StrangeSox

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 1, 2010 -> 09:29 PM) But really, I think the point is, how is this any different than all kinds of other creditors that loan money to people using ridiculous terms to exploit their present unenviable position? This particular kid was allowed to sign with other representation, was he not? So it isn't like Boras is using the debt to force him to use Boras's company as representation. So I fail to really see the comparison's to slavery and prostitution here. Is it slimy, of course. But slavery? That seems a bit dramatic. Well, I didn't say slavery. And while it may or may not be against MLB rules, it's probably not any more illegal than payday loans with 400% APR.

QUOTE (Paint it Black @ Dec 1, 2010 -> 07:03 PM) Wait, loaning someone 70 grand (who you expect to easily pay this loan back) is now a form of human slavery? Seriously lets turn the narrative down just a bit. Hell I would MAYBE even consider one of the opposing arguments above if Boras had ever done anything that was dishonest in his career. He hasn't, nor would he because of the possible damage to his reputation (and thus, loss of clients). Boras has never been dishonest? Huh? Anyway, the point is he is exploiting their current financial situation (poverty) for his own advantage. And we don't really know how hard he goes after people who don't (or can't) pay him back.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Dec 1, 2010 -> 05:50 PM) More expensive than what? Tap water is something like $0.0005 per liter. Bottled water is closer to $.50 per liter, and is often the same or worse quality. Based on this chart, a PUR filter is about $.25 per gallon, maybe $.12 per liter. I really like Brita's fill station product for this reason. Provides the convienence of bottled water without the massive waste, cost and damage.

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelate...s/psychic2.html http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelate...cs/psychic.html This site is good in general for questionable/dubious claims http://www.quackwatch.com/

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Dec 1, 2010 -> 12:44 PM) Watched Tapped over the weekend. Eye opening documentary about bottled water. Watched something similar, Blue Gold. It was meh and kinda boring overall, but made good points about draining lakes and aquifers and shipping the water away to other regions. It is breaking the natural water cycles. I will very rarely get a bottle of water at a gas station instead of a pop or something on a road trip, but I don't get the people with three or four 24-packs of bottled water at the grocery store. It's just ridiculously more expensive, the rest of the issues aside.

Civil Unions clear Illinois legislature Step in the right direction.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 1, 2010 -> 04:10 PM) I actually agree with the last bit about 14a, though I disagree with his methodology - the amendment has been interpereted just fine. It just needs to be changed. The driving point was the 'property rights' bulls***.

What the Founders Wanted! :facepalm:

QUOTE (G&T @ Dec 1, 2010 -> 12:39 PM) It is not illegal. It may be in contravention of FCC policy. In any event, they aren't charging customers more for access to certain parts of the web. They are forcing Netflix to charge customers more. Which is bulls***. I pay for a certain bandwidth (I don't remember what the numbers are any more) and Comcast has finally admitted to having caps (250GB) after being slapped down for throttling torrents. It does not and should not matter what I use my 250GB for, whether it's from Xfinity or Netflix or Youtube. Their arguments don't make sense from everything I've read since Comcast is a "last mile" provider. This is pretty transparently a move to protect their On Demand marketplace. If Comcast can't handle the traffic their customers want, regardless of where that traffic is coming from, they need to change their plans or charge more, not charge the content providers.

Sure, all you need is a shovel...

It's potentially exploitation. He's offering loans to people who probably have little money otherwise, and before they're going to be getting serious agent representation offers. By doing this, he's taking advantage of their current situation and short-cutting the process later on so that, when they are ready to move to professional baseball, he's the first in line as they already owe him money.

"i don't know why this wikileaks stuff is a problem, if the government hasn't done anything wrong it should have nothing to hide" lol

Absolutely not, same as any other quack.

Yes, I will be mad, but I will also look for the outrage from the Tea Party crowd over further increasing our deficit with tax cuts for the extremely wealthy. I am sure it will be seen.

The problem comes from taking advantage of people by flashing money in their face and then getting them hooked into your services long term.

That should read "executed," but vindictive justice and authoritarianism aren't are stranger to some Christians.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 23, 2010 -> 05:22 PM) Sounds like the power source burned. It shouldnt cost much to fix, but that sucks. And Boxee Box just got here, hooking it up tonight!!! Yep, power supply.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 30, 2010 -> 12:34 PM) It's a perfectly reasonable business move for Comcast if Netflix is taking up a significant chunk of their network. If Netflix customers are taking up a large enough chunk of their data, even if they lost all of their netflix customers, cutting the data they're transmitting would save Comcast money in the long run. Of course...the hippie in me would say that business benefits be damned, we ought to have a content-provider-neutral internet rather than one where the service providers can sell off advantages, but every day that goes by, that seems less and less likely. Bandwidth isn't the issue. Netflix competing with Comcast's On-Demand service is the issue. It's bulls***, and when I get home tonight, I'm writing a letter to Comcast telling them to change the policy or I'm cancelling service at the end of the month. Anyone have experience with Clear's 4G service? Listening to NPR today, they made the point that Comcast is doing a really good job of lobbying for Net Neutrality regulation with the actions they are taking.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 30, 2010 -> 01:50 AM) If nothing else, you have to appreciate a guy like Derek Anderson. What a dumbass question for the reporter to ask. Deuce went up to him, mentioned something funny that happened on the last play or on the drive or anything to take some of the edge off of a what is amounting to a tough loss, and they shared a laugh, and then ESPN probably caught the beginning, middle, and end of it. Kind of funny how these Monday night blowups seem to always happen to the Cardinals. Yeah, SportsCenter this morning had the headline (or whatever you call the upcoming stories on the side) of "Derek Anderson Meltdown". Completely overblown and a really stupid question.

Huckabee wants the wikileaks source assassinated. Rep. Peter King ® wants wikileaks designated a "terrorist organization" Rick Santorum calls Assagne a terrorist. Meanwhile, Gates says the whole thing is overblown anyway.

QUOTE (Soxy @ Nov 30, 2010 -> 08:43 AM) I think maybe it's more psychological than your sexuality. But you are 100% right--sex is biological; gender is not necessarily the same. And in cases like the South African runner, even biological sex isn't cut and dry.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Nov 30, 2010 -> 07:28 AM) Is q supposed to be a? I'm gonna cop out and not answer that directly but I'm sure I've implied it at one time or another nvm, Q Clearance is a DoE clearance, I thought it was more universal in the Federal govenment. Equivalent to DoD Top Secret.

You have q clearance, lostfan?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 29, 2010 -> 11:59 AM) Is there anything in that list that you wouldn't have expected? Honestly? I didn't say surprising or shocking.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 29, 2010 -> 11:37 AM) I find it interesting that the message the U.S. appears to be sending around the world this week is "you can't trust us with our signatures on treaties, you can't trust our public words, and hell, you can't even trust us to keep things private". There's some interesting stuff in this latest wikileaks. Wikileaks release -- BBC