Friday, 8 July 2011

All cylinders

Going, gone
The Texas Rangers followed their 6-0 win last night with an 8-5 win tonight over the Oakland Athletics, a team getting buried quickly in the American League West.

The Rangers have suddenly won five straight and are playing the the best baseball since their 90 start to the season. Rangers are 6-2 in July and 11-6 in this home-heavy stretch before the break.

A review in six chapters:

Defense
The Rangers aren't merely playing good defense or improved defense. Frankly, for the last week, it's been phenomenal. The bullshit errors are gone, the outfielders are in the right spot and if they're not they're running balls down, and the infield's been at times spectacular. The coincidence of the Rangers running off wins and the defense -- night in, night out -- getting the job done is not serendipitious.

Derek Holland
Holland was great Thursday night tossing a complete game shutout. Allowing four hits, striking out seven. However, naysayers quick to point out that Holland shutout the offensively-flaccid Oakland A's. That's crap. You have to consider that most teams aren't good. Also, if you want Holland to pitch against only good teams, you'll need a different scheduling procedure in the MLB. Also, no one second guesses C.J. Wilson, Cliff Lee, Roy Halliday, Felix Hernandez or Justin Verlander when they face the A's, Royals, Dodgers or Astros. If Holland can beat the bad teams, we're set. Of his 19 starts, 12 have come against .500 teams or worse. He's 6-6 in those game.

The Night After
I attended tonight's game, a day after the tragedy. It was an odd feeling. I think everyone paid extra attention to every foul ball. It was not as well-attended as I thought it would be. There were 37K announced. I thought Friday night, fireworks, C.J. Wilson v. Gio Gonzalez and the game after would pull in 45K+. Not so much. Still, a nice crowd. They picked up Josh Hamilton with some nice ovations. It felt ... ordinary.

Hitting
The Rangers are doing a lot of it. Up and down the line-up card. Right now, you do not want to face them. Period.

Base Paths
I don't know this for a fact or anything, but I'm willing to put a sawbuck on the line to state that the Rangers are the best baserunning in Major League Baseball. They rarely make mistakes. They're healthily aggressive. They regularly go first-to-third and second-to-home on any hit. They're mostly quick and even the slowpokes are smart. For my money, baserunning's become this team's biggest weapon. It's the piano wire they wrap around the opponent's neck and pull.

Unis
Again, absolutely love the red caps with the bright whites with red/blue piping. Love it.

The fall

I don't know about everyone else, but I can't get the image of Shannon Stone, a Brownwood firefighter, leaning over and tumbling from the leftfield stands last night at the Ballpark.

He died, as we learned, later. By most accounts, he was conscious and talking as he was being taken to the hospital. He was with his son.

I don't know exactly what he died from. It wasn't immediate. The story notes that his head was bleeding badly and it was relatively obvious that he had fallen headfirst. I'm sure that's all concrete behind that scoreboard.

I don't know why this is getting to me. I have to admit, I'm not the most sensative of guys. Although personally mesmerized and terrified of death and all that, I have almost zero problem reading newspaper after newspaper of murders, riots, insurrections in foreign countries and wars. I see it as just one of those things that happen in life, that being death.

I go to a lot of Rangers games and my tickets are right next to a railing. If I take my daughter, the ushers always tell you to stay away from the railing and do not lean on it. I always imagine a foul ball being hit my way and how I would react. I know that if a ball came towards me and was in a downward trajectory I would reach over and attempt to get the ball.

No longer. It's sickening to think that a death of a man going to a cruddy ballgame with his kid has to remind us that there are so many more important things in this little life of ours. You can go to Academy or Dick's Sporting Goods and buy all the fucking baseballs you want. Nothing can replace what happened last night.

In my usual macabre fashion, I did think about all the variables that went into Stone and his son attending that game. The rain storm that washed out the game in order to make yesterday's make-up day happen. I think of possibly those pitchers working faster in order to get past the fifth inning and making that an official game and making last night fiction.

I think about that guy and his kid opting for different seats. I think of Conor Jackson fouling the ball off into the stands or to the ball girl in left field. Or maybe Jackson never making contact. Or hitting a home run.

I think of Josh Hamilton tossing the ball into the stands in foul territory.

I know it's ridiculous to think about all this shit. It certainly does nothing for that firefighter's son and the rest of the family. It doesn't help Hamilton or the Texas Rangers get over this. But I think that despite all of our outward manifestations and rhetoric, we are overwhelmingly terrified of death. We agonize over the small things that accumulate over a day, a week, a year or a lifetime without the ability to change them, and that, moreso, is the most terrifying thing of all.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Just don't feel like talking baseball

Shit. My stomach just sunk. I watched the TV report noting the death of the guy that fell from the left-field seats at the Ballpark in Arlington going for a baseball tonight.

It was the second inning. The Oakland Athletics' Conor Jackson hits a foul ball down the left-field line and it winds up close to Josh Hamilton, who tosses the ball to the front row of the stands. The mans just leans too far over and falls awkwardly. You can tell that he landed on his head.

His kid was right there next to him.

Several things:

1. The Rangers will need to address the foul ball thing. Handing the ball to fan is one thing. Tossing it -- something that's relatively common -- seems real uncomfortable. What if the fan misses and it bonks them on the nose? Clearly, death is something they never think about.

2. This is two straight years of some guy falling over the partition. Expect those to go higher.

3. Can the fan's family sue? If the fan buys a ticket, do they accept all responsibility for their actions and any accident? Is there a difference between a foul ball conking you on the head and a player being a part of the accident?

4. Not to bring it back to the sports page, but this is some fucking bad mojo. Needless to say, the Rangers would never want someone dying in their ballpark. However, this has got the stench of bad vibes all around it for the remainder of the season. Not unlike the brawl with Frank Francisco in Oakland in 2004. That incident killed the Rangers' momentum that year.

Raking

Good to see Tiny E awake on defense

I feel bad for the Baltimore Orioles. Much like the Rangers a few weeks ago against the New York Mets, I think they ran into a team that just couldn't be stopped.

The Texas Rangers did it again. They ran the Orioles out of the Ballpark 13-5 last night putting on a hitting clinic.

For the series:

30 runs - 46 hits - 15 doubles.

I think the most extraordinary thing were the home runs. There were three. The Rangers scored 10 runs per game in a three-game set and they hit a meager three home runs. All of this reinforces my ascertion that the double is the most lethal hit in the game. Doubles turn ordinary innings into huge innings. Doubles strung together with a walk, a couple of singles and an error make it 0-0 to 4-0 in a hurry.

For instance, last night. The Rangers' first inning featured two doubles, two walks, a single and sac fly to put Alexi Ogando up 4-0 before the Orioles could catch their breath. It had to be ripping Orioles' fans apart inside. There was nothing they could do.

Thirty runs. Three home runs. That is remarkable.

Also astounding is how everyone was locked in this series. Nine different Rangers hit doubles. Six guys last night had multi-hit games (Michael Young, Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler, Mitch Moreland, Endy Chavez). Pinch hitters went 2-3 last night.

Again, nothing Baltimore could do other than try to get those 27 outs at some point.

The Rangers are 4-2 in July and 9-6 in this home-heavy stretch before the All-Star break.

Notes:
1. Until I'm blue in the face, I'll apologize for all the mean things I said about Adrian Beltre. He now has 24 doubles and a jaw-dropping 67 RBI. No one's changed my opinion of them faster than Beltre.

2. Alexi Ogando put together his second straight fine start. Of course, now the spotlight is on Derek Holland. Before allowing two dingers last night, Ogando had allowed three home runs in his last 10 starts. He's officially at 104.2 innings pitched.

3. Ogando with Napoli catching: 37 IP - 21 hits - 8 ERs - 3 HRs - 9 BBs - 28 K.

4. Elvis Andrus got on base five times last night. A pair of doubles. If he's right at the plate, watch out.

5. Mike Young has three straight three-hit games. You can not convince me that moving him to designated hitter wasn't the best move.

6. Welcome back, Mike Napoli.

7. Loved what Darren O'Day was bringing in relief. Just think, right now he's not in the eighth inning save-situation picture.

8. Ian Kinsler has five multi-hit games in last 10. Included are seven extra-base hits.

9. It's fun to win.

Wednesday, 6 July 2011

Roy Williams is dumber than we think

Hot, but crazy
Roy Williams is in a lawsuit because he proposed marriage to Brooke Daniels and she turned him down. She is not returning the ring.

Here is how Williams is dumber than most other people:

1. He mailed the ring and proposal via mail. Like, the post office.

2. Along with the proposal and ring, he sent cash for Daniels' dental bills. As if he were her uncle. Her black uncle.

3. Williams paid $75,000 on an engagement ring. To someone he mailed a proposal to.

4. Daniels, honestly, looks fucking crazy. She has the look.

Congrats on going for the white prize. But she was crazy from the start. You deserve this.

Spiegel on Dirk

I thought it was a cool gift, Dirk

On playing for the German national team, Muhammad Ali and the interviewer's general disinterest in what gift he received.

Rangers lose rather inpercise art of gambling

A fine mess
Brandon Webb is out for the season and will likely require rotator cuff surgery. Sad news for a guy who was probably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball for a couple of years and who had certain unrefined expectations when the Rangers threw $3 million and incentives at him in the off-season.

This was a solid gamble and one I take over and over. Webb's time cost $3 million. That's chump change to the Rangers who just gave a 16-year-old Dominican outfielder $5 million. There was zero risk and high reward for the Rangers. Even if Webb would have met all of his incentives, it still would have been a bargain.

GM Jon Daniels likes investing. Relatively speaking, Webb was low cost and he was here for the immediate future. Giving Eric Gagne or Kenny Lofton $5 million -- considering where the Rangers were as an organization -- were rentals. If they succeeded they were going to be traded. If they flopped, it was still worth the risk.

Those gambles paid off. This one didn't. The only thing you can do is keep playing the game.

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Better late than never

Endy rock: Doing those small things
Around the seventh inning, I was fuming. The night after absolutely clobbering the Baltmore Orioles, the Texas Rangers could barely tough some starting pitcher named "Mitch."

You should never get beat buy a guy named "Mitch." Ever. Even if it's Williams.

The Rangers offense came around. Scored four runs in the seventh inning, the Rangers bullpen held up and won the thing 4-2 to at least get the series win and a shot at sweep tomorrow.

By the numbers:

0
Walks by Matt Harrison, who went six innings allowing the two runs. He's not allowed a zero-walk game all season.

2
Home runs allowed by Harrison. His first multi-home run game of the year. And, yes, it's July.

1
Scoreless inning each for Tommy Hunter, Mark Lowe and Neftali Feliz. Will we look upon this trio differently in September? Do the Rangers have their bullpen situation figured out?

1
Extra-base hit by the Rangers, an Adrian Beltre double. The day after hitting 10 extra-base hits against the same Baltimore squad.

6
Base hits in two games from Michael Young, making him 42 hits short of 2,000.

7
Hits from Nelson Cruz in last three games. Nine RBI in last four games.

5
Runners left on base by Mark Reynolds. He went 0-4 with two strikeouts tonight.

The Texas Rangers own Latin America

Ronald Guzman: Mo' money, mo' problems
July 2 started the international signing period for Major League Baseball. Meaning, those studs in Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Far East can be signed by clubs.

The Rangers have absolutely knocked their international signings out of the park. From Guillermo Pimentel, David Perez, Jurickson Profar to Luis Salinas, Jorge Alfaro, Rougned Odor and Martin Perez, the restructuring of the Rangers as a first-class organization stemmed from this team's ability to go into Latin America and come out with some world-class athletes.

July 2, 2011 was no different.

The Rangers threw $5 million at 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Nomar Mazara, which eclipses the $4.25 million the Oakland Athletics gave Michael Ynoa several years ago. At the time, it seemed like an astronomical amount.

The Rangers also nabbed 16-year-old left fielder Ronald Guzman. He's from the Dominican Republic too. In the last three months alone, the Rangers have completely remade their minor league outfield situation. Adding Leonys Martin in addition to taking 11 outfielders in the 2011 Draft and, now, Guzman and Mazara changes everything. Once a point of weakness is now a strength.

Scouts and pundits are raving. Although the money is high, most see little difference in drafting above-slot guys who have just as much chances of making the bigs as these Latin American kids. Instead, the Rangers make reaches in the draft, take solid guys in the middle rounds and blow their load on the international market.

These kids could potentially be stateside in the next year or two playing professional baseball, whilst high school kids could very well opt for college. Already in Low-A Spokane, Alfaro, Odor, Pimentel and D. Perez are making a difference. M. Perez is barely in his 20s in Double A and Elvis Andrus made his MLB debut at 19.

The ceilings are just as high -- as are the price tags -- but there's a possibility of a quicker rise due to the way the Rangers push their prospects.

Happy trails, Brad Richards

Ryder, I hardly know her!
It's like your ex-wife getting married.

Last week, Brad Richards signed a nine-year, $60 million with the New York Rangers. With salary and a signing bonus, he'll make $12 million in 2011-12.

Richards' departure is more than a little bittersweet.

For one, we knew he was in his final year of his deal and we knew that the Dallas Stars were not going to be able to re-sign due to ownership chaos and a total lack of funds to sign any big free agent.

Richards was leaving. By December, the Stars were in the playoff hunt. They'd led the Pacific Division. The decision was whether or not to go for it all in the Stanley Cup playoffs or get what you can from Richards in a trade and most assuredly miss the playoffs.

By March, they'd kept Richards and the Stars ran out of gas and missed the playoffs anyway. It was a calculated move and I don't question Joe Nieuwendyk's decision.

Richards was the Stars' best player. Imagine the Rangers losing Josh Hamilton. The Cowboys, Tony Romo. The Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki. Just think about them walking away and going somewhere else.

This is the state of things for the Stars. By all accounts, he would have had no problem staying. However, the Stars could not promise Richards a chance to win, and that's being honest. The ownership thing was rumored to be settled last season. It wasn't. It doesn't look very close to being handled.

The Stars are multiple players away from competing -- not only for a championship -- but for their own division. The Stars could have all the money in the world, but if they can't win Richards was going to walk. Simple as that.

Still, the Stars have money to spend. I believe it was $10 million they needed to spend to hit the cap floor.

They signed six players -- very low key, very inexpensive -- and have addressed some real issues. Those signings:

Michael Ryder
31 - Right Wing - two years, $7 million
A very salty character. Just won a Stanley Cup with Boston and he's just 31 years old. He notched 27 goals in 2008-09 and has two 30-goal seasons. Last year he had 41 points as he's becoming much more of a facilitator. I think he's most valuable because he's very sturdy. He's never played less than 70 games in his career (seven seasons). He's played 79 or more games five times. For a team wrought with injuries most season, having Ryder is a huge boon.

Vern FiddlerBold
31 - Left Wing - three years, $5.4 million
Statistically, he doesn't look like much. Hockey, however, is a sport that goes far beyond stats. For one, Fiddler was named alternate captain with Phoenix a year ago. He wins 53 percent of his faceoffs and he's the lead turd on Phoenix's penalty-kill squad. Does all the stuff the Stars couldn't do last season. Love it.

Radek Dvorak
34 - Right Wing - one year, $1.5 million
A veteran. A past-his-prime penalty killer. One note, he's cheap and very little commitment, and he's the biggest (literally) free agent signee at 6-2 and 200 pounds.

Adam Pardy
27 - Defenseman - two years, $4 million
Dvorak was with Florida when Nieuwendyk was an assistant GM there. Pardy was with new head coach Glen Gulutzan in the minors. He's going into his fourth season in the NHL and spent most of last season out with a bad shoulder. This has to be a Gulutzan signing.

Jake Dowell
26 - Center - one year, $800,000
Played a total of four NHL games before getting into 79 games for Chicago in 2010-11. Second time Nieuwendyk's raided the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks on the cheap after Adam Burish a year ago.

Sheldon Souray
35 - Defenseman - one year, $1.65 million
Interesting. Huge guy (6-4, 233). A two-time All-Star, who had 53 points in 2009-10, 23 of them on the power play. He was demoted to the minors a season ago. Maybe on the downward slope of his career, or just needs some tender love and care. We'll see.

Monday, 4 July 2011

Voted least deserving

The Murph
The Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles last night, 13-4. They tallied the 13 runs on 18 hits. They'll be fucking lucky to get 13 runs and 18 hits between the next two games. The Rangers certainly know how to blow their load earlier.

Anyway, it's a win. (By the way, thumbs up on the red hat/white jersey look. Maybe they've done it before, but I've never noticed. Let's bring that back.)

The Rangers got good news yesterday as it was announced that they received four All-Star representatives in Arizona in another week: Mike Young, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre and C.J. Wilson.

For my money, only Beltre was truly deserving. For American League, Beltre's numbers stack up to anyone and he's the better defensive third baseman.

It sorta bugs me that Mike Young was taken as a designated hitter because he's eligible and guys like Paul Konerko and Mark Teixeira are considered "first basemen." The DH should be your best hitter that has a quantifiable amount of times at that position. Young's having a fine year. But not as good as some other guys, who would easily go in before Young.

Josh Hamilton's inclusion is further proof that its a popularity contest. Honestly, I wish he'd not play and rest.

Wilson was picked by Ron Washington and is the only Rangers pitcher and, arguably, the only Rangers pitcher worth the trip.

Wilson's having a fine year. He's in or around the top 10 in most categories. Still, it's a homer pick. If the manager of the AL were from another team, a pitcher from that skipper's squad would have made the trip. There are probably a handful of other much-worthier picks, but I doubt anyone's going to nitpick on Wilson or Washington.

Error of their ways

Give 'em hell, Wash
The Texas Rangers lost yesterday 6-4 to complete an unbelievable series loss to the Florida Marlins at the Ballpark.

It's all pretty ridiculous. Mainly because after Friday night's 15-5 win as the offense went completely nuts against the Florida pitching, you got the feeling it'd be a good weekend, if not a great weekend.

Instead, the offense peaked Friday night. They lost 9-5 Saturday after Derek Holland allowed a first inning to forget and then Sunday.

Errors ain't helping. I get that the Rangers are a good defensive team and that they get to balls that other teams dream about getting to. I totally get it and if you watch enough Rangers baseball, it's pretty clear that they are solid defensively. In theory.

However, if you get to it, you've got to make a play on it. You've GOT to get the ordinary plays done and you've got to finish off those toughies that come around.

Yesterday in the eighth inning, C.J. Wilson left the game with a runner on third base, one out and a one-run game. Mark Lowe comes in and induces a groundout to Omar Infante. Another out and it goes to the ninth. He walks Gaby Sanchez (who'd killed the Rangers all game) and gets to Hanley Ramirez.

He grounds toward Elvis Andrus, a bounding try that spends way more time in the air than the ground. Andrus charges and can't get the glove on it. Inning continues. Runners at first and second and a tied game.

That was your game. Not Darren Oliver's two-run double he'd allow or the fourth run that would cross off Neftali Feliz. Three unnecessary runs scored because Andrus couldn't make -- mind you, a difficult -- play.

Remember last season when Andrus and others were making difficult play after difficult play? The Rangers lead the world in unearned runs. It's not just the difficult plays that are seeping through the cracks. There are little league plays getting missed. It's an epidemic and if anything needs to improve, it's that. Now.

Notes:
1. C.J. Wilson was brilliant and deserved a much better fate. One earned run and a walk next to nine strikeouts. Just beat the shit out of the strike zone all night.

2. Josh Hamilton and Mike Young, yesterday: 1-8. Six runners left on base. Young, the king of the worthless 1-4 day.

3. Adrian Beltre loves the Marlins: 7-11 - 2 doubles - 1 home run - 5 RBI.

4. Nelson Cruz: 5-12 - 1 double - 1 triple - 2 home runs - 7 RBI.

5. Symbolic of the Rangers offense, Ian Kinsler got on base four times in three games (not including his home run) and stole three bases and scored one run.

Saturday, 2 July 2011

Wipeout

Ogando, in action
The Texas Rangers are slowly getting deeper and deeper into some problems that will need to be figured out sooner or later. Probably sooner.

Alexi Ogando had his best outing in a long time taking a perfect game into the fifth inning and winding up going 6.2 innings, allowing five hits, two hits and striking out a career-high of eight Florida Marlins in the 15-5 win last night.

It's July 2 and the trade deadline is a mere 29 days away. The Rangers need help. It's anyone's guess where they actually need it.

If Ogando is your No. 4 starter the rest of the way, you target bullpen help. If Ogando isn't in the rotation, you might eye a starter. Ogando's the lynchpin. His insertion into the bullpen -- in addition to Tommy Hunter's, Scott Feldman's and Darren O'Day's -- gives you a relatively safe feeling about your seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

It also gives you a glut of pitching. I don't know where it all fits. Particularly, within the next year and a half, the Rangers will need to make some more decisions regarding the pitching staff. There are guys knocking on the door in Frisco and Oklahoma City. They can't stay there forever as you try to figure out where Ogando and Neftali Feliz go.

As for the offense, well, if Taylor Teagarden's knocking RBI doubles into the gap, all is well at least for one day.

Notes:
1. For my money, Mike Kirkman is a starter. And I don't think he's very good.

2. Adrian Beltre went opposite field on all three hits, including a huge RBI double down the first-base line after the Marlins walked Josh Hamilton to load the bases. The guy's on pace for 120+ RBI.

3. Josh Hamilton got on base all four times.

4. Andres Blanco's eighth-inning bomb was absolutely cracked. The guy contributes whenever, wherever.

5. Happy birthday, Nelson Cruz. Six RBI including a base-clearing triple and a three-run bomb. I think he has been given the perpetual green light at every at-bat. He's a base hit or an out at this point.

Friday, 1 July 2011

Does the NBA lockout help or hurt the Dallas Mavericks?

"It'll be OK, lil' buddy"
Short-term, yes. Long-term, no.

Friends, we are in dire straits. We are a mere months away from becoming really huge hockey fans.

As of 11 p.m. Central Standard Time last night, the NBA owners locked out its players. Of course, the NFL is also in a lockout situation. Come October, the only sports we may have are college football, NHL and MLB playoffs.

Locally, the question is where this puts the Dallas Mavericks. I've heard that Mark Cuban is part of a contigent of owners wanting to really hold out and stick it to the players. The general complaint is that owners are losing money (a reported $300 million last season) and its due to player contracts (mostly).

I don't know how Cuban feels. He seems like a "player's owner," someone who has faithfully (sometimes, by fault) stuck by his players and tried to treat them as well as possible.

He's also a businessman, who talks constantly in the cold language of business and making money.

As for the team, this is how I think this lockout could affect them:

Short-Term Effects
This is one of the oldest teams in the league coming off playing 103 NBA games and winning an NBA championship. The reason winning back to back championships is so tough isn't because you're no longer any good. You're tired. And you might not be as hungry. Right now, who's thinking more about the 2011-12 Finals: Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki? I'm not doubting Nowitzki's desire to win. I'm doubting that as he's hanging with old friends and family in Germany, drinking and partying that he's got all his focus on another championship. Same with all those guys. Some -- Tyson Chander, Joe John Barea, DeShawn Stevenson -- are all thinking about free agency. Others might be thinking about playing overseas and settling their financial status if the lockout goes through.

Let's assume the lockout ends, either in September, October or November and there's an abbreviated season, of sorts. Teams play, say, 52 games. That's 30 less games going on the tires of Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion. It's also another several months for Roddy Beaubois to get sufficiently healthy for his return in 2030.

Right now, a shortened season is maybe the most ideal situation for the Dallas Mavericks. It's time to get rested, healthy and, maybe most importantly, focused.

Long-Term Effects
Let's assume some more. Let's say the 2011-12 NBA season does not happen (clutch the motherfucking pearls!). The next NBA tip-off will be in October 2012. Nowitzki will be 34. Jason Kidd, 39. Jason Terry, 35. Shawn Marion 34.

You're not talking about young guys here, and this is a fact we already were aware of. Historically, those are the ages were players begin to drop off. Kidd's an amazing athlete. Still, he is not nearly the player at 38 than he was at 28. Still good, yes. They're not getting younger and, for the most part, they're not getting better. Those four guys have peaked. That "peak" was as high as you can go as a professional basketball player, but it's still a peak and the only way off a mountain is down. Missing another season will not be a good thing and I don't think it plays out well for Cuban's apparent disregard for the "rebuilding process," which is noble, but requires the subtle exchange for quality youth over fading experience.

Also, consider whether an extended lockout affects the status of guys. Kidd, for example, will be almost 40 and he's already hinted that retirement has crept into the back of his mind. What if missing an entire year -- all that time on the couch -- convinces him it's time. How does an extended lockout affect free agents like Chandler or even Caron Butler, if the idea is to bring them back? Lot of idle time for these guys to think.

If you are a Mavericks fan, you hope the lockout lingers a little, but that it comes back at a point where they can play at least a half-season in 2011-12. We might not like the looks of things in 2012.

Thursday, 30 June 2011

How the hell did Joe John Barea become the posterboy for sabermetrics?

Joe John: The face of analytics
The other day, the brilliant Jonah Lehrer wrote a piece for Bill Simmons' Grantland about professional sports teams depending on sabermetrics to make personnel decisions.

It's a good piece where he doesn't really take a side one way or the other. Still, it's been ripped to shreds by folks a billion times dumber than Lehrer. Criticism is criticism, nonetheless. It's been fun reading it all because it's all worth it.

ANYWAY, Lehrer takes a couple of paragraphs to highlight Joe John "J.J." Barea of the Dallas Mavericks.

Lehrer brings up that Barea -- statistically -- was a pretty ordinary player in the regular season and the first 98 percent of the playoffs when he was inserted in the Mavericks' starting line-up in games five and six of the Finals. As we all know, the Mavericks won those games and the title.

This, Lehrer notes, was the Mavericks ignoring any statistical analysis of Barea's game and made a decision based on Barea's seemingly connection with winning game.

There are several problems with this analysis by Lehrer (again, a dumb guy calling a genius to the carpet). First, I must say that no one is a bigger critic of Barea and his game than me.

OK, that's out of the way.

The Mavericks and Stats
Mark Cuban, Rick Carlisle and the Mavericks have been pretty early stalwarts in the statistics/sabermetrics movement in the NBA. Several years ago, Cuban hired Roland Beech, the man behind 82games.com. According to Cuban, post-Finals:

“Roland was a key part to all this. I give a lot of credit to Coach Carlisle for putting Roland on the bench and interfacing with him, and making sure we understood exactly what was going on. Knowing what lineups work, what the issues were in terms of play calls and training.”

Cuban is not saying the Mavericks don't make gut moves nor do they ignore statistics. In fact, it seems that Beech's reach within the organization is wide and highly regarded. Thus, the insinuation that starting Barea -- a statistically ordinary player to, maybe, the untrained eye -- was not based on stats is off base. I don't think there's a question as to whether there was an advantage. However, I didn't need stats to tell me that Barea would be able to blow by Mike Bibby (which he did), but I bet the stats would support this ... that Bibby is old and can't stop the much faster Barea.

Barea's Value
Barea is just not a statistically ordinary or poor basketball player. He's an extremely one-dimensional basketball player. He's got two things going for him: A complete lack of fear and speed. Unfortunately, those two assets help him in one regard: Getting relatively close to the hoop on offense and, thus, opening up potentially open shots for shooters.

As close as Barea shoots most of the time, he doesn't make a lot of them. I would bet he makes more from 23 feet with his feet beneath him than his wild floaters three feet from the basket. Mostly because there are 7-foot monsters at the three-point arc.

Still, he's a so-so passer, a poor defender and his size disadvantage kills him in a lot of facets of the game. Don't get me wrong, he has his place in the NBA and as long as he has those wheels, a team will want him and he'll have value.

My point: Barea has little value statistically and actually; however, that one ounce of value (speed) was worth more than DeShawn Stevenson's pound of value (defense, size). It doesn't make Barea an exponentially better basketball player, but it does make him exponentially quicker and that's what they needed. You don't put your best sprinter in the discus throw.

Barea's Value in Winning
Fourth quarter. Game on the line. Who's on the court? Dirk. Marion. Chandler. Kidd. Terry.

The real issue is this: What is more important, winning the first quarter or fourth quarter?

First the NBA Title, now the Silver Boot

Andy White with the lumber
Dallas-Fort Worth is cleaning up in 2010-11.

We never believed the high after winning the NBA title could get any higher. We never thought there was another plateau above nirvana.

Here we go.

The Texas Rangers won 3-2 in Houston last night winning not only the series, but the season series and, thus, the vaunted Silver Boot. It is staying exactly where its at.

I'm sure Neftali Feliz drank champagne out of it. I'm sure Nolan Ryan took a piss with it. I know that Michael Young left the field right after the final out to cry in the clubhouse.

I know that overemphasizing the importance of winning the Silver Boot, a trophy no one cares about, is fun and all, but there is a hint of seriousness. Although we may not necessarily care about the Houston Astros, I care a whole lot about beating the shit out of any team from Houston.

I hate Houston. Most notably, I hate the Rockets. But I have zero love for the Texans and Astros. Maybe there's not a rivalry, but I'd rather see those teams lose than most other teams. It is what it is.

Yesterday, Nolan Ryan said that he'd like to see the Houston Astros brought to the American League West as realignment talks have gotten hot over the weeks. Ryan, of course, talks about the television market and being able to stay in state. This is true.

It also wouldn't hurt having the Astros on your schedule 15 times a year.

Notes:
1. If nothing else, Colby Lewis is going to be well-rested for his next start. Lewis was cruising the entire game until the seventh inning. He was pulled after giving up two runs and three hits. He'd thrown 74 pitches. What I don't get is that Lewis absolutely wipes out the Astros for six innings and gets the yank at the first tilt of the boat, but C.J. Wilson can throw 130 pitches so you can avoid the bullpen? What happened to "one more inning?" It worked, so there's little to actually bitch about. Still, it's two straight nights for Neftali Feliz and Mark Lowe because of Tuesday night.

2. All of this, of course, is based on my idea that Lewis was alright. He did look extremely sweaty out there and the Houston smog might have gotten to him.

3. Ian Kinsler continues to kill it. Two home runs. Average up to .243.

4. No problem with Mark Lowe as of late. Funny, his ERA drops from 6.10 to 2.45 in his road/home splits. Him getting outs on the road is huge.

5. In his last 20.1 innings, Colby Lewis: 4 ER, 3 HR, 4 BBs. He's officially at 100 innings pitched.

6. Love the strike-them-out-throw-them-out to end a game. By the way, why was Carlos Lee on the bases, why was he stealing? This is why you want to play Houston 15 times a year.

7. If Colby Lewis and Andres Blanco are your big hitters, you're in trouble. Two straight starts for Brett Myers against the Rangers and he's handled them pretty well despite a 6.00 career ERA against them. Love of off-speed junk.

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Nieuwy, Eddie get call

Fast Eddie
Two lynchpins in the Dallas Stars' glory days of the late 1990s were voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame yesterday.

Joe Nieuwendyk and Eddie Belfour were voted in. Both were gigantic in the Stanley Cup runs as guys that put the Stars over the top.

Nieuwendyk is the current general manager with the Stars. He played a ridiculous 20 years in the NHL, seven with the Dallas Stars after coming over from Calgary in the Jarome Iginla trade. He was really good with Dallas although injuries ate up quite a bit of his time. He scored 30 goals with the Stars twice and never approached the 80- and 90-point seasons he had with Calgary. But he had his role.

He won three Stanley Cups with three different teams (Calgary, Dallas, New Jersey) and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of finals) with Dallas. He was awarded the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) with Calgary. Ironically (or not), the Ontario Lacrosse Association's rookie of the year trophy is named after Nieuwendyk as he was an accomplished lacrosse player. Good to know.

Belfour signed as a free agent before the 1997-98 season after being traded from his original team (Chicago) to San Jose. He promptly put up GAAs of 1.88, 1.99 and 2.10 in consecutive years, the best of his career. The Stars won the President's Cup two straight years and went to the Western Conference Finals his first year and the Stanley Cup Finals the two years following.

Great between the pipes, Belfour was also a noted badass. He was arrested at a Dallas hotel and attempted to bribe the police with $1 billion. Maybe the highlight of his career. He probably thinks so.

He also flipped out one time when asked by Ken Hitchcock to play goalie at the morning skate. He refused and left the team.

MVPs

Kins
I don't think I considered Ian Kinsler the Least Valuable Player for the Texas Rangers at any point this season. I sure didn't consider him the Most Valuable Player.

After some thought, it's an idea I can get behind. Although, Joltin' C.J. Wilson might have something to say about that.

Both were stellar last night as the Rangers guaranteed a tie in the battle for the Silver Boot in a 7-3 win in Houston.

Kinsler tallied a home run, triple and two walks. Just that pesky single and double short of the cycle.

Wilson was a single-home run-double short of a cycle as he had his first Major League hit. He also went seven innings of two-run ball.

Kinsler, arguably, has been the most consistent Ranger in the line-up. That might be definied as "consistently bad" but it's consistent nonetheless. Of course, his issue has been his road splits where he was hitting .123 a couple of weeks ago. That average on the road is up to .171 now after a seven-game stretch where he's gone 11-32 with two doubles, two homers and a triple.

Most notably, his presence is felt in the lead-off spot. In 103 games a year ago (his health this year should also be noted), he walked 56 times. In 75 games this year, he's walked 49 times. He's getting on base 36 percent of the time despite hitting .240. He's already matched his totals in stolen bases, homers, triples in 25 less games.

If Kinsler isn't this team's MVP, it's Wilson. When he takes the pill, he brings it. He hasn't gone less than six innings since May. He hasn't allowed a home run in 36 innings. He's not Cliff Lee. He allows some runs. Opponents are hitting .246 off of him. But at the end of this season, I expect the Rangers to do something for Wilson they weren't willing to do for Lee: Do whatever it takes to sign him to a longterm contract.

What I love best about those two guys is that they've gone half the season under the radar. If something's said about them, it's typically negative. Otherwise, they work. Others may get the press, but at the end of this year we might be looking back having underrated C.J. Wilson and Ian Kinsler.

Notes:
1. Neftali Feliz's game-saving pitch: An unhittable slider.

2. I love Yorvit Torrealba. Have I said that already?

3. Darren O'Day pitched again for Round Rock last night: 1.1 IP - 1 hit - 0 runs - 2 Ks.

4. The Rangers bullpen is screwed up or Ron Washington knows either more or less than I do. Why are your only reliable right-handed pitchers getting used in a 7-2 game? I'm no proponent of Dave Bush, but isn't that when you bring a guy like him in? By Thursday, Yoshi Tateyama and Mark Lowe will be unusable and they'll find themselves with Bush in the eighth of a close game. Haven't we seen this movie already?

5. Very satisfying night at the plate. Every Ranger starter got a hit. Twelve total. Two doubles, three homers, two triples mixed with two strikeouts and two walks.

6. Mike Young at 101 hits, on pace for more than 200. Fifty-one short of 2,000 for his career.

7. Josh Hamilton and Mitch Moreland's homers? Opposite field. Torrealba's double? Kinsler's triple? Opposite field.

8. The Houston Astros are fun to play six times a year.

9. There might be a better utility infielder in the league. I wouldn't trade Andres Blanco for that person.

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

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  • sk2006
    06-05 12:31 PM
    Sorry but no matter how you spin it, owning a home is better than renting. Renting is not smart. period. your money is gone every month. You are not getting that money back.
    When you own a home, the money goes towards a mortgage, and although most of it goes to interest at first, all interest paid is tax deductible which is a huge chunk of change every year. I get more money back as an owner than a renter and in the long run I save more AND own the home.

    30 year renter vs 30 year home owner? That is not rocket science.

    ..And those who bought in the bubble lost money much faster than they would have "Lost" the money renting! Some of them even lost the whole House along with their Credit score!

    LOL.
    :D:D:D:D:D:D





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  • nojoke
    04-14 11:57 AM
    Most of the posts here are not relevant to the original topic of the thread ? buying a home when 485 is pending.

    You basically buy a home not to sell it off, but to live in it. Circumstances may lead one to sell a home, but no one can predict if that will happen for sure or when it may happen.

    For selling a home ? just like stocks ? it does not matter if the real estate market is doing well today or not. It only matters how the seller market is when it is time to sell. And again, no one can predict that in advance. Given this simple logic, it is totally useless to speculate resale values of homes which you may never even sell!

    I see people are so obsessed about resale value that they almost have never gone out to see homes, look at floor plans and see what they want, what the other family members want in a home or any of that. They instead prefer to calculate resale value based on current market conditions.

    Stop seeing a home as an investment and start seeing it as a place where you will live and where your kids will grow up. Obsessing too much about the monetary aspects just takes all the fun away.

    No body can predict how much it is going down exactly. But you can predict it is going down considerably.
    No body can predict what the dollar value is going to be. So just spend all the money in the bank and enjoy your life while you can. No body can predict death for that matter. :confused: Just eat all you can and don't worry about your health. You need to have fun in life after all. Now what is wrong with my logic?
    My point is that the house price is out of whack with income. I don't see the logic in why it would not go down. The whole mess is started because people started looking at houses as investment. Buying now and seeing the housing value drop won't be fun.
    Whether you sell your house or not, it matters when you buy. You don't buy at the top of the bubble.





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  • hiralal
    06-05 09:51 PM
    Sorry but no matter how you spin it, owning a home is better than renting. Renting is not smart. period. your money is gone every month. You are not getting that money back.

    When you own a home, the money goes towards a mortgage, and although most of it goes to interest at first, all interest paid is tax deductible which is a huge chunk of change every year. I get more money back as an owner than a renter and in the long run I save more AND own the home.

    30 year renter vs 30 year home owner? That is not rocket science.
    you are wrong and right ...it all depends on location and the period. there is one more article and I will post that. (I am talking from investment point of view but I agree both owning a house and renting a place have their own pros and cons).
    you are wrong in the present day ..i.e. as long as prices are falling (which is the case in most areas today) ..owing a home is bad BAD investment.
    your assumption is correct once the prices start to rise by 3 - 4 % annually .. but that will take 3 - 4 years more at the minimum





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  • krishna.ahd
    08-26 09:19 AM
    What men say and what they actually mean . . .

    • "I'M GOING FISHING" Means: "I'm going to drink myself dangerously stupid, and stand by a stream with a stick in my hand, while the fish swim by in complete safety."
    • "YES, DEAR..." Means: Absolutely nothing. It's a conditioned response.
    • "IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN" Means: "I have no idea how it works."
    • "TAKE A BREAK HONEY, YOU'RE WORKING TOO HARD". Means: "I can't hear the game over the vacuum cleaner."
    • "THAT'S INTERESTING, DEAR." Means: "Are you still talking?"
    • "I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU, AND GOT YOU THESE ROSES". Means: "The girl selling them on the corner was a real babe."
    • "WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?" Means: "What did you catch me at?"
    • "I HEARD YOU." Means: "I haven't the foggiest clue what you just said, and am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you don't spend the next 3 days yelling at me."
    • "YOU KNOW I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE ELSE." Means: "I am used to the way you yell at me, and realize it could be worse."
    • "YOU LOOK TERRIFIC." Means: "Please don't try on one more outfit, I'm starving."
    • "WE SHARE THE HOUSEWORK." Means: "I make the messes, she cleans them up."
    Just want to add one more

    "Thats a good question" - Means i have no clue or have no answer for that question.



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  • h1techSlave
    12-26 01:38 PM
    A full fledged war between India and Pakistan is very very unlikely.





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  • jkays94
    06-01 01:28 PM
    jkays

    my comment was all tongue in cheek. My only point is that Lou comes off as more conservative than Shaun Hannity and isn't that something.


    Its all about the $$ and competition with other networks which are giving CNN a run for its money. So much so it makes sense for CNN not to talk about money matters but topics that appeal to ultra conservative audiences. Dobbs in particular appears willing to go to any lower level to get his points across. And yes, you are right he does use FAIR, NumbersUSA and the Heritage Foundation as his sources for "statistics" and guests on his show.

    Dobbs's immigration reporting marked by misinformation, extreme rhetoric, attacks on Mexican president, and data from organization linked to white supremacists (http://mediamatters.org/items/200605240011)

    Additional links on the supremacist (http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/CCCitizens.asp?xpicked=3&item=12) citation as a source by Dobbs :
    Link 1 (http://journals.democraticunderground.com/BlogBox/12), Link 2 (http://www.liberaloasis.com/archives/052106.htm#052306)

    CNN's Dobbs, Christian Science Monitor cited dubious Heritage Foundation study on immigration (http://mediamatters.org/items/200605250014) - This is the same study that Jeff Sessions presented to the Senate.



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  • willwin
    07-13 12:19 PM
    At the risk of differing with you and inviting unflattering comments from others, but to benefit a healthy debate, I beg to differ that spill over should go to the most retrogressed at the expense of a difference in skill, training and experience level. As you probably may know, EB2 does require a different and arguably more enhanced skill, traninig and experience level than EB3.

    If you beleive in the principle that in a land of meritocracy the higher skilled should have an easier path to immigrate then EB2 should always get a preference over EB3 regardless of country of birth so long as the ROW demand within the same category has been satisfied.

    Understand, that this definition of EB3 and EB2 is all on paper. I am not saying that all EB2 are 'smarter' than EB3 and vice versa, but the letter/intent of the law is what it is.

    Sounds harsh and heirarchical but is true. Obviously I have a vested interest in a favorable interpretation of the law and I welcome the spill over to EB2-I. This does have a flip side if you are EB3-I, but look at a few bulletins from last year/early this year where EB2-I was unavailable and EB3 still was current and/or had a cut off date for a ROW/retro country.


    Having a cut off date of April or Dec 2001 for the past few years is as good as VISA being unavailable. So India EB3 was unavailable for the last 3 years or so (except last july).

    That's not the case with EB2. EB2 on paper has preference, I agree. That does not mean EB2 should have ALL spill over numbers. Split it 75-25 if not 50-50. Dec 2001 for a retrogressed country is just unfair. When you issue some EB2 2006 numbers issue some to EB3 2002 people as well. Is it too much?





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  • BharatPremi
    07-14 09:14 AM
    Why is EB3 India unhappy?

    The impression I am getting from all posts is that EB3 is unhappy because EB2 got 2 year advancement in dates. EB3 is unhappy not because of their own retrogression but because someone else is happy being current.

    The reason is not justified. EB3 should be unhappy for its own retrogression and not because someone else in EB2 is current. I see a lot of EB3India guys waking up now to the reality and protesting just because EB2 is getting greencads. This approach is wrong. Where were all of you all these months when IV was asking letters for admin fixes? A lot of us were busy enjoying our EADs and suddenly everyone is woken up. Where were all these guys when visa bulletin came every month and dates did not move?

    I would support an action item for us EB3 folks only when it is based on the genuine reasons of EB retrogression. If it is based on the reason of EB2 getting greencards and EB3 not getting greencards, it is a wrong immature reason and USCIS or any authority capable of decision making will not like it.

    Do you have any idea what are you talking about and why are you talking about? In which year you entered into this GC hell queue? I would suggest you to go through last 8 years of EB category happenings and then you would realize why EB3-India are frustrated....I would generally write but before that I would think first and then write. Best Luck.



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  • paskal
    07-08 08:46 PM
    I have been here 11 years. 4 different employers.
    I have all my returns and W2's
    why in the world would i keep every paystub?
    makes no sense. of course little does.

    UN thanks for the comments.
    any predictions on where we are headed? my vested interest is in EB2 india...

    btw why is everyone presuming that the 60,000 approvals went to India and China? EB3 ROW is retrogressed- all the extra numbers could have gone there. that would in any case be all the better for india/china in the longer term- the faster that backlog is finished, the greater the chance india/china lines will show meaningful movement.

    also did you notice the cantwell-kyl compromise amendment in the failed CIR 2007 had a provision for 485 filing w/o visa numbers current?





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  • h1bmajdoor
    07-07 08:59 PM
    Hi,

    and now another problem is I applied for EAD in march and have not received new ead.my old ead expired 10 days ago.and now Iam not working.



    there's a clause somewhere that if you don't get EAD in 90 days you can go to the local USCIS officer and get a temporary EAD.

    Other than that, pray to you favourite god.

    money, lawyers and god are useful to have on your side.



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  • babloo_73
    05-01 11:29 AM
    When in college students used to rag others just because they were ragged when they joined the college. It?s not because they want to, it is just because they went through it. Indian software companies are just like, I worked enough in software industry and I have even been on call 24 hours but the truth is, it was never 12 hours or 10 hours work every day. Yes, occasionally I had 12 hours work which is the same in every industry and I used to get calls in the middle of the night at least once or twice during the night, but its not 10 hours work everyday. We want to impress our boss by working 10 hours, that?s the truth; it?s not that your boss wants.

    Similarly, in India people go to work on Saturday not because they have work but to show their face to their PM. Even if God comes down and says that people in India work 10 hours everyday, I cannot believe it. They might be in office for 10-12 hours but that does not mean they are working. It is the people who should be blamed for this. Yesterday?s programmer or today?s PM, and they expect the programmer to be there in the office for 10 hours just because they went through it. I am an ex TCSer, things worked exactly as I said. It is never going to change. All these talks about stress and coding 10 hours straight come on.....:cool:

    I partly disagree... I had worked in 6 different companies in India and in 3 companies, i had to work for more than 12 hours a day. What you are saying might be true for Maintenance projects, but it is definitely not true for development projects particularly when you working on a tight schedule...





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  • Marphad
    01-08 02:28 PM
    All the religeous books were written based on contemporary circumstances. I have a friend named Mansuri, mentioned to me once why muslims don't eat turtles:

    "Few animals with hard shell were not hygenic or dangerous like crocodile. It was difficult to explain each animal separately to common people. So Mohammad advised that animals with hard shell should not be eaten. "

    Another one told by my friend Maqsood:

    "There were lots of cabella wars going on at the time of Mohammad. The prophet allowed to have more than one wives so that those ladies don't go on wrong route like prostitution. "


    Above examples seem acceptable over that time. At today they are not relevant anymore. Some people still want to follow the same words spoken 1300 years before literally without applying a slightest brain. They are abused and misguided by some selfish Mullahs who have their own agenda in life.

    Rather than abusing entire community, need to educate "spoiled kids" how they are misguided in current time. Unfortunately percentage of "spoiled kids" are very high as I mentioned in one of posts before.



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  • jonty_11
    09-26 12:29 PM
    all the speculation aside, it would be good know waht IV core thinks abt this...or whats the Outlook of our Lobbying firm...for McCain or Obama





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  • nogc_noproblem
    08-06 06:30 PM
    Wish I could think so quickly.

    A man boarded a plane with 6 kids. After they got settled in their seats a woman sitting across the aisle from him leaned over to him and asked,

    'Are all of those kids yours?'

    He replied, 'No. I work for a condom company. These are customer complaints.'



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  • mbawa2574
    03-23 09:57 PM
    This whole GC process is unpredictable. Don't waste ur life for it. Do whatever u think is best for you. It will be America on the loosing side if they deny u the GC after u have bought the home.





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  • Refugee_New
    01-06 05:39 PM
    Modi is the need of the hour andnot Gandhi....Grow up man.

    Exactly. Hamas was the need of the hour for Palestinians and that why they choose their government. We may call them terrorists, but they are their legitimate government. People always chose leaders who fight for their right. Now you brand them terrorist and that will give you free hand to kill them and their people. Thats what happening. Isreal doesn't want anyone to stand up to their aggression. At the end, its poor people and children who get killed.



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  • Macaca
    05-16 05:51 PM
    Future Tense
    Are the United States and China on a collision course? (http://www.tnr.com/article/world/magazine/87879/united-states-china-diplomacy-taiwan)
    By Aaron Friedberg | The New Republic

    In October 2008, a month after the collapse of Lehman Brothers?with the United States?s financial system seemingly about to buckle and Washington in desperate need of cash to prevent a total economic collapse?a State Department official contacted his Chinese counterpart about China buying U.S. securities. To his surprise, the Chinese, who had previously displayed an insatiable appetite for U.S. Treasury bills, suddenly balked at lending a hand. The reason, the Chinese official said, was the recent announcement of an impending sale of U.S. armaments to Taiwan.

    This not-so-subtle threat, detailed in a memo released by Wikileaks, turned out to be a bluff, but it signaled a striking shift in the tone and content of Chinese foreign policy. Over the course of the past two years, Beijing has adopted a more assertive posture in its dealings with Washington, as well as with many of America?s allies in Asia. Among other things, China has threatened for the first time to impose sanctions on U.S. companies involved in arms sales to Taiwan; intensified its claims to virtually all of the resource-rich South China Sea; and conducted its largest-ever naval exercises in the Western Pacific.

    America?s ?China hands? have long attributed any tensions between the two countries to misunderstandings or readily correctable policy errors. But with the passage of time it has become increasingly apparent that the differences between China and the United States spring from deeply rooted sources and aren?t likely to be resolved anytime soon. Indeed, as recent events suggest, it appears that the two nations are in for a long, tense, perhaps even dangerous struggle. And, most disconcerting of all, it?s a struggle in which, at least for the moment, China seems to be gaining the upper hand.


    If you look back over the last 2,500 years?from the days of Athens and Sparta through the cold war?there has inevitably been mistrust, rivalry, and often open conflict between leading global powers and rising states that seek to displace them. In these scenarios, the leading power has wanted to preserve its privileges, while fearing that emerging challengers would seek to overturn the international order that it dominates. Rising powers, for their part, chafe at hierarchies of influence that were put in place when they were relatively weak.

    Much of the tension in today?s U.S.-China relationship is a reflection of this familiar dynamic. But this tension is exacerbated by an additional factor that has only sometimes been present in great power rivalries of the past: deep ideological differences. One often hears it said that, because China is no longer truly a communist country, ideology has ceased to be a factor in its relations with the United States. This misses the point. Today?s Chinese leaders may no longer be anti-capitalist Marxists but they govern as Leninists and, as such, are determined to preserve the Communist Party?s exclusive monopoly on political power. China?s rulers see the United States as intent on spreading its brand of democracy to every corner of the earth. For their part, the American people continue to eye with suspicion a regime they see as repressive and autocratic. Ideology may not be sufficient, in itself, to provoke conflict between the United States and China, but it aggravates and amplifies the geopolitical tensions between the two.

    This backdrop of great power rivalry and sharp ideological disagreement helps to explain U.S. policies toward China and Chinese policies toward the United States. In contrast to the cold war strategy of containment, America?s strategy for dealing with China has never been codified in official documents or given a name. But over the past two decades, roughly the same strategy has been employed by both Republicans (Bush 41 and Bush 43) and Democrats (Clinton and now Obama). Broadly speaking, the aim has been to discourage Beijing from seeking to challenge America?s interests and those of our allies in Asia, while at the same time nudging China toward democracy. To accomplish these ends, American policymakers have employed a dual approach. On the one hand, they have sought extensive economic and diplomatic engagement with China. The hope has been that these interactions will ?tame? China by giving it a stake in the existing international order?and, over the long run, encourage the growth of a middle class and the spread of liberal values, thereby pushing the country gently and indirectly down the path toward democracy. At the same time, Washington has worked to preserve a balance of power in East Asia that is favorable to its interests and those of its allies. This began in earnest following the Taiwan Straits crisis of 1995-1996, when Beijing test-fired missiles in an attempt to influence the outcome of Taiwanese elections, and the Clinton administration dispatched two aircraft carriers in response. Since then, the United States has taken steps to strengthen its military capabilities in the region, while solidifying bonds with partners old (South Korea, Japan, Australia) and new (India).

    China?s strategy for dealing with the United States developed somewhat more deliberately. In the wake of Tiananmen Square and the collapse of the Soviet Union, China?s leaders recognized that the previous rationale for cooperation with the United States no longer applied. They feared that, having toppled one communist giant, the Americans would turn their attention to the other. Surveying the scene in 1991, Deng Xiaoping circulated a brief memo to his top party colleagues. The essential message of the so-called ?24 Character Strategy? was that China had little choice but to ?hide its capabilities and bide its time.? That meant avoiding confrontation with other states, especially the United States, while working to build up all aspects of its power?economic, military, technological, and political.

    Recently, Chinese foreign policy has taken on a more assertive tone; but its overall aims have not changed much in two decades. Above all, the current regime wants to preserve indefinitely the Chinese Communist Party?s grip on political power; it seeks, in effect, to make the world safe for continued CCP rule. In part for this reason, China?s leaders want to restore their country to its place as the preponderant regional power. This requires reducing the influence of the United States in East Asia, constricting its presence, and perhaps eventually extruding it from the region. Chinese officials allude to this objective with varying degrees of subtlety. When I worked in the Bush administration from 2003 to 2005, I had several conversations with Chinese diplomats in which they said, almost in passing, that, while the United States might be a Pacific power, it was, of course, not an Asian power. Rather more bluntly, in 2007, a Chinese admiral reportedly told his American counterpart that their two countries should divide the Pacific between them, with China taking everything west of Hawaii.





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  • EndlessWait
    07-14 08:14 PM
    Is IV endorsing this? Why immigrationvoice name is there in the bottom signature?

    EB classification is designed for a purpose giving priority for highly educated and experienced positions. So it is supposed to be unfair.

    the spill over from EB1 should go equally to Eb2 and Eb3..can we work on getting this message across.





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  • Marphad
    12-30 04:20 PM
    I think I agree with quite a lot of what you say. But I think there is some truth in Pakistani fears that India is already supporting anti-state actors in Pakistan, like in Balochistan.



    I don't think we all want that.
    I don't think even all Indians want that.
    I don't think its in the interest of India, or anyone else for that matter, to have a huge Afghanistan on its Eastern border.

    Well my personal opinion, I don't believe it is true. Actually Pakistan doesn't need India for all this. It is capable by itself. By sheltering Dawood and Azhar Masood what do you expect? A university of peace?





    alisa
    12-31 12:41 PM
    See Hitler exported terror, which is what Pakistan is doing now and the Allies used violence in retaliation but were ultimately successful in bringing long term peace.

    Do you realize that
    a) Hitler did not export terror. He invaded and occupied countries. Non-state actors trying to kill Pakistanis, and Indians, and trying to start a war between India and Pakistan, are not the same as one country invading another.
    b) That was before the atomic bomb,





    dpp
    05-17 10:03 AM
    I am not saying everyone else are less skilled that me. Read my posts please. Nor am I saying everyone are less honest than me. I am saying that people applying for an H-1B without having a FULL-TIME JOB from day 1 are DISHONEST.

    Everybody who employs H1B is on FULL-TIME JOB only. There is no exception to that. But the employer can ask his employee to goto any client place to perform the work that the company agreed upon, that is in between the employer and client/third-party vendor. There is nothing to deal with H1B here. H1Bs are always work on a FULL-TIME JOB only with their employer. I don't know what is your problem? You are misleading H1B program on how it works.



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  • Macaca
    12-20 08:01 AM
    Congress's Mixed Results (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/19/AR2007121902030.html) Democratic promises meet legislative reality, Dec 20, 2007

    FOR CONGRESSIONAL Democrats, the first session of the 110th Congress offered a sobering lesson in the practical limits of majority control. Democrats delivered part of what they had promised to the voters who returned them to power last November and recorded some significant achievements. But more often, Democrats found their legislative plans stymied -- first by Senate Republicans' willingness to filibuster any proposal with which they disagreed, then by the president's newfound zeal to exercise his veto power. The scorecard, in the end, is disappointingly mixed. Still, Democrats are more to blame for overpromising than for failing to deliver; their triumphant promises of January were never realistic. Given the slenderest of Senate majorities and the willingness of the minority to wield the filibuster with unprecedented frequency, Democrats' maneuvering room was dramatically limited.

    On the plus side of the legislative ledger, President Bush signed an energy bill yesterday that will raise fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks for the first time in 32 years, to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. That is a significant achievement, albeit one that could have been even greater had Republicans not blocked efforts to include new requirements for boosting use of renewable sources of energy and to eliminate tax breaks for oil companies.

    Likewise, Democrats were able to secure the first increase in the minimum wage in nine years and the largest expansion of college aid since the GI bill, cutting interest rates on subsidized student loans and increasing the maximum Pell grant. They passed an important lobbying and ethics reform bill that will shine light on the bundles of campaign cash delivered by registered lobbyists and clamped down on lawmakers' ability to accept meals, travel and entertainment from lobbyists and those who employ them.

    The keenest Democratic disappointment -- failing to force the president to rapidly withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq -- is no disappointment to us. Although unhappiness with the war in Iraq helped propel Democrats to victory, in the end President Bush was able to secure continuing funding for the war with no strings attached. Of far more concern: Democrats could not overcome presidential vetoes of bills providing for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research or expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The children's health issue deserves another try next year; the extension that Congress adopted jeopardizes existing coverage for some children and makes it difficult for states to move forward with planned expansions of coverage.

    Democrats spent much of the session congratulating themselves, appropriately so, for reinstating pay-as-you-go rules requiring tax cuts or increases in mandatory spending to be paid for with offsetting tax increases or spending cuts.

    In the end, however, Democrats capitulated to a Republican refusal to pay for the $50 billion, one-year patch applied to the alternative minimum tax. The budget process was nearly as unattractive as ever, with a host of overdue spending bills wrapped into a giant package passed in the final hours of the session.

    Of most concern are the serious issues that remain unaddressed -- and that aren't likely to be taken up next year, either. An overhaul of the nation's failed immigration policy fell victim to ugly politics, despite the support of the president. Entitlement reform -- in particular a response to the looming Social Security shortfall -- never got off the ground, the victim of distrust and intransigence on both sides. Prospects next year for reauthorizing the president's signature education program, No Child Left Behind, look dim.

    The year before a presidential election is rarely a fertile moment for lawmaking; the poisonous level of partisanship in both houses makes that even more unlikely. Republicans seem to have concluded that their electoral hopes lie in blocking Democrats from ringing up any achievements. For their part, House Democrats have conveniently forgotten their pledges to treat the minority with more fairness than they were accorded when Republicans had control.

    Yet the new year will dawn with issues of enormous importance on the congressional agenda. In addition to those mentioned above, we would note the worthwhile proposal by Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and John W. Warner (R-Va.) to adopt a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions. Lawmakers and the president can continue to bicker and elbow for advantage until the next election rolls around -- or they can gamble that they have more to gain with a disgusted electorate by cooperating and getting something done.





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  • sledge_hammer
    06-26 08:41 PM
    Home size may be smaller, but the land (plot) also got smaller...

    Thanks for the data. There is one more twist to the story though. The "median home" of 1940 is NOT the same as the median home of 2000. The home sizes have more than doubled in this period (dont have an official source right now - but look at Google Answers: Historic home sizes (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=110928) . A little digging should give us an official source if you want.).... So, if the median home prices have doubled post adjustment for inflaton - that really means that the prices have stayed flat adjusted for inflation.

    Statistics is a bitch :-D

    Edit: Errrr - the median prices actually quadrupled - and not merely doubled, while the home sizes increased by about 2.3 - 2.4 times. This means roughly 1.6 times actual appreciation - i.e. less than 1% of compounded interest (1% over 60 years = 1.82 times). Compare that to the safest vehicle out there - TIPS and tell me who would have been better off - the guy who bought his home in 1940 or the one who bought TIPS (assuming his net cash flow was zero - i.e. he earned the same as he spent for the house).





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  • JunRN
    06-06 09:31 PM
    I felt the same way before. I said to myself I wouldn't buy a house until I get my GC. That was until a builder offered me a nice offer. I was renting a two bedroom apartment for $1200 as I have a family with 3 small kids.

    The builder offered me a 2,600 sq. ft., 4 bed-room home at $1450 per month, including taxes and insurance, fixed for 30 years. I guessed that the $250 difference from rent is nothing compared to the benefit of owning a home. The interest part of my first monthly amortization is about $800, $400 go to principal, and $250 go to taxes and insurance.





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  • bhatt
    06-05 09:41 PM
    Does anyone know that the closing has to be before November 30th in order to get this 8K tax benefit?

    My advice don't buy just for the 8k tax benefit. The reatlors main weapon is this 8k tax credit now. In NJ/NY it is less than the property tax u r paying for one year. In other places with less house prices it may be good.



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  • Legal
    08-11 11:07 AM
    I agree with yabadaba. We should also send feedback to CNN about the lies Lou Dobbs is perpetuating on national TV.

    You can try...I am afraid CNN is not going to listen to you.

    They know these things well. Lou Dobb's anti-immigrant frenzy/ fanaticism hasboosted the viewership..that's all matters to CNN.





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  • dontcareanymore
    08-05 12:45 PM
    Friends,
    I need to find out how many people are interested in pursuing this option, since the whole interfiling/PD porting business (based on a year 2000 memo) can seriously undermine the EB2 category.

    I am currently pursuing some initial draft plans with some legal representation, so that a sweeping case may be filed to end this unfair practice. We need to plug this EB3-to-EB2 loophole, if there is any chance to be had for filers who have originally been EB2.

    More than any other initiative, the removal of just this one unfair provision will greatly aid all original EB2 filers. Else, it can be clearly deduced that the massively backlogged EB3 filers will flock over to EB2 and backlog it by 8 years or more.

    I also want to make this issue an action item for all EB2 folks volunteering for IV activities.

    Thanks.


    W T F is unfair in that ? Why can't some one convert if they are indeed qualified as EB2 ?

    How about a thorough investigation in to your case to compare what you do with what host of other EB3s do?
    How about to see how long you have been with your employer and how long you intend to stay ?
    How about investigate all other GC apps from your employer and compare your job duties to to others

    I know you are a looser and just convinced your sweatshop owner to file an EB2 case for you. So don't preach.



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  • Macaca
    12-14 11:40 AM
    Plan B For Pelosi And Reid (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/congressional_democrats_need_n.html) By E. J. Dionne | Washington Post, December 14, 2007

    WASHINGTON -- Congressional Democrats need a Plan B.

    Republicans chortle as they block Democratic initiatives -- and accuse the majority of being unable to govern. Rank-and-filers are furious their leaders can't end the Iraq War. President Bush sits back and vetoes at will.

    Worse, Democrats are starting to blame each other, with those in the House wondering why their Senate colleagues don't force Republicans to engage in grueling, old-fashioned filibusters. Instead, the GOP kills bills by coming up with just 41 votes. Senators defend themselves by saying that their House colleagues don't understand how the august "upper" chamber works these days.

    If Bush's strategy is to drag Congress down to his low level of public esteem, he is succeeding brilliantly. A Washington Post/ABC News poll released earlier this week found that only 33 percent of Americans approved of Bush's handling of his job -- and just 32 percent felt positively about Congress' performance. The only comfort for Democrats: The public dislikes Republicans in Congress (32 percent approval) even more than it dislikes congressional Democrats (40 percent approval).

    The Democrats' core problem is that they have been unable to place blame for gridlock where it largely belongs, on the Republican minority and the president.

    In an ideal world, Democrats would pass a lot of legislation that Bush would either have to sign or veto. The president would have to take responsibility for his choices. The House has passed many bills, but the Republican minority has enormous power in the Senate to keep the legislation from ever getting to the president's desk. This creates the impression that action is being stalled through some vague and nefarious congressional "process."

    Not only can a minority block action in the Senate, but the Democrats' nominal one-vote majority is frequently not a majority at all. A few maverick Democrats often defect, and the party runs short-handed when Sens. Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd and Barack Obama are off running for president.

    And Bush is learning that even when bills reach his desk, he can veto them with near impunity. On Wednesday, Bush issued his second veto of a bill to extend coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program to 10 million kids. Democrats have the high ground on the issue and more than two-thirds support in the Senate, but the bill lacks a veto-proof House majority.

    After Bush vetoed the first version of the SCHIP bill, Democrats changed it slightly to make it more attractive to Republicans. And the new version passed both houses too. When Bush vetoed the SCHIP measure again, almost nobody paid attention. The Washington Post ran a three-paragraph story on the corner of page A18; The New York Times ran a longer story -- on page A29.

    Democrats can't even get credit for doing the right thing. If Congress and Bush don't act, the alternative minimum tax -- originally designed to affect only Americans with very high incomes -- will raise taxes on about 20 million middle- and upper-middle-class people for whom it was never intended.

    Democrats want to protect those taxpayers, but also keep their pay-as-you-go promise to offset new spending or tax cuts with tax increases or program cuts elsewhere. They would finance AMT relief with $50 billion in new taxes on the very wealthiest Americans or corporations. The Republicans say no, just pass the AMT fix.

    Here's a guarantee: If the Democrats fail to pass AMT relief, they will be blamed for raising taxes on the middle class. If they pass it without the tax increase, deficit hawks will accuse them of selling out.

    What's the alternative to the internecine Democratic finger-pointing of the sort that made the front page of Thursday's Washington Post? The party's congressional leaders need to do whatever they must to put this year behind them. Then they need to stop whining. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should put aside any ill feelings and use the Christmas break to come up with a joint program for 2008.

    They could start with the best ideas from their presidential candidates in areas such as health care, education, cures for the ailing economy and poverty-reduction. Agree to bring the same bills to a vote in both houses. Try one more time to change the direction of Iraq policy. If Bush and the Republicans block their efforts, bring all these issues into the campaign. Let the voters break the gridlock.

    If Democrats don't make the 2008 election about the Do-Nothing Republicans, the GOP has its own ideas about whom to hold responsible for Washington's paralysis. And if House and Senate Democrats waste their time attacking each other, they will deserve any blame they get next fall.





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  • ssa
    07-13 10:59 PM
    I agree. It would be 100 times easier to re-file under EB2 and port your PD individually than to get USCIS/DOL to change their rules (howsoever they choose to interpret it). Just see what % of our previous campaigns were successful in the past in spite of all our efforts...

    On a related note, after reading this long thread I couldn't help but wish all other IV campaigns (admin fixes, fund raising, house bills) could arouse such passion and involvement from IV members. Now, I'm NOT saying any particular category (EB2 vs Eb3) volunteers more than the other - its just matter of individual initiative, period - but it seems somehow our collective psyche is at ease as long as we all are stuck in the rut as a whole. Efforts to get ALL of us out of this mess do not fire up this much passion..



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  • nojoke
    04-06 04:24 PM
    The truth is probably between the extreme pessimism in this post and the unbridled optimism in other posts.



    No. The truth is we are going to see a severe correction. .We need to wake up and stop being in denial. I have shown proof that there are already 50% reduction in some areas from my previous quotes. This is just the begining.





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  • desi3933
    07-08 10:20 AM
    1. When you filed I-485, you should file under 245(K) immediately - I believe someone already mentioned that below. For derivative applications, the derivative applicant may be "out of status" for any length without any issues for AOS approval.

    2. For the 6 mos period he was without pay check, does he have any proof of employment and correspondingly any letter showing that he was on vacation/leave of absense. I had a 15 day period between 2 jobs where I took time off but had no vacation, hence leave without pay but I have leave letter from my manager in letter-head (I know a lot of people do that as taking vacation between jobs gives them a fresh start).

    3. Did the period length where he did not have a pay check exceed 180 days at a stretch?

    Bottomline, it seems an overzealous USCIS officer is trying to find ways to deny your application - you should involve a good lawyer and get immediate rebuttal for Notice of Denial.

    1. 245(k) is applicable automatically for all eb I-485. There is no penalty fee for 245(k).

    2. Each I-485 application is independent for out of status issues. Does not matter Primary or Dependent.

    3. Needs more information. A person can be out of status even with pay-checks. Example: H-1B LCA location is different from actual job location, putting him/her out of status.

    _____________________
    Not a legal advice.



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  • axp817
    04-07 01:28 PM
    I wonder what the chances are, of this passing and becoming Law and CIR not passing.

    Anyway, I am going to/already have started spreading the word, and will continue to support IV through funds and other means to help prevent this from happening.





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  • rsdang
    08-11 04:56 PM
    One day, in line at the company cafeteria, Joe says to Mike behind him, "My elbow hurts like hell. I guess I'd better see a doctor."

    "Listen, you don't have to spend that kind of money," Mike replies. "There's a diagnostic computer down at Wal-Mart. Just give it a urine sample and the computer will tell you what's wrong and what to do about it. It takes ten seconds and costs ten dollars . A lot cheaper than a doctor."

    So, Joe deposits a urine sample in a small jar and takes it to Wal-Mart.

    He deposits ten dollars, and the computer lights up and asks for the urine sample. He pours the sample into the slot and waits.

    Ten seconds later, the computer ejects a printout:
    "You have tennis elbow. Soak your arm in warm water and avoid heavy activity. It will improve in two weeks. Thank you for shopping @ Wal-Mart." That evening, while thinking how amazing this new technology was, Joe began wondering if the computer could be fooled.

    He mixed some tap water, a stool sample from his dog, urine samples from his wife and daughter, and a sperm sample for good measure.

    Joe hurries back to Wal-Mart, eager to check the results. He deposits ten dollars, pours in his concoction, and awaits the results.

    The computer prints the following:

    1. Your tap water is too hard. Get a water softener. (Aisle 9)
    2. Your dog has ringworm. Bathe him with anti-fungal shampoo. (Aisle 7)
    3. Your daughter has a cocaine habit. Get her into rehab.
    4. Your wife is pregnant. Twins. They aren't yours. Get a lawyer.
    5. If you don't stop playing with yourself, your elbow will never get better!
    :D



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  • nogc_noproblem
    08-07 01:05 PM
    If you can figure out what these words have in common...

    ...., you are a lot smarter than I am. And no, it isn't 6 letters in each word; you need a little more moxey than that.

    Banana
    Dresser
    Grammar
    Potato
    Revive
    Uneven
    Assess

    Are you peeking or have you already given up? Give it another try.... You'll kick yourself when you discover the answer.


    Go back and look at them again; think hard. OK... Here you go. Hope you didn't cheat.



    Answer: In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.





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  • a_yaja
    05-17 07:20 AM
    You have no arguments that make sense. You are arguing that doing something illegal is a great thing to do. Not so. And yes, I do support the bill as it will weed out some fraudsters from amongst us, who give the H-1B program a very bad rep.
    You still have not told me why you are support the Durbin-Grassley bill and you are OK with consulting on a "full-time" basis. The Durbin-Grassley bill bans this.
    The present laws are more then enough to go after offenders. The law is not being enforced. What makes you think that if the Durbin-Grassley bill is passed, all abuse will stop? People who abuse the system will continue to do so. They will simply say that the job is "permanant, full-time" or whatever the bill requires the job definition to be and file for H1B. And the show will go on. I guess at that point you will then dance when someone else will propose another bill to restrict H1Bs to some other sector that includes you.



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  • yrspassby
    08-07 04:41 PM
    A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble.

    In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute, yelled to the passengers that they had better jump, and bailed out.

    Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining.

    The doctor grabbed one and said "I'm a doctor, I save lives, so I must live," and jumped out.

    The lawyer then said, "I'm a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live."

    He also grabbed a parachute and jumped.

    The priest looked at the little boy and said, "My son, I've lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace."

    The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, "Not to worry, Father. The 'smartest man in the world' just took off with my back pack."

    ;););)





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  • nogc_noproblem
    08-05 02:21 PM
    The ten Commandments of married life

    Commandment 1: Marriages are made in heaven. But so again, are thunder and lightning.
    Commandment 2: If you want your wife to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.
    Commandment 3: Marriage is grand -- and divorce is at least 100 grand.
    Commandment 4: Married life is very frustrating. In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.
    Commandment 5: When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: either the car is new or the wife is.
    Commandment 6: Marriage is when a man and woman become as one; the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.
    Commandment 7: Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something she said. After marriage, he will fall asleep before she finishes.
    Commandment 8: Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding, economical, and a good cook. But the law allows only one wife.
    Commandment 9: Marriage and love are purely a matter of chemistry. That's why the wife treats the husband like toxic waste.
    Commandment 10: A man is incomplete until he is married. After that, he is finished....



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  • gapala
    06-05 10:05 PM
    Real estate cycles are lenghty ones.. not like stock markets which turn around in 4 to 5 years.. Real estate booms are seen once in every 15 to 18 years... This is because the sum of amount is huge and the stabilization time frame.

    Based on current outlook, the prices for houses will fall until end of 2010 and will stabilize in next 5 to rise again by 2015 to 2017. This is purely based on historic pattern.. Now god kows what these crazy folks like Bernankie (15 fold increase in currency base projected in Fed Reserve BS. :D) and Gessner' (foolish tax payer investment in GM though it looks like payback to unions) interfearance will do to this country...

    Some people jump guns and create demand for home to get $8000 credit... you can see now the builders are increasing prices for homes in the market... slowly.. but will not sustain into 2010.. it will fall for one important reason, supply is too much.. oh by the way.. 30% of home owners want to sell their homes in this market to avoid further fall... based on recent survey..





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  • krishna.ahd
    02-13 09:43 AM
    Please use this thread for education on the effect of lobbying on legislation. Thanks.
    First of all, Why We need Lobbying

    Check this out

    http://www.independentsector.org/programs/gr/10ReasonstoLobby.pdf

    Steps involved in Lobbying

    http://www.policylink.org/AdvocatingForChange/Lobbying/Legislators.html





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  • Munna Bhai
    07-08 07:47 PM
    Hi,
    I applied for GC under schedule A in may06 .My husband filed as derivative.He received a notice of intent to denial last month .Reason being he did not have paystubs for a period of more than 6 months during 2000 and 2001.His employer at that time did not pay him even after he worked for 4 months then he took few more months to change his company(more than 180 days)In 2002 he went to India and came back .and in 2004 filed for a GC as primary petitioner and me as a derivative .last year he withdrew the petition after he received several RFE`S fearing the worst.Even though he no longer has GC filed as primary petitioner he received notice of intent to deny for the petion filed through me saying that his H1 was not legal as could`nt show proof for several months and that when he filed for AOS he used those years as work experience.
    and now another problem is I applied for EAD in march and have not received new ead.my old ead expired 10 days ago.and now Iam not working.
    We bought a house last year thinking that under schedule A we`ll get GC in no time.Now we know it is a terrible mistake.Now both of us can`t work and had to take my son out of daycare. and we have house payments to make.We put our house for sale weeks ago and so far no offers.I contacted local representative to expedite My EAD and also contacted USCIS to expedite it,
    citing financial burden.We are spending sleepless nights and have no clue what to do for my EAD and his AOS.pLEASE HELP.
    Did anyone face similar situation .Any suggestions are welcome.

    What made them to ask paystub for during 2000 and 2001?





    rsdang
    08-29 10:59 AM
    A drunk walks out of a bar with a key in his hand and he is stumbling back and forth.

    A cop on the beat sees him and approaches "Can I help you sir"

    "Yessh! Ssssomebody ssstole my carrr" the man replies!

    The cop asks "Where was your car the last time you saw it "

    "It wasss on the end of thisshh key" the man replies.

    About that time the cop looks down and sees the man's weiner hanging out
    of his fly for all the world to see.

    He asks the man "Sir are you aware that you are exposing yourself "

    Momentarily confused, the drunk looks down at his crotch and without
    missing a beat, blurts out.........."Holy crap! My girlfriend's gone
    too!





    LostInGCProcess
    09-26 11:15 AM
    the universal health care would see us going the way of CA and europe with health care rationing, and long lines.

    My opinion on health care:
    I don't understand why, anytime when they talk about universal health care system, they think the line is going to be long???? Its totally wrong. First of all, I went to emergency the other day to a hospital, i had to wait 4 hrs....there was a long line here too with the supposedly worlds best health care system. And its not an isolated case....I heard from many of my friends too...who had similar experience. My cousin lives in UK, and I asked him if its true they have to wait in big lines to see the doctors? he laughed at me and said its not true at all..they get very good care.