en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/558550 Comments by CaptainLoose http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfoct09/nf101609-1.htm#IDComment39486893 Bogus numbers. Anyone that can read at a 7th grade level knows that the value of the dollar is crashing and everywhere you go, even now including the gas pump, prices are up. And that won't change anytime soon. Colmarsh has it right. The repeal of Glass-Steagal Act with the Graham-Leach-Bliley fiasco just handed the keys to the bank vaults to the greedy 1% and the rest is history. It is going to get worse. Stand by. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:27:31 +0000 http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfoct09/nf101609-1.htm#IDComment39486893 http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfsep09/nf091709-3.htm#IDComment37101205 I'll tell you what I don't get: (a) <<NOTE: 38 USC 1114 note.>> Rate Adjustment.--Effective on December 1, 2009, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase, in accordance with subsection (c), the dollar amounts in effect on November 30, 2009, for the payment of disability compensation. Why does it say an increase is effective dec. 1 2009? Why the word increase if there is no increase? Sun, 4 Oct 2009 03:35:28 +0000 http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfsep09/nf091709-3.htm#IDComment37101205 http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfaug09/nf081909-1.htm#IDComment31322601 Where do these figures come from? Nearly everything I buy is up this year. My utility bills are up, my grocery bills are up and with the amount of money being printed and thrown out there, this trend will not change. The value of our dollar is not likely to go up. Are we at 0% because the price of gas has gone down? That was an artificially produced number and should be thrown out. We had oilmen in office. Was it coincidence the price of oil shot up with them running things? It is difficult enough to live on a fixed income. If COLA remains at 0 our difficulties will increase. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:51:26 +0000 http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfaug09/nf081909-1.htm#IDComment31322601 http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfaug09/nf081809-3.htm#IDComment31321861 He can talk the talk. I am still waiting to see what this group will actually do. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:42:15 +0000 http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfaug09/nf081809-3.htm#IDComment31321861 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/what-if-i-told-you-at-the-end-of-june/#IDComment25673240 BTW, still somewhat confused on the clutch stuff. Since the Mariners only scored 2, are those last 2 home runs by Ethier soft? Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:44:28 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/what-if-i-told-you-at-the-end-of-june/#IDComment25673240 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/what-if-i-told-you-at-the-end-of-june/#IDComment25673032 If you were to ask me who would have the .300 average and who would have the .268 average between Blake and Ethier, I would have bet a 500 on that one. And lost. Currently Blake is 35 points above his career average. Can he keep it up? Stay tuned. The stat guru Bill James says players peak between 25 and 30. Looks to me like Blake peaked between Van Nuys and Anaheim.____Yep, this is when I would bring Kershaw up. In my world he has worked on his command and his stamina, going 75-85 pitches a night. In the L.A. world he has gone 82.2 innings, which means he only has 100 left. Maybe not even that many considering he is throwing 18 pitches and inning. I hope he makes it to the finish line. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:39:40 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/what-if-i-told-you-at-the-end-of-june/#IDComment25673032 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25613072 He's the closest thing we have to one, and will be the number one starter in the play-offs. I really doubt we get a #1 in trade at the deadline. We can go with 2 #2's and a #3. Of course, we will need clutch hitting with that scenario. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:15:29 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25613072 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25579827 Yeah, Roger is right. The vote has to be heavily against a 3 run homer being bland. I got a feeling Mark is doing this one on purpose. He just can't be that dense. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:10:21 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25579827 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25570218 If anything is "soft" it is not getting the hit, or getting on base, when your team needs a rally. With the tying run two hitters away, can you tell me who made the last 4 outs of the game? I can. How come those guys aren't labeled soft? How come the guy who hits the 3 run homer to get you within striking distance is soft? Ridiculous. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:45:12 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25570218 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25527836 I am not debating those scenarios ldawg. I agree with you that there are degrees of pressure. I felt it too, but it didn't bother me that much really. I rather enjoyed it because I was good at what I did on the baseball field. I was always of the mind "hit the ball to me" and I wanted the at bat with the game on the line. Now put me in a public speaking scenario and I will piss in my pants. At issue is the idea that a 3 run home run in the 8th inning when your team is "way behind" is not impressive - in fact "soft". It could very well be the spark the team needs to get back in the game. I contend that no home run is soft, but a three run dinger in the 8th when your team is behind is, as a former player and coach, something that excites the heck out of me. I guess I have said it as often and as many different ways as I can. It won't be the first time mover and I have not agreed on a topic, and it won't be the last. We agree on most things. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:33:05 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25527836 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25522463 "Soft HR - 3-run HR by Kemp when we are way behind in the 8th. That's what I call a "soft" HR. Yes, it is a HR, but it doesn't make a difference. It's not impressive to me." These are movers words that started this whole thing. Read them again ldawg and tell my you agree with them. "it doesn't make a difference" - horsesh*t. Every run counts in this game. "It's not impressive to me" - well ok. late inning 3 run homers don't impress you. I find that.... interesting. They impress the hell out of me. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:06:45 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25522463 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25520491 9 for 46 with 11 total bases in 13 innings. That is rather pathetic. I will agree that there are some guys who are better under pressure than other guys. I will never agree that a 3 run 8th inning home run is soft. Unless you have given up, those three runs could be the winning 3 runs. This is baseball. The clock won't run out on you, but evidently some people will. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:36:16 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25520491 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25510893 Walk the lead-off hitter, a second baseman hitting .240, in the bottom of the 9th. Nice. That's not clutch. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:08:50 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25510893 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25496583 So ldawg, you too are not impressed with an 8th inning 3 run bomb that gets your team closer. Frankly I find that surprising. There is always pressure when you are behind. The idea is to go out and try to win every game. Anytime I can get a guy on my team to get us three runs closer and there are still some outs to play with, I am thrilled. Different strokes. As a player and coach, I need guys around me who won't accept defeat. Sorry, but you two are on the bench in late innings. I have to go with the guys who refuse to quit. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:02:15 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25496583 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25483108 I'll give you that. Frankly I don't see anyone on the Dodgers that is a choke artist. But a three run homer when you are behind can ignite some serious rallies. Sometimes it just takes that first clutch hit. Somebody had to start the rally. In my mind, that is clutch. Sometimes the momentum just can't be stopped. In the middle of these situations there is always a bloop, a doink, a missed call by an ump - the ball starts rolling and you just can't stop it. Love it when that happens for my team. Hate it when it is happening against my team. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:56:08 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25483108 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25480226 When I was hitting, I took each at bat the same no matter the situation. I remained focused on my strike zone and focused on pitch recognition. My mantra was "I WILL hit a line drive". I repeated that over and over and did my very best to hit balls in my zone when I got them. 1. hit strikes only 2. hit line drives wherever they are pitched. What you said was that you were not impressed with an 8th inning 3 run homer. And that is the point with which I took issue. Each at bat in every game is important. A three homer when you are behind in the game is a clutch hit. You will never convince me it is not. Albert Pujols is a freak. He hits in ALL situations. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:13:06 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25480226 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25477150 I have played and I have coached. And I have umpired professionally. I know how teams, players, coaches and umps feel in blow-out games and there is some validity to your point. But we all have seen teams come back from huge deficits to win in the late innings. Sometimes the key hit is not when it is close, but when something is needed to give the team belief. I have been on all ends of this scenario. I was part of a 10 zip blow out and witnessed a two out two strike home run that closed the gap to 10 to 2 and started a two out rally that got the team within 3 runs with two innings to go. Guess what? We won 12 to11. And that wasn't a slow pitch softball game, it was an MABL play-off game. You just never know. That is why each at bat, each pitch is important because you just don't know what could follow. Never give up. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:24:14 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25477150 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25471349 I'll say it again - there is no such thing as a soft home run. What you are telling us mover is that once a team scores 10 runs on you, the game is over and you might as well quit. Well, I don't believe in quitting. Remember a few years ago when the Phillies scored something like 10 runs in the 9th to beat us? They didn't quit. The game ain't over til it's over. Just because you are behind does not make runs soft. In fact, those runs are the most important you ever score - you have to score with them to play with them. Baseball is the only game that doesn't have a clock. Never give up. If you have one out left, you still have a pulse. Never, ever give up. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:44:11 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25471349 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25434632 "Billingsley, Kuroda, Wolf, Kershaw, and Milton could be the best staff in the NL by August." Yeah, that's possible. Another possible scenario is that Kershaw is burnt out by August, Wolf still has 3 wins, Kuroda is back on the DL with back spasms and Milton has disappeared. Every team has plenty of arms. Not every team has plenty of good pitchers. I still have concerns about this staff. I am not suggesting we knee jerk a deal, like what the Indians are asking for Lee, I am just saying if the right deal comes along, we should consider it. Tonight was ugly. Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:36:10 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/add-a-starter-i-think-not/#IDComment25434632 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/immmm-baaaaacccckkkk/#IDComment25344227 Oh. And that compares to Ethier how???? Oh. Yeah. 3 months worth of Bill James numbers. Now I get it. LaRoche and Gilmore? Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:33:28 +0000 http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2009/06/immmm-baaaaacccckkkk/#IDComment25344227