Jenksismyhero

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 03:46 PM) http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-j...ory.html#page=1 Watch the Pfleger video in the thumbnails. God he just looks like a creep. How does anyone listen to that nonsense with a straight face?

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 02:51 PM) Rumors swirling that Illinois is backing off of Lovett, thinking that he won't qualify. Man that sucks if true, would love to have him learn for a year (Abrams/Tate/Lovett in that order) then split time with a SR Tate before taking fully over. Guess we'll be waiting another year for a pg... What's the deal with Murray? I thought he was going to reclassify to 2015?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 11, 2015 -> 06:04 AM) I wonder if this was something in the back of his mind that he always worried would come back to get him. Kind of like when I was a kid and i lied, and knew it was only a matter of time before my Dad figured it out, and when he did I was a goner. Seems like he thought he was good and it would never come out, seeing how he kept reinforcing it I doubt it. Think of what a confident prick you have to be to be in his position. No one questions you, everyone knows you and loves you.

Meh. He got old long ago and then was passed last year by Oliver. The once a week show is infinitely better IMO. What's a little interesting here is that about 3 months ago he did Stern, and while he didn't say that he would be on the show forever, he didn't really hint at being done. He kept saying things like, when I know it's time, it'll be time, and right now i'm still having fun. I wonder if he got an offer to develop something now that his director itch has been scratched.

I'm probably over diversified. I have an IRA that is an American Century retirement target date fund. My investment account is all Vanguard - total stock index fund, total international stock index fund and a total bond index fund (in a 40/40/20 split). And my employer has a 401(k)/profit sharing plan that I've split into three funds - a T. Rowe Price tech fund, T. Rowe Price healthcare fund and Vanguard real estate index fund (split 33/33/33). I had the option of just doing the Vanguard 500, but figured Tech and Healthcare funds will always be pretty solid and real estate has nowhere to go but up.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 04:27 PM) We gave you reports of people winding up beheaded for witchcraft after reporting sexual harassment to authorities. Other categories include sorcery and dissent against the government. There is also no written legal code, so it's up to the religious judges to decide who they want beheaded. Pretty much all your statements about this being an orderly or legal or just process applied to criminals are 100% false and everyone admits it. They've done more than a dozen already in 2015. They've been at a pace of 1 every 3 or 4 days for several years now. They also crucify the beheaded body publicly afterwards in many cases But that's ok. ? Where do you get these numbers? AND NO ONE IS SAYING IT'S OK. Jesus. edit: as far as the bolded, obviously it's a f***ed up system without due process, but I linked you a story that indicated at least one person was charged and the charges were overturned. Obviously there's SOME sort of system behind this, which again, for the tenth time, is a step above what ISIS does.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 04:09 PM) If the "legal process" is corrupt and unjust, how is that better? These are extreme examples to be sure, but Nazi Germany and Stalin era USSR killed a hell of a lot of people by using the "legal process." Again, I don't think we disagree that much - this is a fairly odd discussion - but the United States is doing what should reasonably be expected of it as to ISIS (basically everything short of boots on the ground). We can't say the same thing about the human rights issues in Saudi Arabia. It's not necessarily unjust just because we don't agree with their beliefs. It may be corrupt, I don't know. But as I said days ago, if the choice is cancer or cancer, i'm choosing the option that at least provides me with a chance to live. The one where your percentages of survival are much better.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 04:04 PM) Do the beheadings have to be for witchcraft for us to condemn them? I'm certainly no expert on Saudi Arabia, but this Washington Post piece depicts some pretty bad human rights issues in Saudi Arabia. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldv...ple-last-month/ Fundamentally, I agree with you. ISIS is obviously a greater threat to regional stability than is Saudi Arabia and their lawlessness is reprehensible. I'm not hear to debate moral relativism between ISIS and SA, but there are clear issues with human rights in SA - something we shouldn't turn a blind eye toward. To me, however, this comes down to one crucial point: we are taking an obvious stand against ISIS - which is important and good. But we should have some power to put some pressure on SA - our ally - to come around on human rights. For strategic reasons (oil, stability in the region, etc.), we don't put that pressure on them. We can take a stand against ISIS because they are not a country, they are a lawless group of terrorists. We don't get anything from them. All they do is inflict damage and harm. They are not a world player. SA, China, etc. are. Yes, I agree we should be applying pressure, but they know it's all talk unless we are willing to stop buying from them and can convince the rest of the world to do the same.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 03:54 PM) We've been buying less from them? Who do you think "we" is? We is the rest of the world. It doesn't matter that 21% of the oil consumed in the United States comes from Saudi Arabia when they're able to sell 100% of it. This is the definition of the resource curse. Huge benefits flow to a tiny sliver of the population, they spread that money around to keep people from overthrowing them, that money winds up in the hands of angry groups who then use it against others. As long as that's the case, and we look the other way when Saudi Arabia beheads a woman in a public square and and then video appears of it online because the world needs that oil, then we're not on some great humanitarian campaign against the evils of beheadding. We just like a different government better. Lol, ah, so now it's the whole world's fault. It's not strictly US allies, it's everyone. I'm seriously starting to get confused about what point you're trying to make here. You're all over the place. To recap: me buying gas for my car (whose source has a 20% chance of being from Saudi Arabia) is not only supporting beheading, but now the CAUSE of terrorist groups like ISIS (which is not a government, btw) beheading people in the desert. If only we would stop buying oil from SA, this would all go away (despite the fact that the less we have spent, the more terrorists there are). Also, I don't know how strong your claim is that ISIS is funded by money from SA that was provided by countries like the US. http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/world/meast/isis-funding/ They've taken over oils fields and other countries (Turkey and Syria) are buying oil from them, not the US. And it helps that they were able to rob some banks and pry on the people in their controlled region to keep making money.

QUOTE (Tex @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 03:30 PM) Not even remotely similar? They are all capital punishment. They are both holding someone against their will. People are being killed. Other people believe those people should not have been killed. Other people believe they should be killed. There is a justice system in place. It is fast and efficient. That all seems similar. Balta is on his own for the oil stuff. The definition of capital punishment includes the use of "legal process." I think you'd be severely stretching that definition to include "a decision made by a band of terrorists."

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 02:35 PM) Several pages back, SS posted an article, citing a researcher from Human Rights Watch, discussing the number of people the Saudis behead for witchcraft in a given year. My take is that the one with a terrible justice system that beheads people for "witchcraft" is not a moral high ground compared to someone like ISIS - who is not an actual state (are terrible laws that allow for execution on a whim better or worse compared to it being done lawlessly by a terrorist group). In my opinion, it's a very fair criticism to point out that (1) Saudi Arabia is our ally because of oil; and (2) we should expect a better human right's record from our allies. The solution to that issue obviously isn't "stop using oil," but I do think it's fairly obvious that we tolerate behavior in Saudi Arabia that we wouldn't from our other allies. EDIT to include SS's earlier link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014...th-penalty.html Where does it give the number of people beheaded for witchcraft? I see some numbers for people being held and for total claims in a given year, but not of those actually executed. This article (linked in SS') http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16150381 gives about 3 examples, one of which was overturned by the states' high courts. I think you all are making that out to be WAY more serious than it actually is, unless i'm totally missing something. Yes, we should expect more from our allies, including SA. Yes, a sorcery/witchcraft law is ludicrous. Yes, I guess in some sense we should expect more from a "civilized" society like SA. But Christ people, they lit a dude on fire! They lined up men from an entire village and shot them execution style! That's far more disturbing and wicked than what SA does based on radical religious beliefs.

QUOTE (Tex @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 01:42 PM) It's not the same. I agree. But what is the same is arguably the most important part. Someone is held against their will, judged as being a threat to that society, and killed. No, see that's the difference. As I said before, at least SA has a "law" and SOME kind of justice system in place. Yes, it might be weak, it might be ludicrous, but it's SOMETHING. Presumably you could, in most cases, not do what is illegal and you'd be fine. Just because Balta can point to a few select cases doesn't' mean it's some epidemic where SA is systematically killing its people based on witchcraft allegations. ISIS is doing that. Grabbing random foreigners, kidnapping them, holding them for ransom and then killing them when they don't get their money (and let's not forget about the mass executions in public). I seriously cannot believe that you guys think the two situations are even remotely similar.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 12:59 PM) If we didn't buy NFL jerseys that would not stop spousal abuse. If the group that became Isis wasn't able to finance their war by selling oil, they wouldn't have made more than a whimper in Syria. If Saudi Arabia wasn't able to keep itself propped up by oil, they wouldn't be able to feed money to groups like Isis and have a trump card that prevents anyone from reforming them. 1) 21% of our oil is imported from SA. Not even a majority. http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=727&t=6 2) Let's assume it was 100%, you really think that getting rid of foreign oil will stop the fight against Islamic terrorists? We've been buying less from them over the last 20 years and terrorism has skyrocketed. http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandl...IMUSSA1&f=M (hopefully that link takes you to the graph)

Kirk out with turf toe. We have a chance!!

Footage of 1915 Chicago ship disaster that killed 844 found http://bigstory.ap.org/article/59015da71ce...illed-844-found

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 11:42 AM) People have looked at the numbers and found that overall NFL players are charged with those crimes at a lower rate than the rest of society. That could be because the teams have their fixers who cover them up of course, but that's what the best numbers say and thus it leaves it on you to prove them wrong. However, the rate of beheadings done by Saudi Arabia is comparable to or even above the rate of beheadings done by Isis and significantly above the rate of that done by countries like say, almost anyone else. Similarly, their rate of funding for extremist groups including Al Qaeda is (or at least was) significantly above that of countries that are not Saudi Arabia. That has nothing to do with anything here. The NFL allows it to happen. It supports those players. You supporting the NFL, buying merchandise, viewing games, etc., means you support spousal abuse. That's no different than your claim that gas purchases=support of SA's capital punishment.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 10, 2015 -> 10:33 AM) Except for our continued use of oil. We do that because it's addictive. It's horrible for us and the rest of the world, but hey, what's a couple beheaddings if it means we get our fix. Because we can just flip a switch and use that magical self-sufficient energy source that is only recoverable here in the US (and is environmentally friendly too!), right? In a perfect world I agree with you. In addition to their "justice" system, their cultures can be f***ed up. That part of the world treats women like it's 1000AD. I don't support it and wouldn't tolerate it. It'd be great if we could forget the middle east exists. But, you know, reality. I still can't believe you're a supporter of child and spousal abuse by being a fan of the NFL. That's terrible of you.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 10:01 PM) Well, even that last part's debatable if you look at all the issues with Old Sparky in Florida. https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/02/...ommon-practice/ Another thing to consider is the mutilation that all the victims of drone strikes suffer...and how it interferes with the traditional Muslim funeral rites. When you look at all the collateral damage, can we really consider ourselves to be standing on a moral high ground? Yes, because at least our goal is admirable. Defense from attack and ridding evil from the world is a good thing. It's better than "kill anyone that doesn't believe what I believe." edit: and obviously the US has made mistakes in the past, and will surely make mistakes in the future. But overall we do what we think is best for us and the world.

QUOTE (Tex @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 07:43 PM) The take away I get from Balta's posts are we tolerate the exact same behavior from our "friends" that we condemn our enemies for. We do have some level of hypocrisy on this level. I do believe we would have a greater moral platform if we didn't use capital punishment as a deterrent to acts we find deserving. We execute people people as well but we do it humanely (maybe) and for better reasons. When SA kidnaps someone and beheads/lights them on fire and posts it on the internet, please let me know. Until then, they are not the same.

Pretty good This American Life episode about cops and race and crime this week. Part one of a two part series. Interesting stuff.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 12:32 PM) "Isis is terrible! They kill people in horrible ways". "They make their money from oil and so do our "friends", who also kill people in the same ways. Stop using oil and you stop funding them" "Well, I guess beheading people for witchcraft isn't all that bad. I mean look at Texas, they execute innocent people too!". At least we've all agreed to find the good side of beheadings, The logic train has left the station with you on this issue. You may as well argue the Holocaust wasn't so bad because people die of preventable diseases too.

What killed me about the whole thing is the smugness that comes with being able to say "climate change deniers are just delusional morons" while they themselves have become vaccination deniers. He says the two situations aren't comparable but i'm not really sure how they aren't. In both situations you have an overwhelming amount of people saying one thing, and just a handful of deniers, and the deniers have been debunked. And then that prayer chick says "oh but disagreement is a good thing!" without realizing how that same logic should apply to other scientific "controversies" but clearly doesn't. I mean I can agree with a very general statement that Mahr has said before - we're an over-medicated/treated society. We go overboard on a lot of things that we don't need to go crazy over (prescriptions, anti-bacterial soap, elective surgeries, diet s***). But Jesus that was some head in the sand nonsense. I also liked how he threw in weird comments like "and they say 2 drinks a day is good for you....how about zero drinks a day!"

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 8, 2015 -> 05:33 PM) Waiting with bated breath for anyone in the next two weeks to admit to seeing either Jupiter Ascending or 50 Shades of Grey. Fwiw, the Wachowskis are nearing M. Night Shymalan territory. They're down to maybe two more "big budget" failures if they're lucky. Could be just one. As for 50 Shades, I think they're being very optimistic. It's not really a suitable Valentine's Day movie in terms of material/content. Whether it will draw women together for "Girls Night Out" like Magic Mike is highly debatable...still believe there's enough of a stigma attached to attending movies like this in the theatre that most will wait to view it via other formats. Many enjoyed the first half of the first book and quickly got bored/lost interest in the whole phenomenon. Then again, could be a massive underestimating all those "bored housewives" and/or hidden BDSM world. In the end, I'm predicting American "grassroots"/Middle America conservatism to win out. Those same moviegoers who've made American Sniper a huge hit, in other words. http://pro.boxoffice.com/featured_stories/...-shades-of-grey 1) Didn't that series sell 100 million copies? I don't think many people got sick of it. I know a lot of women, my wife included, who read them and thought they were pretty terrible, yet somehow "managed" to finish all of the books. 2) I thought pre-sales were really strong, especially in the conservative-oriented South?

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 08:06 AM) Pretty dark episode of The Walking Dead last night. Solid opening to Better Call Saul. Didn't really watch The Grammys, but I did see AC/DC open the show. That was pretty bad ass. What was even better, though, was Jeff Lynne playing a couple ELO songs. Not sure I was a fan of the abrupt change in The Walking Dead's visual style. But I dug the way they told the story via flashbacks and random images in the beginning that fit together by the end. Shameless

They could have kept him for one year at least to make a run. And they chose signing Ibaka over him. I think now we know that was dumb. Durant, Westbrook, Harden and two league minimums is an easy title contender.