Middle Buffalo

QUOTE (greg775 @ Dec 28, 2010 -> 01:23 AM) Since the board is dead, I have a question off his post. It seems Sox fans throughout the years point to a certain game that killed our season when we know there are so many games in a season that one game probably truthfully doesn't mean squat. I want to ask you all: Are you of the opinion one or two games, like the ones Bobby blew vs. the Twins, sent the Twins on their winning run and doomed us? If so ... then why don't the times we have a walkoff or some dramatic win, and we've had them in seasons since the WS season, do those dramatic wins not propel us to the title? I think Sox fans make too big a deal out of one or two games sending us down the s***ter. Like in our WS season. We were going to hell in September but righted the ship and still won the division. True, fans place too much emphasis on individual games. The games Jenks blew vs. the Twins were just two losses, and nothing more. However, if they altered Ozzie's confidence in Jenks to the point that he didn't want to use Jenks, they did have a greater effect than just two losses in the standings. I know I never felt comfortable when Jenks was in the game, and it wasn't even like he was being clobbered. He'd give up a walk and a bloop single, and before you knew it it was another blown save. It's a great question that really can't be answered because there are so many variables on a 25 man roster in a 162 game season. I'm sure Jenks' blown saves were no more important than Beckham not hitting for the first two months, the DH being terrible all year, or Peavy's arm blowing up. But, it's easier for us to remember a big home run or a blown save than it is to remember Teahan popping up to the second baseman again and again. I wish Bobby the best. I think the change of scenery will be good for him. He'll always be one of my favorites because in 2005, when he came in, it was over. I'm sure some are sick of hearing about 2005, but I'll never take it for granted. I was 13 when the '85 Bears won the Super Bowl, and just like the '05 Sox, I thought they would win a few more. Hasn't happened.

It's amazing to think that professional athletes in the past served in the military in the middle of their careers for several years. Much is made of Pat Tillman walking away from the NFL (and it should be recognized), but in the 40's it was pretty common for players to serve despite professional status.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Dec 7, 2010 -> 08:47 AM) Damn you! Sorry, it's a pet peeve that I should probably just get over, but I see it all the time. Hope you haven't ordered the banner yet.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 3, 2010 -> 02:16 PM) Wow, so many reasons: (1) it's not enough that thousands of government employees were able to keep the inside job of 9/11 secret, but now we have probably tens or hundreds of thousands who work in oncology who are simply wasting research money to better of their career? Too complicated to be a conspiracy. (2) any medical professional (or group) that finds a cure would be an instant billionaire. (3) as Balta said, way too many variants = complex solution (4) my mother is a nurse practitioner who works in oncology at NW and is a melanoma survivor. I'm guessing she wouldn't continue to work in that field if it was all for show. It would be the perfect cover. Take that in the spirit it's intended. My mom is getting her last round of chemo this week. She's 71, goes every three weeks, and she still shows up for work. After her last treatment on a Friday, she worked a double shift the following day(she's a waitress part-time to keep busy), and then one shift on Sunday. And I work with people who call in sick with minor aches and pains for three days at a time.

If it's the first, it's the "inaugural." Doesn't become annual until next year.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Dec 5, 2010 -> 12:15 PM) And as far as his horrible announcing, it's the way it is with homers. Cub fans obviously loved his announcing. I happen to love Hawk's style and he's an incredible homer as well. I listen to Waddle & Silvy and CJH via podcast, and I have to say I'm a little surprised that they both dedicated their entire shows to Santo. He was not Harry Caray, beloved throughout the city - though the comparison was made countless times. Caray was at one time a great broadcaster, so his inefficiencies at the end of his career could be overlooked. Santo was pretty terrible. Most Cubs fans that I know hate Hawk because of his homerism, but the callers/hosts I heard today celebrated Santo for this. I don't remember him as a player, but he was obviously one of those guys (similar to Jim Rice and Andre Dawson) whose numbers were borderline. He should probably be in the HOF, but I don't know. If he does eventually get in, it's too bad that he won't be alive to accept the honor. That said, Santo the person was by all accounts I've heard a great person. He lived with great physical hardship, but he didn't let that disable him. The way he lived his life should be applauded and emulated. RIP. My wife's uncle is a huge Cub fan. He goes to Cubs' Spring Training games all the time (he lives in AZ), and he was telling me that Santo was signing autographs before a game one day, and the line stretched down the block. So the uncle decided not to wait and went into the park. His seats were in front of the broadcast booth, so the uncle turned around during the game and asked Santo to sign a ball that his grandson had caught. Whoever was in the booth with the announcers said no, so the uncle turned around. A few innings later the uncle tried again, and the guy in the booth refused him again. Santo waved off the "handler" and told the uncle to throw the ball and he'd autograph it. That's pretty cool.

QUOTE (IamtheHBOMB @ Nov 30, 2010 -> 07:50 PM) Dear guy who declines to wash his hands (or even fake it) after taking a s***, You are f***ing disgusting. Signed, Avoiding the door handle you just touched Maybe he doesn't wipe his a$$. Eliminates the need to wash the hands - and much greener.

Dear Guy in the Car Next to Me, Those are windows. I can see you picking your nose. I can only imagine what you do with the "gold." Signed, Guy Dry-heaving in the Car Next to You

This.

QUOTE (Middle Buffalo @ Oct 25, 2010 -> 12:36 PM) I just went under 210 for the first time in 2 years or so. I never really had a weight problem after I dropped some extra college weight in my early twenties. If I went up a few pounds, I'd just eat a little less/exercise, and the weight would just drip off me. Maintained the same weight for 12-13 years. Once I hit my mid-30s, I found that I couldn't lose weight the same way, and I don't have much time to work out. A month ago, I found a calorie counter website, so I signed up, and in no time dropped 14 lbs. No starvation, no fad die, just paying more attention to portion size and what I'm eating. A little more activity, but I'm a pretty active person anyway. Like you said, drinks are the biggest problem. I work outside, so it's nothing for me to drink 2 or 3 - 32oz Powerades or Gatorades at work (400-600 calories). That's 25% of my recommended intake right there. I don't eat terribly otherwise, so I knew it was the drinks that were killing me, but not until I started logging the food daily did it take hold. Down to 200 on Thanksgiving morning. Just counting calories.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling Didn't read the last one. My 11 year old is tearing through these now. 5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 6 The Bible 12 years of Catholic school/church covered most of it. 7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte 8 Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell Favorite part - the ball going through Durham's legs. 11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott 15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier 18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger 21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell 22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald 27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky 33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis 34 Emma -Jane Austen 36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis 37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - books on tape - I'll count it 48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood 54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen 57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens - AP English - hated this book 58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley 61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck 70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville 75 Ulysses - James Joyce AP English - I don't think we read the whole thing, though - just passages 91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad 98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare Sadly, I don't think I could answer any questions about any of the books I listed. I've always had terrible recall when it comes to books and movies.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 4, 2010 -> 09:33 PM) Colonal Mustard did it in the. . . Six words! Light him up!

Fast Eddie dying soon after Mayor Washington would have been an even more interesting coincidence. Bra and panties optional.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Nov 1, 2010 -> 02:56 PM) * Favorite video games. It won't mean much to many, but I was walking my dog this morning and found one of the plastic inserts from the Intellivision controllers on the sidewalk. If you've never played, the game paddles were numbered similar to a phone - 12 buttons numbered 1 through 9 with asterisk-zero-pound on the botttom. Depending on the game, a plastic insert was placed order the numbers to control game movement. http://www.axess.com/twilight/console/detail/intv.html I haven't played Intellivision since the mid-8o's, so I have no idea why one of these inserts would be on the ground today. I picked it up, studied it for a little while, and then realized that I don't like littering. So, I was forced to carry it. Until I saw a mail collection box. Now it's off on the adventure of a lifetime. Postage due.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Oct 27, 2010 -> 08:22 AM) Our school system doesn't allow the kids to dress up anymore. It's not so bad for my older two as they are in 7th and 9th grade. But my youngest is only in 3rd. Hell I remember dressing up at school in 10th grade. I also remember going out trick-or-treating with my friends when I was 15 or 16. I guess once you start driving, you're probably too old to go out trick-or-treating though. It's sad. I don't think we dressed up for school when I was a kid, but we came home, got in our (home-made) costumes and started Trick-or-Treating immediately. One trip through the neighborhood wasn't enough, so we'd go home, eat dinner really fast, bust out the cork, burn it, and use it to become "bums" for costume number 2. Then we'd hit the streets for round 2. Now, my kids' school and our church are doing trunk-or-treating. Pull a bunch of cars into the lot and have the adults pass out candy. Lame. My house is one of two in the neighborhood that have a big Halloween display. A few (maybe 10) others have a few decorations. The rest are dark. It sucks being a kid today.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jul 21, 2010 -> 07:50 PM) By far the biggest factor. I don't think people realize how much weight you can lose in one calendar year by drinking mainly water instead of pop, beer/alcohol and other sugary drinks. It's ridiculous, I think the average American drinks close to 500 calories worth of liquid per day, that's a huge number you can save, especially when drinks are empty calories. Congrats! I just went under 210 for the first time in 2 years or so. I never really had a weight problem after I dropped some extra college weight in my early twenties. If I went up a few pounds, I'd just eat a little less/exercise, and the weight would just drip off me. Maintained the same weight for 12-13 years. Once I hit my mid-30s, I found that I couldn't lose weight the same way, and I don't have much time to work out. A month ago, I found a calorie counter website, so I signed up, and in no time dropped 14 lbs. No starvation, no fad die, just paying more attention to portion size and what I'm eating. A little more activity, but I'm a pretty active person anyway. Like you said, drinks are the biggest problem. I work outside, so it's nothing for me to drink 2 or 3 - 32oz Powerades or Gatorades at work (400-600 calories). That's 25% of my recommended intake right there. I don't eat terribly otherwise, so I knew it was the drinks that were killing me, but not until I started logging the food daily did it take hold.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 7, 2010 -> 02:04 PM) Fock me?!? Seriously? Dang, Top Notch, Fox's, Cork, and Rainbow Cone are the only reason I ever go back to visit. Head to McDonald's. Sure its a little touristy and cliche, but still a damn fine burger for an out of towner to savor.

QUOTE (Friend of Nordhagen @ Oct 6, 2010 -> 09:12 PM) Wood slats = More better grindy Speaking of Wood, Kerry must be 50lbs lighter than when he was with the Cubs. How far was his locker from Sammy's?

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 7, 2010 -> 04:06 AM) Funny, that's what most of the girls I've ever dated insisted on. The rectal probe, or keeping the lights off?

QUOTE (knightni @ Oct 6, 2010 -> 04:58 PM) Why would an alien craft have its lights on so you can see it? Have you ever tried to rectally probe someone in the dark? Those lights are for them, not us.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 3, 2010 -> 05:21 PM) I'd go 50-50. Agreed. Konerko either comes back, or he doesn't. 50-50.

Just had "the talk" with my 11 year old son. The one my Dad never had with me. Makes me wonder how I knew what to do.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 1, 2010 -> 12:50 PM) Just when you thought you were out. . . they keep pulling you back in! They...the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost? And you claim to be an atheist.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 30, 2010 -> 02:55 PM) I want to know what the off the field adjustments are that Paulie is talking about? Kenny? Scouting? Certain players? Ozzie? Kenny/Ozzie disputes? This is actually a pretty good example of PK's leadership. Without calling anyone out, I think PK is saying that he and the players have had enough of the Ozzie/Kenny public fued. They don't want to deal with it, and they probably think that it led to their demise this year. Eg. It's possible that the players see letting Thome go as an ego battle between Ozzie and Kenny, with the losers being the guys on the field.

14/15. Also got the last one wrong. 12 years Catholic school. Little break from the weekly thing in my 20's. Weekly participant now in my late 30's.