iamshack

QUOTE (chw42 @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 07:54 PM) Who are these analysts? Stave mentioned the MSNBC panel; the CNN panel was split.

QUOTE (RegionSox @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 07:51 PM) All the analysts seem to think Trump won. Not one mention of him threatening to put Hilary in jail. Mostly because he does well in that sort of slugfest. She isn't going to beat him on insults, she is going to beat him on substance. The first debate he learned he can't win a debate about substance.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 07:18 PM) I don't think it works that well when you have literally no idea what you are talking about on any of the topics being discussed tonight. That isn't new. What people want to see (apparently) is something different, irregardless of the mastery of the issues.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 07:04 PM) No I think he's just that dumb I disagree...you can't sit up here and make all these promises as if politics is a simple game and then blame away previous ineffectiveness on politics. I think that scores points with the American public. He utilized the tax code to keep as much of his money as possible and he shouldn't be criticized for that. The best argument to make is that she has been a longtime politician and she didn't change it. While the guy is disgusting, this is honestly his best performance by far to date. Going on the offensive is the only chance he has.

Finally a wise argument by Trump.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 06:48 PM) This is a bloodbath. Just pathetic.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Oct 9, 2016 -> 12:08 PM) It's pretty much Grossman vs Orton all over again. You wanna take the guy with the million dollar arm but 10 cent head or the guy who can manage a game, but can't throw 20+ yards to save his life. Knowing full-well that while the game manager is going to keep you in a lot of games, you're likely not going to win anything without a historic type of defense.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 8, 2016 -> 10:04 AM) I really don't see how it does. Here's some more background on this story. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dona...-hot-mic-936343 It's about a women who rejected Trump's gross advances rather than enabled him, and now multiple other women who are coming forward or who already have come forward who were on the receiving end of the same sort of behavior in the past. Well, I suspect part of the reason he and other men with money and power do this is because it works. He says so himself in the recording. "When you're a star, they'll let you do anything." I would like to amend part of what I said before, in that this isn't just something women enable, but humans enable. Women in power do this as well with men of lesser social or economic status. The powerful will utilize their position to exploit those with less. It is a fact of life. I don't think it rises to the statement you made earlier though. I haven't read all the lawsuits, but I don't think this is a case like Bill Cosby. This is unseemly behavior, which is very much a part of the underbelly of wealth and power, that shockingly, a man with wealth and power has engaged in previously. I fully agree with you that the guy is a dirtbag and a slime ball. But if you haven't already figured this out, I just have to wonder about you. I find it more offensive that it takes this news...something that puts the spotlight back on his supporters to justify their support for him, that causes them to back away from him. That, to me, is worse because it shows that only when you are forced to become uncomfortable about that support will you back away from it, rather than backing away from it because you know it's wrong and you know he has a major character deficit.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 8, 2016 -> 09:52 AM) No, it's what he's admitted to and women have accused him of in lawsuits before. And that sort of victim blaming shouldn't be popular. It doesn't matter how those women might respond to wealth or fame- it doesn't give someone like Trump carte blanch to sexually assault them, which is what he describes doing is. And you don't need to be as wealthy as Trump to get away with this, balta already referenced the Stanford swimmer case. No, it doesn't. You are absolutely correct. But there are a whole lot of women enabling him which is just a fact, and that needs to be part of the discussion.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 8, 2016 -> 08:06 AM) The worst part isn't even the crude language, it's the admission that he sexually assaults women seemingly regularly. Well, this is taking it a bit far. And I know this won't be a popular statement, but the women he encounters don't help themselves any by treating him with such reverence and respect because of his power and money. I'm sure you'll say that is victim shaming or whatever the term is, but let's face it, he wouldn't get away with this bs if women weren't falling at his feet all the time. Melania is a clear example. Let's call a spade a spade here. Do any of us think a woman like that would even be seen with a guy that looked and behaved like the Donald if he was just some middle class regular guy?

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Oct 7, 2016 -> 04:17 PM) Boston has a good young core of position players at the MLB level with other coming up (Benintendi, I know hes already up and Moncada). This is why I think a deal for a controllable starter makes sense from their stand point. And its not like its for some guy. It's Sale. Yeah, I get it. I just don't know that this makes them go for broke with a guy like Sale or Quintana as opposed to something a bit less expensive.

QUOTE (Brian @ Oct 7, 2016 -> 04:20 PM) SO basically if you vote for Trump, you don't care about his indescretions and behavior towards women, so you don't care what Bill Clinton ever did either. I honestly could give a s*** what Bill Clinton did. Politicians and World leaders are all egomaniacs anyways. If you don't think most of men with this kind of power are going to abuse it by being predatory towards women, you're being naive. It's something that sort of comes with the territory, and while I don't mean to say that it's something we shouldn't look down upon, I guess it's just not something I concern myself with. One thing I admire about Barack Obama is that he has brought some integrity back to the office, but for me it's more about what kind of impact they have governing.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 7, 2016 -> 03:59 PM) It's kind of sad that so many people will have this reaction to a person that is so close to becoming the president of the United States. I mean how low can the bar go for this imbecile? Not singling you out either. I just realize that this will not be an uncommon reaction. No, I understand...I actually think it is a good sign, Sqwert. I mean shouldn't most of us have had this understanding of who the guy is a long time ago? I guess it just doesn't surprise me in the least that he would say these things off camera when he says the things he does on camera...

I dunno...is this really surprising to anyone? It honestly does nothing for me. Now when things come out like this for someone that you would have never expected...Tiger Woods, for instance, then this is news. The Donald...par for the course. Btw, I do actually think it should be discounted due to the nature of the recordings. A lot of men speak like this around other men they are trying to impress.

I don't know...despite these struggles, nothing about their current trajectory screams "desperate" to me.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 6, 2016 -> 07:41 PM) Terry Francona just blew Buck showalter's mind with that use of Andrew Miller Banking on Kluber going deep into the game tomorrow. I suspect that's not something Robin would have had the stones to do either.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Oct 6, 2016 -> 01:17 PM) Well unfortunately, he will not be coming home. During exploratory surgery they discovered cancer in his liver and spleen, he lived 9 incredible years and the fact that this hurts so bad speaks volumes. Thank you all so much for your well wishes, it legitimately lifted my spirits during this whole process. Duke was the perfect dog and he will not soon be missed. I'm terribly sorry, man. There are no words.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Oct 6, 2016 -> 10:27 AM) I didn't realize the Indians lost Carrasco and Salazar. And now they are going with a 3-man rotation. That's one team I'm not picking to win it all. And Kluber is not exactly 100% either I don't think. I have a feeling about them though...they are incredibly well-balanced offensively and very tough to beat at home.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 04:31 PM) My 9 year old Golden is undergoing life saving surgery tomorrow for tumors that have ruptured on his spleen. This is all incredibly sudden and devastating. I know he's but a dog but he means the world to me, please send good vibes. He's not "just a dog." He's a family member, a protector, your best friend. My dogs mean the world to me. Keep us posted.

Ok, meeting with the Sport Court guy at 4 pm on Monday. Excited to find out what the possibilities are. Still waiting on the pool builder and the architect to get me more info in re: the costs of the other projects.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 08:35 AM) I think if you are on the road for long hours like that, it is a great feature. I know for me, the one thing I kick myself is that I didn't shell out a little bit more for the extra smart driving features (vs. just the typical lane assist that I got). One option I should have added (problem was on the car I bought, they forced the moonroof and navigation system so it made the increase so much more and I'm such a cheap bastard). Yeah, they have gotten really clever about how they offer these packages. I ordered my car to spec, but even going that route requires you to upgrade to certain trim levels just to trigger the availability of certain other options. One thing I have learned about driving with all these autonomous systems engaged, is that, other than failing to use my turn signal when changing lanes from time to time, I think I am a pretty solid driver. I haven't had any of these safety features really engage on me, such as the car slamming the brakes on me when attempting to make a left hand turn, or for getting too close to a vehicle ahead of me, etc.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 06:35 AM) I've always liked the desert homes that have those big outdoor living rooms with kitchens and fireplaces and TV's with misters for when it gets hot. But then again, alot of those houses ive been to have pools as well... Yeah, those are a key feature that a lot of builders have added to their floor plans recently. Another feature that has become very popular with builders are those massive sliding door systems that basically allow your living room to become and indoor/outdoor type space. I'm not much of an outdoor kitchen guy, mainly because I still prefer cooking on a weber grill, but I certainly like the idea of having a sink area that I can fill with ice to keep beers cold without having to run back and forth to the house. I spoke with an architect about my vision for the pavilion idea, and it's definitely something he is excited about. I'd like it to have sort of a rustic feel, but at the same time have some space for outdoor workouts - think like some rubber flooring that can double as a play area for the kid. What frightens me is the costs he was throwing out there...you easily get to some big dollars without it being nearly as nice in terms of finishes as you would think.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 5, 2016 -> 08:42 AM) So Shack...interesting thread and interesting ideas. My general vote is for the outdoor living (but I'm biased as that is a prerequesite for when my wife and I move to a bigger place...we've been house hunting but very very picky right now as the next play we buy we are buying under the presumption it is our "forever" place, albeit you never know if job changes force a relocate, etc). I think one major pro of outdoor living is that you could combine it with the sports or pool concept and have something that kind of works great for your kids now, but as they get older, they'll likely shift more to leveraging the outdoor living area and given what you mention, it is when they are older, that you probably want them to hang out around the house more (vs. less) and provide that safer spot for them to hang out with friends, etc, where they at least have some supervision, etc. Pools can be really fun, but I'm like Rock, the maintenance, etc, I don't want to deal with it, but I also live in an area where I can walk to multiple nice pools / hot tubs that are part of our local HOA, so I don't see much value in spending all the money for my own home (and it isn't any major requisites from a resale perspective, which I believe differs from where you are, where a lot of people likely have "pool" as a must have when it comes to resale. One thing I have learned is even after talking to a few contractors (to get a rough idea so I have an idea of what it will take if I buy a new house and then add some outdoor living to it when I do the yard), is the ideas I had in my head, cost twice as much as I had presumed (evidently with the housing market hot, contracting costs are up quite a bit out here...not sure if it is the same in Vegas area or not). And when it comes to basketball, it can be pretty easy to find a nice portable on the driveway (presuming it is flat) and then you have the low-cost way to still have a sports court / area for kids to play, plus all the outdoor area (and possible pool) to hang out at and leverage in the backyard (and I presume that would also be something you would be more likely to leverage). Oh for sure...the Vegas real estate market is not unlike the California market in that you experience these massive swings in very short time periods. Since the housing bubble burst in '08, which was right about when I was arriving here, our market declined until about 2012, and then began the rebound back. At this point, we are probably in a similar position to where our market was in 2004 or so...strong, but not to the ridiculous place it go in '05-'06. Lending/credit has loosened up a bit, banks are willing to offer home equity products and even construction loans again, and so not only are we seeing lots of new home building again in Las Vegas but the renovation space has really been very active over the last few years. What this has done is really allowed contractors/builders to ask for big dollars again. Prices to build new or renovation projects are increasing 15-20% per year. Had I been able to do these projects in 2012, I suspect I could have done it for something around half the cost of the quotes I am receiving now. As some of you know, I've been all over the map in terms of what to do in regards to staying in this house or moving to something else, and so I've been looking at this from every angle. We've looked at building new, both custom as well as production builders, we've talked to architects to look at whole-home renovations, we've discussed both small and large additions, and we've looked at putting money into our yard. Everything we consider seems to cost a bajillion dollars. It has reached the point where I've considered sitting on the sidelines until the market cools off so I can reduce costs as the labor market slows down a bit. To be honest, I don't think we can necessarily go wrong with any of these choices. And the good thing is, our yard is big enough so that if we would like to eventually select more than one, or even all of them, we can. It's just a matter of how much $ do you really want to invest in your yard? All this input has been very helpful, however. I don't disagree with many of you in regards to the pool, although what LittleHurt pointed out is accurate. Thanks everyone, and by all means, feel free to weigh in if you'd like!

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 4, 2016 -> 08:06 PM) It's the same reason Perot was polling at 30-35% at different points of 1992. Dissatisfaction with Clinton for personal reasons and Bush, Sr. for going back on his no new taxes pledge. Perot was a harmless old man compared to Trump, although I smell what you are stepping in.

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ Oct 4, 2016 -> 07:44 PM) Is any other voter terrified of Donald Trump becoming President? It seems more and more possible as each day goes by. It's rather frightening, if you ask me...and I am an independent voting for both sides this election. My best friend...the man and his father that I named my son after...two very intelligent, rational, reasonable, good people....actually support Trump. It has more to do with the state of our political system than with the candidate they support. At least that's what I keep telling myself.