iamshack

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 22, 2018 -> 12:29 PM) IN the search for a 3 row SUV she's eliminated Acura, Kia, Hyundai, Honda, Ford, Dodge, Mazda. Down to Toyota Highlander and GMC acadia Rock, if you happen to know, any idea why she didn’t like the Mazda?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 22, 2018 -> 03:55 AM) Cozart’s WAR is boosted heavily from playing SS at a high level. Hard to compare. Jarrod Dyson has averaged 2.5 war the last five seasons and 2.7 the last four. Average # plate appearances=264 If you extrapolate to 650, he has the highest WAR by far, it would be in the 6-7 range. Yet he just signed for $7.5 million over two years. Statistics can be misleading. Yeah, but if he had every day PAs, one would suspect Dyson would be exposed a bit offensively, bringing down the WAR contributed by his offense?

QUOTE (JenksIsMyHero @ Feb 20, 2018 -> 07:50 AM) Both of my kids were/are tall for their age and it pains me putting my 1.5 year old in a backwards seat when his knees are 3-4 inches from his chest. This is a weekly argument my wife and I have. "He's uncomfortable! Look at how he's sitting!" "I don't care, the recommendation is rear-facing until 24 months, so that's what we're going to do!" Yeah, same thing happened here. One day, I just switched it to front-facing. I think it was when he was about 2 months shy of two years old.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 04:50 PM) Going into this winter I was pretty opposed to this team buying in general. After seeing the market that developed this winter, I have rethought that stance. This winter is starting to look like buying the pullback, while next winter will be buying at the highs. Absolutely, enough so that it likely would overcome the misalignment in regards to timing. I wonder if our FO really talked any potential frameworks with some of these top-tier FAs.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 02:59 PM) With as many teams as are sitting out this free agency period, and as are planning on going all in next time around, you might be on to something. Watching how teams are behaving now, I am not sure that trying to outbid the uncapped Yankees and Dodgers of the world is the soundest strategy. If not for the requirement of the opt-out after 2 years, I would have been pleased to give Darvish 6/$130. I feel the same way about Martinez. I think you can exploit this market and do better than trying to outbid a much stronger marketplace for basically 2-3 players next year.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 07:21 AM) Unless you have some really cheap rotors, they shouldn't need to be replaced nearly that often. I always do my own and I try to get the better/higher prices pads and rotors. They usually come with a warranty as well. One of my cars I replaced the pads 2 or 3 times and they were always covered under the warranty. They were the factory installed front set of rotors. I questioned how they could need to be replaced so quickly and was told that for the Q7, people were generally getting them replaced once every 12-18 months. It sounded ridiculous to me, but I don’t know anything. Given that I had prepaid for that maintenance, I didn’t put up much of a stink about it, but definitely need to do some research and see if this is indeed common on this vehicle.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 06:41 AM) The new interior on the 90 and 60 are f***ing gorgeous. We looked at the 60 for my wife and it was too small, and the 90 is a big large. The optional built in dog kennel was cool to see in person. Oh wow! I wasn’t aware of the dog kennel option! Last time I heard of something like that I think was the Honda Element. I’ll say I am pretty pleased with my Q7, with the exception of the brakes. About a month ago I had to have my front pads and rotors replaced already after 20k miles. I had prepaid for this, so it didn’t cost me anything (then), but it pisses me off. Am I going to end up replacing the damn rotors every 20k miles? May as well add like another $5-6k to the true cost of owning the thing.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 05:34 AM) The push button transmission on the MDX eliminated it immediately. Such a dumb thing. Nothing really groundbreaking in that category that I saw. Everyone was gathered around the new Traverse, but thats about it. The rest are pretty much the same as they have been. Volvo has done some nice things with their interior, they are always so creative. Their interiors are among the best, if not the best in the business. I did read that Tesla recently poached their lead interior designer (not the right term). When I was buying my Q7 I did a lot of research of comparisons with the XC90. As off a year or so ago, I know people were experiencing a lot of problems with them. It is a beautiful SUV though.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 07:36 AM) Heading to the auto show today to check out some cars for the wife. Focusing on the Sorrento, MDX and whatever other 3 row SUVs are around. Friend from work has a Sorrento.....very nice looking SUV

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 8, 2018 -> 02:31 PM) Sometimes you DO need to get out of the house though. I think a hybrid is a real nice approach. I'm REAL close to pulling the trigger on a bike, ive been back and forth a few times. I agree. I try to play basketball at least several times a month. It can be whatever a person enjoys/wants to budget for. I’d be really hard-pressed to call into question anything but the most exhorbitant spending on exercise.

I almost expected him to join Nagy’s staff.

QUOTE (Sox-35th @ Feb 8, 2018 -> 09:47 AM) I appreciate what Tesla has done, but I agree with much of this article. They're not particularly innovative and the posts I have seen here seem to echo the sentiment that Tesla does not hold up in terms of overall quality. Opinion: Tesla’s technology doesn’t live up to the hype — and that could hammer the stock price Musk even admitted yesterday that the success of Tesla will not be from it’s vehicles, but rather, from “productizing the Gigafactory.” He believes that what they are learning about manufacturing is going to give them their true advantage. Ultimately, did Apple have more technology than Samsung or others when they made the iPod or the iPhone? Not really. What they had was a better design and a better vision for the products they build, and how they could be tied into an ecosystem which would improve the lives of their customers. I believe Tesla is building that as we speak. Obviously they need to be able to produce enough units of something with a decent margin so that they can operate profitably, and that is where the model 3 and model Y will come in. Yeah, they are taking their lumps. But they will get there. And when they do - watch out. Will the other auto manufacturers build similar models of electric vehicles? Yes. Will they offer home charging stations? Yes. But Tesla will eventually have an entire ecosystem working for it. One where I can power my home and vehicle through panels or roof tiles and where I can charge my vehicle from anyone of thousands of rapid charging stations, etc. It will definitely be interesting to watch play out.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 8, 2018 -> 05:49 AM) Or he can just fill up garages after garage with Teslas! Wow, really?

QUOTE (2005thxfrthmmrs @ Feb 7, 2018 -> 06:32 PM) Do you realize how much of that $5.85 mil will go into tax and agent fees? He's probably pocketing at max $3.5 mil after all deductions. Even if he lives the most modest lifestyle for a pro athlete, that will hardly last him for than 20 years, not counting inflation. You guys are assuming he keeps his $3m in a checking account

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 7, 2018 -> 05:20 PM) After taxes, agent, and union fees, he'll be lucky to clear $3 million, that's being generous. At his age of 27, $100k a year would only take him to age 57. Long time sportswriters make more than that yearly. He's also from a country in maybe the worst financial disasters in the world, so he probably has to help some people out, and right fully so. If he can live off that for the rest of his life, it's amazing. At 1% interest, he’d make $30k on $3m annually. If he invested well, he’d make $200k plus on $3m annually. The wonders of compounded interest would make him a fairly wealthy man, if he was conservative.

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Feb 7, 2018 -> 05:36 PM) Welp, it finally happened. Tesla slammed everyone with massive delays on their Model 3's today. The people who are getting the First Production versions (Long range battery, Premium Upgrades) only saw 2-3 month delays (They were already at the end of their December-February timeframe anyway), but people like me who wanted the Short Range battery got delayed 6-8 months!! Tesla INITIALLY gave me a December-February estimation back when they opened up their estimator last summer. Then that quickly changed to February-April, which I was fine with. Then it changed to "Early 2018" which I took to mean April-May. BUT NOW, it has changed again, but this time to "Late 2018", which I assume will mean October-December. 6-8 god damn months. The good news is that it gives me more time to save. I'll have at least another $4-6K saved by then. The bad news is obviously I have to wait EVEN LONGER for my car, but also HOPE my current car lasts me that long. I've been dying to ditch this 2004 Galant, as it's had so many small issues crop up over the last 18 months or so. Nothing major, but every day I cross my fingers that it's going to last me. Will you miss out on the tax credit?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 7, 2018 -> 02:46 PM) I'm taking my two daughters to one of these, at my public elementary school, in a couple weeks or so. They call it a "Sweetheart Dance", for female students and whatever parent they want to bring. From last year, its 95% fathers, but there were a few mothers/women too. No one around here seems offended. Just make sure not to kiss your 7 year old on the lips.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 7, 2018 -> 12:34 PM) Prices in markets are up...but supply is not high. I can't comment on the Chicago market in particular, but in our market prices are up extensively but supply is at extremely low levels. Here in Vegas it has been on a steady rise since about 2013. It’s flattened out in the resale market but has continued to rise in the new build market.

QUOTE (Markbilliards @ Feb 1, 2018 -> 11:16 PM) Justin Timberlake's new album, "Man of the Woods" is out today and is available to stream for free for Amazon Prime Members. I must still be trying to compare everything he does to "Future Sex Love Sounds" that came out 11 years ago (which for me was the best album ever made). But man, this new one feels pretty bad. I had confidence he could pull off this rustic feel he was going for, but...nope. Did you give it a few more listens? I didn’t love it upon first listen, but I kept with it, and now I think it’s brilliant. This is one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time. Right up there with Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories and The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness as maybe my top 3 albums of the last 5 years. I honestly don’t love Filthy, or even Say Something (with Stapleton)...the first half of the album is actually not the best half, in my opinion, although the title track and Higher Higher are among my favorites (I think Higher Higher is right up there with The Weeknd’s I Feel It Coming as my favorite song of the last 2-3 years). But the second half, starting with Flannel and running through The Hard Stuff is f***ing incredible. Montana, Breeze Off the Pond, Livin’ Off the Land and the Hard Stuff is in my opinion, one of the better 4 song sequences I have ever heard on a non-greatest hits album. I would not even consider myself a big JT fan, but this is IMHO, brilliant, brilliant work.

QUOTE (KagakuOtoko @ Feb 1, 2018 -> 08:40 AM) I personally haven't hosted but I had a friend who did for a while. Do you have a bunch of rental properties? I was considering hosting at my primary property in midtown Vegas. It would be perfect for airbnb, but would have to make a few additions. Looks like the local regulations would require me to obtain a special use permit if I wanted to do it on the up and up.

Do any of you guys host on Airbnb? Was considering this as a potential business in Vegas. Curious to hear the experiences of others...

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Jan 30, 2018 -> 11:04 PM) I agree, and the community effect too. The idea of you and your friends or family all working out to the same thing live each day/night is a cool way to keep each other motivated and accountable. Yeah, and now there are facebook groups. Peloton has a group of 50k people, and many, many sub-groups. It is indeed a motivating and valuable thing to be part of a like-minded community. It spills into all sorts of other things as well, particularly charitable donations, causes, etc.

Love P90X2, but eventually every dvd gets a bit old... I think the wave of the future is the streaming live content....I currently enjoy indoor cycling, which is nice because it’s a great workout but doesn’t tend to cause injuries...but it could be any kind of live streaming workout where there is an opportunity to keep things fresh and variable.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 30, 2018 -> 02:43 PM) Our Comcast contract is up in a few days and I was eyeing DirecTV Now. Seemed like a better selection than Sling for only a little bit more. Glad to hear that you like it. We'll probably start our free trial of it soon. The only reason I got sling is because they had the NFL Networkl and NFL RedZone, which DirecTV Now did not. DirecTV Now actually has more of what we watch otherwise. The quality of the streaming seems to be better too.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 20, 2018 -> 08:14 AM) Good call. However, looks like their plan starts at $70/month which is much higher than Sling's basic offering. We pretty much watch 5 or 6 channels regularly plus HBO. Looks like I'd pay a lot less for Sling TV. Sqwert, I just cancelled Sling and switched to DirecTV Now. I signed up for the $35 package and the $5 additional for HBO. I didn’t even realize that that alone would save me $10 versus paying the $15 directly to HBO for HBO NOW. DirecTV Now is sending me an Apple TV 4K unit for free for prepaying for 4 months. Pretty sweet deal. Once you get accustomed to cutting the cord, you will settle in to what you use and what you don’t, and you’ll actually have the ability to do something about it because you can cancel at any time with most of these plans! We are now down to DirecTV Now + HBO for $40, Netflix for $10, Amazon Prime for free, YouTube for free, and when baseball starts, I will get the MLB At Bat app for like $90 for the season. Big time savings.