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2. What failure in your life have you experienced that you feel is important to have lived through to help you grow?

3. What would you like to do right now that is just outside of your reach because of one thing (money, people, other resources)?

4. Aside from server/forum/site changes, what is one thing that you would like to see changed about MOTL?

Ten favorite movies?

When did you get into Magic cards and who/how did you get involved?

Are we (America) going into a depression?

Where do you see the future of America's economy and general state heading and what could be done, in your opinion, to better it?

Peace,
Jesse

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Originally posted by Volcanon:
So you're a fan of the Yankees?
Are there really 81 Cubfans? How come only you ever trade on MOTL anymore?
Where's the beef?

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It would honestly take the contraction of every team in the league before I root for the Yankees. Depending on your viewpoint, they're the best example of whats wrong with the financial layout of MLB.

Depends on if you mean real Cubs fans or just the ones that show up to Wrigley and say they are Cubs fans. In reality though, that's just the year I was born and I've been using the name since I made my first AOL account back in 93 or 94.

I actually trade less than I used to. Part of it is the influx of value traders and everyone having to win a deal. I can manage to make a few trade here and there but its easier to just buy and sell outright for me.

Depends on the time of day. Right now in the fridge, later on a bun, and then almost assuredly in my stomach.

quote:

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Originally posted by yakusoku:
1. What one piece of advice would you like to share with others to help them be more successful or be happier?

2. What failure in your life have you experienced that you feel is important to have lived through to help you grow?

3. What would you like to do right now that is just outside of your reach because of one thing (money, people, other resources)?

4. Aside from server/forum/site changes, what is one thing that you would like to see changed about MOTL?

5. What is something that you feel that you are better than most other people at doing?

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1) The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything. I firmly believe that attitude goes a long way toward determining your happiness.

2) I started undergrad with the full intention of going to Medical School. I lost interest about Sophomore year and applied mostly to appease my parents. I aimed for schools I knew were out of my reach (in hindsight maybe on purpose) and didn't get in. Best thing ever. I could have done it and it would have been interesting but definitely not how I want to spend my time going forward. My wife is doing her Surgical Residency right now and I barely see her. Two doctors in the household and the dogs would raise the kids.

3) Travel. Any and everywhere. My wife and I have decided to eventually invest in such a way that when we retire we can live and travel overseas. Basically, spend a year in England traveling and studying Spanish. Then, spend a year in Spain traveling and studying French. Then spend a year in France, etc, etc.

4) Ugh, I love the community here but the site needs a major overhaul. Or more bluntly...someone in charge who can actually be in charge. I'm not sure how often Leshrac checks in anymore. The PM issue with Chrome and Firefox has gone on for almost a year and we get new threads every couple days with people complaining. Sure they could search for an answer but shouldn't the site work in the first place? I mean, someone posted the new code that would fix it and it still hasn't been implemented. The price guides aren't working much anymore either. New Sets take forever to get put in and somethings buggy with how the price guide gets its numbers because I find it hard to believe that only 4 Underground Seas sold on eBay in the past however long it gathers data.

5) I'm pretty good at being a mediator. Especially with regards to family. Likely stemming from my ability to listen to people. Also, I'm a beast at organizing.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr. Ruboonia:
Just one question:

1) Are you watching the Brewers NLDS game tomorrow night?

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Probably not, but that has more to do with the start time and less to do with the team. Baseball's baseball so I'll watch whenever I can. Living in Milwaukee, I do think its kind of cute the way some of the Brewers fans are acting.

ogre, I haven't forgotten your's, I'll just have to get back to it.

2) If you ever sell that Tundra, will I be the first one you call?

3) Any tips for getting into dental/medical school?

4) How did you meet your wife?

5) Do you have any children?

6) Do you like me?

7) Were you surprised you were being interview today?

quote:

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Originally posted by Volcanon:
Would baseballs be better if instead of a baseball, the pitcher threw a ball of superchilled gravy?
What if 2nd base was actually a tankard of gravy?
Does gravy give players better hitting power? Is a lack of gravy why Soto sucks so much?

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Not necessarily better, but definitely messier.

Would make turning double plays so much more fun if you had to get your foot in the gravy instead of "in the area" like they do now.

Depends on if they rub it on the bats or if the drink it before going up to the plate. The results are mixed so far.

No, its probably a lack of HGH.

quote:

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Originally posted by sdematt:
1) How old are you?

2) If you ever sell that Tundra, will I be the first one you call?

3) Any tips for getting into dental/medical school?

4) How did you meet your wife?

5) Do you have any children?

6) Do you like me?

7) Were you surprised you were being interview today?

-Matt

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1) Just turned 30 a week ago.

2) Yeah, I don't see why not. Big if though.

3) Make sure you want to go. Study up for the MCAT. Find a better reason to say you want to go than simply "I want to help people" it's so cliche and its on at least half the personal statements they see. Oh and if you really want to go, get an MCAT study book (Kaplan) while you are in undergrad. They're much better outlined than some classes and can help you get better grades in Organic Chemistry.

4) At college, I had started unpacking my stuff freshman year when my roommate (who was randomly assigned) burst in with her and her roommate excited because they were going to teach him how to do laundry. She was in our circle of friends but we didn't start dating until Junior year when we moved off-campus and she would come over to study a bunch with another one of my roommates (they had the same major).

5) No kids yet. Just a dog. Three nieces and a 4th niece/1st nephew due in March/April.

6) As much as I can based on your online persona. If it's similar to your real life personality then we'd be cool.

7) A bit, but then again, I hadn't checked the sign-up thread to see about when I would be set to go in quite a while so here we are.

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Originally posted by ogre:
Favorite food?

Ten favorite movies?

When did you get into Magic cards and who/how did you get involved?

Are we (America) going into a depression?

Where do you see the future of America's economy and general state heading and what could be done, in your opinion, to better it?

Peace,
Jesse

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1) My mom's Dum Aloo. Its a potato dish in a garlic and onion tomato sauce. I've got her recipe but haven't attempted to make it myself. She definitely cooked by feel and I didn't inherit that at all.

2) Varies from time to time but off the top of my head I enjoy:

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - One of the best mixes of CGI and costume, make up, prop, etc.
A Knights Tale - Surprisingly rewatchable.
Band of Brothers - Sooo good. Have watched at least 7 or 8 times through.
Memento - Tremendous writing, story, and editing.
Field of Dreams - Yes its a bit cliche at times but I watch it every Spring.
Monster'c Inc - Favorite amongst the Pixar group though I like all of them except for the Cars ones and A Bugs Life.
Amelie - Always a winner for a date night. Also good are Le Valet and Priceless.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding - Infinitely quotable.
O Brother Where Art Thou - See above. Clooney is hilarious in this one.
City Lights - Chaplin was amazing in this one, though Gold Rush is also really well done.

3) Originally back in '95 in the lunch room in high school. We had just moved from IL to GA in the middle of 8th grade and then I went to a Magnet High School so I knew absolutely nobody. A few people over at the lunch table were playing and I watched and managed to make my way into their circle. The deck to beat amongst them was this one guys blue deck full of Counterspells, Power Sinks, Spell Blasts and Psychic Venom and he'd finish off with Air Elementals and Mahamoti Djinns. Stopped playing around Urza's Saga when I went to college. Found some time one weekend and overheard of a Pre-Release so I made my way out to the Apocalypse pre-release (give me your Sanskrit Fungal Shamblers!!). Went again to FNM around the time of Affinity and got blown out by it in three straight matches and said WTF?! Got back in again just before Lorwyn and have been in since. We'll see how long this one lasts.

4) I think we're in one. Though, depression might be too strong a word and it may have simply been a correction. There's absolutely no way the economy could have sustained the rates they did during the late 90's and early 00's. I think it has and will teach people the value of work and money and why saving up is better than buying on credit which means it will take a while to "recover". There are still a huge number of flaws in the system and the two biggest are the ways banks and credit card companies operate. Anyone remember when Banks used to pay you to keep your money with them?

5) I don't see us going anywhere positive for quite a while. Most of what could be done to improve the economy would have to be done politically and the US political climate is ridiculously hostile right now. It really has turned into an Us vs Them kind of arena with the Media taking things out of context and playing up to whichever side they feel can get them the most ad revenue.

My solution to fix all of it would be so radical and yet makes so much logical sense it has absolutely no chance of happening. If anyone cares to hear it just ask and I'll expand a bit.

Favourite Deck?

Favourite Format?

Favourite subject when you were in university?

Favourite colour?

Your "rant" on how to fix the economy?

quote:

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Originally posted by sdematt:
Favourite card?

Favourite Deck?

Favourite Format?

Favourite subject when you were in university?

Favourite colour?

Your "rant" on how to fix the economy?

-Matt

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1) Toss up between the Sanskrit Fungal Shambler and Gaea's Cradle.

2) Another toss up between Pros-Bloom which was my first "Holy cow this game is crazy" moment and BW Tokens which was the deck I had the most fun playing and doing well with.

3) Legacy.

4) Had a great time in Intro to Film History as well as a Summer course of Lake Michigan Biology.

5) In real life blue, in Magic I never outgrew green. Love me some Llanowar Elves.

Not quite a rant, but I've gotten a couple PMs about it as well so my take on the situation, and I'm sure I'm not the first or only person to think of this but:

Note, generalizing ahead but bear with me: The ideal goal of any elected official is to serve his constituents and make decisions based on making things better for the people he or she represents but in reality their goal is to just get re-elected. Otherwise, they're out of a job. The only way to do that is to raise money and the easiest way to do that is to make life good for all the people that donated money to getting you elected in the first place. Why wouldn't they want to keep you in office...life is better for them if you keep things comfy. It's why people elected with strong Union support do what they can to maintain the status quo and those elected with oil money try to limit some environmental and safety regulations. Again, simplifying and generalizing a bit.

In essence, the politicians are working for the people who got them elected and not the general public like they should be. It also doesn't help that the lack of term limits means you have to sometimes make deals and concessions based on getting re-elected instead of whats actually good for your country, state, district, etc, otherwise you're out of a job.

My solution which is admittedly daunting and ripe with holes if someone thinks about it long enough: Eliminate all private campaign donations. Nothing from any person, company, or lobbying group. Every election is funded entirely by taxpayer dollars. Equal amounts to each candidate with funding stopping as soon as you drop out of the race. Strict accounting by independent auditors to eliminate the shady stuff.

Where's the money coming from? Not sure just yet but you could start by lowering the corporate tax rate slightly to get US companies to bring back all the money they have locked up overseas. Provide them all with a one year amnesty for anything they already have out there and then drop the rate down to somewhere in the low 30% range combined between state and federal. You can't tell me that Google would rather have a massive complex in Dublin, Ireland just to get around some tax laws than another couple buildings somewhere in the US all things being equal.

Then to really screw with accountants, massively overhaul the tax code to be a bit more like eBay. You get the first $15,000 tax free, then get taxed X% of anything from $15,001-$49,999. Then Y% of anything from $50,000 to $199,999, then Z% of anything from $200,000 to $499,999 and so on and so on.

The main problem I see is that it would be ridiculously expensive from the onset but in the long term the politicians would owe absolutely nothing to any person or company or group and could make decisions based on "Is this good for the people who got me elected?" The increase in tax dollars spent on elections would be balanced by not having politicians tacking on all kinds of amendments and additions to bills earmarking money for Soy Biodiesel research just because Cargill donated a bunch of money to the last campaign and the research will in turn make Cargill a killing.

The you scratch my back I'll scratch yours mentality is wasting tax dollars to help already massive companies continue to turn a profit or take advantage of the system to benefit themselves and only themselves (and/or shareholders).

__________________
There's no need to fear, UNDERDOG is here!

All your Gruul Nodorogs are belong to me. Trade them to me, please!

Report rules violations.

quote:

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Originally posted by slurpee:
Favorite disney char?

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Aladdin.

quote:

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Originally posted by sdematt:
Any tips on meeting females in university, considering you're a married Magic player? :P

-Matt

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The most cliche one is be yourself, but its cliche because its true. If that Gizmodo article taught us anything its that if someone really likes you they'll like you with your hobbies and quirks or they're really not worth making it work. In hindsight I wish I had been in more clubs or groups or events. Almost everyone in college goes in knowing nobody and any type of forced interaction is a great way to meet people. Girls or otherwise, but a large circle of friends means someones always got a friend who's got a crush on you or something.

The alternative is to do what I did, go to a party, do a 65 seconds keg stand, lean against a wall and ask her to a prom/homecoming type event that neither you nor her have tickets for. Done and done.

quote:

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Originally posted by sdematt:
Also, how many and which languages do you speak?

-Matt

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English and Gujarati (my parents state language). Some Spanish from school but mostly conversational type stuff. And then I just started using Rosetta Stone for Dutch so I can tell you "The boy is on the horse." or "The girl is under the table."

quote:

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Originally posted by choco man:
Your opinions on Albert Pujol's free agency?

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He's worth more to the Cardinals than anyone else. With the lack of steroids and presumably HGH its stupid to give anything longer than 4 or 5 years to any FA on the wrong side of 30 even if he is HOF caliber. See: Rodriguez, Alex.

The market also isn't quite there for him. The Yankees and Red Sox are set. The Cubs are bleeding money and may actually sit it out. The Mets financials are also a mess. I guess Baltimore is out there but if you're leaving the Cardinals are you really going to go to the Orioles for a few million more when you've already made so much? Not sure I would but then again, I can't crush like he can.

quote:

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Originally posted by grandarbiter:
Billy (the) Goat vs Mountain Goat?

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Fainting Goats. The curse is garbage and nonexistent.

And I think that does it. Thanks for the questions everyone.