NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (mmmmmbeeer @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 10:34 AM) While veiled, my point was that he doesn't believe in 5 year rebuilds....he always wants to be competitive. And so far, that general model has worked pretty well. Its also the only way to keep the fans coming to games, and directly and indirectly means more money coming in, which means more payroll. That's how this club works, so his model is a necessity. KW screwed the pooch on the Jackson/Hudson deal, though I do like Jackson. KW also deserves a small part of the blame for the DH mess, though that was mostly Ozzie's call.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 08:59 AM) I don't think anyone should be allowed in the locker room. They should have an area outisde that reporters can ask questions after the players are dressed. We don't interview any other profession like that. That's what I was getting at. This should be so clear and simple.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 08:53 AM) I've seen Peter Gammons wear the same outfit. Twice. That would leave a scar.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 08:43 AM) http://deadspin.com/5636603/lets-talk-abou...nd-the-sideline What other "reporter" dresses like this? On the one hand, regardless of how she dressed, she shouldn't be subject to harassment or any other ill treatment. There is no excuse for that. On the other hand, I'd agree that if she does dress like that while working, she is clearly using her body to her advantage. And there is nothing wrong with that. In any case, as I said before, there is a really easy solution to all of this.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 15, 2010 -> 09:45 PM) So about 15 minutes ago, a CFD helicopter started hovering right over our building, spotlight pointed somewhere nearby. Lots of sirens since then. I think maybe there's something happening in the river between Webster and Fullerton. Anyone else in the area? News hasn't said anything yet. Woke up this morning, found this. Idiot in river.

It was basically over after that first loss, but just to make sure... QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 16, 2010 -> 01:01 AM) It's not already over? If the Sox come back and win the division I'll shave my ass hairs and change my name to Leonardo. ...I'll book mark this post for the even very slight chance of possible future entertainment.

So about 15 minutes ago, a CFD helicopter started hovering right over our building, spotlight pointed somewhere nearby. Lots of sirens since then. I think maybe there's something happening in the river between Webster and Fullerton. Anyone else in the area? News hasn't said anything yet.

Why does KW Jr lead off in the playoffs? I mean, Short was a leadoff man all year, right? Why does KWJR with his numbers get that chance? Makes no sense to me.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 07:02 AM) If you root your phone like I did there are apps like SetCPU where you can set up profiles to underclock or overclock your cpu. For instance, when my phone is is sleep mode I set it up to underclock to 245 (lowest possible setting). My battery life has tripled. You keep tempting me with this. Just curious, how much time do you think it took you to root, and make the changes you've made to improve the basics?

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 06:03 PM) Nice. But I'm not saying anything that ratings and surveys don't already play out. Pew Research did a survey on people's media habits when it came to where people get their news and news type programming from. The top five news and opinion sources for the average NRA supporter are - 1. Rush Limbaugh, 2. Sean Hannity, 3. Glenn Beck, 4. Bill O'Reilly, 5. Fox News The top five news and opinion sources for the average gay rights supporter are - 1. The New York Times, 2. Colbert Report, 3. NPR, 4. Daily Show, 5. Keith Olbermann You can call me smug all you want, but I think there is a reason why Fox News is so popular with conservatives - and its because their flagship programs (Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck) all focus on opinion making rather than news reporting. http://people-press.org/report/652/ well, let's be honest here. Of the five you cite among liberals, only two are actual news sources (NYT, NPR), and both have a liberal slant at one level or another.

Win first. If you have a big lead, or if later in the series things are already out of hand, then do it. Either way, I'd wait until the last game.

On this topic... I don't think reporters should be allowed in locker rooms. Let them have the conversations in a seperate area.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 05:40 PM) However...it certainly is true that a significant percentage of them (not necessarily a majority, but a very good chunk) were totally screwed by the bank/financial institution they were dealing with. No doubt. Best defense for this? A combination of laws forcing banks away from deceptive practices (which are being done, partially), AND, requiring that no person in this country graduate high school without a basic course in finance. I mean like, knowing what a mortgage is and how it works, what kinds of investments there are, risk/reward, that sort of thing. The sort of thing that a scary-big chunk of this country doesn't seem to know.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 05:21 PM) Well, frankly the HAMP program has been an abject disaster, probably the single worst policy thing they've done since taking office. A whole lot of people are stuck in negative equity foreclosure situations still paying money on the mortgage while the bank tries to sell the house because of that program. (Somehow I doubt it was directed at that program though). and the thing that no politician is willing to say, but is very true, is that a significant percentage of those people got themselves into this situation. It wasn't Obama or Bush that did it to them.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 05:00 PM) Get used to that thinking. It underlies basically all of our tax policies and has for years. Federal taxes are progressive in this country, with the exception of the SS cap. So I'm not sure where you are getting the idea that if underlines "all of our tax policies".

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 04:06 PM) GO YOU WHITE SOX!!! Fixed for ya.

You know what you have to do.

QUOTE (11and1 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 01:53 PM) So that me makes me lazy as well. Perhaps. But considering that I was unaware of the exisitence of much of the data you are citing, that may indeed be a bit harsh. And where in my post do I ask anyone to do anything for me? You disagree with my theory, you choose to spend your time and utilize your familiarity with databases unknown to me, more power to you. And I certainly appreciate the info. But I certainly wasn't taunting you or anybody else, just posting a theory that seemed logical to my statistically challenged mind. I'm just a Sox fan with fewer than 100 posts on the forum. I've read thousands of posts on hundreds of threads that were discussing theories not supported by what I'm sure were available stats. Neither the OP or the participants were called out for not doing so. I DID take the time to read the guidelines, where there is no mention of requiring hard facts when posting thoughts and/or theories. Is there a supplementary set of guidelines I should be aware of that contains this provision? I enjoy this site but always wonder why people here get so chippy sometimes. Seems to me Sox fans get enough grief everywhere else in this town. Can't understand why it happens here. That has always struck me as characteristic of the "other" team's fans. And I go out of my way to avoid getting in any way personal in my posts, no matter how uninformed they may be. Nevertheless, I will think twice before posting anything in the future for fear that I have not supplied an adequate bibliography. Don't give up so easily. Some people will give you a hard time if/when you post something that can be directly refuted statistically. But that's how we learn, and of course, stats aren't everything, and there is no perfect one.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 12:52 PM) In terms of the Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge area...you're in good shape in terms of lodging overall. They sit right at the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains national park, which is the most visited national park in America. Tourist season in the park supposedly peaks in July and October (I'm hitting it in October for the fall colorage). So, in terms of all the amenities...it's just a question of how much you want to spend. There are some really nice hotels in the area, and also your standard 1-2 room Comfort inn places, and your discount/run-down places. Just go through the standard lists at hotels.com, Expedia, travelocity, and tripadvisor.com if you want more on those. Something worth thinking about might be that there are some really nice cabins also (example search site); sorta offset from the main strip a little more, sometimes better views, lots of amenities like full kitchen, heat/AC, hot tub, etc. Google Gatlinburg cabins (or pigeon forge/sevierville etc). The Smokies are outdoorsy but might still be something you can get the wife to do. There are a wide variety of hike levels, in addition to simple nature drives and scenic offlooks. If you cross through the Smokies to Asheville, you also hit a Harrahs casino, if you're into that. It gets so many visitors that it definitely caters well to the people who aren't big-time outdoor folks. In terms of theme park/things to see, there's lots of little ones, but you sorta have to start with Dollywood. It's not a big time thrill ride park although there are a couple, but like much of that county, it's designed to be somewhat family friendly...lots of kid-level activities, shows, and the occasional wooden roller coaster. Beyond that, I'm sorta just going to list and let you find out more on your own; there's a large indoor water park, a "Nascar speed park", Ripley's aquarium of the smokies, and the Titanic museum in Pigeon Forge. There are also available smaller thrill parks, i.e. the Smoky Mountain speed park. It's worth noting that they try to keep the whole county set up as a family-friendly tourist trap, to the level that it's actually a dry county; BYOB if you go there. I can't say that TN has caves the quality of the Mammoth Cave system in KY, because frankly, I don't think they do; the geology is a little different down here and so you don't get as expansive of a weathering limestone plateau as you do in Ky. There are caving opportunities however. Depends on where you go, but here's a list. If you want more, you can check out a number of travel planners that you can request; Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and google for others. From having seen Mammoth and a few other caves, if its caverns you primarily want, the far and away most spectacular are in Carlsbad. Problem is, other than caverns, there is NOTHING to do in Carlsbad.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 01:40 PM) You sir, are a freakin' delight to read. This is what I thought of while reading that sentence: How's it smell? Yeah, I'd have to agree with you here. Here's the thing. Populist movements attract the ignorant and uninformed. In 2007-2008, with everyone pissed at W, ObamaCo did a spectacular job overcoming major hurdles by harnessing that anger and frustration. There were a lot of people who fell into the "hope" thing, and thought Obama was going to fix everything. Now, that does NOT mean that everyone who voted for Obama is ignorant. Same thing with this Tea Party movement. It attracts all manner of the hateful and ignorant, but that does not mean everyone in it is that. Neither party has a particular hold on intelligent discussion, over time.

The most frustrating possible outcome is Sox take 2/3. Therefore, that is likely what will happen. Hoping for the sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep though.

When I was growing up, we did family trips to Eagle River, Wisconsin most summers. Stayed at a place called the Chanticleer Inn. Its pretty much perfect for a family with kids that age - 2 beaches, a pool, tennis/racquetball/basketball courts and an arcade all at the resort, and the town itself has a zillion kids things to do (miniature golf, water park, crash-up derby track, go karts, rent boats of all kinds, fishing, tubing, shopping, movie theater, etc.). I highly recommend it, and its a shorter drive than the places you mention. There are other towns up that way that are fun too, and I am NOT talking about The Dells, which I would recommend against. I mean Minoqua, Rhinelander, Hayward, etc.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 09:46 AM) and i'll add a comment here too. as a soon to be parent, 5 weeks and counting, I could never imagine bringing/involving my elementary school kids in politics like this. It seems creepy to me. I'm sure when my kid is a teenager, I will encourage them to get involved. Before then, yeah, its a little creepy to have them out there holding signs saying something they don't even understand. Its manipulative.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 14, 2010 -> 08:25 AM) I didn't say "Fix", I said "Save". Prior to the 2008 crisis, the capital requirements for these banks by international accord was something like 2-2.5% Tier 1 funds, and those were enforced very leniently, such that if you got a ratings agency to package something as AAA, then you could count it as Tier 1. So, all those junk CDO's and Mortgage backed securities counted as useful capitol. That means they could leverage 30-40 to 1 and it was totally fine. If these rules are enforced, no small bank can get to that level, and large banks are held to even tighter standards...and if they want to begin over-leveraging again, then they have to curtail executive pay to do it. If AIG, Lehman, and Bear had to conform to these requirements, and they were enforced...I bet all 3 of them still exist, and we don't have a financial crisis in the first place. It won't fix the world...but it might well be exactly what we need to prevent the next one. We didn't get the kind of real capital requirements in the Finreg package that could have made a difference, but I think that ones that could are sitting right there in that table. That would fix part of the problem, no doubt. But many other things need addressing.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 13, 2010 -> 05:34 PM) I think I'm just going to leave this here and ask if this is the chart that will save the world. Increasing pegged colateral requirements is certainly a good step, but its not going to fix the world.