Jenksismyhero

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 11, 2008 -> 01:27 PM) The other potentially worth while point, on top of the point NSS makes, is that torture historically is great at 1 thing...getting the person you're torturing to give you the answer you want. It is in virtually all cases regarded as quite ineffective in getting information out that is actually correct or in getting information that is useful. We can even give examples from recent years to support this. We had an Al Qaeda high up guy, rendered him to Egypt, asked Egypt to let us know if he had any information about contacts between Iraq and Al Qaeda, and viola, within a few weeks, the guy confessed all sorts of connections between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Colin Powell referenced his information during his speech to the U.N. It was all obtained under torture, and it was all lies to get the beatings to stop. Similarly, we've had "orange alerts" triggered by information from Gitmo that were called off after a couple days because the information was deemed unreliable after a few additional days questionning. We don't have all the details on those, but the pattern follows quite well. Torture a guy, get info about your terror plot, then try to confirm it with a polygraph later. On the other hand...the interrogation of Saddam Hussein, which the FBI has hailed as an example of how to actually do things, was a slow process, took a year or two, but recovered virtually every bit of information we could have asked for about his relationship with other leaders, how his government worked, where the bodies were buried, and what happened to his WMD's. If you torture someone to find out a piece of information...you will get that piece of information whether it is true or not. That is what torture is effective at. I don't think this is an accurate statement. While I agree that sometimes torture would probably only give you the answer you're looking for, that's just simply not an act that can be accurately tracked and recorded. You can count the "mishaps," because they can be made public. You can never know when it works for the good, as 99.9% of the time the government denies that any interrogation ever happened. Also I think the Hussein situation is slightly different. He's a higher profile target, he's someone who knows he's going to die from public execution, and he's someone who never thought it was his lifes purpose to kill the citizens of the West in a holy war. More importantly, the information was of a different kind. Instead of "who are you working for" 24-style, it was "ok, so back in 1991 when we knew you were 9-12 months away from a nuclear weapon, how did you ___?"

agreed.

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Apr 3, 2008 -> 12:03 PM) i think dee, head, and deron have all been on record as crediting weber for helping them to develop their games. that said, i don't think weber is the only one who could have done that, and i think a fair amount of coaches could have taken that group to the title game. not to diminish what weber contributed, but those guys were really, really good. I'd actually disagree with that. I mean I probably give too much credit to Weber personally, but they all benefited from his system more than they would have anywhere else. Not a lot of programs run the motion offense as well as Weber. In fact when Weber came in Dee was ready to leave because he hated it so much. A season and a half later they were in the championship game. And I disagree when Weber gets hit for taking good players to the NC game, as if everyone should do that. Well look at all the teams that have teams with 2 or more future NBA players on their roster that didn't do jack this year: Georgtown, Tennessee, Indiana, MSU, Duke, etc etc. Talent only gets you so far. Putting that talent in the right position to win is the key. I think Weber has done that. This year he obvioulsy lacked the key ingredient: talent.

QUOTE(farmteam @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 06:46 PM) You mean kinda like how Weber's Final Four run came with Deron Williams and Luther Head? And I haven't seen much in this thread in terms of Crean vs. Weber, the Weber stuff has been all Marquette vs. Illinois. That's called developing top 75 talent into lottery picks my friend, not being handed a sure bet. And what do you mean? There are plenty of posts saying Marquette would never want Weber after Crean, it would be a downgrade, yadda yadda. Edit: Ok, I don't know about the "sure bet." I can't find his ranking coming into college, but I remember everyone saying he was a star in the making but no one wanted to touch him because of his academic issues. Still, he was certainly more of a sure bet than Deron Williams and Luther Head, two good but not great players coming out of high school.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 11:34 AM) This is complete rumor-mongering on my part, but some posters on the UI message boards claiming inside knowledge said last year that Weber was hoping Crean would go to Kentucky opening up the Marquette job. Who knows if that is true. But I really do think Weber would be very tempted if Marquette would offer him the job given that he grew up a Marquette fan, it's his hometown, and he can't be happy with the current state of affairs at UI. On the other hand, given the money backing the Marquette program I think they will look for a flashier hire. Weber would likely be an unpopular hire among the Marquette fans and boosters given what has happened at Illinois. I would think Miller and Bennett would be on the list. Maybe even someone like Anthony Grant. So I would be surprised if Weber got offered the job. Lol, this just makes me laugh. It makes no logical sense. Why would a guy be interested in returning to a school he never attended, to a city he grew up in but left 30 years ago, leaving a conference he's worked in for 30 years, all for a school with less tradition and distinction on a national level? Grant it I don't know what he thinks or how he feels, but I would be shocked if he bolted for the Marquette job. Absolutely shocked. And how can he not be happy with the current state? He's led one of the top programs in the nation over the last 5 years. Yeah he's been burned by some big time recruits. He knows he's f***ed up, he knows the team was devoid of much talent this year, but look at how he's rebounded. Next year he'll have a 5 star player on his roster (Legion) and each year thereafter he has nothing but top 100 talent. I'd say the future of Illinois basketball is better than it has been for years. Steady stream of in-state and out of state talent, a coach that's finally comitted to being there for the long haul, and talks of a new or renovated Hall. This entire discussion about Crean>Weber is ridiculous. Crean has done nothing to warrant the god-like status people in this thread are giving him. Again, his one good year he had Dwayne Wade. Dwayne f'n Wade. That's like saying Jim Boheim did his best coaching job when he won the national championship because he coached up Carmelo Anthony so well. Give me a break. And who else has he recruited? Are IU fans sure he can even recruit? My prediction is that he'll be just like Weber and people will be calling for his head within 2 years because he can't land the big fish. He's stepping into a different world of recruiting. He's stepping into a different league with a different level of coaching (which in turn makes that recruiting even more difficult). The reason he got paid so much by IU is that he understands how much it's going to suck to be the coach of that program for the next 2-3 years. Lack of talent on their current roster, lack of knowing what the NCAA will do and a new coach = rebuilding the program, which takes years.

I dunno that Crean was the best choice for Indiana, I would like to have seen another Big Ten guy come, like Bennett (obviously they tried and he said no). But he's an ok choice. I'm still not really sold on him as being a great coach - he had one good year with Wade. I think anyone could have had one good year with a future NBA Finals MVP. Also it's s***ty that Crean didn't call his kids at all after he made his decision. That'd be a heck of a suprise to those players. My question for IU fans though is why the rush? I mean, I guess recruiting is the name of the game and if you don't have a coach you can't recruit, but it's not like he's going to make huge strides in his first season. He's waaaayyyy behind the game now and he's recruiting into a different level. Even if you want to argue that Marquette and IU have been equal the last decade, IU still has the tradition that wins kids over.

Damn. Well Mr. Curry, thanks for making the 2008 NCAA Tournament something to watch. Too bad he couldn't hit a couple more shots in the 2nd half. Oh and thank you Bill Self. You prove yet again that even with the most talented roster in the entire nation, you lack the coaching IQ to understand the strengths of your team and the weaknesses of your opponent. It was a good game and at the end of the day they got the W, but damn this game should have been a 10-15 pt blow out with the size they have.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 09:26 PM) Have you watched the two sermons that Fox took their soundbytes from, Jenks? If you haven't, just take 15 minutes to watch them. I think your opinions might change a bit. Lol, Uma, Oprah, Opera, Oprah, whatever. I did watch them. Which way are you going with that? Are you saying I should be more upset about them, or that I'm taking them too seriously? Depending on what you say I'll give you my dissertation.

QUOTE(Brian @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 06:23 PM) Why is an 18 year old high school girl getting a breast augmentation? Link I'm betting since it was "corrective" one was smaller than the other. I think at 18 you're old enough for something like that.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 06:28 PM) re-read your post - you say that the quotes "weren't taken out of context". How do you know? How much of this guys sermons have you seen? No one is contending that his words in the videos are not racist. They are, and they are terrible things for someone to say. It may mean that Rev Wright is a racist slimeball. Or, it may mean that in his 20 years of sermonizing, he's said a few stupid things - kind of like all the rest of us. If you can't see that distinction, then I think you need to look up the definition of the word "context". Then try the phrase "jumping to conclusions". No one is saying he ISN'T a racist... they are saying that he MIGHT be. Ok, I get what you're saying here, but don't you think you're being a bit naive in thinking that he has never said this stuff before? I mean, it's quite a leap to go from good normal christian sermons to "god damn america" and the white man is the cause of all the black man's problems. I have a feeling he had a pretty apparent viewpoint that was highlighted by these select statements. This is a guy, afterall, that loves Farakhan and forced Opera of all people to leave his church. And I love this argument that "oh, he's just a normal person, he should get a pass for saying something stupid once in his life." I'd like a teacher to tell say such words in their classroom, or a judge, or someone else that we hold in high regard in this society (gloss over the easy distinction of "public" employee...he's still a public figure in society). Trust me, I don't think this story deserved half the attention it recieved, but I don't think it's a stretch at all to say this guy obviously has some pent up hate for whites and the whites that have led/currently lead this country.

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Mar 25, 2008 -> 01:07 PM) I have an interesting analogy here as to how BAD of a "misspeak" this is and how it was meant to be an outright lie. Back in November of 2006, my family and I were vacationing in Orlando Florida. On our way back to our time share we heard tornado warnings on the radio. Them moments later a tornado swept across the road in front of us. Our windshield was shattered. We almost died, but we all survived, but it was close. It was a very scary situation! The real story: The tornado was several miles south of our condo and we never saw it. only saw footage of the damage on the news that evening. You dont just "misspeak" major details like that. That would only be a good analogy if there was no tornado whatsoever.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Mar 26, 2008 -> 11:35 AM) Take-Two/Rockstar rejected EA's bid to take them over today as they said they would. They did say they are looking to sell to someone else though. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft all have the money to do it. Wonder if any of them would be willing to. Thank the lord for that. Could you imagine EA taking over a series like GTA? They'd literally just change the names on the signs, put different colors of clothes on people and slap a new title on the same game - year after year. As much as I love a couple of EA series, they are money grubbing bastards who really don't serve their fan base.

QUOTE(lostfan @ Mar 24, 2008 -> 12:28 PM) lol what? I have no idea how you figured that's what I was saying, in fact I think based off that you're completely misinterpreting my stance on the whole issue. That statement made no argument, it was intended to stand at face value. Sorry. I'm just saying your statement that there is not a good reason for people to have it isn't a good argument for why it shouldn't be allowed. Instead of saying there's no good reason for it and therefore the government should ban it, the argument should be that the government has an interest in X, Y, Z and therefore they are justified in making it illegal. It's been a rough day, that probably doesn't make sense, but oh well. On with the thread.

QUOTE(lostfan @ Mar 24, 2008 -> 10:44 AM) I actually can't think of very many reasons the average person needs a fully-automatic weapon though. So? You arguing to me why the government shouldn't allow something is the complete opposite of how this system should, and I'd argue was intended, to work. It should be: give me a reason why the government should ban my right to do X, Y, Z.

So for anyone frustrated with the pitching in MLB 2008: The Show, I think I figured it out. Basically the pitchers have a momentum meter that will get bigger and bigger the more he pitches well (big strikeout, big double play, etc). To begin the game the power setting area (normally the light blue/white) doesn't have a line, but the better your pitcher does, the more confidence he has, the bigger that line will be. Once you reach that point, you can essentially spot the ball anywhere you want it. Last night I had Vazquez with a no-no going into the seventh but got lazy and f'n Carl Crawford hit a bloop single. Sweet game though for anyone on the fence. Also did anyone pick up Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds? I'll be picking it up as soon as I get to a store. I love that game.

Duke's overratedness gets displayed for the third time in three years. Yeah, I'd say it's been a good tourney. Except for rooting on Wisky and Mich St, I'll be rooting for Davidson and West Virgina. I like the way they play.

Have you thought about grad school? I think if you lack meaningful experience and/or connections in the field be prepared to be on the job search for a while. Getting your masters or phd will afford you another few years to get internships, jobs, etc. The most underutilized resource for jobs, imo, are professors. Get in the good graces with one you like, and they'll open up lots of opportunities as they normally have pretty good rolodexes. Also, just so you know, the editor/publisher field is insanely competitive, at least here in Chicago. My GF is in that now, and she's the perfect 4.0 gpa, top 5 school, never paid for anything in college/grad school (tuition wise) types.

I'm glad global warming has tempered this otherwise nasty winter. Just think how much worse it could have been.

I figured this was Filibuster worthy as its PC/1st Amendment related. Stuff White People Like Anyone read this blog? I have for a while and find it absolutely hilarious (and somewhat true). As white as white can be, I'm not offended by anything on that site. What does everyone else think? Apparently this person didn't care for it.

Hence why we should all be like Scalia and read the text as it was intended, not what it "should" be. That's why they didn't say in bold print: "this document shall not be changed in any way, shape or form." Instead they created a system whereby it could be altered. It's too bad the Court sometimes believes it's a part of that process.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 04:35 PM) I think replacing the attitude/work ethic of Pruitt and Randle will benefit the team. Agreed. Funny how Pruitt decides the last few games of his college career to actually give a damn. Pruitt could easily have pwned the league. Instead he and Randle leave the program as probably the worst group of seniors since '99. Next year is going to be an entirely different team. We'll have shooters and slashers. It'll be run and gun like in 05. Hopefully Weber can keep them focused on defense. I expect them to finish in the top 3-4 of the big ten with an at large bid to the tourney. Anything else is a failure.

bah, wisky comes out firing. this is over. oh well, at least Illinois made the tournament worth watching. I can't wait until next year.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 09:23 AM) Normally the play ends, then the officials call their timeout. This happened in the Wisconsin game yesterday too, when Hughes went down. He was on the ground, right in front of the ref, but play continued until the play was over. After it was, the whistle was blown and Hughes was dealt with. After the foul wasn't called, I don't see how it wasn't called a travel. Apparently you just get a do over if you get hit in the face and no foul is called, but whatever, we wouldn't have won anyway. It just would have been nice to get the chance, especially after that Indiana game. I totally agree with this. It's either a foul or a travel, one of those should have been called. The only thing I can think of is that it was an official timeout because he dropped to the floor in the middle of the paint with guys all over him. Hughes fell out by the 3 point line and no one was within 5-6 feet. But even that's a stretch - he traveled before there was any danger which would have caused the officials to call a timeout. Either way I don't see you winning with only 8 sec left and down 4. But after the Indiana game, who knows. If i'm a gopher fan, i'm excited for what Tubby should/will be able to do. Minny basketball is def on the rise. As far as illinois' chances today, they're just going to have to play their best game of the year (by far) and hope Wisky misses some shots and/or gets in foul trouble. Either way, it took them until their last game, but they are finally playing with some emotion. I chalk up yesterdays "close" game to Weber having to sub a lot to keep guys fresh for the game against Wisky.

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Mar 13, 2008 -> 06:39 PM) on one hand, i'm happy illinois won. i'm an illini fan, and when your team wins you should be a little happy at least. and i'm happy for chet. he's taken a lot of tihs for something that really isn't his fault. if he was playing his proper role on this team (any team) he'd be a fan favorite. he plays hard as hell, is gutsy, and clearly cares. but he's forced to be something he's not, and his every flaw is exposed again and again. on the other hand, i'm not happy illinois won. you struggle to beat a crap team without it's two best players? you almost let a win run down your leg yet again? christ. plus this means i have to watch one more game of wretched illinois basketball this year. one more game of horrid offense, bad free throw shooting, and dudes choking? ugh. (i-l-l...) I give them a 40-60 chance tonight against Purdue. They've played them tough. Hopefully Purdue has an off night and we can come out with a win and keep the dream train alive. One thing I'm excited for: Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle no longer having eligibility.

QUOTE(StrangeSox @ Mar 14, 2008 -> 10:21 AM) In Jack's testimony, he said that 8 survived the crash and 6 made it off the island. Maybe he was one of the ones they said died in the crash? The producers have said in one of their podcasts that the 8 has no significance. Jack was just covering for Kate and threw out a number. Similiar to the newspaper clipping with the guy in the coffin, we're supposed to ignore it.