'm sure it's great.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 25, 2017 -> 01:23 PM) Huh on the bolded? This study is saying "110 of 111". So that quote is saying there are examples outside this study where it isn't present, and yet you just said it can be as high as 92% elsewhere? Your statements against this disagree with each other. Probably tested 111 brains of players suspected to have had CTE and confirmed 110 did, in fact. It doesn't seem to be a random sampling or an indication that they tested all of the brains of deceased ex-players. Did they test brains of people not suspected to have CTE?

Shields clearly has little left as a starter. Does he have any ability to close? As a guy with a big game reputation, it seems that he'd be able to handle the pressure. Does he have the stuff to close? I think I'd give it a try.

Not sure if anyone watched Battle of the Network "Stars," but Tom Arnold was high on something during the first episode.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jul 8, 2017 -> 06:16 PM) It's like a bad lifetime movie. I don't know. At least a Lifetime movie might let me see what Jennie Garth or Alyssa Milano look like now. This administration only give me Scott Baio.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Jun 28, 2017 -> 01:12 PM) It's like a WR with 4.3 speed than can't run a route or catch a football. You just have to ignore everything but the film and say bad. So, Devin Hester.

Too early to know, but I gave it a 7 based on potential we've brought back in trades. I hope we're not holding out for too much for some of our other pieces. Much of my final grade would hinge on the performance of the Boston prospects we got. If they bust or are average, I'll hate that we gave up Sale - a best pitcher in franchise history contender.

I was watching the Lakers/Celtics 30 for 30 (good doc by the way), and I saw that there's going to be a 30 for 30 podcast starting this month. Should be worth a listen.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 07:36 AM) Obviously I am not a Trump supporter, but I really wish he would figure out this Presidency thing. Reagan, probably suffering from Alzheimer's, was able to present a solid public profile to the nation and the world. Why can't Trump be corralled even a little bit? Arrogance?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 23, 2017 -> 01:19 PM) When you want people dead as many in our world do today, it's past the realm of hope. It is going to take a lot to reverse course. Show me an example of America coming together at any time besides natural disasters (quakes, tornadoes) or horrific crimes (9-11). The Olympics, World Cup, William Hung,....

I've heard and read in different places recently that "the ball is juiced" this year. Heard radio show hosts suggest it. Have read it on message boards and in the comments below articles. Are we falling for this again? Aren't people suspicious of PEDs again? I am. I don't know that I'll ever trust athletic accomplishments again.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jun 18, 2017 -> 07:01 PM) I started mis***ting so many shots thin and to the right. It's a good thing this site has a vulgarity filter. I can't believe they let you coach kids with a mouth like this. You think you're Bobby Knight or something?

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 18, 2017 -> 11:09 AM) They both have no movement clauses. Would have to give permission to be left unprotected See, I told you I wasn't paying attention.

List is out. Not sure why they'd protect Seabrook or Hossa, but I haven't paid much attention to the rules of this draft. https://www.secondcityhockey.com/2017/6/18/...ckhawks-players

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 17, 2017 -> 08:44 PM) So do agree with the proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan (most is disguised as hybrid govnt/private projects that are profit oriented, like tollways or bridges)....to create/stimulate the growth of jobs with $15-25 wages for qualified American workers? No. I don't like the idea of privatization of our roads/bridges, etc. The government should maintain control of these. By the way, in your initial post on this construction subject, it didn't include the part of the article that stated that Martinez' workers typically work 15 hour days 6 or 7 days a week. Tell me they're not being exploited. No way they are getting overtime pay. And no way Martinez is reporting his true payroll.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Jun 17, 2017 -> 06:58 PM) Jones - he hath been on the DL since what... April? Yep, I was editing while you typed this. I just don't think they should focus on the max they can get for Q or DRob. Throw in another veteran with the idea that it doesn't matter if we "win" the trade. We just want a number 1 prospect.

Sox should be packaging DRob with Jones to pull the best prospects from a team. Same thing with Q. Don't worry so much about getting multiple prospects at this point, just offer enough to get the best prospects from other teams. So, Q and Jones for.... Or Frazier and Jones for.... just focus on getting the top prospect, not a haul of players.

I don't know if what he's doing this year is legit, but he wouldn't be the first 26 year old to finally put it all together. I'd want something legit in return.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 17, 2017 -> 06:07 PM) Just taking advantage of the system, like our President has stated many times. Okay, let's imagine every single illegal immigrant has been forcibly evicted from Texas back to Mexico...a huge need for skilled construction workers will still exist. You are Republican, so you disagree with a "livable" guaranteed wage of $15 per hour, right? What are you going to do about distortion in the market, with not enough local workers willing to work for prevailing wages? Should the government step in and subsidize salaries? Give incentives for relocation from other regions of the state? Wouldn't a Republican argue that these construction businesses should all close, if a similar quality of, let's say cement, could be made in Mexico for 1/2 the price? If there's a surplus of jobs, local workers (with close to full employment) won't agree to work for those "sub standard" wages, then what? So do you 1) let companies fail, 2) allow for legal immigrants from other places to take those jobs or 3) intervene into the market and sudsidize the wages of "local" American workers? Or do you force those who are on semi disability, EIC recipients, Medicaid beneficiaries to take those jobs...or have a government program to train them? Shouldn't the business be responsible for the cost of apprenticeship? (Who know what Trump thinks, he just proposed a $200 million apprenticeship program we will never hear about again.) I don't know where to start since you asked so many questions. - Trump is a terrible person who will do say/anything for personal gain. I won't defend him, but hiring and exploiting illegals is not taking advantage of "the system." - I'm not a Republican - The market will correct when wages increase enough to draw Americans and legal immagrants to the work. iIf deportation leads to a lack of available workers, construction projects would have to cease until there is an available work force to complete the work. Offering higher wages might compel Americans to move to fill the jobs - say from Louisiana to Texas. The government does not need to incentivize this. It would be no different than people who have immagrated to this country for years because of the opportunities available here. - I don't think the government should subsidize private business construction projects.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 17, 2017 -> 05:40 PM) But it's not irrelevant to the labor market that exists today in the US, at this exact moment in time... So, you're saying it's ok for business (small & Walmart sized) to exploit the labor force? Ok. I guess I disagree.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 17, 2017 -> 04:58 PM) How is that any different from Wal-Mart? Let's not forget the premium that wage represents compared to wages in Mexico...it's the same reason the majority of most skilled Filipinos seek work in other countries, legally or not. The point remains if all those smaller construction companies can't stay in business...the larger ones might enjoy economy of scale, but they're still going to struggle to retain contracts if non-Mexican labor isn't interested in those jobs. Basically, it's about the forces of capitalism and supply and demand. We don't blame insurance companies for pulling out of markets when they can't make enough profit...we blame Obama or liberal Democrats instead of the real answer, which is greed and hyper profit orientation. If that boss raised wages 25-50%, he would lose out on contracts...obviously small town grocery stores in the face of competition didn't raise wages, either, they cut back on labor and pushed workers to do 50% more for the exact same salary. This is the way it has been for decades with immigrant labor in America...whether it's fair or right or legal/illegal, both parties adopted this compromise. There probably isn't a Congressman who hasn't employed an illegal/undocumented worker for a lower salary, lol. Martinez said that Americans couldn't handle the precise, difficult work. That's what I quoted. I quoted that portion of your post because it is nonsense. It is all about him wanting to pay illegals less than the minimum wage - which itself is not a livable wage for a skilled laborer. And, even if an illegal laborer is making more in the US than he could in his own country, he is still living in the US when he is earning that wage. So, it's irrelevant if it's more than he could make in Mexico or wherever.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 17, 2017 -> 02:15 PM) Martinez, who relies on immigrants in the U.S. illegally for labor and has failed to find replacements for the physically grueling, precise work. "The Americans I hire can't last in this job more than half a day," Martinez said. This is nonsense. He wants to be able to keep exploiting illegals by not paying a livable wage. If his business tanks, he should just take a job as a drywall laborer making whatever he paid his workforce. I'm sure he's a skilled and hard worker. Plenty of jobs available in the capital city, too.

I'd say I'm an independent ideally. I'm more left minded socially and right minded fiscally. Like you, however, I've voted heavily in favor of Democrats. I have voted for some Republicans, though. I know I have voted for McCain and Arpaio (years ago before he changed to a primarily anti-illegal immagration candidate - which I felt he only did to stoke fear and get re-elected). Ultimately, I feel identifying as an independent is a bit of a cop out since we don't have many viable third party candidates. So, I really doubt that "independents" truely consider both candidates when voting. I'd guess that very few independents have anything close to a 50/50 Dem/Rep voting record. And, if the people in power in the two parties vote along party lines all the time, there is no point in a voter being an independent. It's a waste of time to consider a candidate issue by issue if ultimately he or she is just going to vote with party in the end.