Soxbadger

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 12, 2017 -> 01:20 PM) So confession time. Today is day 52 of my sobriety. Some random combination of an always-brewing controlled alcoholism plus lots of nights where wife and kid were in bed nice and early had me drinking like a mad man. I came to a point where it just had to stop yay those days ago, and needless to say life is pretty good. Anyone else out there ever struggle with booze? I just always wanted 10 after I had one and kept finding reasons to have that one which led to the 10 and so on. While I was a high-performing gentleman prior to quitting drinking, I think I'm only now starting to realize the very real benefits of not drinking the massive amount of booze I was consuming on a most-of-the-time nightly basis. I'm pretty stoked. Anyway, likely TMI for an internet message board, but y'all's my peeps! Steve, Congrats! Alcohol hasnt been my thing since back in college, but I can certainly relate. Personally over the last 2 years I have cut back significantly on my vices, but never have actually reached any sort of milestones. That being said, you should definitely feel good about it, especially if the lack of alcohol isnt negatively impacting your life. Fortunately/unfortunately alcohol just kind of wrecks my system, so 1) I cant sleep when Im drunk, 2) I feel hungover/cant function the next day and 3) it makes me actually feel slower/dumber.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 12, 2017 -> 11:14 AM) Because we have a lot more nuclear weapons. It doesn't destroy the world when Argentina files for bankruptcy or the Philippines elects a person who goes around personally killing people. The world d*mn near blew itself up 9 years ago because we invented something called a Credit Default Swap. Not sure how this at all is relevant to whether we are more or less foolish than other countries. So I guess its okay if a small country is horrific, like NK, because well they dont have as many nukes as we do. Interesting perspective on whether a country has a good/bad government.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Jan 12, 2017 -> 01:21 AM) If ever this country needed a military coup d' etat to save it from an absolute buffoon sh*tshow... We were recently in Argentina visiting my wife's family and every single relative and/or family friend of her's always eventually asked me how we possibly could have voted for someone like Trump. In my attempt to defend America's reputation, I quickly reminded them that he got 3 million less votes than Clinton but our outdated and stupid election process gifted Trump the presidency. Yes, the world is laughing at us and they do think we are a bunch of idiots. Hard to argue otherwise ATM Not sure why the world is laughing at us when pretty much every other country has done something as equally (if not more) stupid. Yes Trump seems like he is a disaster, but he was elected and that is what makes a Republic. We didnt change the rules when we didnt like the outcome, we didnt have a military coup. We accept the results and we do what we can within our system of checks and balances to make sure that even if a "fool" is elected President, that we do not all go down with the ship. Sometimes people need to learn a hard lesson before they can really make a change. IF this is the "worst" that has happened to our Republic in the last 200+ years, it still makes us one of, if not, the best freely elected societies.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 02:57 PM) Any further insight? Direction? I think that makes sense. Are they w-2 (employee) or 1099 (independent contractor). Either way, if you are writing the agreement just basically put in a section and make it clear that it is employment at will. Do not write anything like "termination for cause etc", as that is just superfluous (since im billing you, Ill use the fancier words so I sound legitimate. ).

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 02:19 PM) I agree with this so much, I could have written it myself. I was going to post the this earlier but got distracted: I think the same can be said about H Bush and W Bush . I may disagree with them on certain policies, but at least they werent total ass clowns. I know earlier in the year I took some heat when I said that W maybe wasnt so bad, but I think more people are now starting to see the difference between: a) a guy who you disagree with but is doing what he believes is right for the country and b) a guy who would do anything for a slight advantage for himself, even if it meant completely destroying the country.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 01:50 PM) As an update, we've decided to move along. The young woman we interviewed is receiving an offer later tonight which she says she's excited to accept. I've decided to pay the current nanny for two weeks upon dismissal. To say this isn't weighing heavily would be an understatement. I'm too emotional a guy, it seems. Thankfully I quit drinking 51 days ago or else I'd really be acting goofy. I'll let y'all know how she takes it. Spoiler alert, she's going to sob and promise she'll do better and not understand it and get angry and sob and sob and sob. I didnt see your first post earlier, and this is going to come off as cold, but dont put into contracts "termination for cause." If she is an employee make it clear that she is "at will", which means you can fire her for any reason or no reason. Just no point in putting yourself in a position where you could be liable for wrongful termination. (edit) Its interesting timing because just today I had to leave work cause my dad got sick so he couldnt take care of the monster this afternoon.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 10:50 AM) It's Day -9 of the Trump Presidency. I don't know how he, or us, will survive this. Eh, historically speaking he probably wont even come close to top 10 worse leaders in history, maybe not even top 100. Certain people may suffer, but we will survive.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 11, 2017 -> 09:38 AM) It is worth mentioning that these are the same intelligence agencies that gave us WMD's in Iraq. Was wondering who would fall into this trap. The problem with comparing the "WMD" argument, is that whether or not Iraq had "WMD" is dependent on how you frame "WMD". In a former life, I argued hard against the invasion of Iraq on the basis that while Iraq likely had some chemical weapons, the "WMD" argument was in an attempt to fool the American public into believing that Iraq had something equivalent to a nuclear device or an active WMD program. As it turns out, Iraq did have some chemical weapons, most of them being old and possibly useless, which depending on your definition, either proves or disproves that Iraq had "WMD". So a good comparison would be: Maybe there arent multiple Trump sex tapes, maybe not all of what the reports say are true, but that there is definitely SOMETHING there. It just may not be as much as was originally thought or it may be older. Its amazing how quickly Republican supporters are circling the wagons. Instead of "Maybe we should investigate this" its "we cant trust the FBI/CIA because a long time ago the Republican party misled people."

So, is this the point where the unholy Trump/Democratic alliance forms? Because I have to imagine there are some Republican's out there who could possibly see it as advantageous to get rid of Trump in favor of Pence. I kid, but still scary to think about.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 04:44 PM) Oh FFS. So the Republicans vetoed a bill that had funding for veterans in it because it had something they didn't like. You act as if that has never happened in the history of the f***ing planet by Democrats. it happens all the damn time by both sides. Throw something you know the other side hates into a bill that would be difficult for them to vote against. Get off your damn high horse. if Democrats cared as much as you think Republicans didn't, the f***ing VA wouldn't be such a cesspool of ineptitude and labor bulls*** that keeps screwups hired while allowing veterans to die. That is on the Obama admin. (hint, he isn't a Republican) Translation: Damn facts, I must find a way to try and completely make up a new fact pattern. I know, I will bring up times when someone else did something that may or may not be related and then I will say "It happens all the time", instead of actually addressing the facts. Then I will completely change the subject and make some entirely unrelated claims that have nothing to do with funding. /end translation Good to see that even when the Republican's are in charge their supporters wont hold them accountable.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 12:28 PM) Yet, still no one in politics cares, and the general public yawns. Slightly more than 50% of the US population cared. The obvious hope of something like Obamacare is that at the end of the day everyone would get affordable access to healthcare. Unfortunately, slightly less than 50% of the population does not care about the health of others. The reality is that there seems to be plenty of money that could be given to veterans, just one party has consistently blocked any effort to provide further aid. In 2015, VETERANS AFFAIRS FUNDING BILL (2015), 1.4 bil was removed from Obama's budget that would have gone to veteran services. In 2014, WOMEN VETERANS AND FAMILIES HEALTH SERVICES ACT (2014), was killed because Republican's did not want Planned Parenthood to provide any of the services. 2014, VETERANS HEALTH AND BENEFITS AND MILITARY RETIREMENT PAY RESTORATION ACT (2014), was amended to include sanctions on Iran, was ultimately defeated with 41 out of 45 Republican senators voting against it. In 2012, VETERANS JOBS CORPS ACT (2012), was blocked by Senate Republicans. In 2012, HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS AND HOMELESS VETERANS WITH CHILDREN ACT (2010), was blocked by Senator Mitch McConnell. In many of those instances McConnell was instrumental in blocking any additional aid being given to veterans. But dont worry, hell find money to pay for a wall, to build 80 more ships. So dont say "no one cares", be honest, "Republican's haven't cared." Again, I know this post is pointless, because facts have no place in American society anymore. So I will just stand with my hands in the air asking questions like "Why doenst anybody care?", "Why cant anything be done to help veterans?" Even though the answer is pretty apparent, stop voting for Republicans who have shown a complete disregard for our veterans.

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 02:49 PM) State's Rights!* * Exceptions to State's Rights include regulating where you can go to the bathroom, who you can marry or sleep with, and what you put into your body. Remember how awesome it was when Trump saved 800 Carrier jobs? Well Colorado created 18,000 jobs in 2015 in the marijuana industry. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp...m=.4659241ac5c9 SHUT YOUR MOUTH HIPPY! Back in my day wed carry hippies like you out on a stretcher. Cocaine is the only safe and acceptable drug.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 02:46 PM) Isnt the republican party in favor of states rights? You mean the party of big government? Let Trump destroy everything Republican's ever claimed to stand for. To quote Cyndi Lauper: "I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors, thats why I love you. So dont be afraid, to let them show."

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 02:44 PM) I guess I don't see a reason to be "thankful" that thousands of people will get illnesses that can be crippling or even fatal because of anti-vax morons and through no fault of their own? America elected Trump. All citizens of the United States are at fault for that. Even myself, arguably one of the loudest critics of Trump, has to recognize the fact that maybe I could have done more.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 02:24 PM) But this is going to also impact people who were vaccinated but it wasn't 100% effective, newborns, people who can't get vaccinated for whatever reason. So how is that not "survival of the fittest?" QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 02:27 PM) Also said that the feds will go after legal pot under the new administration. Good. Let them infuriate people.

Thankfully Darwin will handle this. No vaccines, no health insurance = ...

QUOTE (KagakuOtoko @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 01:17 PM) I know I know the leaked emails claiming the sabotage are just complete and utter bulls***. I never claimed their was voter fraud in the primaries, voter suppression OTOH, absolutely. Also I never said Sanders should have been the nominee, I just simply said to have the primaries without shenanigans. I know the numbers back up Hillary won but to some it's a giant asterisk. As for the Trump bit, his supporters are extremely resilient if you haven't noticed; they were going to vote for him no matter what. He got his base so fired up that he could have said anything f***ed up during the campaign and the supporters would have believed he never said that. That's some grade A charisma right there. Listen the DNC can do whatever shenanigans they want as it's their party but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't clean up their act if there are more red victories in the future. They are under a giant microscope now. Care to actually provide any of these emails showing "sabotage?" I will gladly take a look, I just dont really feel like digging for the information. As for an asterisk, to some there is an asterisk to everything, I dont believe many people who are informed in the process will agree with that asterisk, but again, there are people who think that the moon landing has an asterisk, because according to them, we never actually landed there. As for the DNC, everyone always looks worse the day after they lose. 6 Months ago the narrative was that the Democrats may take the President, Senate and possibly gain in the House. Now according to some the Democratic party is in disarray. Its nothing more than knee jerk reaction. At the end of the day, the Democrats/progressive will be fine. They have time on their side. The facts are simple, the US population is growing more diverse by the day. That being said, history is filled with "2 steps forward, 1 step back" moments. The US has for the most part avoided this, but even France had Napoleon after the French Revolution.

QUOTE (KagakuOtoko @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 10:42 AM) Listen, you can hand wave the DNC corruption, that's your prerogative. It's definitely not a myth as you claim. You had the media saying that BS had no chance and that it was already over. That's pretty much telling people to stay home and not vote which is bulls***. Granted, people need to be think for themselves and not be so influenced by the media. You had the delegate count with the super delegates included. That was another bulls*** ass method to manipulate people. You had emails that were leaked that showed the DNC were in cahoots with HRC. BS was an outsider to the DNC and their actions showed he wasn't going to get a fair shake. If the DNC let the democratic process take place without any shenanigans and HRC won, maybe just maybe she wins. That's all people wanted. The irony is the Republicans also had their own outsider and they allowed the primaries to play out and he won. Hillary won a bunch of red states in the primaries that were not going to vote for her in the general. BS won those states that Hillary lost in general. I can say with the putrid voter turnout this election a guy like BS would have got people out to vote for him and win the damn thing. Hillary sucked and that was proven. You want to know why, because DONALD f***ING TRUMP was her opponent and she still got beat. Lastly, the DNC is already split. The neoliberals and establishment democrats just got their teeth knocked down their throat and the progressive wing is trying to repair the party's image. The Clinton's are cancer and now they are gone we'll see just how much resolve they have now. 46% of the country didn't vote and ~24% elected Trump president. That's a lot of people that stayed home under the threat of president Trump. Hillary sucks. That is all. Not sure what you are responding to. I never said that the DNC wasnt "corrupt", I said that Bernie didnt get screwed. The next line of logic makes absolutely no sense. The media said "Trump" had no chance and it was already over, yet Trump won. Trump won a bunch of "blue states" in the primary, CA, NY, IL, and lost Texas/Ohio/Wisconsin/Minnesota. There is a certain irony that you are calling out the DNC, but then saying that somehow Sanders, who lost, should have been the nominee because he did better in states that were more necessary to win the Presidential election. Well that isnt how the primary works. You keep saying if they let the "Democratic process play out", but have yet to show any evidence that Bernie Sanders had votes denied or Clinton was given votes. Bernie Sanders lost, just like the Blue Jays or the Red Sox. Maybe the AL could change its rules so that the team they think "has the best chance to beat the NL" is just placed in the World Series and they dont have to play the games. I guess the DNC could do that too, but that would seemingly be less "democratic" than having primaries where the winner is nominated. There is just a lot of false logic in what you are saying as Hillary also beat Sanders in Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina. Who knows if Sanders could have won, maybe merely being a white male would have pushed him over the top. But again, if Hillary sucks, Sanders sucked worse. Because it wasnt that competitive of a race, it was 60% to 39%. For comparison in 2008, Obama was 53%, Clinton was 46%, and if you take out "superdelegate" it was 51% to 49%. Even more ironic, is that Obama did well in "red states" in the primary. So where is the smoke? Hillary lost to Obama by the very same rules that she beat Sanders. In fact Hillary crushed Sanders when compared to the Obama/Clinton race. I know history and facts are boring, but Sanders lost because he couldnt beat Clinton in the primaries. The DNC didnt change the rules to help Clinton, they didnt give Clinton votes. Now if you want to change the primary system, that is a legitimate argument, but you cant retroactively do it.

QUOTE (KagakuOtoko @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 12:25 AM) Ummm bro... did you not hear what happened during the primaries? DNC got a dose of karma after the shenanigans they pulled. Hillary thought she could win without winning over progressive voters, welp they just proved her wrong. Her narcissistic ass got beat because she couldn't get Obama voters to go vote for her. She was f***ing pathetic and deserved to lose. Look at her now, sulking and crying foul about the FBI and fake news. Bernie is still out there fighting the good fight. Good riddance to the Clintons. Trump is going to suck massive dick but the DNC pretty much guaranteed his victory. Uh what? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_th...primaries,_2016 Hillary won by over 3mil votes and almost 1k delegates. The only people that keep up the myth "Bernie got screwed" are Republican's who are still trying to split the Democratic party. The entire idea of Hillary had to be more progressive is ridiculous. Hillary didnt lose because she wasnt "progressive", she lost for the exact opposite reason. Clinton got "crushed" in deep red areas, whereas Obama only "lost." Granted Hillary did mess up pretty majorly, and had she maybe been a bit more "prepare for the worst, hope for the best" she may have gone harder for Wisconsin/Michigan, etc. But again, being more progressive shouldnt have done anything. Any true Sanders believer would never have stayed home, never would have voted for Trump. So the only angle was to be less "hated" by hardcore Republicans. And perhaps you havent noticed, but those people arent exactly into progressive policies. So no, the DNC didnt "guarantee" his victory. Trump's victory is nothing more than flipping a penny 10x and having it come up heads every time. It is rare, but it happens. It was a perfect storm of things, that I could probably write 500 pages on. What is Hillary supposed to be doing? She lost, she has no office, her career in politics is likely over. The hate she receives is bordering on insanity. Obama/Michelle went hard for Hillary and even THEY couldnt get their own voters out.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 10, 2017 -> 12:02 AM) Wonder if Saban will whine about the refs in the post game. Such a large penalty differential. Could have easily called a offensive pass interference on the last play. Bama should have never gotten themselves in that position though.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 9, 2017 -> 11:29 PM) Trust me, I've despised Hillary a long time. As far as Russia ... I said earlier if Russia delivered votes to Trump and impacted the election I'd be in favor of Obama staying in office six months to a year and have an emergency new election. Or if Trump had a role in this, impeach him now. Even though Hillary won the popular vote, you guys fail to admit TONS of Americans voted for Trump. It's still America. They are your brothers and sisters. If you do not accept Americans as voting Trump in, I don't know what to say. Maybe a Civil War is ahead again. Or states trying to leave the country and start their own country. None of those options are available. Russia assisting Trump isnt going to get Trump impeached, it isnt going to get Pence removed from VP, it isnt going to get a "do over". Obama is gone, he is not coming back. I never have failed to admit that a minority of Americans voted for Trump. In fact multiple times after the election I said that it was over and that Trump won based on the rules. And just because someone is my brother or my sister, it doesnt mean that I would just sit idly by while they randomly murdered someone. It doesnt mean that I would not speak up if they were doing something horrific. There wont be a civil war, there wont be any states leaving the United States. Its over Greg, whether you like it or not, a Russian sympathizer is your President. Say what you will about Hillary, but never once did I question whether Hillary would put another countries interests before the United States. Trump has already done it by dismissing the US intelligence community, before he even was briefed.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 9, 2017 -> 11:33 PM) I never said they didn't have the right to say it. I wonder if a.) Streep did it at the wrong time. She'd just won an award for gosh sakes and b.) I don't understand much of what Olbermann is trying to accomplish. He did say he wanted no rebuttal or reaction, just people to hear him out. It simply amazes me how Hillary gets no fallout over all this. She should have won the damn election if she's so much better than Trump. She's not even getting ripped for being unable to beat Donald Trump for gosh sakes. Say what you want about Bernie. I think he'd have won. Its Streep's moment. She can do whatever she wants. And I may not do it on this board, but Ive ripped Hillary apart plenty for choking against Trump. She read her own press clippings, went for a devastating victory, instead of just winning. But what is the point of ripping her? She lost, shes done. Maybe Bernie would have won, who knows. But he couldnt beat Hillary, so its like saying "Maybe the Blue Jays could have beat the Cubs", it didnt matter, the Indians beat them. QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 9, 2017 -> 11:35 PM) That's pretty sad of you BTW to say what you did to me. My "beloved Russia?" That's pretty mean and cruel. I am not a Putin fan. I am not a Russia fan. You may hate me and my positions, but I never say things like you said there. I am an American, not a Russia supporter for gosh sakes. You are right. It is mean and cruel. For the entire summer, I tried not to be mean/cruel. I pleaded with you, I tried to show people that Russia was actively trying to assist Trump to defeat Hillary. But certain people didnt care to listen, didnt care to even consider the idea that they were throwing our freedom away. And now that you helped elect someone who is trying to silence critics, who shows absolutely no respect for the American people, you think Im going to be soft? When you sit and watch something terrible happen, you let something terrible happen.

First amendment. What separates America from your beloved Russia is that in America we are free to express our opinion. But we are now entering an era where the President of the United States is attempting to intimidate us into being quiet, much like his hero, Vladimir Putin. When the opposition is silenced due to fear of reprisal, you get results like USSR, Nazi Germany. So irrespective of whether they are Democrat or Republican, I hope the opposition never loses its voice. One of my favorite quotes of all times (which seems to be misattributed to Voltaire) is: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." And so that is the weakness of Democracy/Republic. Those who truly believe in it, must fight for the rights of those who wish to destroy it.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 9, 2017 -> 10:36 PM) You guys have misdirected anger. The anger is at the DNC for not getting behind Bernie. When are u gonna acknowledge the AWFULNESS of the Democrat candidate? Say what you want ... a ton of Americans (yes they are Americans) voted for Trump because they despised her. We elected a rich 1 percenter. He was running against a rich 1 percenter, who happens to be extremely unlikeable. Direct your anger at YOUR CANDIDATE please. She was so bad that I voted for NEITHER. If Donald is sick and depraved as Keith Olbermann suggests, maybe he'll be impeached early on. That would be OK with me. Why would the DNC get behind Bernie when Hillary destroyed him? Never forget a MAJORITY of Americans voted for Hillary. Whether you like it or not, a minority of Americans screwed you Greg. And they along with you, will have to deal with the fallout. The party of Reagan bowing to the Russians. The party of small government promising to spend and increase the federal government without a word about "balancing the budget." The Russian's won, after all of these years, they won. And all they had to do was post a few false stories to convince people like you how "terrible" Hillary was.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 9, 2017 -> 03:33 PM) There is a line here that was crossed. You don't HAVE to drive a car, if you don't want to wear a seatbelt. You don't HAVE to work if you don't want to pay taxes. Don't want health insurance? Too bad. It is really scary to cross that line. I do believe they could have gotten a similar result and not had to cross that line. IE Everyone's taxes were raised by $700 and those with health insurance were given a $700 tax credit. Also even under Obamacare you dont HAVE to get health insurance. You just have to pay approximately $700 for the privilege of not being covered. There are a million ways to frame it, but at the end of the day its actually less intrusive than car insurance laws. But we frame those as "driving is a privilege", so we could have done something really draconian and said that receiving emergency care is a "privilege" and therefore if you dont have insurance something is put on your drivers license, etc, that indicates to the EMT/Hospital/Dr. that you cant receive emergency healthcare. Again I understand why the Democrats didnt want to go down this road as it seems somewhat opposed to the idea that "everyone deserves healthcare." But at least that way we would have preserved the "personal freedom" of not having to pay for services that are rendered.