Disqus - Latest Comments for Adam

Re: WATCH GIVEAWAY: Hamilton Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono As Seen In ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Movie

Adam — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 01:01:39 -0000

Speedmaster Moonwatch. You gotta be prepared with a watch appropriate for space.

Re: WATCH GIVEAWAY: Baume & Mercier Classima Automatic

Adam — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 00:58:26 -0000

While I feel free to wear a classic sports watch in a business environment, I've lacked a proper dress watch for fancy events like weddings.

Re: A Shortlist Of eBay Picks Including A Gorgeous Omega Speedmaster, A Chrono-Matic From Hamilton, And More

Adam — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 20:23:35 -0000

I remember just six months ago those panda chrono-matics were going for just $1.5k. Then I saw a NOS instance go for $5k and ever since even the decent condition used instances have been going for $2.5k-$3k... I wish I had grabbed one back then, but for now I'm hoping its just a bubble and it bursts soon.

Re: Chronography 6: Panda Dials, pt 1

Adam — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 01:29:46 -0000

What's the best way to go about finding a Hamilton Chrono-Matic in good condition? I've been a fan since learning about the Caliber 11 and first seeing the gorgeous panda dial.

Re: 2015 Draft: Yankees remain conservative, focus on college players on Day Three

Adam — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:03:59 -0000

Any draft that produces an amphibious pitcher from the 45th round is a solid draft in my book.

Re: How Tissot Watch Notifies About a Weak Battery

Adam — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 15:31:24 -0000

This is confusing behavior for a watch that doesn't have a battery in the first place. The pictured, Tissot "Powermatic 80" uses an ETA C07.111 mechanical movement with an 80-hour power reserve (spring, not a battery). The ETA C07.111 is an automatic movement, so the spring will "automatically" wind itself via kinetic energy from the natural movement of the watch-wearer. The only time these watches tend to run out of power is when they are stationary for periods greater than their reserve, basically when they aren't being worn at all with no one likely to notice the second hand moving once every four seconds...

Re: 2013 Position Rankings: Starting Pitchers 1-40: Fantasy Baseball - RotoAuthority.com

Adam — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:09:20 -0000

"FIP still measures true skill better than ERA does, and tends to predict next year's ERA better than this year's ERA does."

This is a contradictory statement. Yes, FIP measures true skill better than ERA does, but in fantasy I'm less concerned about true skill than actual results. In addition, FIP is not a predictive stat. FIP tries to remove components like defense and park factors which are critical to predicting actual future performance. Of course the problem with predictive stats and systems for top end players is that they tend to regress too much, so you're left with a lot of players looking the same. In the end you have to look at all the data and synthesize it yourself.

Price is an ace-caliber pitcher entering his prime, playing behind one of the best defensive teams in baseball in a park with strong run suppression characteristics. Both his floor and ceiling are greater than the old-timers Cliff Lee and R.A. Dickey. Other than handedness, he's basically got the same benefits (in their prime, strong defense, run suppressing park) and weaknesses (potential for below average run support) as Felix Hernandez, so I'm okay with a decision between those two being a coin flip. Cole Hamels on the other hand had a FIP and xFIP greater than David Price last year, is entering his 30's, doesn't have the greatest defense behind him, plays in a band-box of a home park and won't have that much greater run support.

Hell, I don't even care for David Price that much, it's just weird to use a stat against one player and not take it into account for the others or understand what the stat actually means.

Re: 2013 Position Rankings: Starting Pitchers 1-40: Fantasy Baseball - RotoAuthority.com

Adam — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:09:58 -0000

"Price is a great pitcher and a rising star, but he did overperform his FIP by almost half a run (0.49, actually);"

I think you are misunderstanding FIP. It is not a predictive stat. Price over-performed his FIP last year because the Rays have an excellent defense and play in a park that suppresses offense. Both of these factors are true again this year.

Re: Breaking: Jets Trade Wayne Hunter for Jason Smith | The Jets Blog#comment-631450382

Adam — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:41:42 -0000

I believe Smith's $4 million is guaranteed. He took a pay cut earlier in the year, and I think guaranteeing him something was part of that deal.

Re: Justification for Chunk Plays | The Jets Blog

Adam — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:27:36 -0000

I'm not sure about that. Football Outsiders basically concluded the exact opposite, gaining consistent successful yardage is far more important than boom or bust, or chunk plays. The idea is similar to the value of OBP in baseball, except in football teams aren't limited to a set number of series. A team that can guarantee gaining ten yards every series will consistently gain extra first downs, stay on the field and eventually score. A team with a more boom and bust style, will score sometimes on the booms, but for every bust, they turn the ball over to the other team and allow them an opportunity to score.

Basically, the primary driver in football to score is to not turn over the ball, whether by fumble, interception or punt/downs. If you concentrate too much on chunks, then you will bust a lot and turn over the ball more.

College may be different just because the talent level between teams is just so drastically different. A team like Meyer's Florida can produce an acceptable boom/chunks to bust ration against inferior competition that NFL competition just won't allow.

Re: What Apple will bring to your next television

Adam — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:01:51 -0000

The Bose example, was merely an example. The surround part is the easier part, mainly because the surround speakers are the least important speakers. They aren't needed at all for music, and for television and movies they are used mainly for incidental sound.

How will Apple support an amplifier powerful enough for high quality front and center channel sound, without requiring an external amp? How will they support the sub-wolfer? Will the speakers come with the TV, or separate?

I don't expect you to have answers for these questions, they are just what I'm interested in seeing how Apple solves. Will Apple have a home theater solution, or just the television set?

Re: What Apple will bring to your next television

Adam — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:51:08 -0000

I'm more interested to see if Apple has a solution for the whole home theatre experience, and not just the television. Aspect ratio is relatively simple when compared to figuring out how a decent sound system works works with you television. In-TV sounds sucks and always will. It's simple physics.

I could see Apple trying the Bose strategy of software over hardware (e.g. virtual surround sound and the like), but that solution has always paled in comparison to similarly priced physical surround systems.

Re: http://riveraveblues.tumblr.com/post/2309173191

Adam — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:50:29 -0000

I don't like the idea of trading Sanchez, because he's so far away from the majors, his trade value is actually quite low, even though his potential is enormous. I just think he won't return much bang for the potential buck.

I just can't help but wish Arizona wasn't so crazy, and we had acquired Dan Haren last season...

Re: http://riveraveblues.tumblr.com/post/2309173191

Adam — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:29:04 -0000

I think they offered him multiple options, with the $ per year went up the less years Cliff Lee agreed to. So while 7 years was for $150, 6 was probably for $138 and 5 for $120 or something like that.

Re: http://riveraveblues.tumblr.com/post/2309173191

Adam — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:26:32 -0000

Agreed in part, but the Marlin don't seem all that inclined to trade their ace, whom they signed to a fairly reasonable contract just last year. Nolasco can still get expensive (for the Marlins) via arbitration before he hits the free agent market in two years, plus I feel he's a breakout waiting to happen. Three of Nova, Romine, Brackman, Betances, Adams or players of the like should get a Nolasco deal done.

I might also be higher on both Hughes and Nolasco than most, so I feel that Johnson is unnecessary and not a good trade value for the acquiree.

Re: http://riveraveblues.tumblr.com/post/2309173191

Adam — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:11:52 -0000

Ok, time to go out and let the Marlins select three of any prospects not named Jesus Montero or Gary Sanchez for Ricky Nolasco and while they are at it, move Joba back to the damn rotation! Cashman will have plenty of money now to buy three or four relievers to take Joba's place. Sign Russell Martin and ship Cervelli far far away... or to Scranton.

Re: Why an open-mind is good for open positions

Adam — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:51:15 -0000

I think the Austrian Economist said it best when describing President Obama's "open mindedness":

Conservative Keynesianism and Liberal Keynesianism, but it is still Keynesianism however you slice it. And as Deirdre McCloskey has put it, when your intellectual range is from M-N you think you are being open minded when you look at M and you look at N, but you certainly don't see A or Z. President Obama actually argued that no serious economist has argued against the need for government action with respect to the stimulus package. The leading economists, he argued, for Bush I and Bush II, as well as his team of economists all agree that only government can break the economy out of this vicious spiral downward.

Re: No They Can’t!

Adam — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:52:35 -0000

Interesting idea, but that only acts as a temporary solution. California can throw another proposition on the next ballot "amending" rather than "revising" the constitution and make everything kosher.

Re: No They Can’t!

Adam — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:50:40 -0000

Not exactly. State Constitutions are not subordinate to the Federal Constitution.

There are some powers that the Federal Constitution prohibits from the states, see Article 1, Section 10, and thanks to the 14th Amendment State Governments have to at a minimum at least protect the rights granted via the Federal Constitution.

However, the 10th Amendment kinda gives the states carte blanche power over all the powers not explicitly handed to the federal government by the Constitution.

So basically, if the Federal Constitution doesn't mention something, the state governments are free to do with it what they want.

Re: No They Can’t!

Adam — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:15:15 -0000

The Art of the Possible blog found an interesting statistic in that the Barack Obama phenomenon may have actually hurt gay marriage. African Americans are one of the most homophobic demographics, and since Barack Obama's election drove African Americans to the polls at record numbers, they were there at record numbers to vote against gay marriage.

African-Americans voted for Proposition 8 by a 69 percent to 31 percent margin. However, 55 percent of white voters and 52 percent of Hispanics voted against the proposition.

I guess Obama can't be the messiah for everyone…

Re: No They Can’t!

Adam — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:11:01 -0000

California initially passed a law banning gay marriage. The State Supreme Court of California found this unconstitutional according to the Constitution of California. Then the proposition was added to the ballot which creates an amendment to the California State Constitution, allowing the banning of gay marriage, which means the original law is no longer unconstitutional according to the State Constitution.

It's far easier to pass a law than it is to pass an Amendment. So Supreme Court decisions are checks against bad laws. Usually Supreme Court decisions are final, but every once in a while enough of the populace just doesn't agree with that decisions, so they go ahead and amend the Constitution to agree with their views.

Re: No They Can’t!

Adam — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:06:53 -0000

The Supreme Court can't invalidate an amendment. The Supreme Court can only invalidate a law if it is unconstitutional, and by definition when an amendment is passed, that becomes constitutional.

Re: RNC: Sarah Palin

Adam — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:10:20 -0000

"It all comes back to having a three party system, or an any number party system, so there is middle ground when the two parties begin to look so startlingly different."

Since when have the two parties begun to look different?

Last time I checked both parties supported expanding the American Empire, both parties support the Federal Reserve, both parties differ on taxation by a whole 4.5%, both parties care more about corporations than Americans, both parties support spying on Americans.

Other than abortion, this may as well be a single party system.

Where is the difference again?

"And lastly, Andy: why is the RNC an almost all-white affair?"

Didn't watch any of the speeches prior to Romney then did you?

Re: RNC: John McCain

Adam — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:58:30 -0000

I'm less concerned about that and more that this is just a repeat of clips that are already all over the mainstream media and that most people already saw on network television. Where's the coverage of the speeches that didn't make prime time? Where's the protest coverage? Where's the coverage of the Rally for the Republic?

What's the point of these clips besides just giving people a place to vent the same old arguments that go nowhere.

Re: Hope…Won’t Work in the Stock Market, but Politics?

Adam — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:31:48 -0000

You would have liked Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic, Barry Goldwater Jr. actually introduced Dr. Paul.

I'm leaning towards "none of the above," leave the Presidential spot blank in protest of lack of decent candidates, and just worry about the rest of the ballot.