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AP Red

South Brunswick, New Jersey, UNITED STATES


Joined September 23rd 2008

Number of Posts:
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WBC: What's up with all the hatin?

March 18th 2009 17:49
Everytime I turn on the television here in the U.S. I see a commentary on how the World Baseball Classic is bad for the game. Russ Salzberg says it is too intense a tournament for the players to be playing. The panelists from ESPN's First Take say its a meaningless injury risk and that spring training games are more interesting. And various print locals jeer it for one reason or another, probably doing it more to protect their spot than anything else.


Now, intensity and meaningless are very disimilar words and completely contradict each other in their respective context of use. It is "too intense" because the players feel like they are playing for something. If the players are playing with intensity and feel like it is special, how can it be meaningless?

If spring training was so important and interesting, why are players whose roster spots are in flux playing in the WBC? Gregor Blanco whould be in a fight for Atlanta's center field job in a non WBC year. Lindstrom and Marmol should be fighting to lock down their closer spots. Pudge, Pedro and various other unsigned talents (I know Pudge signed with Houston) should be flying around everywhere trying out with teams to get spots. And when was the last time Pro Player Stadium had actual people inside paying to watch a baseball game?

As for injuries, do players not get hurt in spring training? The intensity of the tournament makes injuries more likely? So guys fighting for roster slots aren't intense. Guys trying to hold onto the MLB dream aren't intense. Guys that don't want to bag groceries or super size meals aren't intense?

I don't buy the arguments. I loved the Netherlands and how players had to get time off from their factory jobs and the like to pursue their WBC and pro dreams. Like the intense rivalries between the Caribbean series guys and between Korea and Japan. Got to finally see Yu Darvish and know why Bobby Valentine was all hyped up about the guy. And that bottom of the ninth come back by the US actually made me jump out of my seat.

When was the last time you jumped out of your seat at home watching a spring training game?
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The Comics Pull List (Jan. 21)

January 17th 2009 19:08
Seems like every comic book I regularly pick up or think about picking up is a part of a major universe story/tie-in event book for the coming week. Really finding this trend annoying. Say your Marvel book (as an example) gets 12 issues a year. The Jan. ish is a Secret Invasion that shipped late, the March and April books are Dark Reign related, and lets say the December book is some other crossover book. So you essentially get 8 self-contained issues? That sound right? Granted that's an extreme example, but its not out of the realm of possibilities. Way I see it, if the story is not strong enough to get a stand-alone book why ruin an on-going I already like, And if standalones like Secret Invasion:Thor, Inhumans don't sell as good as you like, maybe its because the stories are uninteresting and are paced at 3 issues when it can be told in an extra sized. Honestly, the only standalone tie-in I was interested in throughout last year was WWH: X-Men. And its hook was action, not so much story but worked for what it was. Most other types of books of its ilk didn't even give you that. Just my gripe. Most tie-ins really only give you one panel or come up at the end so it doesn't necessarily have to affect your book. Feels like a crutch that doesn't have to be used though.




Black Lightning Year One #2 - Like the costume/character of Black Lightning. Too bad nobody has ever written him in an interesting way. My cousin liked him waaaay back when in the Outsiders. Read those issues and didn't have the same reaction. They revived him after Zero Hour and tried to turn him into their version of the 70s Luke Cage. Didn't work for me. Giving him the rub in JLA is awesome, but doesn't mean he's gonna sell books. Trying to tell "urban" stories isn't going to work. Main problem is that isn't the audience for comic books. Anyone read a Milestone issue in the last 15 years? Make him deal with family, have him deal with how other heroes view/deal with him if you're stuck on the Afro-American thing (pun from the 70s look), or god forbid put him in a more super-hero friendly setting.

Faces of Evil Deathstroke - One of my favorite villains/anti-heroes so I'll pick it up even if its bad. The Calculator the focus of Birds of Prey this week also another villain pick up.

Superman/Batman Annual #3 - Composite Superman issue (Amalgam of Batman/Superman) for fans of old time stories that didn't worry about continuity. Book seldom disappoints.

Avengers galore - Dark Avengers premieres and Mighty Avengers premieres its new roster. Dark Reign will obviously have an impact on both books. Marvel Adventures Avengers deals with the how superheroes deal with the IRS apparently. Gotta love the premise and this kid friendly book is one of my favorite reads.

There's a couple of War of Kings tie-ins, the penultimate Angel:After the Fall ish, and some graphic novels that people have been waiting for out as well. Star Trek's countdown to the upcoming movie hits the shelves this week. In the same vein, another prequel book to the next Transformers movie is gonna come out. And the Spidey/Barack Obama book's second printing comes out also. Looks like a solid week to beat an hour of cold weather in your local comic book store
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Fantasy NBA 08-09 V1

January 16th 2009 21:12
Halfway point is coming and now is time for strategy.

1. Watch your percentages
If you need points in the percentage spots, you have to adjust as soon as possible. The higher percentage guys that can have an impact are all owned by now and they have to be traded for before people start quitting your league. I find that a high % of quitters tend to start dropping out around early January to the 2nd week after the All-Star game so trading from lower tier people in your league should be a high priority right now.

2. Don't let roto stats fool you.
Got the lead in my main league by 5.5 pts but the max points I can get at this time is 85. The guy that's 5th in my league who hasn't made a roster change since December 28 is 20.5 pts behind me and looks to have given up. But according to my calculations, he's the only one of my 4 closest competitors who can beat or tie the max pts I can get at this time.

3. Take game limits into account.
In that same league, I am 2nd in the pts cat trailing by 188 pts. Staggering amount right? Not if you take into account that the guy in the lead has 38 more games played than I do. Manage your game.

4. Trade depth for higher quality
Two for one trades to players with less depth are your best bets right now. Reading one Yahoo blog where a guy is trading David Lee and Iguodola for Chirs Paul and he's the one that has to accept the trade. Now, I would never trade CP3 for just that, but that could be a need trade and the blogger gets a steal.


Lot of useful specialty guys still out in my various leagues. Daequan Cook in Miami putting up 3s with good percentages. Verejao still around in all of my leagues and he's good for boards and steals. If you can't trade for needs, specialists can help.

Keep an eye on Monta Ellis and Boozer's health status. They each might be a month away, so getting them on the cheap might be now or never.
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Not working

January 16th 2009 20:23
Doubt anyone would still be looking in regularly, but after a couple of months of chillin maxin and relaxin I decided to not take a buyout and just sit on my rear collecting a check for the next 3 years.

Could've taken about 10 cents on the dollar to get out clean and start my own firm/work for a competitor or work in the finance sector in general but I don't see that being wise


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To work or not to work

November 19th 2008 09:12
Sorry to anyone that might have been reading this blog regularly. I quit my job in August. I worked in the finance sector and didn't like how things were being managed at my firm. The things that went into the recent financial crisis were some of the things I tried to fight against.

Anyway, I signed a contract as mid-level management about a year ago. In that contract,my company had the option to pay out my contract and keep me out of the industry for 5 years from signing if I ever left. They excercised that right and I can't get into any econ/banking/major sales type of fields for the next 3 years. I officially declined a buyout that would have paid 10 cents on the dollar 2 weeks ago


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Fantasy NFL Week 10

November 9th 2008 01:19
Sorry, planned to post Wednesday night but I've been mulling a contract buyout from my company.

QB


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The Comics Pull List (Nov. 5)

November 4th 2008 09:37
Not a whole lot to get excited about but some good titles still coming out.

Justice Society of America #30 - People still interested in Starman after the JLA/JSA crossover they had some issues back should look at this arc. Start of an arc, so no idea if the story is interesting or not


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Fantasy Postmortem (NFL Week 9)

November 3rd 2008 04:53
Production from all over this week. Didn't have to have elites to be productive again. Lot of comebacks for everyone that likes that sort of thing.

QB


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King of the Hill cancelled

November 1st 2008 20:20
Time magazine named this show one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

Sorry, but I didn't get it at all. Didn't think it was a bad show. Just thought that if it were part of an animated comedy block it should be funny


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Fantasy NFL Week 9

October 31st 2008 18:22
Looks like a good week for offense even without SD and NO.

QB


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Recent Comments

Comment by AP Red
on TV programs which 'met their maker' too early

October 27th 2008 20:07


All Knowing Geek
John Doe - Show built around a mystery with no DVD out there currently. Would have liked a 2nd season or a tv movie to resolve some of the plot points. Or a DVD with creator commentary.

Keen Eddie - I was entertained but when you premiere after the Super Bowl they want you to have monster numbers and this show played to niche crowd.


Comment by AP Red
on Bailout passed...after they made the deal worse

October 15th 2008 02:29


All Knowing Geek
Apology accepted.

Honestly just trying to find a voice in this forum. Really new to blogging and not sure where I should comment, get offended, make friends/enemies, et all.

I'm sure what you said would have sounded less confrontational than it reads, so I'll just blame getting offended on me being new.


Like I said originally, totally agreed with your original post and the reason I didn't want to get further into a back and forth was I felt that might take away from a good idea.

But its all good.

Comment by AP Red
on Bailout passed...after they made the deal worse

October 14th 2008 06:25


All Knowing Geek
On point #1, bad journalism led to mass media declaring for Gore. CNN/Fox/ABC et all declared for Gore using incomplete/inaccurate polling data was my point. You stating that cost Bush votes is based on similar survey/polling data taken by GOP supporters, so I think that data is dubious at best was my point again with you yourself saying "reportedly".

On point #5, "The manual recount in Miami-Dade County was shut down shortly after screaming protestors arrived at Miami's recount center. It turned out that these protesters were Republican Party members flown in from other states, some at Republican Party expense" is a very good description of a sensationalized scene from the movie Recount..


Okay, now let me say I thought there was a negative connotation to the Mr. Red address. But felt it could just be how you address people even though I didn't see that when you addressed some other people so I initially let it go as a formal, respectful address.

After answering your comment in a respectful way, you had a reply which closed "but I've had it up to here with all of the otherwise intelligent but extremely lazy voters who do not bother to check their facts before spouting bullshit, partisan lines fed to them by the corporate-owned media".

Now maybe that's not addressed to me or it came out wrong or whatev, but it looks like a shot at me when I'm the only other person in the conversation. And yeah I took offense.

Might not be intent there, or maybe just a little intent there. Don't know and don't really care. I'm cool with respectful exchanges but the point of my blog is to just keep it light and not too serious and a flame war doesn't fit with that. Even in a semi-debate context.


Comment by AP Red
on Movies I hated: Don't hate me in return!

October 14th 2008 02:25


All Knowing Geek
I agree with almost everything in your post, particularly your thoughts on Pan's Labyrinth and There Will Be Blood.

On Spider-Man 3, I think the "emo" thing was less of a problem than having 8-9 storylines and too many characters period not just villains.

Glad someone else disliked Blood because the only two people I know that are into movies really dug it.

Comment by AP Red
on Bailout passed...after they made the deal worse

October 12th 2008 20:16


All Knowing Geek
Its obvious that you have been drinking the Kool-Aid there, so let me close out my comments with a few things.

On point #1, that's a joke. You're blaming bad journalism who used polling numbers that were incomplete/useless and you're using polling/survey numbers which could also be incomplete/useless. BTW, the poll run that had Bush getting 7,000 more votes if it weren't for "voter confusion" that you're referencing was run by a Republican supporter.

On points 2,3, and 4, you're implying the election was already rigged to begin with. If it was rigged, than why are we even having this conversation? Why is your argument even about having a three party system when it should be about cleaning up what we have now?

On point 5, you're using a movie as a point of fact. A MOVIE. Recount is based on a true story, same as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hello. You should really use Unprecedented as a springboard, at least that was a DOCUMENTARY.

On point 6, I guess you're talking about vote swapping but not sure and no clue where you were going with that at all.

You honestly want to make those points, you should be talking about disenfranchised voters (black votes) and the voting machines having coding that gave the Republicans 10-30% more votes.

Instead, you're spouting off stuff off a wiki page word for word. But I'm the Republican lemming.

And normally I'd let that stuff go, but you're honestly coming after me about being lazy and not knowiing facts.

Point of fact, the election was won by 500 votes. You have not said anything that can rebuke my opinion that Nader's 90k votes wouldn't have swung the election Gore's way. Read The Perfect Tie and not a wiki and then come back to me with a valid response.

Viable parties are not the only ones that can get in a system. In some states, a valid citizen list can get you in. In some states, a voting block of citizens can put any candidate they want on a ballot. Now, in each instance, the candidate that gets this support can sue to get in nationally/statewide/etc.

Not ignorant, not uninformed but I'll let you get the final word in like 3-4 days after you study a wikipedia on the various points and then claim I'm uninformed because I'm not backing up "facts" with a wiki word for word or a movie.

Tell me if I'm wrong on that.

Comment by AP Red
on Fantasy NFL Week 6

October 9th 2008 23:46


All Knowing Geek
Scheffler out as of last night, so no TE pick of the week.

Comment by AP Red
on Bailout passed...after they made the deal worse

October 9th 2008 22:57


All Knowing Geek
Sorry for not responding. I read your comment sometime last night after posting, but honestly didn't feel like adding anything to it.

I felt that commenting again would further detract from your original post, which I felt was a very good idea.

On the number of ballots, I meant to say 40-45 states. Another poster listed 44 or something, I found an article that said 40 so I meant to say 40-45 but I didn't double check when I was typing and I don't know how/if I can modify comments since I'm new to this forum. So my bad there.

I didn't compare Nader to Gary Coleman. I used California's election circus to illustrate how opening up the election to every "party" wouldn't be productive. Maybe what happened there can only happen in California, but I think the farce that happened there would happen everywhere to any joker who wants to get famous or sell themselves if the process was more like Canada. So I was illustrating how the multi-party process has played out in the US previously.

I don't put the Green Party or the Libertarians into the circus mix, I just don't see it being productive. Washington already isn't productive, so why add a third, fourth, fifth division into the mix?

The two party system is indeed not indestructible. Like I said, Ventura won in Minnesota, there are two "independent" senators right now and the mayor of the largest city in the US is an independent. But the way a PRESIDENTIAL election is set up, it is a two party race.

The two party system even has divisions in their own parties. Rightists, leftists, radical liberals, extreme right wingers, isolationists et all exist in the system. So I don't see the need and if the general population saw the need, than that 40% that doesn't vote and the people that choose between the lesser of two evils would have swung a major election or two already.

Is Minnesota honestly the most progressive state in the US? Been there, don't think so.

On being a spoiler, less than 200 votes decided the outcome in Florida. If you can't see how the Dems would have gotten more of Nader's votes (80,000 of them) than the Republicans, than you've been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid Nader is dishing out. Can you honestly say that if Nader wasn't in the election the Dems don't get those 200 votes? I think they do and I was on the other side.

That's also the reason why Buchanon didn't campaign in Florida. He didn't want to take from the GOP base when everyone knew FLA was up for grabs.

And no, there is no coming down to anything. People always make it out like there's sides. There is no right or wrong, black and white, good or evil. 40-plus percent of the people excercise a third option and not vote. Another 10 percent vote third party which objectively only impacts tight races. Another 1 percent take it further and write in Pikachu and ALF.

Personally, I don't think either the dems or GOP have anything to offer me right now. And I choose to be in that 40 percent plus that doesn't vote.

Last I checked Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness didn't include Social Security, Healthcare, and candidates that believe in 70-80 percent of what I believe in, And that might not be fair, but its more fair than most of the world.

Now talk to me about bailing out failing companies and shipping out jobs/aid to foreign countries and we'll probably have similar views.

Incidentally, its just AP, not Mr. Red.

Comment by AP Red
on Fantasy NFL Week 6

October 9th 2008 07:32


All Knowing Geek
[SIZE=2]I'll also add game predictions as comments from now on cuz I see ESPN do it and figure why not.

Oak 17 NO 34
Bal 14 Ind 24
Cin 20 NYJ 31
Car 21 TB 17
Det 13 Min 31
ChC 24 Atl 21
Mia 24 Hou 21
StL 10 WSH 31
JAX 24 Den 28
Pha 27 SF 10
Dallas 30 Arz 21
GB 27 Sea 14
NE 28 SD 24
NYG 30 Cle 17SIZE]

Comment by AP Red
on Who is ultimately to blame for the "bailout bill"'s passage, America? We are.

October 8th 2008 02:18


All Knowing Geek
Not to take the focus off a very good idea, but you can't have one situation as a solution to another.

Politics works differently in Canada because there are distinct differences in how people live from one province to another. Toronto runs completely different from Montreal which runs different from Vancouver.

Now, are issues in Texas completely different from those in Massachusetts? Last I checked, they at least speak the same language.

On Buchanan, yeah we (Meaning I am a Republican) did make a big deal about him potentially taking votes. The mass media just didn't play it nationally as much because he was fourth. Look at FLA for example. 97,000 Nader votes to 17,000 Buchanan votes. 80,000 votes swings that election (1,000 votes swing it), and I'm saying that as a Republican. So spoiled is a valid point.

My POV is if you want those votes, your candidate should've been better. But if you can't see a spoiler from just pure numbers, you're not trying to be objective.

Incidentally, check out what happened in California with Gray Davis. Essentially, the chaos that followed is what you are advocating. I'm sure Gary Coleman and Marey Caray and Larry Flint all could have brought something interesting to the table, but just because they fit the minimum requirements of politics doesn't mean they should have shared the focus with real people who wanted to make a difference.

Not saying 2 parties is the way to go. Saying its what we got. Also, even if Nader pulls 36% of the vote, he wouldn't win the majority needed in the electoral college. Which means it goes to the House, which means the majority in charge votes in their party, which means Nader has ZERO chance to win.

Not for President at least. Senator, Rep., Gov vote your heart out. President, well, Mickey Mouse has the exact same shot at being elected. Hope or no.

Comment by AP Red
on Who is ultimately to blame for the "bailout bill"'s passage, America? We are.

October 7th 2008 23:02


All Knowing Geek
Nice post and the tax on securities speculation (assuming it has volume or $$$ minimums attached to not squeeze out the middle class from investing) is a much better idea than the current bailout by far.


On Nader having a shot at winning, I have a better shot at winning the US Open (tennis or golf, doesn't matter).

First off, he's not on the ballot of every state. He's only on 4-5 ballots now. Second, how many third party candidates won a major election in the US? Jesse Ventura in Minnesota is all well and good but do Lieberman and Bernie Sanders honestly count?

All he can do is disrupt the Dems again. He swings say 10% of the vote in any state he's on the ballot, most likely they're democratic votes. Obama/McCain run in the 40% range each, then did he impact the election? You bet he did.

No offense. I could give a damn who wins between Obama or McCain because I don't see major change coming from either one. Nader's more in line with me financially speaking. I don't agree with the bailout also, don't like NAFTA or the WTO for our country's interests, and don't want big corporations getting every tax break in existence yet still have the ability to move jobs to Mexico or wherev (did I mention I also don't like NAFTA?).

I just think its naive to think Nader has a shot. Its not Greece and even Greek democracy wasn't Greek democracy. This is a representative democracy with a two party system firmly entrenched and no way around that.

Political eficacy in the US has been in th gutter for years. Seriously 54% voter turnout is gonna be considered high? So if 46% of the public was already sick of the system the last election and Nader pulled just what 10% of the vote maybe will he have a shot now?

Its naive to think he has a "fair shot at winning"l, even if he's the better person for the job.