StrangeSox

QUOTE (Jake @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 03:06 PM) The problem with the shirt is the extent to which it reads a lot like a death threat to all those who break the law That's a clearer way of putting it.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 03:01 PM) I honestly don't see it as any different than having a legitimate concern about what a teacher believes outside of the job, affecting what they do on the job. Until something actually happens, it is separate. It would be just as easy to say that having a teacher who does [blank] has the ability use their state as a teacher to promote the product/idea and the message. Selling shirts that promote or help to legitimize police violence up to and including being choked to death against department policy in response to disobeying even the slightest command is going to directly affect how that officer is received in the communities he serves. A teacher's political advocacy outside of the classroom doesn't really compare to that.

That first line wasn't about the legal aspect, but I think the idea that wearing and promoting a shirt like this directly harms police-community relations both for this officer as an individual and for the department as a whole is a legitimate concern. The shirt does have a police "badge" on it, so you could argue that he's using or attempting to use his status as a police officer to promote the product and the message.

Good taste and basic human decency should stop him. The implied threat by a police officer seems like it could interfere directly with his duties, though.

The embargo was propping up Castro more than it was hurting him. He could blame any failures and shortcomings on those capitalist pigs in Washington!

Consider it at worst an even trade for their subsidization of our importation of goods produced with cheap labor.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 01:39 PM) A wee bit early to tie the knot? eh I was still 19 when I told my now-wife that I was going to marry, granted it took a few years after that but if it's right it's right.

my god man save yourself some dignity and just resign at this point.

Well then we're "subsidizing" a lot of countries that people send money back to.

I don't see anything about direct aid in there?

what will actually change:

I love my roomba

QUOTE (TheTruth05 @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 10:02 AM) Dan Snyder would become an instant Chicago hero. yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Dec 17, 2014 -> 09:46 AM) Casinos are next? Non-American tourists around the world groan at the thought of opening up Cuba to regular US travel.

The Associated Press ✔ @AP Follow BREAKING: US officials: US to start talks with Cuba to normalize full diplomatic relations, open embassy. 8:43 AM - 17 Dec 2014 http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7f7f6bba9d9...oner-alan-gross That's a pretty significant foreign policy development.

Cleveland Browns player Andrew Hawkins wore a "Justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford" t-shirt during pre-game intros last weekend. The Cleveland Police Union demanded an apology, but Hawkins refused and instead replied with some pretty solid thoughts on the issue:

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Dec 16, 2014 -> 04:15 PM) Franchises and sequels have always dominated the summer blockbuster market. At least over the last 30 years. 5 of the top 10 highest grossing movies in the 80's were either sequels or movies part of a franchise. Return of the Jedi Empire Strikes Back Raiders of the Lost Ark The Last Crusade Temple of Doom From AMC, bolded are either franchise, sequel or comic book. looks like the 90's are the oddball of the bunch. 1980's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Batman (1989) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Ghostbusters (1984) Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Back to the Future (1985) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Tootsie (1982) 90's Titanic (1997) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) Jurassic Park (1993) Forrest Gump (1994) (tie) The Lion King (1994) (tie) Independence Day (1996) The Sixth Sense (1999) Home Alone (1990) Men in Black (1997) Toy Story 2 (1999) Twister (1996) 00's Avatar (2009) The Dark Knight (2008) Shrek 2 (2004) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) Spider-Man (2002) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Spider-Man 2 (2004) The Passion of the Christ (2004) 10's Marvel's The Avengers (2012) The Dark Knight Rises (2012) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) Toy Story 3 (2010) Iron Man 3 (2013) The Hunger Games (2012) Frozen (2013) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (2011) Despicable Me 2 (2013) Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) Alice in Wonderland (2010) Iron Man 2 (2010)

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 16, 2014 -> 03:23 PM) After last night you can cross Gruden off. Pretty sure Tirico said that per his Espn contract he will not be coaching until the earliest 2021 bears will trade ESPN their next two 1st round picks for Gruden! I don't really want Gruden, anyway.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 16, 2014 -> 02:01 PM) What i'm saying is I would prefer 10 different Generic Terrible Action Movies over 10 movies bases on the Avenger characters, or Iron Man 6 or Fast and Furious 22. At some point, move on, let's find a new character, a new book to adapt, whatever. Just speaking for myself, I'm more likely to watch Random Comic Book Movie on netflix than some generic action flick and I'm not a big comic book movie guy.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 16, 2014 -> 02:01 PM) <!--quoteo(post=3095398:date=Dec 16, 2014 -> 01:58 PM:name=Jenksismyb****)-->QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 16, 2014 -> 01:58 PM) <!--quotec-->I mean sure, we had Rambo 1-4, Bond movies, Beverly Hills Cop 1-3, Lethal Weapon 1-5(?), etc. etc. But those were the exception not the norm. Now it's the norm. was going to post this

This is as good of a thread as any to dump this I guess. Seattle’s unbelievable transportation megaproject fustercluck short-ish background: Seattle built a big viaduct right along the waterfront back in the 1950's. Imagine Lake Shore Drive but elevated so that it serves to cut off downtown from the waterfront. In 2001, the Nisqually earthquake damaged the viaduct. Various engineering studies have said that the thing should have been shut down no later than 2011, but it's still there. There were three options: replace it more or less the same, build a smaller 4-lane street-level road with other transit and roadway upgrades which would bring the waterfront back into the city, or dig a gigantic tunnel under the city which would still bring the waterfront back but would be very difficult and very very expensive plus would do nothing for mass transit. They went with option 3. The largest tunnel-boring machine in the world is brought in and promptly gets stuck. They've been trying to fix that disaster ever since.

I'm not going to go through the effort of looking at the major studio releases every years for the past couple of decades, but I think there's some false nostalgia there, jenks. Maybe it wasn't a bunch of "comic book" movies every year, instead it was just Generic Terrible Action Movie. Summer blockbusters followed by the fall/winter Oscar season have been around as long as I can remember.

49ers were eliminated this weekend with their loss to Seattle. I misstated it though, it's six teams that have a playoff spot as of today, so that's why Buffalo gets left out. If you add Buffalo, you'd get: ** They are 0-7 being outscored by an average margin of 19.7 points. [slightly less terrible, still terrible] ** The Bears scored 114 points in those 7 games. Their opponents scored 132 points in JUST THE 2ND QUARTER of those games. [even worse!] **The closest game was the 23-20 loss to the Buffalo; a game the Bears started the 4th quarter tied. [not as shockingly bad but still, never took a lead against a playoff or in-the-hunt team into the 4th the entire season] **The fewest points allowed were the 23 scored by the Bills [a lot better, but that's against a pretty terrible offense] **The average score after 3 quarters was 35-10 [not bothering to update that one] **The Bears were within 24 points to start the 4th in only 3 of those 7 games. And within 2 touchdowns entering the 4th just twice (down 7 to Detroit on Thanksgiving, tied with Buffalo) [better but still bad] **The opposing QB has 24 TD and 1 INT and averages 301 yards passing (Romo + EJ Manual were only ones not to exceed 300 yds) [slightly better but still horrible] **Jay Cutler had 14 TD and 13 INT in those games [added two ints and two TDs, so the ratio gets even closer to 1:1] **Drew Brees' passer rating of 137.8 was the 3rd WORST in the 7 games (others: Rodgers 151.2 and 145.8, Brady 148.4, Romo 138.0 and Stafford a measly 116.0, EJ Manual still a 91.7) Adding my own: **Avg. opponent passer rating was 132.7 through the 7 games, 139.5 if you exclude Buffalo **Jay's avg.passer rating for all seven was 82.1, for just the six was 81.5. One game was above 100, and that was all garbage time (Bills 86.2, GB 82.5, NE 108.6, GB 68.8, Detroit 76.7, Dallas 96.4, New Orleans 55.8)

There were some great stats about the Bears versus playoff or potential playoff opponents this year on 670 a little bit ago. That list would be Green Bay (x2), New Orleans, New England, Dallas, Detroit. ** They are 0-6 being outscored by an average margin of 22.5 points.. ** The Bears scored 114 points in those 6 games. Their opponents scored 122 points in JUST THE 2ND QUARTER of those games. **The closest game was the 41-28 loss to the Cowboys; a game the Cowboys started the fourth quarter leading by 28. **The fewest points allowed were the 31 scored by the Saints last night **The average score after 3 quarters was 35-10 **The Bears were within 24 points to start the 4th in only 2 of those 6 games. And within 2 touchdowns entering the 4th just once (down 7 to Detroit on Thanksgiving) **The opposing QB has 23 TD and 0 INT and averages 323 yards passing (Romo was only one not to exceed 300 yds) **Jay Cutler had 12 TD and 11 INT in those games **Drew Brees' passer rating of 137.8 was the 2nd WORST in the 6 games (others: Rodgers 151.2 and 145.8, Brady 148.4, Romo 138.0 and Stafford a measly 116.0)

The Smoking Gun identifies "Witness 40," details her history of false reports/claims, bipolar disorder, racism and how she repeatedly changed her story and her account of what happened during grand jury testimony and admitted that parts of her account were based on what she read in the news.