Y2HH

...also with this once again rehashed Hawk sucks/Hawk needs to go thread (which we see every single year), the moment he's gone, you'll all be praising him as the former face of the White Sox and "miss him". As Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn said at the end of MLII, "Blow it out your ass, loud mouth!"

My personal observation is if you wait to see if Sale opens up and recoils so you know his fastball is coming, it's going to be the catchers glove long before you can pull the trigger on that tipped pitch.

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Apr 2, 2013 -> 09:34 AM) What's the all-time Hawk-fixation team? CF Carlos Gomez LF Yaz RF Ichiro 1B Russell Branyan Any Twins team. Fixed.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Apr 2, 2013 -> 09:19 AM) What I've learned is you'll need to have Y2HH move in with you in order to properly set up the cabling as well as have him spend 2 weeks arguing with Comcast in order to get the better equipment if you want to go with Comcast HD. Otherwise, just get DirecTv for awesome quality and service with no issues or delays. For wiring through your home, that's very dependent on your home. I don't like wires all over the outside of my house and holes drilled through my house to every room I want tv/internet in, which is exactly what most of them do. And if you do have Comcast and have old equipment, just bring it into them, you don't have to call and ask. They'll swap it out for brand new stuff no questions asked. The reality for me is one way or another I need Comcast...they are the only place I can get what I consider good internet service from...so even if I had directv and slightly better dvr's, I'd still have to deal with comcast. Until someone comes and gives me fiber, nothing can compete with Comcast's internet. Not even close.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Apr 2, 2013 -> 08:37 AM) I'm pretty sure this video from gawker will be admissible as evidence, too! Odd that you'd pick out three heavily qualifying statements in one sentence and then say I've determined he's guilty beyond any doubt, though. I mean, I put those in there for a reason. Don't you know when I'm trolling you by now?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Apr 2, 2013 -> 08:39 AM) My parents have been dealing with this for over a decade, and we dealt with it for years at our condo until we finally got a competent tech out there who actually bothered to read power levels for more than 2 seconds. Comcast's customer service is absolutely abysmal. I think Comcast suffers from the same issues with customer service as AT&T, they simply have spread themselves too thin and offer way too many products and they can't possibly keep up with everything they're doing. I personally put AT&T and Comcast on about the same tier of really incredibly s***ty customer service. I went so far as to learn about this and buy the equipment that would allow me to redo all of their shoddy work, and I'm not even sure how legal it was for me to be doing all of this. I actually took their run of cable from the pole to my home and moved it, and was able to cut out about 75 feet of cable run by re-routing it to a more desirable (aka more intelligent) location. They were basically going near the front of my house, to connect it to a cable that would then route all the way to the back of my house internally. By re-routing their cable, I was able to cut that entire length of run out of the line, it boosted my signal and cleaned up a ton of noise. I also have 4 connections internally, one to a modem, and 3 to televisions (2 of them to hd dvrs), and all works perfectly. Yes, Comcast, you have terrible customer service when a customer has to actually perform the service themselves to make sure it's done right. I haven't had to deal with DirecTV in years, but it wouldn't be a stretch to believe they're better than Comcast...because I can't see it being possible to be any worse. I also have everything very neat and very 'me' when it comes to wiring. I hate wires. HATE THEM. I have a single cable run going into my house, and from that single point, it's branched off and run through the walls to the individual televisions/rooms, all through the walls so no wires can be seen. I then use 802.11n (soon to be .11ac when everything can support it), to connect to the internet via every computer device in my home. Absolutely nothing is hardwired to my Internet router except the router itself to the modem. I even have cat5 runs to every room (through the walls) in my home, though that goes unused at this point. Even my speaker wires are run through the walls. Wires suck.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Apr 1, 2013 -> 01:18 PM) I wouldn't be surprised if Zimmerman actually initiated physical contact by grabbing at Treyvon, but either way, I think the most likely scenario is still "Dude follows some people, gets out of his car, starts an altercation, gets his ass beat and then pulls a gun." I wouldn't be surprised... I think... The most likely scenario... Guilty. If I'm ever accused of anything, I really really really hope nobody like you is on the jury.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Apr 2, 2013 -> 06:43 AM) Oh, and one final point. The HD on DirecTV is outstanding. I used to think some channels just had poor quality HD feeds when I had Comcast. No, that was just the technological limitations of cable. They actually may have been poor quality feeds. Comcast works on RF (though you probably know this), not data streams. So their signal power and signal to noise ratio matters for EVERYTHING. Every splitter you introduce removes power and introduces noise, and I often see people with more than one splitter to feed all of their rooms, which is why some rooms can work better than others. I know how to run cable line, cut/crimp ends and read the power levels coming across them, noise levels, etc. The techs the tend to send out are contractors, and they're not trained very well. This is another ding on Comcast's business model. Depending on the quality of the line, the quality of the cut/end, etc...your signal may have been weak. I actually moved my Comcast line that comes off the pole into my house to a more fitting position on my home, redid everything and it VASTLY improved my signal. I went from having -5's in power to +4's with a LOT less noise. Above/below a certain power levels, and above/below certain noise ratios, some HD channels will turn grainy or not work at all. For most people, a simple repeater will fix any such issues, for others, the line from the pole to their home is bad and of course Comcast will pretend all is fine, so long as it fits into their really broad spectrum of "tolerance".

QUOTE (farmteam @ Apr 1, 2013 -> 10:38 PM) I hated the DVR I had with Comcast, but I like the one I have with DirecTV now. Comcast does have great internet, but their customer service is just so terrible (and I really, really hated that DVR). I also like DirecTV's guide better. I nearly recently left Comcast because of their crap DVR's, so before I actually switched service, I brought my old ones in and asked for new ones, which they replaced. I went from having these huge ugly/loud silver Comcast branded Motorola boxes to these new black ones which are half the size and Xfinity branded. They're fast, have wayyy more storage space, etc. I do think the guide is better with DirecTV, however (family members still have DirecTV). But the speed made all the difference for me, the guide actually keeps up with me, which is all I really asked for. Yes, Comcast customers service is terrible. Terrible. Terrible terrible. There is no defending them.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Apr 2, 2013 -> 06:37 AM) You clearly didn't read the review. It is cheaper. Year one I save $600 bucks and year 2 I save almost $300, while enjoying a vastly superior product. That's not actual savings, it's unrealized savings -- at best. It's savings only when compared to their own old business model where they would force you to buy their dvr's/equipment, and by comparison to that, they're calling it savings. That's a stretch.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Apr 2, 2013 -> 06:41 AM) You are so painfully misinformed in this thread it's ridiculous. I'm getting any channel I could ask for plus HBO and Showtime for $74 year 1 and $94 year 2 then contract ends. The DVR difference is absurd. You are working off of old information. You say I'm painfully misinformed but have yet to point out how. I'm also getting every single channel, plus HBO, Showtime, Starz, Encore, and all the rest of the movie channels, with 2 HD dvr recorders, and phone service, and 50+/10+ Internet for 140$. Year 2 mine also jumps by 20$. To me, those prices seem very similar, if not exactly the same when you subtract my phone/internet service. Back when I did have DirecTV, yes, my bill was less, but that's only because it wasn't including internet fees, which were upwards of 60$ for me. Combined, my DirecTV+Internet bill equated to about the exact same thing I pay Comcast. That's all I'm really pointing out. Also, for clarity purposes, I'm not saying your review of DirecTV's service was misinformed, I just think you're comparing on contract pricing with one vendor to off contract pricing with another. I see what you pay for what you have, and I see what I pay, and I don't see a much of a difference when adding on Internet.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 1, 2013 -> 06:54 PM) For the amount of time I spend watching tv, I just want the best experience possible. I know DirecTV is usually a bit higher than most other providers, but not significantly, especially when I consider I spend about 30-40 hours a week in front of a tv, especially during baseball season. For tv, I generally don't see a quality difference in Comcast, Dish/Dtv or AT&Ts offering. For a while there Comcasts dvrs were terrible, slow, etc, but their newer ones are a loooot better. Dtv still has slightly better dvrs, but not by much anymore. There are pluses and minuses to all of them, but when it comes to cost, on contract you are looking at similar prices. Where Comcast has its advantage is that their Internet kicks ass, regardless of what people claim.

I've had both DirecTV and Comcast over the years, my brother and parents both have DirecTV right now. On contract/off contract their prices are almost if not exactly identical. I don't know who wrote that review, but they're misinformed by claiming DirecTV is any less expensive...it's not. You simply have to compare on contract to on contract pricing, and visa versa. Moving from a service you've had for 5 years to a new on contract service isn't exactly a fair comparison. If you aren't on a contract, all you have to do is call and agree to a new contract and you'll get their awesome pricing, which works regardless of provider. The whole home DVR has it's drawbacks, but they're nothing you can't live with, but there are certain restrictions, like I don't believe you can watch the same show in multiple rooms at the same time, though this may have been fixed already. Comcast has a similar offering in certain markets now, too. I simply choose multiple DVR's, since my package gives me one for free anyway. I have Comcast and under my current package I get HBO, Showtime, Stars, etc, basically all channels, 2 HD-DVR's (the new black fast ones, not the old huge silver pieces of junk), phone and 50+ mbit internet for 140$ a month. Off contract with Comcast, I had basic cable, and 30mbit internet (no movie channels, no phone service), and I was paying 175$ a month. That's simply how bulls*** TV works. Yes, DTV has better on-demand, however, it requires a separate internet connection to use it, an internet connection DTV can't even offer you, because you're actually downloading data streams when you use their version of on demand. It has way more content, but it's drawback is it's using bandwidth. I dare anyone here to compare my on-contract price to DirecTV's and show me these mythical savings. 140$ for all the movie channels, locals, hd, 2 hd-dvr's, phone and internet. Show me better from DTV. Yes Comcast customer service sucks, really really badly, but let's not make up savings when none exist.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Mar 29, 2013 -> 11:18 PM) HELP. Samsung UN65ES6500 + Comcast Business Class. TV is in the basement, where my iPhone works great with the wifi. TV's wifi so slow you can say it doesn't work. Smart HUB central wants to do updates but never actually updates anything because of the slow connection. TV finds the router and connects with no problem showing 3 bars and that's about it. Won't do anything after. The TVs wifi is probably buggy or downright poorly implemented, especially if other wifi devices on the same network work fine from the same location. I'd try searching for updates online and upgrading the TVs firmware though a USB stick first, that may fix any bugs in the wifi, then again, it's a Samsung tv...their updates are slow coming or nonexistent. For an example, I have two Samsung plasmas, my newest one is running a firmware that if you don't get lucky enough to have preinstalled, it's not available on their website and if you call them, their support will deny the version I have exists, which fixes a major motion blur problem. It exists, and there is no reason it shouldn't be posted on their website for those that don't have it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 29, 2013 -> 02:48 PM) WTF? The capital gains tax rate was cut from nearly 30% in the late 90's to just over 20%, and then to about 15% in the Bush 2003 tax cut package, and that rate was extended in the fiscal cliff deal. Since 2003 it is at the lowest level post-war. Yeah, what's the point of having a conversation with a person when they insist that 15% > 30%? I wasn't talking about the cap gains rate being low, I was talking about the reason you cited it wouldn't happen. First, the low capital gains rate only applies to long term holdings, which are > 365 days. To anyone that actually invests long term, it should be lower than the rate of income taxes, at least, to a point. I'm not saying they shouldn't impose a higher long term cap gains tax on gains over a certain amount, but for the rest of us, it's important that it's lower for a few reasons. Namely, it's risky to invest long term and it ties your money up into an investment for greater than a year, etc. Cap gains rate on anything less than 1 year is taxed at the same rate as ordinary income. People tend to just say "the cap gains tax is only 15%", when they actually mean long-term capital gains. Most people don't even know there is a difference.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 29, 2013 -> 12:53 PM) Which is why we've slashed capital gains taxes over the past few decades, to make sure that doesn't happen. That's not really true, but what's the point in trying to have this conversation with anyone anymore?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Mar 27, 2013 -> 04:25 PM) That looks like it's in a video test mode of some sort. Check your picture options. That's what it is. Looks like some sort of color correct/image enhancement option.

Work is fine, I like it, but I don't love it. It supports me, my family, my home, and allows me to do the things I actually love doing. My real life outside of work is where I find my love and passion. I think you wackadoos have it bass ackwards.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Mar 25, 2013 -> 10:06 PM) Roku has a store for all its apps though, last I checked Apple TV didn't, so that's one thing Roku has going for it. If you're heavily invested into iTunes, Apple TV will obviously be better. It's really the only reason to go with an Appletv, I'd bet its a lot easier to use out of the box, too. But no where near as powerful as a Roku in terms of scope.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Mar 25, 2013 -> 03:28 PM) Do you have an Xbox 360? PS3? You can watch MLB.tv on those too. Roku is probably the way to go. Apple TV doesn't have the same content selection. Pretty much the only things Roku does now that Atv doesn't is Amazon Prime and Spotify, if I'm not mistaken, but for some people, those are necessities. ATV does iTunes, Content Streaming from PC/MAC through iTunes, Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB, NBA, NHL, YouTube, Vimio, Flickr, Podcast, and Radio. It comes down to this, are you at all tied into iTunes or Amazon, if one or the other, your choice is obvious.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 25, 2013 -> 01:44 PM) The Netgear router is what I've always had. I bought the TP Link to be used as a wireless repeater in order to extend the signal into the back of the house. You'll have to toy around to see how well they play together...sometimes they don't play along well with other router versions or types. But the process of extending the network is relatively straight forward, and can be done by connecting a wire between the two routers, OR by wirelessly repeating (this is weaker, but still works). There will be options in both (or should be) to enable repeater/extended mode on the network, and it should step you through what needs to be configured in order to accomplish this. Keep in mind that it may not work as they're different brands, and like I said, they don't always work well together.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 24, 2013 -> 11:25 PM) I'm using a Netgear WNR100v2 router. So you are trying go use your new wireless router to extend your existing wireless network that you have running off of the WNR100? It's possible they won't play well together, but you can try it. I've not used either of these, but somewhere in the settings -- on both -- will be a way to extend the network, unless the WNR100 doesn't support it. Hard to find much info on the WNR100, everything tries to point me to a WNR1000, which seems to be newer?

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Mar 24, 2013 -> 09:53 PM) I tried to add you to gchat but it doesn't seem to care, I'm on my phone at the minute though. Depending on the kind of wireless routers you have you usually go to your gateway IP in a web browser to being up its settings. Somewhere there should be an option that allows the network to be extended/bridged, that's usually the first step in accomplishing this. I'd have to look up your particular router types to help beyond basics. Also, some don't like working with each other, it's often best to have the same brands to repeat/extend a network. Did a quick search on that brand, and if your primary router is the same one it does need to be configured into repeater mode.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 24, 2013 -> 09:41 PM) I am a complete noob when it comes to this stuff. I have no idea how to even do the 1st thing you mentioned (bolded). I tried to add you to gchat but it doesn't seem to care, I'm on my phone at the minute though. Depending on the kind of wireless routers you have you usually go to your gateway IP in a web browser to being up its settings. Somewhere there should be an option that allows the network to be extended/bridged, that's usually the first step in accomplishing this. I'd have to look up your particular router types to help beyond basics. Also, some don't like working with each other, it's often best to have the same brands to repeat/extend a network.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 24, 2013 -> 05:13 PM) Can anyone help with the configuration of a wireless repeater? I've been having nothing but problems with this thing since I tried installing it a couple of weeks ago. It's the TP-Link WA701ND if that helps. What's wrong with it? Do you have the primary router enabled to allow extending of the network and then have the secondary in bridge mode (maybe called repeater mode) depending on the brand. Some don't distinguish the difference in bridge/repeat and some do.