caulfield12

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 21, 2015 -> 06:51 AM) you and caulfield12 do have a point and i will not dispute it. i come from a family of vets, from my grandfather in WW2 to uncles and immediate family. there is no denying what he did to serve his county. yeah every once in a while we will have to put up with self indulgent people like him. but i will refuse to label all of them b/c if this person. no matter what, 4 tours and the most kills. save many lives. I'd love to see how many of those kills were situations similar to the ones portrayed in the movie, "life and death" decisions involving women and children...the split second decision of are they civilian non-combatants or terrorists? Is all of that information still classified? Certainly it's not in the interest of the government for the public to find out, for example, how many of his kills were shot in the back or not holding weapons, etc. It's hard to imagine he didn't make a few mistakes when the kill record has somewhere between 160 and 270 insurgents listed, depending on the source. The movie makes a dramatic point about potentially shooting an unarmed woman and child (if he was wrong) and intimating he would have been court-martialed. As far as the all-time record, I think it's hard to compare World War II snipers with Gulf War I and II, or how many kills World War I flying aces had with WW II, for that matter. Context is always important to take into consideration. http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2013/02/0...tation-in-2009/ Here's a story that supposedly confirms the gas station shootings. Not sure how believable the explanation of the cover up is...it doesn't say the two victims were Mexican/Latino, but it intimates he suspected they were going to try to sell the truck across the border. That doesn't sound like a typical gringo move IMO. http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2013/03/2...-of-chris-kyle/ And the counterpoint, why that story, if true....is troubling for so many different reasons.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 21, 2015 -> 06:37 AM) I don't know if it's possible for Mike Rizzo to trade with the Sox right now. He and KW still have issues. Hahn may have the title of GM, but KW is still in the mix. There's the Dunn/EJax non-completed trade situation, then the drafting and protecting of Nieto last year, among other things.

"Frank" with Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal has to be the weirdest, yet strangely compelling movie ever made about a band. For 85% of the movie, Fassbender's wearing a giant head like Big Boy mashed together with the old Astros logo. Everyone in the movie is mentally ill except for the main protagonist. It also captures the idea of "pure music" coming into conflict with commercialization/Twitter/social media universe and the SXSW music festival. I don't know how to describe it, but it's got a 92% rating at Metacritic and it's just a really cool original movie. Another one, Harry Potter and Zoe Kazan in "What If," which some critics are claiming is a better romantic comedy than 500 Days of Summer. Definitely worth a viewing. Now on to IDA, a Polish film which has won a lot of accolades.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 21, 2015 -> 06:17 AM) Didn't he claim to have killed dozens of looters in New Orleans from the roof of the Superdome? He lost the lawsuit (his estate) that he liable Jesse Ventura in the book and in interviews. He also claimed to have executed two guys who tried to rob him at a gas station in Dallas. Those were his claims. Picking off snipers from the roof of the Superdome? Maybe that could be murder in our society. Killing two guys who may have been robbing him? Maybe. And $1.8 million, supposedly. No corroboration from anywhere about the supposed gas station incident.

What are you willing to give up to acquire Zimmermann, Strasburg, Fister or Tanner Roark? For the first two names, it's going to require three of our top five prospects. Besides, Passan wrote a very perceptive article stating that the Nationals (and multi-billionaire Ted Lerner) would be crazy to give up the advantage they have in depth with 6 pitchers and five big-time starting prospects, including what many consider the best in Giolito. Every baseball season proves you adage you can never have too much pitching. There are some affordability concerns with the likes of Ian Desmond (his name is mentioned everywhere) and Denard Span, but trading Tyler Clippard helped a bit. And the Vegas odds of the White Sox being involved in a third Gio Gonzalez trade are slim and none, especially with the plethora of lefties in the current depth chart. Plus, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if Shields signed with the Tigers, which would go a long ways toward convincing David Price to stay put in Detroit.

How Michigan is 5-2 in conference is one of the biggest stories of the early season. The importance of Kaminsky to WI was clearly showcased in their inexplicable loss to Rutgers. Iowa sweeps OSU and gets completely blown out of the gym in Madison...expected more resistance with White being a senior. Just couldn't get the broad side of a barn shooting-wise, and WI obviously plays tough defense, especially at home.

Thought Rasmus could get as much as $18-22 million for a two year deal, but $8 million isn't too far off. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12198478...lsong-deal-near Looks like Vogelsong is next. Rasmus, Marisnick, Springer and Gattis (LF/C) will split time. Once top prospect Singleton seems to be on the outside looking in...same with Grossman and Dominguez. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12199140...elds-unemployed Good article speculating on where Shields will end up by Stark. Right now, for $110 million and five years, nowhere. For $80-90 million and four years, there will be someone that bites, eventually.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 20, 2015 -> 02:37 PM) this is a true story from someone who was not near Katrina the aftermath and of Rita and after. the government hired a special security forced to help police the area. they wore all black and purple uniforms and had a special FRENCH name of their company. but most were ex-american military, make 15,000 a month. they were shipped in from Europe. they went where the military couldn't and b/c the government didn't want to be pegged as sending US military shooting americans. i know this, b/c i owned a store and i was with the rebuild after Rita the tues after the storm. i had to deal with these men. great guy but a little crazed. the curfew was on and they patrolled the harsh areas. so if i hear of someone here at that time and couldn't name the company, they are bulls***ting. it was a crazy time and we had to be armed at all times. many killings of those burglarizing stores and homes. the local government was really trying to downplay that. that is the truth. peace So Blackwater was using a French name for the same corporation? That wouldn't surprise me in the least, public relations. How do you know they were shipped in from Europe? http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stars-voice-su...ftag=YHF4eb9d17 Moore gets ripped to shreds on Twitter. Is that the same Jane Fonda or Jane Seymour (Bond Girl) married Peter Fonda? Rob Lowe usually not aligned with the conservative side of the entertainment industry. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/incredible-t...r9UwEYALRuTmYlQ On the truths and fiction of Kyle's life...as well as some poignant comments from Bradley Cooper at the end about the movie not being a political statement but more about returning from war and dealing with domestic life and family.

Well, you can't accuse the Astros and Padres of being boring anymore.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 20, 2015 -> 02:02 PM) Sure, but my point was they are better 1-6 so I'm not sure what your point is. The back of our lineup still sucks. We are a better team than the Cubs because of our pitching staff. Top 3, definitely. Back end of the rotation, nobody knows exactly what each team will end up with. But sure, Quintana vs. Hammel, that's a pretty easy one. Then you have Hendricks and Wood/E. Jackson/Wada at the back end. Hendricks was REALLY solid last season, but it was unexpected and nobody knows if it's repeatable, just like Noesi's success with the Sox (which wasn't as good as the numbers Hendricks put up, albeit in the NL). Although quite a few Kool-Aid drinkers in Cubbieland would tell you they prefer Arrieta now to Samardzija.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 20, 2015 -> 02:20 PM) Perhaps I've been watching too much Madam Secretary and State of Affairs recently House of Cards and Homeland is more like it, lol, with a twist of The Blacklist and Person of Interest.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 20, 2015 -> 02:07 PM) With the hard-on the media had about the government's response to Katrina, you don't think someone would have written a story about 20-30 bodies found with bullet holes from rifles shot at great distances? I mean that one is totally implausible. Edit: not to mention you'd have thousands of people in and around the superdome that would be hearing those gunshots, and helicopters circling the city almost nonstop that probably would have seen him. But I find the notion that we sent SEALs and/or mercenaries into New Orleans to shoot looters from the rooftops ludicrous. What, exactly, would be the upside? Further, even if we were to believe that the Bush administration was capable of ordering such a thing and that they found willing participants at Blackwater to carry it out, we’d also have to believe that no one who knew about the order—and there would have had to have been dozens, just from a planning and logistical standpoint—objected strongly enough to speak out. The author's counterargument in the same article.

In early 2012, I had an unexpected conversation with my friend Chris Kyle (author of American Sniper) about the Katrina debacle. I had heard rumblings about Special Operations (mainly SEALs) snipers being deployed to New Orleans to support the effort to restore order. He confirmed the rumors and shared his own intimate knowledge that close contacts of his, many who were apparently still serving on active duty, took leave to work for the controversial PMC (Private Military Company),Blackwater. Chris went on to tell me that the bulk of the guys he knew directly had racked up over thirty kills between them near and around the Super Dome. This came from an article in early 2013. FWIW. Also mentioned the scary concept of "180 grains of due process." http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/did-speci...-after-katrina/ I do believe with all the focus on this movie and momentum building for Bradley Cooper's nomination as Best Actor, that you're going to see a ton of new digging and research on the claims being made in the movie. Of course, those against the glorification of war will try to find examples of racism, of anything he did in his work with veterans that might have provoked his demise, the Katrina accusations, about his drinking problems, etc. If you read up on Tillman, you quickly find out how intelligent and how complicated he was...Kyle is complicated in the sense he seems so simple and straightforward that many are looking to complicate him retroactively.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 20, 2015 -> 09:24 AM) Michael Moore is not someone I'm listening to when the topic of courage/cowardice is being discussed. What is IB? And I don't think the 9/11 scenes were specifically propaganda (they weren't very long), as much as building a narrative and explaining where he'd be deployed. Completely agree. And I liked Gran Torino a lot. C'mon, Brian. Not really. I can hardly grasp what you're saying most of the time with the layout of your posts. Inglorious Basterds

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 20, 2015 -> 12:40 PM) RF - Soler CF - Fowler/Denorfia LF - Coghlan/Denorfia SS - Castro 3B - Alcantara/Olt 2B - LaStella/Alcantara 1B - Rizzo C - Montero Bench: C Ross, 2B/3B Olt/LaStella, OF Denorfia Then they probably break with one of Sweeney/Lake (I'd assume Sweeney) and another infielder. CF Fowler LF Coghlan 1B Rizzo SS Castrp RF Soler C Montero 3B Alcantara/Olt 2B LaStella/Alcantara Speaking objectively, their top six is better than ours. That's IF IF IF Castro is a capable 4 hole guy. Maybe if you projected POTENTIAL and projected guys out like Bryant and even Schwarber in the middle of the line-up, then you can starting making that argument. Soler's got to stay healthy and prove he can play everyday. Montero has regressed. Coghlan isn't likely to be as dangerous or as pesky. Of course, if Baez and Russell are for real, your middle infield solidifies and then you can plug Bryant in at 3B or potentially he moves to the OF and you can fit Baez, Russell and Castro together as some sort of infield combination.

American Sniper isn't awful, but it's far from great. I'll leave it at that. As far as Citizenfour goes, lots of polarizing opinions there as well. Some say because of unpolished editing, that it's quite the opposite of tension-filled and suspenseful. Supposedly it does give us a little bit more sense about Snowden the man (and his motives), but he's still largely a mystery. As to the coward comment, I'm sure Moore would say it ONLY applies to snipers, that he didn't mean it to be extended to infantry, nurses/medics, etc.

Speaking of IB, I'm watching a movie with Melanie Laurent and Jake Gyllenhaal called "Enemy" that's really creepy like Nightcrawler...some websites list it as the best movie of the year that earned under $10 million. As far as American Sniper goes, I think the main reason that comment was made (by Moore) was because of the fact that a family member was killed by a sniper during WWII...the idea that it's not heroic to shoot someone from a long distance/with their back turned, etc. I'm not sure that there's much of a political statement there. The movie is too straightforward for that. The only "counterpoint" about the country's "war mindset" is a minute long conversation with his brother who he randomly comes across on a deployment and his brother pointedly questions why he's there and what the mission is...for Chris himself, the point of his survival is not getting bogged down in thinking at all, essentially. Almost like a robotic killing machine, with the exception he has to assess threats, make split-second responses and be held accountable for his actions in real life, unlike a computer simulation. While some of the scenes have the feel of propaganda, there's enough of a moral quandary bent when you have to take out women and children to protect your guys that I'm not sure most moviegoers would choose to be in those same shoes. Of course, there's the obligatory 9/11 scenes to serve as motivation, but it's nothing we haven't been through 1000 times with the likes of the Pat Tillman Story. Personally, I feel that Gran Torino was considerably better than A.S., even though its subject matter and bleakness made it a difficult watch for some. Big Men....great documentary about oil and capitalism, should be a case study in every business school Our Brand is Crisis....if you're interested in shows like West Wing, House of Cards, read The War Room or want to know what political consultants do in off election years in the US, this is your documentary

Guess the days for Alcantara are numbered, at least he'll probably have to wait another year in the minors. Not sure exactly how he fits into their future plans. Trade bait for another starter, packaged with Russell/Castro/Baez? Then again, they might end up moving him to 3B to start the season and hold the position for Bryant until May or June.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 08:55 PM) Lol finally unlock the CSN Chicago channel on everyone's direct tv dish down there? First, they would have to make owning a satellite dish legal, lol. Maybe it has happened in the last year, or will happen soon. That's an 11 million population. One wonders if Brooks Boyer and the marketing group ever looked at making the White Sox "Cuba's Team" like the Cubs and Braves attempted with WGN and TBS in the 80's and early 90's?

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 09:30 PM) How do you prove that, though? That's your personal opinion. If these professional acting critics didn't think it was top 5, I'll believe them. They're not critics, with a few notable exceptions. When you hear statistics like that, you start to wonder about all the nominations for American Sniper, for example. And no club in the United States — over the last several years, the Academy has been around 93 percent white, 76 percent male and an average of 63 years old — is in more need of new blood than Hollywood. from nytimes.com article earlier cited

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/opinion/...top-span-region How expensive it is to be poor. The last 1/3rd of the story goes back to Ferguson, a city with a population of 21,135 where there were 33,000 non-violent (mostly traffic) violations in 2013 (roughly 90 per day) targeting mostly the African-American population...also mentions the high court fines and wide array of fees and penalties.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 07:23 PM) It would take a Cardinals-esque run in order for there to be a real shift in fans. The Cubs have too many innate advantages at the moment. Not to mention the fact that the Royals are making inroads in western Missouri, Nebraska (farm team there), Kansas and southwestern Iowa. The Brewers pen them in from the north. Tigers from the near East. The major market opportunity they have is the opening up of Cuba, but how to take more advantage of it economically...where the money would go to the Sox directly and not be split with MLB?

No playoff appearances in 6 years (nearing the normal Sox total of one appearance per decade that kind of got ruined there with the anomalies of 2005 and 2008 so close together). 2007/2009/2011/2013 really sucked. Other than Abreu, no significant talent added to the team in the free agent market, largely due to the presence of Dunn and Danks...until now. thanks, M34 Actually, the White Sox should at least be as strong as the Mariners franchise. However, Seattle has a nicer stadium, a huge new tv contract that pays around $120 million per season (dovetailing nicely with their recent spending) and the fact they've never made it to the World Series.

QUOTE (farmteam @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 07:54 AM) Yeah, ready to go kick some pseudo-Westboro Baptist Church ass! What would be even funnier...Westboro attempting to disrupt the filming of Shameless in real life. Life imitates art? Please, for God's sake, no more Chucky pooping scenes. God, that whole story arc with the four of them is already growing tiring. I'd almost prefer a Road Rules/travelogue show to them being gentrified. And the biggest dramatic tension is V vs. Svetlana? Can't go anywhere but up.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 19, 2015 -> 11:32 AM) This reaction is just strange to me give that a year ago this issue was supposedly put to bed when The Black Movie and The Black Director/Writer and The Black Actress and The Black Actor were all nominated and/or won at the Oscars. How'd the Academy go from being not so racist to racist again in 12 months? Should The Black Movie of every year be nominated just because? I mean this movie very well may be deserving and they could have gotten screwed out of a nomination, but a lot of movies are. I hate when people just scream "because racism." That's one of the main points of the criticism. That the Academy just "checks off boxes" and then returns to the good 'ol boys network. A female director wins for The Hurt Locker, the first time ever, then there's less pressure to nominate other women in the future (like Zero Dark Thirty, which wasn't nearly the film Selma is IMO). In this case, the same director, James Cameron's ex. In all honesty, I think the biggest thing that hurt Selma was not getting all the screening copies out in time...making it very hard to vote for a movie you've yet to see, no matter the universal praise of the Metacritic or rottentomatoes ratings. I like that the Academy isn't rewarding so-so films like Cake and Big Eyes with nominations for Aniston and Amy Adams. On the other hand, they seem to be giving Julianne Moore a lifetime achievement award for Still Alice, because I've seen better (and lower-budgeted) overall films on Lifetime. Probably the biggest injustices this Oscar season are for Selma's director and The Lego Movie.