Texsox

The crowd wasn't any different. The only ex MLB person that I can remember drawing a crowd was Terry Bevington, but it was because I threw a Bevington party.

From the US Census Bureau. Took me an hour to complete the damn thing. Anyone else get one of these?

We're heading to Big Bend National Park for a week of camping, hiking, and reading.

http://www.valleymorningstar.com/sports/ar...19bb30f31a.html LMAO. When he wasn’t up to bat, Canseco looked a nervous mess, complete with constant sniffling, a facial tic and an obsession with the cherry Chapstick he kept in his pocket. This time, Canseco refused the aid of a pinch-runner. The league made a special rule for its ringer this weekend. Mainly, he doesn’t have to run if he doesn’t want to. (Casey Martin of baseball?) Yeah, at times it really sucks living here.

While it is easy to dismiss the difference in attendance to "Cub fans are stupid", there is more at play here. Why do casual fans, fans without a real vested interest in either team, prefer to watch a game on the north side instead of the south side? It takes a really good Sox team to draw them in. One factor I believe causes this is the Cubs do a better job of welcoming the casual fans. When they here that Sox fans are more knowledgeable about baseball, they know where they fit. When they hear Sox fans complain about "band wagon jumpers", they know where they fit. And, while we know it isn't true, there is the whole safety of the north side versus lawlessness on the south side. The attendance battle isn't grabbing the regular fan, the attendance battle is for the family that goes to one or two games a year. They have no idea whose in first. They may know a player or two, but they just want to have a fun family outing. Clearly, they, and salespeople entertaining clients, prefer Wrigley.

Part of changing our views on victims. Thankfully society now sees victims as victims and not someone that should be shielded in any way. It's hard to believe that not too long ago parents wouldn't want their children exposed as being victims, they didn't want their kids dragged through court and forced to testify. Sexual abuse, rape, etc continues to be an under reported crime category. I think the changes are for the better. But the changes have not happened everywhere. In some corners of the world women are still ostracized if they are raped.

Team culture. It's the little things that build great franchises.

I use to travel a lot for business and went to games on a fairly regular basis. It was weird at first but I wound up having some cool times. Every so often I would meet someone else solo. For me it was better than sitting in the hotel bar.

Thanks a Lot are my current downfall . . .

I log in to soxtalk while eating half a pack of girl scout cookies and this is the first thread I see.

So if you are sitting at a light waiting for it to change so you can turn right you should continuously be checking the bike lane? The cyclist passed a car with their blinker on getting ready to turn right. It seems crazy that a bike can pass a car like that and claim the right of way.

Even the bike forums I read said cars should enter the bike lane near the interesection.

checking, still no pics

A friend of mine was stopped at a red light, blinker on, waiting to turn right. When the light changed to green she started her right turn and a bike ran into her. The cyclist was not on the road when she pulled up, he turned onto the road from a side street. I've been researching who has the right of way and can't find anything specific to Texas. In California it seems that cars are expected to pull into the bike lane to make their turn (surprised me I thought cars should never be in the bike lane.) He was basically passing a car that was in the process of turning. When she started the turn he was behind her. If bikes have all the same rights as cars, then if cars stay out of the bike lane, cars would be turning through a traffic lane. The cop who responded basically said the cyclist was at fault, but that the report just outlines what happened and would not comment on right of way.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Feb 18, 2013 -> 08:02 AM) I get the reasoning, but common sense should indicate that you aren't purchasing the vehicle when leasing so your taxes shouldn't be the same as actually buying the vehicle. Tax a portion of it, I totally understand that, but full msrp for a 2-3 year lease is ridiculous imo. The company that you are leasing from buys the car from the dealer. So full price should be paid. What they charge the consumer is I guess negotiable. Remember the leasee is not "buying" the vehicle, the lease company is. The lease company is guaranteed the interest and wins if the residual value is greater than what was contracted and you turn it in to them. In simpler terms, if you agree to buy $12,000 of a $16,000 vehicle the lease company is hoping the car is worth more than $4,000 when you return it. The second tax payment should be based on what the car is worth at the time of the second purchase as is any used car. I'd be surprised if Illinois charges tax based on the new car price for a used car. That could mean that someone would buy a used car for $200 and owe $750 in taxes? Texas uses either the actual price if you buy from a dealer or fair market value (FMV) if it is a private party sale. Which sometimes sucks. The last truck I bought I paid a couple thousand less than the FMV but paid tax on the higher amount. Too many people will lie about the sale price.

QUOTE (balfanman @ Feb 18, 2013 -> 08:01 AM) True, while I do think that Frank is clean, can you imagine the firestorm if MLB took the award from Giambi and gave it to Frank, then Frank turned out to be dirty. If Frank turned up dirty, it would probably be about the worse day I could image as a Sox fan.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Feb 17, 2013 -> 07:14 PM) Unfortunately Illinois sales tax laws blow when it comes to leasing cars and buying the car after the lease (you essentially pay full price sales tax twice). I was in Illinois when I did it. I was a few thousand dollars to the good, so it still made sense. I understood the reasoning, the leasing company paid the first tax and I paid the second. But common sense indicates that the consumer pays it twice. Once in the lease payment, then again if they buy it and resell it or keep it.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Feb 11, 2013 -> 04:39 PM) How the f*** does this happen to someone every spring? What an idiot. Wouldn't you try to have your visa issues ironed out say, a month or even a couple of weeks before you're expected at ST by the organization who pays your salary? I worked in Mexico for a few years and needed all that paperwork. Mexico was difficult, I hear the US is way worse. It sounds easier than it is. Usually the hiring company assists with all that stuff. Since his is a renewal, there may be a regulation on how far in advance he can even apply. Then, like happened with one of my professors, the US changed a form and didn't really publicize the change. A different form was needed along with notarized documentation . . . Yeah, it's a b****.

I am pretty excited, my local university is back with a Div 1 soccer program as part of joining the Western Athletic Conference. Sitting on the border, and being one of the top Hispanic universities in the US, I'm hoping we can pull in a few of the top players from Mexico.

We can't help you if you don't post pictures lol

/waiting to see who this really is. A very strange first post.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 17, 2013 -> 09:55 AM) Just keep the car in great condition and DON'T go over your mileage allotment. I knew someone who was so worried about going over the mileage he would rent a car for longer trips. When I asked what he paid per mile it was more than what his lease would have cost.

Hell Camry is a nice car. When you get about six months from the end of the lease check the current value versus the buyout. Sometimes you are sitting pretty especially if the mileage is low and the car is in excellent shape.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 17, 2013 -> 04:44 PM) He is an OK guard, but a great QB. Like I said, it came as a surprise. If he has pro aspirations, it probably ain't gonna happen from here. Interesting. I've always wondered how a kid winds up here. It is D1 so they don't suck.

Really? The only football we play here is spelled s-o-c-c-e-r and it starts in 2014. I'm interested in how recruiting will go starting next season. With the change to a conference with an automatic bid, conference games will actually matter. The Great West is a joke. Little more than an agreement to schedule games. The WAC isn't the best, but will force the team to get better or suffer.