Texsox

knowing the Duke hatred, was one reason I picked them. They are usually the best delta between being a favorite and not being picked.

It's worth repeating f*** you Duke.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Mar 22, 2008 -> 03:28 PM) f*** you Duke. f*** you Duke.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Mar 22, 2008 -> 03:14 PM) I know the West is pretty awful, but why the heck would you pick Duke? No way could they possibly hnag with Xavier or UCLA. Playing the favorites all the way doesn't usually win. My two longshot picks were Duke making the final four, (banking on coaching coming through) and Texas winning it all. Now I'll wait for the second chance brackets

f*** the West just crushed me. I have Duke winning the Region. I hate the tournament

QUOTE(lostfan @ Mar 21, 2008 -> 09:46 PM) Great post... plenty of common sense here. Only thing I have some issue with is the part about guns being readily available - the easier it is to access, the easier it is to be found by an intruder and used against you. That's a slippery slope. What are your thoughts on gun collecting by the way? Curious. If you are going to count on the gun for protection, you have to assume you will be getting to it first and the intruder will not out muscle you for it. Collecting and creating an arsenal are usually easy to differentiate.

QUOTE(JohnCangelosi @ Mar 20, 2008 -> 12:58 PM) I happen to be an investor in many businesses and also run a few corporations myself. One thing you guys are missing is that when you have INVESTORS in your business, you need to report to them consistently on what you are doing in order to make a profit. J ncorgbl is back?! I have, and you are wrong, the goals of the INVESTORS (why are we shouting?) do come into play. If the investors goal is to win championships at any cost, then that is how the team would be run. There is nothing sacred that investors = profit motive. Put another way, if the group got together and said, we're going to invest $X today and $Y dollars every single year to win championships, and in the end, hopefully the value of the franchise will equal your investment, do you want in? Then that is how it should be run. Or at least until the group changes their direction. I'm not saying that is the case here, but people invest in companies for a variety of reasons, and earning a profit is not always one of them, just the most common. Here's an example, I've been investing in micro businesses through Kiva.org. Over the course of time, I expect to lose money, while helping entrepreneurs in Mexico.

Just looking at some of the national top picks so far. Seriously, how much is luck to have picked WKY and SD?

I am not an originalist. I do not believe the framers of our constitution were the most brilliant individuals to ever walk our earth. They did manage to write an amazing document that has served us well for over 200 years. To keep strong, I believe we can, and should, carefully update the Constitution when necessary. I believe they intended the citizens to grab their guns and come a runnin' when the government called. Such is clearly not the case today. I believed they realized that most citizens would be shootin' up some food, and realized a gun would be a necessary tool. Such is clearly not the case today. I think we have individuals in this society that should not have guns. I think there are many times more that are responsible and should have access to guns if they choose. I think owning a gun is fine. I think owning enough guns to arm a small city, should be looked at. I think practical guns and ammo, for reasonable activities, should be allowed. I think some types of ammo, extreme calibers and loads, fully auto weapons should probably be unavailable to ordinary citizens I think for a gun to be useful for home protection, it needs to be readily available, unlockable in seconds, and loaded. I think that is a recipe for disaster with kids in the house. I felt a home security system was a better option for my family and kept all my weapons securely locked, partially disassembled, and my ammo was under separate lock and key. I slept better at night knowing my guns would not hurt my kids.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 21, 2008 -> 05:07 PM) I went 3-5 in the first round here, and lost two sweet 16 teams and an elite 8 team (lol). This region was already pathetic in terms of the teams (and is moreso now with the results today), but it has been VERY fun to watch, which is all that matters. It'd have just been perfect and fitting had Belmont beaten Duke though, however despite that UCLA has to be feeling very good about it's chances with this competition, as they can cruise in this region while the other 3 beat each other up. I had UConn in the next round as well. Nothing like looking at that big red line before they even play.

Wow! Even though I had UConn, gotta love SD

QUOTE(knightni @ Mar 21, 2008 -> 04:55 PM) Anyone else laugh that some woman named her son "Gyno"? Wonder if she saw the OBY/GYNO sign in the delivery room.

great no calls at the finish of regulation

UCONN is killing me.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Mar 21, 2008 -> 03:34 PM) I take a wide stance, about 4 feet, so I don't dangle into the urinal. I need all the room I can get.

The big points are at the end. I try not to look until the 3rd round. But I did, and once again, these guys suck at following my script . . .

He's still playing? I honestly thought he was out of the league. I guess I should pay some attention to the NL

I'm back to where I started. 226 this morning.

I've been living in South Texas, along the border, for over ten years. During that time, I have sailed and fished the Gulf of Mexico, backpacking and camping throughout the Rio Grande Valley, both on public and private lands. I have scanned the butterfly and birding maps and trodden down trails lined with mesquite and live oaks. I have grown to appreciate the beauty of cacti and respect the hard life of the plants and animals who occupy this region. I thought I knew all the best spots, saw all the best sights. Until yesterday. To have an interesting life, surround yourself with interesting people. To see things you have never seen before, find friends who have seen things you have not. This started with a phone call. Would you like to take a canoe trip down the Rio Grande with the Friends of Roma Bluffs? I've been hearing about these float trips for a few years and until now, have resisted trips on the river. I have visited areas near the population centers of McAllen and Donna and the river was dirty with all the signs of visitors that needed to move quickly and for whom taking time to dawdle and "leave no trace" was not an option. This trip was much further up the river, the put in spot was just a few miles below the Falcon Reservoir Dam and would put out several miles and approximately ninety minutes down current and into what would be the prevailing winds. Joining us on the trip was two excellent guides, Bill and Michelle who are full time RVers, wintering in South Texas before heading north towards St. Louis in their kids. They are volunteering through US Fish and Wildlife along with several other couples. Each year with the arrival of our Winter Texans and their dollars, comes passionate volunteers who leave the area better. Making the $10 payments were a retired couple from Wisconsin and their son, and a family of four. All total we had 11 people ranging in age from 9 to (I'll be polite). What I am hinting here is anyone could take this trip. We met at the Roma Bluffs World Birding Center and piled into the US issued van which hauled the canoes up river. Along the way we picked up our volunteer driver who along with his volunteer wife, would be bringing the van and trailer back downriver to the take out spot. After unloading the canoes at a wonderful private campground and a safety and orientation chat, we were floating. The 16' canoes were perfectly maintained and seemingly new. The personal flotation devices were well fitted, and the paddles were well balanced. Most of my recent experiences have been in kayaks, so there was a period of adjustment before I was comfortable. Once confident in the boat and our abilities to control in the current, we began to look around and enjoy the scenery. This area of the river is far from any concentration of people and very clean. At one point, visibility was over three feet to a clean rocky bottom. Of the man made variety we saw very little evidence of humans, a couple fishermen on the south bank, a fence now and then, but most of the time it was just the birds and us. The birds! So many ducks, so many birds we could not identify. Fortunately Bill and Michelle were excellent resources with sharp eyes. Kiskadees were everywhere. Their bright yellow feathers would catch our eyes as we lazily paddled and floated. We had packed water and snacks but were so busy enjoying this stretch of river we never ate. I remembered to stay hydrated, my usually careful friend barely sipped any water. Despite the mild conditions that day, March temperatures stayed in the 70s, she was slightly dehydrated at days end. Irrigation demands down river dictate the flow of water being released from the dam. With water levels higher than normal most navigation challenges were safely below the surface, so our trip was uneventful. We were told at lower levels, some boulders become something to avoid. There have been a couple canoes that have tipped this season, but both were crewed by guests with zero canoe experience who wished to stay together. Besides the unpleasant dunking, no one was injured, and their trips went on as scheduled. Once we arrived at the take out point, we were treated to an incredible sight. A bird feeding station, a short walk from the ramp, offered birders a chance to view up close, dozens of species. From bright red cardinals, to yellow kiskadees, orange orioles, several species of woodpeckers, and many more I wish I had the expertise to describe. Even to a casual observer, this was a treat. And to think the we were a month or two past the prime viewing months of January and February. After a short drive back to the Roma Bluffs Center we were heading back home and trying to describe each moment, hoping to remember every sight along the way. The trips are offered throughout the winter months and I expect to be back next year, with more friends. I only pray the proposed border wall does not destroy this opportunity for future generations.

I would like to mention the Sloan Royal Flush II is perhaps the most viewed bit of plumbing anywhere. It has no equal. I wait with anticpation for the Royal Flush III

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Mar 19, 2008 -> 12:45 PM) What is funny is the $40K is probably a good percentage of some of their annual salaries. Why should the bullpen coach get an extra $40K for going ot Japan? Same with some players, a guy making the league minimum will really notice this. The player's union no doubt managed this clause for their union members. Most companies would offer management at least some of the same benefits that the people they manage are getting. Interesting the union members are striking to help management. How often does that happen?

The players were not b****ing about playing, they just wanted their coaches and staff compensated. Seems a lot different then the Yankees situation.

QUOTE(kjshoe04 @ Mar 19, 2008 -> 01:52 AM) Hope they get that contained, Tex. By the time it was contained over 25,000 acres were burned and 4 homes. Fortunately it is ranch land. They are checking on livestock now. Perversely, losing homes in some cases would be less of a financial hardship then losing the cattle.

QUOTE(AssHatSoxFan @ Mar 18, 2008 -> 01:04 PM) so you can neither confirm nor deny that TT has sand in his Va-jay-jay? My exd-wife was an X-Ray tech at Lake Forest Hospital and saw several of the Bears. She also worked at Highland Park Hospital where we met Jordan's then wife. She had one of the boys in the ER. The most amazingly gracious person. Saw Keith Van Horn one evening. What a huge human. Nothing fit on the standard X-ray film size.

Scary stuff. The area about 20 miles north of me, including several ranches that friends of mine own, is burning. 1,500 acres and growing. The winds are nuts here all day today. I was in the area for a while tonoght and seeing dozens and dozens of emergency vehicles all staged and taking off is sobering. http://www.kgbt4.com/Global/story.asp?S=8037146