Y2HH

QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Jul 5, 2011 -> 11:05 AM) I love my country more than you because I have more merchandise with American flags on it. Made in China.

Mike Golic sucks, by crackie.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 5, 2011 -> 09:03 AM) There have already been rumors circulating on a Galaxy S II Plus coming here with beefed up specs. Shut up with your unpatriotic, vegan, liberal phones.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jul 5, 2011 -> 08:53 AM) Any idea on when a 4G iphone will be released? Probably not until next year, 4G is too power hungry at this point, and Apple won't bother with it until they can improve 4G power consumption...by a lot.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 5, 2011 -> 08:49 AM) The Galaxy S II is ridiculous out of the box. No hacking required. I'm waiting for that one to come stateside for my next upgrade. Oh and they announced at the Google I/O that all carriers will be required to continue updating phones for at least 18 months upon release. We'll see how that plays out though. That may never come out in the US due to the recent injunction filed by Apple, and if/when it does, it'll be old by Android standards.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jul 5, 2011 -> 08:34 AM) Yea I may just wait until the Bionic comes out and see the reviews on that, I haven't been impressed enough by the Samsung Charge or HTC Thunderbolt enough to make that big of a price jump. The Thunderbolt supposedly has very very bad battery life, unless it's not connected to a 4G network...but since it's a 4G phone, that's like saying this device has great battery life, unless you use it for what we designed it for! I'm weary of Samsung devices, they're usually designed well (now, anyway), but they have a history of little to no support. When the next device from Samsung comes out (which in the Android world is about 2 months), forget about them ever looking back at previous models...they also have a history of non updates or very slow to market updates. That said, if you get an Android, you'll probably want to root/hack it...which is what I dislike about the entire Android model. Non hacked Android devices are crap, and paying hundreds of dollars for something you have to hack to make good is just something I have no interest in.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 5, 2011 -> 06:59 AM) What exactly is the purpose of creating a thread like this? What meaningful discussion will come out of it? You're basically labeling all liberals as unAmerican and unpatriotic. Ok. Great. We get it. You despise liberals. You've made that perfectly clear in the very brief time you've spent in this forum. I have to go now to create a thread about how conservatives are mostly bigots, racists, and homophobes and link one study that was done on the subject. I expect some deep, meaningful discussion to arise from it. Oh and speaking of factual statements, you've thrown out a lot of 'factual statements' in this forum that seem a heck of a lot like your own opinions when describing liberals. And is liberals being unpatriotic supposed to be a fact? Why because of this one study? What about the countless studies about climate change? Those don't count as facts but this one study proves that liberals are unpatriotic and/or unAmerican. LOL. Keep dishing us the facts! You're like the conservative Colbert.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jul 4, 2011 -> 05:15 PM) I need to upgrade my Verizon phone, I currently have a dumbphone that's pretty much broken and I want to finally upgrade to a smartphone. I figure if Im going to I may as well get a 4G phone, any suggestions? I believe Verizon is getting rid of the unlimited data plan on the 7th unfortunately. The problem with 4G is it's still being rolled out, and the chips that power it are in their infancy phase...meaning they're still power hungry. 4G phones on an actual 4G connection run out of power pretty quickly...but if you don't care about power consumption because you always have a way to charge it's not a big concern. I almost always have a way to charge my phone, so power isn't much of an issue. That said, the newer 4G phones that will be coming out this year will probably use 1/2 the power on a 4G connection. As for unlimited data, don't worry too much about that either, 99% of the time, you'll be on a WiFi network, be it your own, or a friends...so you'll probably never come near those "caps". I think I use, on average, 450MB per month, and I use my phone a LOT...mostly because most of my data is going over WiFi, not cellular data networks. As for which phone to buy, that's all personal preference.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 2, 2011 -> 01:55 PM) Anyone know how to take an Ipod on a wi-fi network and allow the main PC to access/download the pictures off of it? On a Wi-Fi network? Yes, with iOS5 and iTunes 10.5, neither of which are out yet (I have both, but I beta test). With a usb cable, you plug it in and open your favorite picture/graphics program and import.

Pierre.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 1, 2011 -> 12:57 PM) There are actually quite a few more than a million. Reality Bomb Incoming: That doesn't mean any of them will be as good or even interested or interesting. Relationships are about timing. This has to do with age/maturity and chance...on both ends (both parties). For example, there are a few girlfriends from my past, that if I had met later in life, we probably (most likely) would have ended up together. It didn't work out that way...they met a different me, and I met a different them. Things will fall into place, as they always do, though, but with someone you don't even know exists yet.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jul 1, 2011 -> 11:40 AM) I watched all the Nightmare on Elm St. movies when I was a kid and found a box set of all of them at a used DVD store a few years ago. I never got around to watching all the Friday the 13th or Halloween movies although I'd seen about half of them. Just last year my middle daughter discovered Jason and Michael Myers so we went out and found all the movies and had a marathon of watching them over about a month. The original Halloween isn't very scary by today's standards, but it's the flag bearer that basically invented the invincible killer genre as we know it. So historically speaking, that's what makes Halloween 1 so important. The ending in part 1 was the first time anyone saw anything like it...and it's beyond creepy.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 1, 2011 -> 10:31 AM) I thought I'd catch some flack for never seeing Bull Durham. First, this is a great thread. I watched Bull Durham because for years I heard how awesome it was. I thought it was meh...it wasn't bad, but it's not the type of movie that if I see it on while skimming channels that I'd stop to watch it... Same for Scarface and Godfather. After years of hearing how awesome these movies were, I watched them and thought they were meh. I liked Godfather, but I didn't like it nearly as much as Goodfellas. As for Scarface, I thought it f***ing dumb. While there are some classic lines in this movie...it just wasn't good to me. :/

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 1, 2011 -> 07:57 AM) First, I couldn't possibly disagree more with the bolded. Deciding to not vote at all because you don't love either choice is actually contributing to the very erosion of candidates you loathe. Second, its simply intellectual laziness to say "they ALL do it", whatever exactly you mean by "it". It is never "All", but that certainly would make things easier, wouldn't it? If you have to make a choice between two bad candidates, they're both bad choices, even if one of them may be a little less bad than the other in someones opinion. The problem isn't having choice, it's lack there of. Our system is producing garbage politicians...as George Carlin says, garbage in, garbage out. While it pains me to agree with a comedian on this specific subject, he's right. It's rare that I see what I feel is a good politician, but when I do, you can be rest assured I'd vote for him/her. I think in order to play the game in this system, you HAVE to become part of the system, otherwise you get nothing done. This is a problem, and it's a problem that's not being addressed. There are probably a lot of very honest politicians that get voted into office with the best intentions in mind, and realize shortly thereafter that in order to get anything done, they need to play the secret back room deal game...and that makes them the opposite of what they intended. Where you say deciding not to vote at all because I love neither choice is contributing to the erosion of candidates I loathe, I say they're already eroded, because this is the best our system is producing...and my choice to not vote is a clear vote of no confidence. While many disagree with my view on that, it's my choice to make.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jul 1, 2011 -> 10:20 AM) Yea Im really wary of paying the annual fee, but I looked into the fine print and the cashback that they are advertising is there to stay as long as you have the card, it won't go away after a trial period and there is no minimum. It also has unlimited Reward Dollars and an extra $150 cash back if you spend $500 in the first 90 days (which isn't hard for me since I use my CC for everything). The only thing now is that annual fee... Just keep in mind that they did every calculation possible on this, and they wouldn't offer it if they knew they were going to lose money. Especially in an era where most companies have dropped annual fees, they're putting it back in for a reason. While it may have unlimited reward dollars, as does Discover, it's probably not unlimited on the 6% cash back deals, but on a 1% basis or some such thing. I do the same thing as you are talking about with my Discover, I use it for everything and pay it off in full every month, and then credit my account whenever 50$ stacks up in the cash back bonus, which happens quite a few times a year. But I have no annual fees, and would cancel the card if they ever implemented one.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 1, 2011 -> 09:55 AM) And, again, not doing anything useful with those earnings because they are hoarding and capitalizing internally. Clarify the regulations, even if stringently, and you will see more money flow back into the markets and into loans. Guaranteed. They know how that's how they'll make more money later. Yes, absolutely. This is necessary or banks will continue to horde cash for some time to come. The problem is they're all dragging their feet getting it done for one reason or another. To me, the reason why they're dragging this out means nothing, I don't care what the excuse is on either side of the aisle...they need to get together and get this done, and soon. And that leads us back to the everlasting problem...them getting together and doing anything that they can agree/compromise on for the good of the nation.

Oh, as for your question about cash back bonuses, etc... 1) NEVER agree to pay a fee to hold a credit card. They're already going to collect interest payments in the case you hold a balance...they deserve no such fee, not ever. 2) Watch those cash back bonuses...most default to 1% or less, with "specials" such as you are talking about. Those special high yield cash back %'s usually come with strings attached. For example, Discover offers rotating deals on things such as 5% back on gasoline purchases from July-September...HOWEVER, they offer that 5% back on the first 300$ you spend on gasoline, and that's it...after that 300$ it's defaulted back down to 1%.

If you are buying into ETF's/funds, make sure you pay attention to the cost basis -- this is the % they're going to skim off of your money, whether your ETF/fund goes up or down, it's the house take. I prefer investing into Index funds because their cost basis are like 0.15%, where MOST mutual funds and whatnot will have a cost basis of almost 1%, or more. The stocks in your current portfolio look good. I'd thinking about swapping your VZ stock for T (AT&T), but we are in the same boat on this one. I currently own VZ, but their P/E ratio is over 30, which is pretty high...AT&T, which pays roughly the same dividend (depending on when you bought VZ), has a P/E of only 9.3, and it's currently 6$ cheaper. I've been considering doing this myself. It's something to think about, anyway. Oh, and a little advice -- never listen to anyone that claims to know if the market is going to dip or pop...anyone that makes such a claim should be a billionaire, because it would really be that easy to become a billionaire if you *really* knew when/if the stock market was going to way up or way down. Like others have said, with a long term outlook, don't listen or care about such things, find a stock at a decent price, and buy it.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 30, 2011 -> 08:38 PM) I don't really know what the point of having a debt ceiling is. It's like an archaic relic that has no practical use as anything other than a political scarecrow. There is a valid reason for it, archaic or not, it's another check/balance in the system. Thinking about this more, I think the reason it has to exist is so the government/party in power can't just do whatever they want and say, "Well, that's how the system works!". At least this way, the voters have the ability to see who votes for the debt ceiling and can actually point at who did what/when. Not that it means much, as you know my opinion when it comes to the system itself being broken. In the end, since they always just vote to raise it, you're right...it really doesn't matter...but it should matter. Bleh, the more I think about the state of things the more I want to distance myself from these types of threads/forums, as they add nothing good to my life. :/

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 30, 2011 -> 08:30 PM) "they all do it" is a really lazy argument. Everything isn't the same, things are what they are and aren't something else. While this is a valid thing to say...the fact is, they DO all do it, if and when they can. Lazy or not as an argument, it's reality. And yes, while they "cheat" in their own unique ways, cheating is still cheating. This is like hearing people say, "I only vote to vote for the lesser of two evils"...which is a most asinine thing to say. Voting for lesser evil is still voting for evil. Cheating is still cheating, even if it's done differently. Neither have ANY real motive to fix it, either, other than arguing it in public which is what they're really good at. Since both would have to agree to the fix, which will never happen, it gets to stay broken.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 30, 2011 -> 08:23 PM) http://www.cnbc.com/id/43598606 The last person I'd ever listen too is Alan Greenspan.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 30, 2011 -> 02:50 PM) Here's whats great about you. You claim to be above the fray while doing the very same acts that you act that you are above. I made an equal argument and changed the characters, and then you said "yeah well jesse jackson! Dems do it too!" next post "I hate how everyones all dems do it, republicans do it, unlike ME, i'm so rational and awesome". And not once, could you guys ever even take the time to show why, in a decade that didn't see much of any defining moments of "dead bodies stealing elections" did a bunch of proposals to fix voter fraud specifically find as their cure-all, a solution that would suppress minority voting. I'm waiting. But you won't find it because you guys know all you need to from what sounds bad in your gut. And voter fraud that is convicted by way of criminal investigation and prosecution is bad, and poor people are lazy. Meanwhile, I'm so very rational. Unfortunately, my no-sided stance is pretty well documented around here, considering there are things I agree with both sides on. My voting record (back when I still voted), also speaks for itself, as a person that's actually voted both ways in multiple presidential elections. I merely pointed out the obvious, which is standard fare when it comes to politics around here, that one group loves to point to one side, and the other points right back at them...which is what you've been doing for a long time now. We get it, anything the democrats say, is not only correct, but you agree with it. My post about Jesse Jackson was merely showing that it's not just one side that plays these games, it's both sides. According to you, rich people suppress poor people from voting to steal elections...but the other side never partakes in any such voting shenanigans! Don't think I'm going to post here and defend the republicans innocence, either...but don't dare try to play the unfair game, which is exactly what you're doing.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 30, 2011 -> 12:57 PM) Think of how cheap the houses will be though! They won't be cheap. A default would cause hyper inflation to the point in which no job will keep up with it. A house going for 300,000 now will cost 30,000,000, since nobody will want anything to do with USD, the paper will drop precipitously in value, and anything you want to buy with said paper will skyrocket in price. Then again, it will become a lot easier to get $...but I think prices will rise in direct relation to that...but having things that people want will become worth more.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 30, 2011 -> 12:02 PM) and we'll get there by making sure poor people can't vote, got it. ...and we'll get there by pretending the republicans are the only ones that cheat/steal and lie. Got it. That was easy, maybe I'll start calling you Billy Koch.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 30, 2011 -> 10:59 AM) you've seen gotv campaigns? SHOCKING Well, no, it's not shocking, that's kinda the point. I'd like to see a return to sanity here (and everywhere else, in relation to politics), I'm sick and tired of seeing the, X party does this, Y party does that...it's unfair, it's illegal, blah... They're all doing it if we choose to take notice. It's just easier to pretend your own party is innocent and the other party play unfairly. Party politics is what got us where we are...it's not working, because it's never worked.