SouthsideDon48

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Jan 22, 2012 -> 10:55 AM) Because Bost has Gonzalez at first and Ortiz at DH. No, it's because Konerko looks good in a uniform.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Jan 18, 2012 -> 09:56 PM) I am expanding on this. When I was back home, a primary doctor used to get 500 + pesos. If you were a specialists (Urology, etc), you would get about 600 +. There were other professions where people were getting 100 +. I think it is about the same now. I would say these guys got about 300-400 pesos plus any freebies (car, apartment, etc) they government gave you. You have to be a star like Yuliesky Gourriel. He has home Internet where most peolple do not even have a computer. Cuba has an Intranet for Cubans where they only see the inside network. Gourriel is probably the only one with Internet access. His dad was a great outfielder for team Cuba and has managed his son. I guess the government wants to reward them and prevent them from leaving. Going back to the worthless pesos. In my time, a George Washington was worth 200 and 00 pesos. Now, the government manipulate the exchange rate. You can see it here. http://www.bc.gov.cu/English/home.asp What is that second currency called Convertible" Cuban Peso CUC ? Another great idea from these dummies who want to limit the dollar circulation. Therefore, If I decide to make a trip back home and take my hard earned $5,000 US. The dummies want me to exchange this amount for CUC. I can keep my dollars but if I pay with that, I get a %20 penalty I believe. Enough about this nonsense. I never been back myself so I do not have to deal with the dummies. Very interesting! I love reading stuff like this and learning about what it's like in other parts of the world. Keep it coming.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Jan 18, 2012 -> 09:03 PM) Greetings and Salutations, Cespedes first bomb in Quisquella Stadium which is supposed to be a big stadium. I hope the Tank does well for you. CUBANO!!!! Welcome back!!! I've always hoped you'd come back and share your thoughts on more of the Cuban free agents. I always tremendously enjoyed your posts the last time you were here, you were one of my favorite posters. Welcome back, dude, hope you stay around.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 18, 2012 -> 07:34 AM) The last team on the planet we should be worried about matching is the Cubs. But what about the BP Cup?

I definitely like hearing about Dayan helping the Sox by trying to recruit both Cespedes and Soler. In a dream world, it'd be nice to get both of them.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jan 17, 2012 -> 02:13 PM) First 2 packages won't happen. They are both drastic overpays. I can dream, can't I? ;-) As for all the players in the Blue Jays' system, I really really really hope that if the Sox trade Floyd to them, that Drew Hutchison is included in the return package. I'm very high on Hutchison, I think he'll be better than Deck McGuire, and he dosnt have as much fanfare as McGuire, so I think Hutchison can be had.

If Floyd is traded, then these are the type of packages I'd like to see from the following teams: Toronto Blue Jays: Trade Floyd for a package of Drew Hutchison, Jake Marisnick, and Adeiny Hechevarria. (Swap Hechevarria for Deck McGuire if possible) Boston Red Sox: Trade Floyd for a package of Bryce Brentz, Will Middlebrooks, and Ryan Lavarnway. (Brentz is the guy I'd really like to acquire from the Red Sox, along with Lavarnway as a close 2nd. Lavarnway can replace Flowers in the depth chart) Baltimore: Not really interested in any players from the Baltimore system. :-\ Pittsburgh Pirates: Trade Floyd, Morel, and a low level prospct for Pedro Alvarez and Kyle McPherson. (I doubt the Pirates would be a good trade partner for the Sox because of how Floyd's contract being a little too pricey for them, but I'd LOVE to see Pedro Alvarez on the Sox.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 17, 2012 -> 10:48 AM) GPA is only a marginal help, and once you are a few years into your career, it is meaningless. But with a full 4.0, as a recent grad, definitely make sure that is highlighted! Here is something I just read the other day... Aon (insurance conglomerate) is adding a thousand US jobs, including 750 or so in the Chicago area, and they have said the biggest chunk of that will be in HR. They are also consolidating some remote offices into their downtown building. So they might be a good place to start. Ohhhhh, thank for the heads-up! I'm definitely gonna look into Aon. :-)

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 17, 2012 -> 08:07 AM) You guys are beating Don up a bit here, jeesh. GPAs are less important than one would think, but if he got a 4.0 that is definitely something that shows he can consistently succeed and is a responsible, hard-worker. It's definitely not something I would overlook if I was a potential employer. QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jan 17, 2012 -> 10:30 AM) I definitely wasn't trying to knock down that achievement, hell it's one that I never could even dream of doing. Just have good interviewing skills Don and you'll be a great candidate Thanks, guys. I definitely agree with what iamshack said in terms of how a gpa can show that someone is a hard worker and is responsible. Plus I'm still surprised that I was able to graduate with a 4.0 gpa, I honestly never expected it. Because I was a lifetime 2.7 gpa student in high school (never really did homework). But once I hit college, my gpa went higher and higher.

If you're looking for some interesting stories, try and find a spanish translator and try and get interviews with Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, and Aroydys Vizcaino of the Atlanta Braves system. They're not from Indiana, they're from Colombia (Teheran), Panama (Delgado), and the Dominican Republic (Vizcaino). I think it would be very interesting to get an interview about their lives in those countries and how they got discovered, and their adjustments to playing ball in the states, etc. Maybe even ask them what they thought about the Wilder skimming scandal.

QUOTE (GoodAsGould @ Jan 13, 2012 -> 10:51 PM) Your goal is pretty much to force people to fold, which can work well depending on the type of people your up against. You're right. And it actually works better towards the end of a tournament when the blinds are high in poportion to people's chip stacks. I find it helps me collect a lot of uncontested pots. I try not to be obvious whn I do it, though. I pick my shots selectively, dive in and out, kinda like a fighter pilot.

I just graduated with a BA degree in the human resources field. I also graduated with a 4.0 gpa. :-) Now I'm looking around for an entry-level job in the human resources field. The going has been tough, since I've been looking for a job since November. Any leads? Any tips or advice?

QUOTE (Tuna @ Jan 6, 2012 -> 08:49 AM) All in before every flop? lol, hell no. He said I play similar to online players because of my bet-sizing in relation to the amount that is in the pot. I usually bet in a range of 1/2 the pot to as much as the pot or more.

Sheesh, ANOTHER trade with Toronto? Why couldn't they just do one supe-trade? If the Sox trade Floyd to Toronto, I hope they get a worthy package such as Deck McGuire, Drew Hutchison, and Jake Marisnick. I'm a HUGE fan of Drew Hutchison, I think he's an underrated prospect that will be a solid major league pitcher. And for a player like Floyd, with a team-friendly contract, we better get a much better package back than what the sox got in the Santos and Frasor trades. C'mon Kenny Williams!!! Listen to me! If you trade Floyd, get a package such as McGuire, Hutchison, and Marisnick back!

From my knowledge of Simon Castro based on my research for fantasy baseball, as he was one of my personal top prospects before his bad 2011 season, I think Simon Castro's future is in the bullpen. I can honestly see a set-up/closer tandem of Castro/Reed or Reed/Castro in 2013 or 2014.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Nov 17, 2011 -> 10:51 AM) Who would we target on the Rockies? I'm not familiar with their farm I would love it if the sox somehow got Edwar Cabrera from the Rockies.

Sorry for being late to the party... I play poker all the time. I've been playing poker ever since I watched Chris Moneymaker win the WSOP Main Event in 2003. After watching Moneymaker win, I played poker with two groups of friends, so I was playing twice as much as all my friends were. To this day, I'm the only one out of all my friends that plays poker seriously by playing whenever I can in bar leagues, casinos, Chicago Charitable Games, home games, etc. I'm also a "tournament specialist". I never have fun playing cash games, so I stick to tournaments and sit_n-goes. There's just something I find very boring and monotonous about cash games with how the blinds always stay the same and never increase. That's why I like tournaments because there's extra strategy involved in the form of the tournament structure, the blinds, the time per blind level, and the relevance of chip stacks. I also find more enjoyment out of tournaments because I generally enjoy elimination-style games. I also never play online, I'm old-school. I just don't find it enjoyable because I enjoy the live tells of playing live. However, I once had a dealer ask me if I play online because he said the way I bet is similar to online players, lol. So far, my biggest tournament cash was winning $1,400 when I came in 4th place in the daily $200 Sunday tournament at Horseshoe Hammond. I really enjoy playing at Horseshoe Hammond and I think they run terrific tournaments. I've also played in the 2010 WSOP-Circuit and the 2011 Chicago Poker Classic at Horseshoe Hammond, but I got eliminated halfway through the field in both and didn't cash. I also used to play a lot of tournaments at Majestic Star in Gary, Indiana, but haven't done so as much because I find the tournaments at Horseshoe more enjoyable. I also once played in the same poker tournament as Michael "the Grinder" Mizrachi in Vegas in 2007. I got eliminated in 31st place and then they combined the tables and Mizrachi got moved to my vacated seat that was still warm from me sitting on it. Lol. That was the closest I came to playing against Mizrachi, lol. I stayed around till the break just to have a chance to talk to him, and he was a very nice guy. In the same tournament, there was a guy who was featured on WSOP on ESPN who couldn't use his arms, instead he had to use a triangular piece or wood that looked like a doorstop and use his feet to look at his cards. Very inspirational guy! :-) Most of the time I play in free bar league tournaments once or twice a week so I can stay sharp for the real money tournaments. If anyone from Soxtalk would like to meet me and play free poker, feel free to come to one of the free bar leagues I play in, maybe we'll end up on the same table. :-) Both of the following free poker leagues are affiliated with the Free Poker Network: Sundays: Time: 5pm andd 8pm. Location: Tinley Bowling Lanes (in Tinley Park, IL) Usually averages about 30 players, sometimes more spread out on 4 or more tables. Tuesdays: 7:30pm. Location: Hollstein's Bar on Oak Park Ave in Tinley Park, IL.. Usually averages 30 players as well, spread out on 4 tables, typically. There's another league that plays on Monays at Morgan's Bar in Frankfort at 7 or 7:30pm, but I haven't played there cause of my schedule. I also occasionally play in the Chicago Charitable Games whenever they make a stop in Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, or anywhere else in the south suburbs.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 13, 2011 -> 12:30 PM) I was wondering if there are enough poker players here to warrant a separate poker thread? I'm a poker player, I'd be in favor of a separate poker thread. I'm exclusively a live tournament poker player, though. I never liked online poker.

I would definitely be excited if the Sox hired Francona as the manager. I'd much prefer Francona over LaRussa, too.

Did they resurrect Battle Dome and introduce a new guy named Cylander?

This is what I typed up for my facebook status update yesterday, here's what my morning on September 11, 2001 was like: I was 16 years old, a sophmore in high school, and I had just woken up. Normally I'm always so set in my routine, you know... wake up, take a s***, brush my teeth, take a shower, get dressed, and catch the bus for school. But for some reason, I deviated from my normal routine on the morning of 9/11/01. That morning, for no reason at all, I felt compelled to turn on my bedroom tv while I was getting dressed for school. I NEVER do this, I never watch tv in the morning because it always make me run late for school, and even to this day I still never turn on my tv in the morning. Yet, on the morning of 9/11/01 it was like something was off that morning, something was not right, and I didn't know it yet, but something just compelled me to turn on my bedroom tv as if I was hypnotized to do so. So I turn on my bedrrom tv and I start flipping through the channels. Keep in mind, I NEVER watch tv in the morning, so I had no clue what was on, but I kept flipping though the channels anyway. I flipped through CNN and saw an image of smoke blowing from a tall skyscraper and I continued on and flipped through more channels. "What a minute..." I thought, as I snapped out of my morning daze, "what was that???" I immediately flipped the channel back to CNN and saw the news report about an "airplane" that flew into the first tower. I was trying to make sense of how such an accident could've happened, and so I kept my eyes on the tv as I sat on my bed to put my socks on. But before I had a chance to put my first sock on all the way, I saw an object fly from the right side of the screen and crash into the 2nd tower. "Holy s***!" I screamed, as I realized this was no f***ing accident. No way in hell could two airplanes accidentally fly into neighboring towers on the same day. I screamed downstairs to my mom, who was already on the phone, talking to someone about the first tower that was hit. "Mom!!! Another plane flew into the 2nd tower! I saw it fly in live! What the f***!?" She didn't believe me at first that the 2nd tower was attacked, she thought I was talking about the first tower, but as the situation sunk in she became very sullen. I left for school, and that was the quietest day in my life, because everyone at school was in shock. The whole day just felt gloomy, like there was an early morning fog, except the fog was in the form of everyone's silence. Even the sunny sky outside didn't seem as sunny through the windows on that day. My high school was also in the middle of remodeling and building a new cafeteria, so we were all eating in an area that used to be the commons/auditorium area that was now designated for a temporary cafeteria. The atmosphere was just so depressing, everyone was quiet, scared, nervous, and uncertain. Despite being in a cafeteria with about 300 other people, it was the loneliest lunch period for everyone in that room. We all wanted answers, and two guys were trying to watch the news coverage of the events that were unfolding in Manhattan with an old tv that had a really poor antennae signal. Combined with the grainy signal from the tv, and all the smokey footage that was being televised from Manhattan, no one was really able to see anything on the tv. So none of us were really getting definitive answers and we were stuck in school that day, in the quietest lunch hour of our lives. It felt so suffocating, even the huge cafeteria room we were in felt so dreary, dark, and bleak that morning, and with all the brick walls that were surrounding us, it really did feel like we were all in a nuclear bunker deep underground and isolated from the rest of the world that day. To this day, it still disturbs me that I witnessed thousands of people die, live on tv, when the 2nd plane flew into the 2nd tower.

Every time I think of how the Sox perform this season, and whenever I think of what the 2012 advertising campaigne is gonna be like, I keep thinking of the "Matrix" and "Matrix: Reloaded" movies. Ladies and gents, for the 2012 Chicago White Sox advertising campaigne, I present to you... "Chicago White Sox Baseball: Reloaded"

I hope they make a sequel to "Inception", and I would like "Inception 2" to begin at where the first movie left off, where Cobb is hugging his kids. Except a mysterious man comes over and kills Cobb's kids. Enraged, Cobb kills the man, but then everything around him starts crumbling as Cobb realizes he was in that man's dream. The whole movie would basically be an inception on Cobb to convince him that he was dreaming, with the theme of "kill the dreamer" where all the dreamers are sent to limbo when Cobb kills them, allowing Cobb to wake up to a lighter level of dreams until he gets to the final dream and sees Mal. Mal kills the dreamer in that dream and tells the dreamer that she'll rescue all the dreamers from Limbo. The dream tarts falling apart as Cobb finally wakes up to reality. Cobb's father and kids great him as he wakes up in his own bed, then he noticed he was connected to the dream maching thingy, and that i's connected in another room. He tracks the thing to the other room where the machine is also hooked up to Mal and the other dreamers. Mal is still sleeping, as she's rescuing all the dreamers from Limbo so that they won't be trapped in Limbo forever and in a vegetative state in reality. Cobb doesn't believe he's in reality and is convinced he is still dreaming, so he grabs a gun and kills the sleeping Mal, to the horror of his father and kids, who screamed that he killed his wife and the other dreamers. Cobb sees Mal's clenched hands loosen up as she dies and drops a spinning top, Mal's spinning top. Cobb realizes he made a grave mistake, "No!" He screams, as he grabs the top and spins it on the coffee table to prove that he was still dreaming, except the top always stop spinning, and Cob realizes he's in reality. THAT is how I'd like to see Inception 2 be like. :-)

So how are everyone enjoying the 20-team league this year? :-) Ther's still lots of competition for the #7 and #8 playoff slots, things are gonna get interesting.

Since when did the Cubs get Rodrigo Lopez? : He sucks. Also, I'm going to the taste of chicago right now, but I'm thinking of finding a sports bar somewhere on Michigan avenue to watch the game at. Does anyone know of a sports bar or a genric bar that's on Michigan avenue or close to it and within walking distance of Grant Park? Also, I hope they won't mind me sitting down for 2 hours or so any only getting 1 or 2 sodas.