nov 5th

[Supertramp78]

Nov 5, 2012 9:17:49 GMT -5 kenlarsson said:

Good morning, have I got a deal for you...................

boy do I remember that stuff.....

There was a story I read last week about PIXAR back when they started. Originally they were a hardware company who did animation in order to market the computers. The boxes they sold were high power graphic rendering machines. They cost a LOT. Eventually they figured out that they needed to get out of the computer business and stay in the animation business and the rest, as they say, is history.

But some PIXAR history geek found out that the NSA had purchased two them. He filed a Freedom of Information act recuest to find out what the NSA did with those boxes. All he got back was that in July 1989, the NSA paid a total $112,422 for a pair of the computers, and peripherals such as 12 MB additional memory ($21,663!) and a RGB color monitor. he asked again what they were used for and they said they didn't know or wouldn't say. So his assumption was that they were still in use.

Someone posted a comment that the idea of them still being in use at the NSA was hilarious. "Those boxes have less computing power than an iPad Mini."

[millring]

Nov 5, 2012 11:33:15 GMT -5 billhammond said:

Good day, the Vikings lost and everyone else in the division won, so the Earth is back in its natural balance.

You call the Bears on top "Natural balance"? It's good, but not natural.

[billhammond]

Nov 5, 2012 11:43:52 GMT -5 millring said:

Nov 5, 2012 11:33:15 GMT -5 billhammond said:

Good day, the Vikings lost and everyone else in the division won, so the Earth is back in its natural balance.

You call the Bears on top "Natural balance"? It's good, but not natural.

The Bears are in their own category of Defying Logic. What was the figure I heard on Cutler's passing yards early in the game? It was right "up" there with Christian Ponder's.

Except that by the end of the game, he had over 200.

[Fingerplucked]

The Bears have been spectacular.

But next week they start playing teams with winning records. I think the days of touchdowns by the offense, defense and special teams are about to come to an abrupt end.

[Lonnie]

I think I am temporarily off the Viking bandwagon. And it's not because Ponder is a mediocre quarterback, which he is at the moment... it's this scenario that has played out year after year... the starting quarterback doesn't get the job done, and the coach leaves him in, game after game, until it's too late to salvage the season. It's the biggest single flaw in the system. Webb has talent. If Ponder isn't producing, put Webb in until Ponder gets his head back on straight. End of rant...

[Supertramp78]

hey, those Cowboys were..... about what I expected.....

[david]

Good day. Millring, remind me to tell you my colonoscopy story after you have had your procedure. I agree with Paul, it is well worth the small price you pay for the temporary discomfort.

[Shannon]

The procedure itself is usually nothing. The prep is the disaster.

We are busy here, hurtling toward Thanksgiving Break and trying to keep these college kids well enough to finish out the semester. This is the time of year that the anxiety-related symptoms really explode, so we are seeing a lot of patients. Job security, I suppose.

[epaul]

Good day, everyone. Gus' choir concert tonight. He has a solo. I had a solo once. A real one. Lately, the only solos I've been able to get I have had to grab for myself by coming in a little early.

[millring]

Nov 5, 2012 12:08:38 GMT -5 Fingerplucked said:

The Bears have been spectacular.

And they haven't even put in Bobby Douglass.

[Marshall]

Nov 5, 2012 12:08:38 GMT -5 Fingerplucked said:

The Bears have been spectacular.

But next week they start playing teams with winning records. I think the days of touchdowns by the offense, defense and special teams are about to come to an abrupt end.

Yup. It'll get tougher. It's good we've got 2 games on GB, because, if they take us again (should be a very good game), they'll get the tie breaker.

A true Chicago fan is always a defensive afficienado. They've been playing on overdrive defensively. it won't be that easy here out. But in a close game, I look for the D to be the deciding factor.

As an aside. Growing up in Chicago, you have to know the history of Bear defenses. We practically own middle linebacker. I remember as a kid the praise of Bill George. And how when he retired the Bears would never find another middle linebacker like him. Then came Dick Butkus, and Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher.

Urlacher is not the player he was a few years ago. He no longer dominates. He's better in pass coverage than plugging the middle on runs. But Lance Briggs is as good a linebacker as the NFL has ever seen. And Peanuts Tillman is re-writing the book on playing cornerback. That says a lot considering his mediocre performance a few years ago. But he has a fabulous work ethic.

And the rest of the Bears secondary is very solid. The D line is tough too.

I just wish Alshon Jeffrey wasn't hurt. I thought the tandom of Jeffrey and Brandon Marshal for Cutler to throw to were going to be impossible to defend.

[xyrn]

I've never been much of a football fan, always preferred baseball.
It's the difference between tug-of-war and chess, in my opinion.

That said, it's been pretty tough being a Twins-fan the past couple years.
Golden Boy Mauer isn't producing like his Yankee-sized payroll would expect, lots of injuries across the roster, and management keeps getting rid of (or letting go of) fan favorites like Michael Cuddyer, John Rauch and now, Alexi Casilla; all for questionable trades that to date haven't really paid off.

Outfielder Cuddyer didn't do any single thing with excellence, but he did many things very well - even pitched for us once when the bullpen had been depleted in the 11th (IIRC) inning!
Rauch had a regular cannon for an arm, and Casilla, although he would never hit homers, was lightning around the bases, could steal with ease, and was a great infielder.

I'm still a fan, but I don't hold out much hope that 2013 will be much better than 2012.

[xyrn]

Oh, and regarding computer technology...

In 1994 I got my first laptop when I went off to college, was an Apple Powerbook 150. Cost $1500, had 120 MB harddrive and 2 MB RAM (yes, MB not GB), B&W screen, 33MHz processor, and weighed 8 pounds.
I actually still have it, has Word 5.0 on it, plus ClarisWorks, and I can play Prince of Persia from a 3.5" floppy.



;D

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2012 15:23:36 GMT -5 xyrn said:

Oh, and regarding computer technology...

In 1994 I got my first laptop when I went off to college, was an Apple Powerbook 150. Cost $1500, had 120 MB harddrive and 2 MB RAM (yes, MB not GB), B&W screen, 33MHz processor, and weighed 8 pounds.
I actually still have it, has Word 5.0 on it, plus ClarisWorks, and I can play Prince of Persia from a 3.5" floppy.



That was my first laptop as well! Mine was stolen from my car, which insurance (thankfully) covered. It was replaced by a Powerbook 540C which was my favorite Mac for many years.

;D