Jenksismyhero

QUOTE (farmteam @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 08:27 PM) Most definitely. I still enjoy watching it, but it's not at all realistic right now.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 09:40 AM) What? Why is race relevant when it's clear the issue was loud music? You're making a pretty large leap there to claim he shot them because they were black. The article you linked doesn't read like that at all.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 02:50 PM) Again, it's more about the concept than the specific numbers, but maybe it's graduated. Sales tax on cars is 3% at 20K, 6% at 50K, and 10% at 100K, or something like that. You can buy a new Camry/Fusion for around 22K, so in a sense it is somewhat of a luxury to be able to afford anything substantially more than that. If you're cutting taxes on 120k car purchases (volume, not price) , and increasing it on 5k car purchase, you're going to drop your tax revenue. I'm sure the vast majority of car purchases are under 20-25k. And when was the last time you looked at those cars? 22k will give you the absolute base 4 cylinder, 2wd type model with no features.

QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 09:36 AM) I thought it was good, but not as good as the first two Daniel Craig movies. It seems to be getting outstanding reviews, but I just don't see it. Wow really? I thought Quantum of Solace was one of the worst Bond movies ever. I liked this one because it was dark, more emotional, and Bardem kicked the crap out of the baddie role.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 12:45 PM) Enjoy http://deadspin.com/5439875/ahole-coach-di...majerus-edition Ha. That's gotta be an urban legend. He's so big I find it hard to believe he can s*** standing up without s***ting all over himself.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 02:40 PM) Because he can't speak clearly enough for people to understand what he's saying. I think this was a pretty rare occurrence. Sharpe says stupid things, but you can normally understand it.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 02:00 PM) The fact that several people have listened to it several times and can't agree on what Sharpe said is enough reason for him to be fired, regardless of what he actually said. Why?

Oh yeah, he for sure said "you're about the color of her dress" but it absolutely sounds like "you're about to cum on her dress." Add a hot model and you have a quick blog headline.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 12:41 PM) 26th in the AP, 19th in the coaches. Incredibly stupid. I know that they will come back, but polls are a snap shot of the right now. 4-3 beating one OK team and losing to anyone decent? Yeah, shouldn't be ranked. Or even receiving that many votes. Illinois at 14 (ap) and 13 (coaches) Beat Gonzaga and they're top 10 next week.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 2, 2012 -> 05:20 PM) Majerus sounded like a really good guy. But the whole s***ting in towels thing was pretty nasty wait, what?

Lol: http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2012/1...es-dress-video/ Watch before you read the blurb underneath.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 12:17 PM) There were numerous 'moral' justifications for slavery along the lines of "it's better for them." It was referred to as the Domestic Institution. It's all part of the same "white man's burden" strain of thought and you can still find traces of it today in the "well, the descendants of the slaves were better off in the long run, so maybe it wasn't so bad!" excuses. Robin explains his argument above that comment, it's linked in my earlier first post. He overreaches in some regards, but I don't think he does in that one. What was to be done with emancipated slaves was a genuine dilemma in a white supremacist society. You could not (coherently) argue that they were equal human beings that should not suffer under slavery while turning around and forcibly denying them the rest of their rights. But, as Wiencek explains in his original Smithsonian article, Jefferson wasn't even really that opposed to slavery and grew increasingly less so as time went on. I don't know that Jefferson was "publicly" attached to Sally Hemings. It's still not known for sure that Jefferson fathered children on this slave, though it is likely and the most plausible scenario. It's not particularly odd for him to have been fearful of blacks because he lived with them as owned property to which he claimed complete and total control. But Robin isn't claiming, as far as I can read it, that Jefferson was "terrified," but that he couldn't imagine a functional society composed of whites and free blacks. Jefferson doesn't seem to be expressing a fear of retaliation against former masters but of a larger collapse. This is why I want to read Meacham's book. He was on CBS Sunday Morning talking about this topic and he referenced the fact that Hemings was with Jefferson while he was in Paris and she refused to come back without some kind of guarantee that he would free their kids. And I could have sworn he said they would socialize publicly. Edit: Here's an excerpt from the book:

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 11:32 AM) Yeah, Lincoln proposed colonization. But he didn't believe they'd leave of their own accord AFAIK. From Corey Robin, in the comments: GMAFB. Jefferson's rationalization for his continued participation in and support of a monstrous institution is not in any way similar to the "current liberal mindset" that seeks to correct for the centuries of injustices perpetrated by men like Jefferson. eta: your framing is interesting as well, as if minorities themselves aren't liberal and don't advocate for and support those policies. Is it a leap to suggest he's fearful of freed blacks, as compared to having concerns with setting them free for their own good? Maybe he was coming from some moral position that he truly believed it would be worse for them if they were freed. Probably not right, but that block quote doesn't really have any support for concluding that he's just a white slave owner terrified of having to live with slaves. Also, this is a guy who was publicly attached to a black woman, so it would seem odd if he was fearful of living with them when he, well, lived with them.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 11:32 AM) Yeah, Lincoln proposed colonization. But he didn't believe they'd leave of their own accord AFAIK. From Corey Robin, in the comments: GMAFB. Jefferson's rationalization for his continued participation in and support of a monstrous institution is not in any way similar to the "current liberal mindset" that seeks to correct for the centuries of injustices perpetrated by men like Jefferson. eta: your framing is interesting as well, as if minorities themselves aren't liberal and don't advocate for and support those policies. That was partially a joke.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 11:06 AM) A couple of those posts specifically rejected that "man of his times" defense, though. He really didn't seem to think slavery should be abolished and worried greatly about a post-slavery, mixed-race society. That's because he couldn't fathom that the slaves would stick around. He thought as soon as they were freed they'd head back to Africa. That was a common way of thinking that even Lincoln shared and discussed as a possibility. Edit: He's got the current liberal mindset of minorities - "they NEED our help because they can't do it on their own!"

Good stuff. I always thought Jefferson's actions were somewhat constant with the 18th century mindset. You're talking about an elitist who has time all day to read books and debate/think about big issues with other elitists. That's going to be different from the realistic, day-to-day management of his estate. So while he might have thought, in an idealistic sense, that slavery should be abolished, in the present it was still legal, still socially acceptable (to most people), so he used it. I'm looking forward to reading Jon Meachum's new book on Jefferson. I liked his book about Jackson a lot.

Boardwalk Empire - awesomeness. Walking Dead - It's been very good and it kinda ended on a blah note. The Michonne/governor scene was cool, but I feel like the show has royally screwed up both of those characters. They should have been more ambiguous about how creepy/crazy/bad the governor is instead of throwing it out there in the first episode. And Michonne they just haven't done any sort of character development at all, so her motives seem completely arbitrary. For example, why does she go back for the governor? I would understand her wanting to go back and get Andrea, but nothing else she has done makes sense. From what little we know, she should be heading towards the ocean right now, not hooking up with Rick and the Prison Crew and invading the town. Also, new african american guy! 2 was too many apparently.

QUOTE (kev211 @ Dec 1, 2012 -> 02:26 PM) ISU completely outplayed Louisville today in Louisville but they got bailed out time and time again by the refs. This is just infuriating have a top 5 upset taken away from you. You sound like an Illinois fan. Welcome to the club!

Wow, illinois st got screwed with a no call at the end there.

Ugh, Dance with Dragons SUCKED. I'm with Zoom from a few months ago - the last 2 books blew. They took forever to get through and very little happened. So disappointed. I found myself skipping pages of DoD just to get it over with. I'm sure i'll pick up the new one, whenever it comes out, but i'm not at all jazzed about it like I was moving onto book 3. Moving on to The Passage. Book one of three about some kind of post-apocalyptic world. Heard very good things.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 29, 2012 -> 06:13 PM) Anywho, I just finished up the paper I needed to review, so time for a good rant. I like how it's just reflexively "Unions" why conventions might go to Orlando and Las Vegas. Yup, Unions. No consideration is given, of course, to the fact that those 2 cities have substantial hotel advantages, produced in one case through the fact that one has a clear on-season and an off-season for tourism, which would generate a substantial portion of the year when hotels aren't booked solid and could be available cheaply...and the other which winds up having the price of the hotels subsidized through the fact that the non-geologists blow money in the city. On top of that, Chicago proper has only about 30k hotel rooms according to its olympics application (100k in the metro area), whereas Vegas you're talking 150k just in the city. Chicago doesn't have those advantages. When you host a convention in Chicago, you're not hosting a convention in a place you can go to cheaply, you're hosting a convention there because you want access to the Chicago market and you want to somehow take advantage of that market. That of course, is all the fault of the unions. And re: the electrician. Now, I'm willing to grant that Chicago is unusually corrupt and there's probably a backroom deal or 17 signed somewhere along the line to grease the skids...but on the other side can anyone think of a reason why a large major city might want to have some decently high quality regulation and training of the people who are allowed to do even small electrical projects in the city? Yes, it's going to raise the costs. But the city also has a keen interest in the stability of its own electrical systems, and also has a huge interest in electrical safety, as fires in an urban environment are hugely threatening to lives and property. And Chicago just happens to have a small history involving fire. Not to mention other elemental extremes. So yes, Chicago is probably particularly corrupt and I'd be happy to discuss how specific elements of deregulation could help improve the city's economy...but don't tell me that the city ought to allow just any contractor to work on the electrical systems in the city. A city ought to make sure that people who are doing electrical work in the downtown area are certified on their local systems and do double and triple checks and follow city-wide standardized procedures to the letter. And yes, that is a burdensome regulation that costs businesses substantial amounts of money...but fire does too. And blackouts do too. Oh, and one more...in one of my less exciting excursions through someone's anti-union story, here's the actual regulations from the City of Chicago regarding the use of PVC pipe: So, the City does allow PVC pipes. For the very largest pipe sizes, >24 inch, you are correct that clay is required, but this is not unusual for the largest drains, and frankly, after going through the regulations for other states, Chicago's piping regulations aren't unusually stringent (and it's also not like Chicago has had any sort of recent memory issue with pipes bursting and floods). Crumbling, old clay pipes...that can certainly be an issue...but now we're talking about an issue of lack of upkeep and trying to make a 50 year system last 150 years, like we do with so many other bits of our infrastructure in this country. 1) this could apply to any job anywhere, who cares? Make them be certified or licensed, why isn't that enough? 2) in my experience with litigation, including City workers and big construction/industrial companies whose workers are unionized, there's absolutely no indication that they're smarter or better trained than their non-union counterparts. If anything they're more complacent about their work because they know how much sway their union holds with the various companies using them. If they f*** up on job A, the union will still get them job B and job B won't know what they did on job A.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 12:49 PM) After how intense the Gyp/Nucky feud has gotten, I just have a hard time seeing it continue into next season. Once more & more bodies start dropping, what else can you do? They call a cease-fire and talk s*** from seperate parts of town? Gyp is such an awesome character, it would be awesome to keep him around, that's I wonder if Nucky is a possibility to go. I'm guessing Nucky takes back AC and Gyp retreats to New York with Masseria. I get what you're saying that there has to be some kind of conclusion, but given the amount of power Gyp has, and the amount of goons he has, I find it hard to believe he'd just show up at a gun fight and get killed.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 12:16 PM) Boardwalk Empire: Thinking about the season finale, it's obvious that either Nucky or Gyp has to die. They killed off Jimmy last season, do we think it's possible that Nucky gets killed? Then season 4 has Gyp and/or Capone as the main characters? I think they could carry the show. I'd be shocked if they let Buscemi go, unless he's ok with it. They've said before that they won't necessarily stick with the real life history of these people, but that would be getting rid of the main character in the show. If anything I bet we lose Gillian and the Gyp/Capone/Nucky battle continues into next season. Gyp became too good of a character to lose.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 10:47 AM) Again, it wasn't rape, and it's a telling sign when you have to lie to make your point, so keep it up. She killed herself 10 days after the incident. The police are supposed to have the investigation wrapped up and decide whether or not to press charges in 10 days? You keep bringing up an incident where there is no proof of a crime. That's all you've got to come with. I bet she was just asking for it anyway. That and if she was victim of some non-consensual act, that was just God's plan for her. Seriously dude, take a step back. Notre Dame alumni and fans have their head up their asses. How you can deny this is beyond me. It's the same bulls*** as people (again, mostly Notre Dame alumni and fans) thinking college football is somehow better when Notre Dame is competing for national titles. Nope. No one gives a s***. College football has been doing just fine the last 20 years.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 09:10 AM) The notion that last season fell apart because Zook was feeling pressure from the AD is a bit ridiculous. You are a coach in the Big Ten making seven figures. If you can't handle your seat getting a little hot, then how you are gonna handle a full season of pressure from the conference? And I also don't buy that all those top recruits were "locks" to come to Illinois. I do get his points about giving coaches more time and comparisons to Wisconsin & such. Personally, I would have been fine if Zook had stayed, but he made so many stupid in-game decisions that were obvious to everyone, that doesn't really help your status. If he was willing, I would have put him in place as a recruiting coordinator making bank. The guy was able to bring in NFL caliber talent, even if the college scouts didn't give him the high rankings. But he sucked as a coach. I have zero faith in Beckham. Even if there was some discord in the locker room because of the change, the fact is the players completely quit and failed to make any measurable improvement. And really, most regressed. It was obvious they were poorly coached in all phases.