Tex -140
Bal +160
Det -200
Phi -185
Pit +110
Tex -160 2nd game
CWS -137
COL -210
Sea +123
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
8/29/09 NFL PICKS
YTD PRESEASON 10-5-2
NO/OAK Under 41 -110 (2 units)
SD/DAL Under 39 -110 (2 units)
BAL/CAR Under 34 -110 (2 units)
NO/OAK Under 41 -110 (2 units)
SD/DAL Under 39 -110 (2 units)
BAL/CAR Under 34 -110 (2 units)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
8/27/09 FREE NFL Preseason Pick
Preseason YTD: 9-4-2
Mia/TB UNDER 36 -110 (1 unit)
CIN ML -130 1st half (1.5 units)
Mia/TB UNDER 36 -110 (1 unit)
CIN ML -130 1st half (1.5 units)
Monday, August 24, 2009
8/25/09 Free MLB Picks
NYY Chamberlain -1.5 +115 (1 unit)
TOR Cecil +129 (1 unit)
CWS Contreras +265 (.5 units)
KC Greinke -1.5 +130 (2 units)
LAA Lackey -1.5 +120 (3 units)
OAK Anderson +110 (1 unit)
NYM Figueroa +188 (1 unit)
SF Cain -1.5 +160 (2 unit)
In vino veritas...
TOR Cecil +129 (1 unit)
CWS Contreras +265 (.5 units)
KC Greinke -1.5 +130 (2 units)
LAA Lackey -1.5 +120 (3 units)
OAK Anderson +110 (1 unit)
NYM Figueroa +188 (1 unit)
SF Cain -1.5 +160 (2 unit)
In vino veritas...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
8/23/09 FREE MLB PICKS
Minnesota/KC Under 9.5 -120 (2 UNITS)
San Francisco -105 (2 units)
LA Dodgers -169 (1 unit)
San Francisco -105 (2 units)
LA Dodgers -169 (1 unit)
Friday, August 21, 2009
8/22/09 PRESEASON PICKS
YTD: 6-3-2
Tampa Bay +3 -110 (1 unit)
Carolina +3 -115 (2 units)
San Diego +2.5 -110 (3 units)
Tampa Bay +3 -110 (1 unit)
Carolina +3 -115 (2 units)
San Diego +2.5 -110 (3 units)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
8/17/09 FREE NFL/MLB PICKS
NFL YTD PRESEASON: 4-2-1
Jacksonville +3 (1 unit)
MLB
MIN/TEX UNDER 9.5 (1 unit)
Chicago White Sox -1.5 -115 (1unit)
Jacksonville +3 (1 unit)
MLB
MIN/TEX UNDER 9.5 (1 unit)
Chicago White Sox -1.5 -115 (1unit)
8/16/09 MLB FREE PICK
Only one play today, left over from yesterday:
MLB
FLO VanderHurk +100 (2 units)
MLB
FLO VanderHurk +100 (2 units)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Was there anything Germany could do to win the war?
Hitler's Mistakes During WWII
1. Started too late in the year (1941), by the time they reached Moscow, the coldest winter in years hit and the Werhmact was totally unprepared.
2. Guderian's Panzers were diverted south at the gates to Moscow in 1941.
3. Again in 1942, the Germans made the fatal mistake of splitting Army Group South in two culminating in the debacle at Stalingrad and the failure to reach to Caucasus oil fields.
4. The Soviets were into a mindset of ordering important and troop saving withdrawals. At Stalingrad the Germans lost 25% of their entire operational strength in the Eastern Front, a heavy blow by all accounts but NOT decisive. It would however be the main factor for Germany's not being able to complete the conquest of Russia.
5. The Germans blew another chance during their offensive in the summer of 1943. Against Guderian's opinion that the production of Tiger and Panther tanks should be up to operational standards, Hitler launched the ill fated offensive at Kursk. The results being the destruction of the panzer armies. The fact that the German still had the capability to launch an offensive of this magnitude in 1943 proves that Stalingrad was not a decisive turning point in the war. From then on, it was just a delaying tactical war against the Red Army.
6. On the western front, two mistakes come to mind: stopping his tanks and allowing the BEF to escape to Britain via Dunkirk, and switching from the bombing of airfields and radar stations to London and other cities....the RAF was nearly brought to its knees before that 'miracle.'
7. Hitler made the mistake of diverting resources to multiple designs, rather than picking the best and staying with it... example is the multiple tank designs.
Of course the race to make the first operational nuke would've made all other 'what ifs' meaningless. If Hitler devoted the national resources in developing the a-bomb in 1939, the end would've been much different.
1. Started too late in the year (1941), by the time they reached Moscow, the coldest winter in years hit and the Werhmact was totally unprepared.
2. Guderian's Panzers were diverted south at the gates to Moscow in 1941.
3. Again in 1942, the Germans made the fatal mistake of splitting Army Group South in two culminating in the debacle at Stalingrad and the failure to reach to Caucasus oil fields.
4. The Soviets were into a mindset of ordering important and troop saving withdrawals. At Stalingrad the Germans lost 25% of their entire operational strength in the Eastern Front, a heavy blow by all accounts but NOT decisive. It would however be the main factor for Germany's not being able to complete the conquest of Russia.
5. The Germans blew another chance during their offensive in the summer of 1943. Against Guderian's opinion that the production of Tiger and Panther tanks should be up to operational standards, Hitler launched the ill fated offensive at Kursk. The results being the destruction of the panzer armies. The fact that the German still had the capability to launch an offensive of this magnitude in 1943 proves that Stalingrad was not a decisive turning point in the war. From then on, it was just a delaying tactical war against the Red Army.
6. On the western front, two mistakes come to mind: stopping his tanks and allowing the BEF to escape to Britain via Dunkirk, and switching from the bombing of airfields and radar stations to London and other cities....the RAF was nearly brought to its knees before that 'miracle.'
7. Hitler made the mistake of diverting resources to multiple designs, rather than picking the best and staying with it... example is the multiple tank designs.
Of course the race to make the first operational nuke would've made all other 'what ifs' meaningless. If Hitler devoted the national resources in developing the a-bomb in 1939, the end would've been much different.
8/15/09 Free Picks
NFL YTD preseason record 2-0-1
ATL +3
CLE +3
HOU/KC UNDER 37.5
TB +4
MLB
FLO VanderHurk +100 (2 units)
OAK Gonzales +104 (2 units)
ATL +3
CLE +3
HOU/KC UNDER 37.5
TB +4
MLB
FLO VanderHurk +100 (2 units)
OAK Gonzales +104 (2 units)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Is it a true fact that World War III is closer and closer to us?
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
I'd say it already started...the pre-lude was 9/11 attack on America. Act I was the US invasion of Iraq.
Act II will be a middle east conflagaration around Israel,Palestine,Syria,Iran axis.
Act III - while US is busy defending Israel, North Korea will take the opportunity to invade the South and China will takeover Taiwan...leading to nuclear showdown similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Act IV - will be the breakdown of the "system", loss in confidence of US economy, long gas lines at the pump, Constitutional rights abolished
Act V - the end...who knows how it will end, but Einstein said World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones....
I'd say it already started...the pre-lude was 9/11 attack on America. Act I was the US invasion of Iraq.
Act II will be a middle east conflagaration around Israel,Palestine,Syria,Iran axis.
Act III - while US is busy defending Israel, North Korea will take the opportunity to invade the South and China will takeover Taiwan...leading to nuclear showdown similar to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Act IV - will be the breakdown of the "system", loss in confidence of US economy, long gas lines at the pump, Constitutional rights abolished
Act V - the end...who knows how it will end, but Einstein said World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones....
Monday, August 10, 2009
Friday Pre-Season 8/14.09 PICK
MIN over INDY pk (1 unit): Peyton will only play 1 series, the MIN second string QBs are better than INDY's... true story.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
First Pick of the Season....Preseason HOF Game
BILLS +3, Buffalo 28-Tennessee 18 - I don't normally like to bet pre-season games, buuuuut, Bills fans will be in force in Canton to see their players enshrined, T.O.'s first game as a Bill; this spells motivation you don't usually get in a pre-season game.....and it's still a meaningless game for the Titans.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Had the Holocaust not have occurred, how many Jews would be in the world today?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
If birth and death rates stayed the same across the years, population growth by the 12 million could be figured with a fairly simple formula much like the one used to figure compound interest.
Birth and death rates aren't constant across countries and through time, however. Disease or disaster can cause death rates to increase for a certain period. A booming economy might mean higher birth rates for a given year.
But aside from the unknown variables, we'll assume that the rate is based on the average planetary growth rate, thus: We'll use 2% growth from the 60s and 1.5% from 1990 onwards.....gets us about 26.9 million from your 12 million figure.
If birth and death rates stayed the same across the years, population growth by the 12 million could be figured with a fairly simple formula much like the one used to figure compound interest.
Birth and death rates aren't constant across countries and through time, however. Disease or disaster can cause death rates to increase for a certain period. A booming economy might mean higher birth rates for a given year.
But aside from the unknown variables, we'll assume that the rate is based on the average planetary growth rate, thus: We'll use 2% growth from the 60s and 1.5% from 1990 onwards.....gets us about 26.9 million from your 12 million figure.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
What was the significance of the air raid in Dresden? Weren't air raids commonplace during the war?
Up to October 1944, Dresden was not considered a military target. What had changed for it to be the lasting legacy of allied carpet bombing?
Dresden was an old cultural medieval and picturesqe city and had hardly been touched by air raids. For the most part, it was undefended, with no anti-aircraft guns.
In early 1945, German troops were moving through Dresden. This may have been to fight the advancing Soviet Army or to reinforce fighting elsewhere. Dresden was a key transport junction. To Churchill and his war cabinet, this made Dresden a strategic target. Bombing the city might halt the flow of German troops and speed the advance of the Soviet army into Germany. Bombing Dresden might help the Russian war effort.
It was clogged by civilian refugees fleeing the dreaded Red Army.
There may have been another reason for choosing Dresden as a target. Bombing was believed to have an effect on morale. The idea was that civilians would be so traumatised by the continual threat to their lives, that they would stop believing they could win the war and would lose the will to fight. (This had been practised on both sides already. Attacks on places such as London in 1940-41, Coventry in 1941 and Hamburg in 1941 actually made the local people more determined.)
The decision was made at a time when Britain had suffered the Blitz, as well as random bombarding by German rockets, and when Hitler had devastated cities such as Warsaw. British leaders also knew about the Nazi treatment of Jewish people in the concentration camps.
Therefore, in short there were two reason: the train stations were a key hub in the german war effort and Air Marshall "bomber" Harris & others wanted retribution for the bombing of Coventry and other cities. (btw, the trains were up an running several weeks after the attack) The use of incendiaries, the resulting fire storm and death of civilians (mostly women and children), hospitals, churches, schools, etc, made Dresden stand out and on the same pedestal as Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Source(s):
just my opinion
Dresden was an old cultural medieval and picturesqe city and had hardly been touched by air raids. For the most part, it was undefended, with no anti-aircraft guns.
In early 1945, German troops were moving through Dresden. This may have been to fight the advancing Soviet Army or to reinforce fighting elsewhere. Dresden was a key transport junction. To Churchill and his war cabinet, this made Dresden a strategic target. Bombing the city might halt the flow of German troops and speed the advance of the Soviet army into Germany. Bombing Dresden might help the Russian war effort.
It was clogged by civilian refugees fleeing the dreaded Red Army.
There may have been another reason for choosing Dresden as a target. Bombing was believed to have an effect on morale. The idea was that civilians would be so traumatised by the continual threat to their lives, that they would stop believing they could win the war and would lose the will to fight. (This had been practised on both sides already. Attacks on places such as London in 1940-41, Coventry in 1941 and Hamburg in 1941 actually made the local people more determined.)
The decision was made at a time when Britain had suffered the Blitz, as well as random bombarding by German rockets, and when Hitler had devastated cities such as Warsaw. British leaders also knew about the Nazi treatment of Jewish people in the concentration camps.
Therefore, in short there were two reason: the train stations were a key hub in the german war effort and Air Marshall "bomber" Harris & others wanted retribution for the bombing of Coventry and other cities. (btw, the trains were up an running several weeks after the attack) The use of incendiaries, the resulting fire storm and death of civilians (mostly women and children), hospitals, churches, schools, etc, made Dresden stand out and on the same pedestal as Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Source(s):
just my opinion
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Why wasn't the United States charged with war crimes for the bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima?
An opinion was rendered in international courts to wit:
"in the light of international humanitarian law, it should be borne in mind that during the Second World War there was no agreement, treaty, convention or any other instrument governing the protection of the civilian population or civilian property, as the Conventions then in force dealt only with the protection of the wounded and the sick on the battlefield and in naval warfare, hospital ships, the laws and customs of war and the protection of prisoners of war"
At the time, "total war" meant the civilians on both sides faced indiscriminate aerial bombing, including incendiary attacks, nuclear attacks, and assaults on centers of culture/churches/schools, etc.
A change in the Geneva Conventions, beginning in 1949 were the results from the uproar of the fire bombing of Dresden, nuclear attacks on Japan, and other indiscriminate carpet bombing during WW II.
Therefore, in answer to your question, there were no specific treaties or conventions broken AT THE TIME of the bombings and therefore it was not a war crime, these prohibitions all came after the war.
"in the light of international humanitarian law, it should be borne in mind that during the Second World War there was no agreement, treaty, convention or any other instrument governing the protection of the civilian population or civilian property, as the Conventions then in force dealt only with the protection of the wounded and the sick on the battlefield and in naval warfare, hospital ships, the laws and customs of war and the protection of prisoners of war"
At the time, "total war" meant the civilians on both sides faced indiscriminate aerial bombing, including incendiary attacks, nuclear attacks, and assaults on centers of culture/churches/schools, etc.
A change in the Geneva Conventions, beginning in 1949 were the results from the uproar of the fire bombing of Dresden, nuclear attacks on Japan, and other indiscriminate carpet bombing during WW II.
Therefore, in answer to your question, there were no specific treaties or conventions broken AT THE TIME of the bombings and therefore it was not a war crime, these prohibitions all came after the war.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Morality in War and Atomic Attacks?
Some of us will be called upon to do the heavy lifting, to do the nasty things that normal everyday citizens will not be asked to do. We do it because we care for our families and our country. When we are attacked we will fight and defend ourselves with all of our might. Some of us will die.
Others will be called upon to lead and make difficult life and death decisions. We pray that we are on the side of the good morality and not evil. We have tried to do good. We have not always been perfect.
Absolute morality like absolute justice is not attainable in this world or in any world.
"I wanted to do everything that I could to subdue Japan. I wanted to kill the bastards. That was the attitude of the U.S. in those years." "I have been convinced that we saved more lives than we took," he said referring to both American and Japanese casualties from an invasion of Japan. "It would have been morally wrong if we had that weapon and not used it and let a million more die."
Paul W. Tibbets
Pilot of the Enola Gay
(died Nov. 2007)
" ... you should know that Japanese culture, belies, and religous upbringing was one of death--that dying is glorious--especially dying for the emperor. The military was also guided by the Samuri code, which believes in dying for the "cause."
The culture of America was to survive and live. The atomic bomb did what it was intended to do and that was to end the war.
Louis Kagalis, 6 Aug. 1995
...When the Japanese government announced the Pearl harbor attack, radio stations played a martial song:
Across the sea corpses in the water;
Across the mountain corpses in the field.
I shall die only for the Emperor,I shall never look back.
Uno Shintaro, a Japanese soldier in the China campaigns, was interviewed after the war for a book --"Japan at War: An Oral History" --written by Haruko Taya Cook and her husband. This is part of his story:
"I personally severed more than forty heads (of Chinese prisoners). Today, I no longer remember each of them well. It might sound extreme, but I can almost say that if more than two weeks went by without my taking a head, I didn't feel right. Physically, I needed to be refreshed. I would go to the stockade and bring someone out.... I'd (behead them) on the riverbank, by the regimenyal headquarters....I sometimes bothed the job. (The prisoners) were physically weakened by torture.... (They) tended to move .... Sometimes I'd hit the shoulder. Once a lung popped out, almost like a baloon.... Looking at that, I felt ecstasy. (But) I'm not that way today."
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