cwsox

Just got home from the 8 years old birthday party - a bunch of relatives, a bunch of kids, and the patient wait while each present is opened - and then the last package - not wrapped in a grocery bag, my grandson pulls out a stuffed uniformed Sox bear and yells, this is mine, pulls the 2nd Sox bear out, this is my brother's (he is clued that I had something for his bro) and then he pulls out his Sox jersey with Comiskey Park patch and the kids all start yelling, "cool" and "your're so lucky" and "wow" and I rest content knowing that the Sox gear won the best gift award of course being Michigan some of the kids probably thought it was gang wear but what the hell -- anyway my grandson is very lucky that his brthday follows SoxFest. We went through all the stuff this morning that I got to give him all year and he was thrilled. Liked it more than the game boy cartridge!

I think that would be a very appropriate idea

By the way, I didn't see your "Ever Vote for a Republican" question until the prior post - when I lived in Illinois I worked with IVI and IPO for anti machine good government candidates - which means that I worked for and voted for many Republicans on the city and county level and some on the state level - ask Republican Bernard Carey if I ever helped deliver my college campus' 3 precincts to assist his victory as states attorney - in Michigan, the landscape is different - had a Republican state representative Everit Lincoln I was proud to vote for - I have voted for Republicans in our county as needed even though I am Dem vice chair of the county, and in my last campaign for county clerk, I was very proud that four former Republican office holders broke party ranks and endorsed me and one did off the record, and my campaign treasurer was a Republican

those poll numbers you give are far, far different than the ones that I ams eeing, which reveal a much more even split and depend ont he wording of the question - however, since you majority to win, I trust you are on your way on DC to move Bush out of the White House and Gore in? Majority wins - go for it! I will look into your Oregon guy. My party needs new leadership and needs it now. Thanks foir the tip!

Baggs, your description of the UM admissions policy is total bulls***. The policy is not about taking "less qualifed" applicants - I am so f***ing tired of that tired old rant - it is about ensuring diversity - with diversity a value in education - in the educational process and is a factor that is used in choosing among equally qualified candidates, a factor but not the factor - athletics, children of alums, geographical diversity vs home state representation, special academic distinctions, are among many things that play a role in the UM admissions process, in accordance with the US Supreme Court decision in Bakke - for Bush to call the process "quotas" was a bald faced lie and he knew he it because the legal brief that wass filed on his behalf fromt he Solciter General never makes that point because the UM process is not about quotas - but it was Bush playing to the race card and speaking of how many times you have heard liberals say this or that, have you ever heard me say that? Can I state how many times I hear conservatives say things I think are defamatory? That is not substantiation of anything. I need no lectures from the party of Strom Thurmond and Trent Lott about policies of the past in race. Progress in the Civil Rights movement has come in this country via the Democtratic party, with the need to mention Illinois' own Everett Dirksen and other moderate Republicans (where have they gone...) who assisted in passing the original Civil Rights Act. Funny how the Twin Towers occupies a different place in people's thinking rather than the bombing of Fort Sumtner or the bombing of the Murrah Building. What is the difference? I think I can see it. To me, waving a confederate flag is the equivilant of waving a flag for bin Laden, who killed far less people than died in a few hours on the Gettsyburg battlefield but represents an equal evil.

if its purely offensive numbers jose should be higher than 15..his power alone from a ss is a huge advantage in most fantasy leagues Jose's 2002 batting average was lower than Clayton's so he isn't quite the offensive force we always like to imagine - that woukd effect his rankings coming out of 2002

even to say that name is a jinx - hush!

Don't mean to pick on you YASNY - here is Lincoln speaking in 1852, on 6 July 1852 - a full 9 years prior to the Civil War - on the death of Henry Clay - referring to the Union - and if one were to examine the whole career of Henry Clay in the 1840s you will find many references in American political discourse to the Union - and it goes back much further before that - the use of "the Union" was in place in American language by at least the war of 1812 and goes back before that but anyoine can do that reseach - -but onto Lincoln: "Henry Clay is dead! -- He breathed his last on yesterday at twenty minutes after eleven, in his chamber at Washington. To those who followed his lead in public affairs, it more appropriately belongs to pronounce his eulogy, and pay specific honors to the memory of the illustrious dead -- but all Americans may show the grief which his death inspires, for, his character and fame are national property. As on a question of liberty, he knew no North, no South, no East, no West, but only the Union, which held them all in its sacred circle, so now his countrymen will know no grief, that is not as wide-spread as the bounds of the confederacy."

That the US was not referred to as a Union prior to the Civil War is not factually accurate. Preserving the Union was a major issue in 1850s politics and led in part to the establishment of the Republican party. I offer Lincoln's 2nd Ignuagural address - granted at the end of the Civil War - but if we want to get into historical studies I will post much more - Lincoln says: "While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, urgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation." And the address in its entirety, one of the greatesrt speechs in American history: AT this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential office there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured. On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, urgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came. One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

weclome! I don't understand the contract and wonder if any of us can since none of us have seen it and studied it - I base my hopes on JR's affection for Frank and after Frank's monster season this year everyone havibg the heads together and Frank staying - I believe Frank wants to stay so that is in our favor - a part of the contract restructuring as I understood it was to make some things better for him legal wise for child support and various things for tax purposes, which was certainly wise on everyone's part -

I had forgotten he sucked in NY - hope he ends up nowhere and sues Boras!

I'd make that trade too... in a heartbeat. asking to learn - not asking to argue - what does Glaus have that makes him so attractive vis a vis PK?

I agree 100%

Can't listen today - the 8th birthday party of a very special Michigan White Sox fan will be going on then - if you could give a shout out to my grandson (who calls the Sox "our Sox') who is 8 years old today, it would be appreciated -

For the record, the Confederates were no more "treasonous" than the colonies were against England 85 years earlier. At that time the US was not referred to as a "Union". States' rights was a big issue in both the north and the south. The people of the southern half of the US were not right in maintaining slavery, but there were an whole lot of Northerners that got very rich from the slave trade. The Stars and Bars represent, to a southerner, an army that fought bravely and valiantly, against all odds and an overwhelmingly superior military, and still gave them all they could handle. It has nothing to do with racism in the minds of most people in the south. It's just one more that Jackson, Cochran and all the rest of those loudmouths can b**** about. There was a United States in 1860 under a US Constitution that says "We are people..." The bombing of the fort in Charleston was an attack of treason against this nation and everyone who took up arms to end the Union was a traitor Valiant folks against a larger force my ass - they would have destroyed the Union to preserve slavery - do we need to start posting Lincoln's speeches here? They would have destroyed the Union... read the 2nd ignaugural address - we as a nation were very gracious to allow them back into the country after their waging war against this nation would you say that about Tim McVeigh who also bombed a federal institution because he went "against all odds and an overwhelmingly superior military, and still McVeigh gave them all they could handle" Anyone who thinks the Stars and Bars "has nothing to do with racism" is a liar or very out of touch with, or at best, underplaying the history of this nation - and remember the Stars and Bars began appearing on southern state flags ONLY in the 50s by the forces that opposed civil rights, desegregation, and equality under law - oh that has nothing to do with racism - For the record, it is just one more thing that every KKKer and white supremist can b**** about - I'd rather hang with Jesse Jackson and Johnny Cochran any day, people who work within the system, than those who hate my country because there is equality under law. I am not saying these things against you personally at all - but towards those who romanticise the flag of treason and condemn tose who work for justice Amazing that one flyer of the Confederate flag, that Matthew McHale guy of the World Church or whatever he called it in Illinois, is now on trial for trying to kill a federal judge - and no one has said a word about that but it is ok to bash Johnny Cochran who is a very skilled lawyer who you would want in a heartbeat were it your ass on the line - because he is a black person with opionions? Is that why? If that is not racism - and I ask sincerely - why is it always blacks who get bashed in these threads and not McHale, or Timothy Veigh, or the religious right wing in this country, or any number of far more numerous white fools? Balance the comments or it is fair to pass judgment, is my suggestion.

we were attacked by Al Qeda - we just can't attack anyone - go to war with anyone - just because we got attacked by Al Qeda - after Tim McVeigh blew up the Murrah Center, should every conservative white male veteran in the country been locked up or attacked because they have known McVeigh or shared similar views in some areas? Shpuld we have bombed every home where McVeigh had a friend, spent the night, where people who fit his demographic had similar views in some things? Iraq and bin Laden hate each other - even this past week bin Laden was calling Iraq an infidel nation - the differences between radical religious fundementalists and a totally secularized regime ae vast even though they may look alike to us it is immoral to wage war on anyone else than Al Qeda, and I really detest this Wag the Dog attempt to have war as distraction from the obvious failure to get bin Laden it also is hardly prudent and is a path that will; lead to retaliation and will leave us with less security rather than more and if reserve the right to attack nations by means of war when they have not attcked us, then other nations have the same right - we are not God's appointed in this world, we are one nation amongst many and what, not even 6% of the world's population - if every nation follows the same course as the US is followng, every nation will be striking every other nation and no one will survive maybe every nation should kill us all and let God sort us out? how are we different than what we claim to oppose if we go to war under these circumstances I love you and you I truly love you but I find the bomb everyone else approach immoral as well as the most counter productive things we can do peace cannot be won at the point of a gun every bomb we drop invites retaliation there are better ways

getting dissed and feeling loved is the first step to developing a full adult appreciation of S&M

Frank can carry the Sox like no one I have ever seen - I think Frank is motivated to do it again this season perhaps better than he has ever done before -

I think we got son of a coach and future coach himself Sandy as a mentor and a reliable catcher to spell Olivo - better Sandy doing that than JP or MJ

I agree to start Olvio, I think he will be good, and I am glad to see Sandy as mentor on the team. Was reading the Sports Illustrated issue that came out just before the Super Bowl (I am behind on my reading) and was interested to read that AL pitchers were trashing on IRod for not attending meetings with pitchers so being unprepared for the games, calling fastballs with runners on base, and other things - some AL scout really trashed on IRod's skills - so maybe we came out way ahead not signing him - sounds like a bigger cancer than dare I say Clayton - I remember Robin Ventura as a rookie going 0-57 or something like that - thank God that was in the days before mesage boards - woulld we have patience with a rookie now as we are lucky the Sox did with Robin? Patience is sometimes a good thing and pays huge dividends with young players

While I lean slightly more to hockey being part of the big 4 and not a niche sport (I like that phrase though a lot!) I think the rest of your post is exactly right on, exactly right.

one team that has never won its sports highest championship in a lifetime is enough for me - I knew Black Hawks players as a kid and never liked them or Wirtz -- say what you will about the team from Hockeytown - 3 in 6 and going for 4 in 7, yeah baby!

MB, because he has earned that respect from us -- or Porzio just to confound everyone

This is my 1,000th post and I have saved it for you - thanks for your kind words, the respect goes both ways, and it has been a great thing for me to get to know you guys. You have taught me a lot, you guys know your stuff, "the Mikes" as we called you all at SoxFest are individually and as a group great people who I am proud to call my friends and honored you consider me your friend - as you say WHITE SOX BASEBALL IS SOMETHING ELSE! and no matter what disagreements we have, we are allies - the Twinkies and everyone else who stands in our way of winning the World Series is our enemy - never each other - f*** you MLB, its our time!

If Bellhorn is ranked above Crede, then this thing is whacked.