iamshack

QUOTE (The Critic @ Dec 29, 2011 -> 08:03 AM) 1/2 pair? Does that mean you got one ticket? Yeah, I think the friend is holding the other ticket for herself?

QUOTE (G&T @ Dec 29, 2011 -> 08:16 AM) Is that a problem? These days it seems lucky if they get a text before finding out from some fan or on twitter. Yeah, at least he got a phone call apparently...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 29, 2011 -> 08:48 AM) pgammo Peter Gammons If Reddick not in deal, Bailey would have been traded to Texas Wow

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 06:32 PM) I'd say the biggest argument to me that these teams won't be willing to pay is that they weren't willing to pay for Danks, who is a better pitcher. Yes, he's more expensive/hits FA earlier, but if you're a team like Boston/NY, the difference between the 2 is what, $5-7 million saved before they hit FA? That's not a huge financial difference if I'm in their shoes. For Torotno it would be more important, but not Boston/NYC. If I'm sitting in Boston and NYC's shoes, I'd have put a better offer out for Danks than Floyd, unless my scouts had some big red flag, because I could have lived with the contract he just signed with the ChiSox, and I would feel like I was getting a better pitcher. Everything I have read coming out of NY is that the Yankees really wanted Danks but were betting on the price coming down. Kenny must have had an idea he could get him signed and was trying to get a value for him that would outweigh having him here for 5 years at $13/annually. He demanded two of their top three prospects and never wavered.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 05:37 PM) Is this the only thermostat that is adjustable via internet/phone? I am sure if it is, it wouldn't be for long...I know my company has one that has been installed in thousands of homes but they are waiting on the software still...the so-called "smart meter"

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 05:17 PM) Seems like a useful item if you're in the group where you have a thermostat you can install but you never bother programming it. That said, wouldn't pay the ebay price for that sort of thing, sure to be more available in a few months. Well mine is programmable, but it's not adjustable via the internet or my phone. And I have programmed it, but that's kind of like gettting you half-way there...I'm always overriding the programmed temps, based on changing habits or activities...what you really need is something you can adjust all the time, constantly, easily, without being at the house. Considering the heat we have here, it would be a great thing to have more control when I am not at home...

Anyone going to get a Nest thermostat? Company was created by the lead designer of the iPod...looks really neat...apparently it "learns" from your usage adjusts to help save you money. Pricey at $249. Currently sold out. Available on ebay at about $400. Nest

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 05:46 PM) Very true, but Bailey is also not signed yet and is a first year arb-eligible player this year, so he's a service time year ahead of Sergio. Plus, he also has had injury issues and already did the Tommy John once, so you have to count him as a bigger injury risk as well. All in all, I think their values are very comparable, and I think the "throw-in guys" in this deal, if you'd accept me calling them that, are the kind of things I wish we'd also gotten along with Molina in the Santos deal. That's fair enough to me...although the key here is the Red Sox were not going to give us a SP the caliber of Molina (or of what we think of Molina, anyways)...and I am sure KW knew this. However, you make a fair point about the additional bodies.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 25, 2011 -> 04:28 PM) HUGO is really an excellent film. With so much money invested into it, they have done a horrible marketing/advertising job with that campaign. Whoever was in charge of it will undoubtedly lose their job over it, because the movie's almost brilliant and film-making at its best, along with MI/Ghost Protocol. One review I read explained it so well, it's a kids movie actually made for adults. http://www.avclub.com/articles/furtively-f...ase-file,61684/ Great article/review/criticism analyzing SUCKER PUNCH It really was outstanding...I loved Sascha Baron Cohen...

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 21, 2011 -> 05:34 PM) the f*** I've had this book sitting at home for at least a year now, but for whatever reason, can't force myself to begin reading it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 02:49 PM) The Bears still have need of a WR and Williams can be effective...but the drops simply kill him. Even if the Bears bring in an extra WR and just want to move Williams to the 3rd WR role, he just doesn't do anything in particular well enough to overcome the fact that he can't hold onto the ball. As far as I am concerned, he needs to at least remain in the discussion until the draft. If they are able to get a guy like Michael Floyd or something, fine, you can release him then. Additionally, you've got Knox coming off a surgery, and Bennett who's not the most injury-proof guy...so I guess it depends on what he wants...but from where I sit, he deserves a chance to potentially come back.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 04:44 PM) Going to be quite interesting to compare to Sergio's deal. To be fair, SS was not quite AB yet...

We saw that on the news here in Vegas this morning. I think I'm going to marry that girl once she turns 12...

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 11:08 AM) Man, basketball is some grueling s***, especially for the starters. 3 nights in a row in the NBA would be exhausting to a marathoner's legs. The human body was not mean to start and stop and turn and jump and collide on a hard surface, let alone so many nights in a row. Basketball is easily the most exhausting of the 4 major sports. Hell, football there's a total of 11 minutes of action in a 3 hour game. Hockey players play on 45 second shifts and can glide with no effort at times. Fat people can play baseball. Give these athletes some credit. They are in amazing shape. However, "tired legs" on night 3 of back-to-back-to-backs in the NBA is going to be a given. Blah blah blah...give the human body some credit...it's capable of a lot of s*** if you train it properly and take care of it properly. Again, I'm not claiming these guys won't have muscle aches, be sore, have nagging injuries, etc...but they are not optimally conditioned, nor do many of them eat well or take particularly good care of themselves. Many of them look as though they are in amazing shape because they play basketball for a living. But from a strict conditioning perspective...cry me a river...there are all kinds of people that are far better conditioned than most NBA basketball players.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 11:55 AM) No one asked you to; however, playing 3 games in 3 nights inherently means the quality of the game goes down. One day off, where you can get a full practice in and work on the kinks of the game simply makes you better, regardless if conditioning comes into the equation. I agree...I can understand the quality of play going down due to sore muscles and nagging injuries, etc. Just not lethargy or "tired legs." Not a valid excuse.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 11:34 AM) For example, I have the Radiohead In Rainbows discbox, I want it to appreciate in value, so it's not played. I have a first pressing of Mer de Noms by APC, it cost me $100, so no play. I have lots of color vinyl and collecters items, so I don't want to degrade the vinyl. I have Underoath's vinyl boxset of their album Lost In The Sound Of Separation, no play as it cost me $90. I haven't even opened the Radiohead The King Of Limbs newspaper album set. Yeah, I understood what you were saying...I guess I'm just not into collecting things for monetary value like that...if something is really worth collecting, IMO, it should be enjoyed as well...

QUOTE (sircaffey @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 11:24 AM) Blah. They don't live in a recovery bubble between games. They travel the country (often late at night), living out of a suitcase, and sleeping in foreign beds. The games aren't the only thing that's draining. I agree. They are also young and rich and sometimes stupid. I get that. I'm just saying, if I was getting paid $12 million in the real world, I'll bet there would be some pretty stringent f***ing requirements about how I do my job. I'm not going to feel bad for these guys because they have to play 7 games in 11 days. There is no excuse for lethargy to enter the equation, other than that they are not optimally conditioned.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 09:56 AM) Jesus. Not arguing about this. You are right, bodies are built to be indestructible to wear. Right, that is what I said... These idiots are eating McDonald's and skittles and a bunch of other bulls*** and they aren't optimally conditioned...that's why they get worn down and are lethargic. I'm not saying their bodies don't wear down or don't get tired or injured. I'm saying that the schedule isn't something that should result in that on it's own...it just does because they aren't anywhere near optimally conditioned, which, considering the money they make, IMO, they should be.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 09:31 AM) Yeah, no. You can be the most conditioned athlete in the world and that doesn't mean your body won't even wear down. These players are going full speed into seven foot 290lb monsters. It doesn't matter how many wind sprints you do for that. Your body needs rest. Yeah, yes. They do get rest. If you're saying their worst stretch is 7 games in 11 days, that is 4 days of rest. Most weeks they'll play no more than 3-4 games, meaning they'll get as many days of rest as they play. Most professional athletes are not incredibly conditioned like you would think. Sports are specialized now, and athletes are conditioned to perform those specialized tasks. The human body is capable of doing a hell of a lot more, in regards to conditioning, than most professional athletes in the major US sports leagues are able to do.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 10:00 AM) I would recommend getting something solid. A Direct Drive table is best, especially if you have want to spend the money on one that you'd like to keep for a long time. Other record players run on belt drives and belts wear out over time. Interesting...I'll have to put my friend Google on this... I am entertaining the notion of restoring a vintage turntable/credenza type thing, or even possibly modernizing one so that it can not only play vinyl but also digital music.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 28, 2011 -> 09:26 AM) It is all in how you are conditioned. If they aren't conditioned for three in three, they aren't going to be ready for it. The lockout is going to be the killer as a good chunk of these guys aren't even going to be in condition for back to backs, let alone something like 7 in 11. I guess what I'm saying is there is no excuse for not being conditioned for a game almost every day, as far as I'm concerned. I know a big chunk of practice time is devoted to working on individual plays, as well as particular skills, but conditioning is a huge part of their games, and quite frankly, they should be better conditioned as far as I'm concerned.

QUOTE (bmags @ Dec 27, 2011 -> 06:16 PM) yeah, it does kind of suck though b/c i'm realizing that watching basketball every night is much less exciting when they will be tired as hell. Right now the defenses are crap or offenses unprepared, and soon during the 7 games in 11 days stretches the teams will look lethargic. While I am not disagreeing with you, this is ridiculous. There is no reason they should be tired as hell. They play basketball for a LIVING and should have no problem playing 7 games in 11 days. These are all men between the ages of 19-40, getting paid handsomely to perform on the basketball court. I'm incredibly shocked at the lack of conditioning by some professional athletes. If there is anything most of these guys should be able to do, it's run run run run run for a few hours every night of the week. Being tired from playing 7 games in 11 days is pathetic.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Dec 27, 2011 -> 10:54 PM) Most of the vinyl I have is collectable, so I don't play it. WHAT? WHAT? HUH?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 27, 2011 -> 07:02 PM) Wasn't he kicked off of his HS team, or quit it, or something like that? I think this was mostly attributed to his mother...she wanted his brother to play more or something...don't quote me, but there was some sort of ridiculous family member involved if I'm not mistaken...

That's pretty cool, and a very nice letter for them to write Josh Hamilton.