nodakfan17

I'm going to make the same pick as last week: 27-24 Falcons With home field advantage and a relatively healthy roster, it's just hard to pick against Atlanta. The Packers win if ... Aaron Rodgers proves he's the real MVP. Go Pack!

On the defensive woes (too many posts to quote at this point) - The defense has been broken since Week 2 of 2011 when Nick Collins was injured. It continues to be this team's weakest link today. Is it coaching? Is it drafting? Is it untimely injuries and bad luck? All, probably. However, there's no point in getting down on this team now when they have rewarded our patience with a very memorable 8-game winning streak. Go Pack!

If I'm a NFL head coach, I defer to the second half every time I win the coin toss (no matter the circumstances). Electing to receive is like committing 1/2 a turnover because there's a 50% chance that the opponent will end the half with the ball and subsequently receive the second half kickoff. I understand the argument that a quick score could force a run-oriented offense to favor the pass, but with NFL rules now favoring offense, the extra possession has increased in value. This was the subject on a local sports radio show and I was surprised by the number of callers who claimed they wanted the Packers to receive the opening kickoff so that they could score and then force Dak Prescott to pass. Guess what? Dak Prescott is a pretty good passer. That extra possession turned out to be of greater significance, no?

The fact that this was even figured out, bugs me. The worse record could have to do with it being a key matchup game In no way was I implying that Buck / Aikman have an impact on the game. Of course, the strength of the opponent factors in to that lower winning percentage. I'm just trying to rationalize fans' dislike for the pair. They call 35.9% of all Packer games, but account for 41.2% of the losses.

Recent Packers' playoff ghosts give me a bad feeling about this one: 27-24 Dallas - Rodgers keeps in close, but the defense lets them down (again). The Packers win if ... They score 30. Go Pack!

This was bothering me, so I had to do some digging: Packers' Record Since 2011 (including Playoffs): 69-34 (0.670) with Buck / Aikman: 23-14 (0.622) with All Other Announcers: 46-20 (0.697) That's why (I think) I hate Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.

FYI, that started years ago. Aikman has gotten better, but early in his broadcast career he had an obvious anti-Packer bias (when Favre was still playing for the Packers). They don't bother me now, but I don't get how they are the lead Fox broadcast team. They miss so many plays live until the replay happens (oh, now I see the hold/facemask/false start...). They must not actually watch the plays as they call them. They are better than the later years of John Madden and Pat Summerall. Or anytime Jerry Glanville was in the booth. I really don't understand the anti-Packers bias that I hear so many people talk about. Buck is just terrible at calling a game no matter who's playing or what the sport is. He's hated by both baseball and footballs fans so it's not just a Packers fans thing. I also don't like the Buck / Aikman combo, but am not sure why. I'd be curious to know what the Packers record is in games called by Buck / Aikman. I'm willing to bet their winning percentage in these games is lower than non Buck / Aikman games because the Packers are typically playing better competition in games called by Buck / Aikman. I think Packer fans have formed a subtle bias against the pair because they associate them with games in which the Packers have played poorly.

If you visit the Timber Rattlers website and click on the article - Rattlers Announce Bobbleheads for 2017, you'll see: Saturday, July 8: FOX 11 Fan Vote Bobblehead - Fans choose the FOX 11 Good Day Wisconsin personality they want as the bobblehead for this giveaway Bummer, huh?

I think the first fan vote is actually "vote for your favorite Fox 11 personality" ... we'll have to pray a little harder for Isan Diaz in the traditional fan vote.

ESPN hogs all of the bowl games - they don't even share many with ABC. As a network television connoisseur, this bugs me. I understand their subscriber fee is about $7 / month per household. Why can't they just charge me $7 / month direct to stream their programming? Or better yet, figure out how to charge me ala cart for the programming that I actually want to watch. I'm off the week between Christmas and New Year's Day and would gladly pay $5 - $10 to watch a minor bowl game (more for the CFP). I can get along just fine without ESPN (I have been for 30 + years), but it seems like they're missing a great opportunity to sell me their content.

My wife and I live in the Green Bay area, and while our job situation is pretty stable, part of me regrets not buying a home closer to Highway 41 in a community like Ashwaubenon, West De Pere, Lawrence, or Freedom. This would have given us better access to jobs in the Fox Valley if we ever found ourselves in a bind. Right now, it takes us about 20 minutes to get from our home to 41 South (and then at least another 20 minutes to Appleton). If you're set on the Fox Valley over Green Bay, I'd consider communities on the North side of Appleton (Kimberly, Kaukauna, Little Chute, etc.), which would give you better access to the Green Bay job market (if you ever needed it). That's just me. I'm pragmatic to a fault.

I think the Timber Rattlers do a nice job of mixing current Brewers, former Timber Rattlers, prospects, and kid-friendly bobbles. Not everyone will like them all, but there is something for everyone. Isan Diaz would have been a great add. Maybe he'll get one through the fan vote. My wife and I just welcomed our newborn son a few months back, so if I only make it to one game this year, I'm gunning for Domingo Santana. In the past, I have been a huge Hank bobble apologist (as it has gotten my wife to extra games), but she was not a fan of last year's dual bobble (why would you combine a cute dog with an ugly snake? - her words, not mine). I think the Hank novelty has finally worn off for her.

A really underrated alternative to cable, satellite, and Netflix is Tivo. When my wife and I bought our house a few years ago, we agreed to cut the cord to save money. The one thing I couldn't do without was (still is) DVR. We only get broadcast TV, but have the ability to record any program with Tivo for $14.99 / month (and $50 for the unit). Plus, we can pause live TV (great for Packer games). With the ability to record every network program and watch at our convenience, we never run out of things to watch. Unless you count the the local and national news which we usually flip on in the evening, we haven't watched a commercial in 2 years.

I would imagine you'd also be able to place a trade order by phone. Unless you invested in some type of structured product, it's fairly easy to pull money out of a brokerage account. Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds all "settle" within 3 business days. Afterwards, the money is available to be sent from the broker to the client. If you don't want to wait for a check in the mail, you can probably provide bank account information or (if time is short), request a wire transfer for a small fee.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. It's true that liquidity should always be a consideration when investing in precious metals, but 1/10 and 1/4 ozt are pretty common denominations for gold. Plus, Eagles and Maples are among the most popular bullion coins in the world.

I think this a fair statement. I wouldn't be surprised if the seller is offered the spot price for each coin. The dealer would then incur the costs / risks of holding onto them longer while they attempt to sell them for a numismatic profit. It's possible that the seller might receive an offer below the spot price, but national mint products (Eagles, Maples, Britannias, etc) tend to fetch more than the generic (non-mint) bullion.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'll follow up with a PM. Go Shuckers!

Hi Paul - You could ask 10 people and get 10 opinions, but I think I can get you on the right track. The spot price of gold today is approximately $1360 USD / ozt (troy ounce). Why troy ounces and not ounces? IDK. What's the difference between an ounce and a troy ounce? Not much. Therefore, your 1/10 ozt American Gold Eagle is worth at least $136. Similarly, your 1/4 ozt Canadian Gold Maple is worth at least $340. I say "at least" because American and Canadian bullion are among the most recognized in the world. They often command a small premium over the spot value because they possess some collectable (numismatic) value. Generally, the amount of the premium depends on the age of the coin, as well as the condition. If I were in your position, I would take the pair of gold coins to at least three different dealers and accept the highest offer. You can try coin shops, jewelry stores, and even pawn shops. You should have an approximate idea of their value based on the spot price. Note that the US and Canada did not start minting bullion coins until the 1980s, so while popular with collectors, they probably will not command a substantial premium. With few exceptions, they just aren't old enough or rare enough. As for your Morgan silver dollars, they are all worth about $15 right now. The Morgan dollar was the official dollar coin of the United States from 1878-1921, so there are still tons of them around. Usually only the most pristine Morgans command a premium. There are a few key dates that have some additional value, but unfortunately, I'm not too familiar with them. Calculating the price of a Morgan is as bit wonky because they are 26.73 grams each. You can't do a simple grams to troy ounces conversion because only 90% of the coin is actually silver. As a general rule of thumb, common, worn Morgans are worth 3/4 of the spot price of silver. Today, the spot price of silver was about $20.50. As you probably know, the spot price of gold and silver changes constantly, but you can easily find it on sites like Yahoo! Finance. You could always go the eBay route to get the highest premium, but then you'd have to contend with fees and unscrupulous buyers. I like your odds better with local dealers. You're almost assured of a fair offer if you try more than one place.

Just curious - have you purchased lakefront property since 2012? Honestly, the search is half the fun. One of my best childhood memories is traveling around Northern Wisconsin with my dad and brother. He'd take off of work whenever my brother and I had a day off from school and the three of us would hit the road. This was pre-internet, mind you, so we'd be armed with nothing more than the newspaper classifieds and a folding map of the state.

That's beautiful. Congratulations! If you don't mind me asking, is it your intention to occupy the property for portions of the year or solely rent it out to vacationers? I ask because my wife and I are considering buying a condo in Door County to be rented out during peak season and enjoyed by our family in the off season. I would be interested in learning about your investment strategy or any of the hurdles you may have encountered. Thanks!

No, we didn't stop at The Safe House. I've heard it's an interesting place. Going with the all-inclusive option on the Dew Deck really helped limit our food and beverage expenses. Technically, alcoholic beverages were limited to 2 / person (non-alcoholic were unlimited), but we worked through a few sixers in the parking lot beforehand.

There was no official start to the Dew Deck climb. The cameraman just yelled "go" while my friend (the bachelor) was still facing the field and waving to the camera. He lost 2-3 seconds in the confusion. Earlier, he had been given the opportunity to practice and was able to complete a trial run in 18 seconds at what seemed to be a comfortable pace. After the 2-3 seconds he lost in the beginning, I knew he would be cutting it close. I think his saving grace was the target, which was about 3 feet in diameter. During his trial run, the target wasn't there, so he just reached for the top of the climbing wall. With the target in place, it cut the climb short by a few feet since he only need to touch the bottom of the target. His dismount was epic. Rather than rappel down, he attempted to play the air guitar while facing the crowd as the climbing attendant lowered him down. Go big or go home, I guess.

Sorry to hear of your dilemma. Personally, I'd farm this out to a professional if the quick fixes that you've mentioned haven't worked. 1) It's a safety issue. 2) You don't want it to get worse and encounter a bigger safety issue down the road (or a bigger extermination bill). I'm sure rates vary largely by location and circumstances, but my wife and I paid $75 last summer to fix an issue that sounds similar to yours.

Thanks to all for the input. The bachelor party was yesterday and it went well. The highlight of the weekend was the Dew Deck. For $50 / person, it was a great value. Our friend, the bachelor, was featured on the jumbotron after the first inning. He scaled the Mountain Dew climbing wall in under 20 seconds and won a nice fleece jacket. The atmosphere on the Dew Deck was very comfortable. We had assigned seats, but spent most of our time around a high top table. For anyone planning a group outing in the future, my only hangup with the Dew Deck was that the view of the game and scoreboard was partially obstructed from where we sat (deep in right field). Otherwise, I'd rate the experience a 9 of 10. Due to time and budget constraints, the only other activity we did was an escape room at Escape Milwaukee. This was also a pretty neat experience. The six of us accepted a "mission" as "CIA agents" and had to "escape" from a locked office. We had one hour to complete the mission and were able to escape with about 30 seconds to spare. Part of the mission involved retrieving "evidence" that was locked in safes, brief cases, and desk drawers around the room. Using clues that were provided in our "intelligence briefing," we were able to crack the combinations to these locks and retrieve the evidence. Solving the final puzzle allowed us to escape from the locked office.

Thanks to all for the advice and kind words. No doubt, the goodwill that I've built up over the past few years factored into my decision to stay put. I have a great relationship with my manager and colleagues and they will likely be a little more understanding of my limited availability this Fall than any potential new team.