YASNY

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 10:12 AM) Gagne's been whispered about plenty. From the LA Times today: I wonder if the LA Times ever referred to the possibility while Gagne was still a Dodger. Or, is this breaking news?

QUOTE(bschmaranz @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 10:07 AM) That sounds good... but it needs Tony Danza and Danny Glover's handcock on it. I had to think about this one for a minute.

The Blackhawks at .500. Will wonders never cease?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 09:04 AM) SUMMARY OF MY LAST YEAR ON THE COMPUTER I must send my thanks to whomever sent me the one about rat poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet towel with every envelope that needs sealing. Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason. I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time. I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program. I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena has promised to grant my every wish. I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers. I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day. Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes. Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains. I no longer can buy gasoline without taking a man along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas. I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans. I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer. And thanks for letting me know I can't boil a cup water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face...disfiguring me for life. I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS. I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me. I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise. I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army. I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan. I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike. I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe. Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my ass. Thank you too for all the endless advice Andy Rooney has given us. I can live a better life now because he's told us how to fix everything. And thanks to your great advice, I can't ever pick up $5.00 lying near my car in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg. Oh, and don't forget this one either! I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies! If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician... Have a wonderful day.... A South American scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain and sexual activity read their e-mail with their hand on the mouse. Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late. With all these emails warnings you've received ... and you STILL GOT SCAMMED!

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 13, 2006 -> 09:00 AM) Wait a second, Houston refused to send us that package of players for Garland, right? How did we screw this up then, when we never got this offer??? I thought WE backed out after getting the med records on Buckholz.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 10:23 PM) But we need to be safe from terrorists You are starting to sound like a liberal. Welcome. You now have a pinky in the other camp. Yeah, I know. It kinda burns my ass, but what can I do? I believe what I believe.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 03:39 PM) What if the joke is on us? With cameras on every street corner (to keep us safe) and facial recognition software that tracks you, and everyone's face on their driver's license, you are already marked. Could all this security be satan's way of welcoming us all into hell? These are all tools being put in place to accomplish two things. First, they desensitize us, a bit at a time to government oversight and monitorization. Next, they'll be part of the network that eventually does trap us into an Orwellian hell on earth.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:36 PM) They need to seriously work on RFID security before they could ever convince the mass populous to go for it. I work in the manufacturing industry, and some of these RFID chips are programmable. We had a vendor tell us that we had to use it, so while they were testing the technology, I was altering the nature of the chip. When they scanned a pallet it said instead of the SKU number, Hi my name is Joshua, do you want to play a game. That killed that in our company, plus the cost is still rediculous. That's why I said 20 years till this becomes reality.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:33 PM) Ensberg had the worst year of his career at the plate and still killed Crede in OBP. As far as the overall package, I think Ensberg's more valuable than Crede. Good defense, fair hitting, good batting eye, decent power, healthy body. If Ensberg were non-tendered today, I'd love to have the Sox sign him and deal Crede for a good strong package. I've actually consider that as a possibility ... and a viable one. But Crede is not going be non-tendered and there is specualtion that Ensberg might be. Granted, it's a longshot in my opinion, but I have seen the speculation that it is possible.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:26 PM) I'm guessing it will be easier to convince younger people who trust technology more than the ex-hippies and baby boomers. If we trust the government to put citizens to death, what's a simple little chip? I'll put it bluntly. It's the mark of the beast. I will never voluntarily allow that to happen to me. I'll die first. Period.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:27 PM) Crede is definitely overrated. Good player. Not God. Not better than Aramis Ramirez or even Morgan Ensberg. Wait. Morgan Ensburg? Not even close. Ensburg may non-tendered today. As for Ramirez, he's a better bat but he he can't hold a candle to Crede defensively. A base hit robbed is as good as a base hit at the plate.

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 01:55 PM) Exactly! The reason Rowand makes these great diving catches and runs into walls because he gets there when the ball does. BA sees the ball hit, runs the the spot, turns around and catches it. The ability to read a ball immediately off the bat makes you better than one who has to dive everytime. Yeah ... you're right. But whatever Rowand lacked in skills, he did his damndest to make up for with hustle. That's why I am such an Aaron Rowand fan.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 01:44 PM) Just going off recent trends with the import pitchers, Otsuka's shelf life could be up pretty quick. This will be his 4th full year in the league, and that would start to scare me... That's a Shingo-ist remark.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:21 PM) If it keeps us safe from terrorists we'll be lining up and calling anyone that is against the policy a liberal-p***y, anti-American, and probably a terrorist. It will be so easy to convince the public it's the right thing to do. If that's the case, then I'll be a liberal-pussy. I won't be chipped.

QUOTE(heirdog @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:11 PM) Crede is not overrated, he is underrated...did not win Gold Glove?!? Boras is doing his job. Agents are around to maximize money, incentives, etc for their clients or else players would do it themselves. You can hate the institution of the "agent" as a job that has become very important in sports but how can you say someone that gets the most for his clients is a "jackass?" If you are an investor, you look for the best returns and find fund managers that can get you that so why wouldn't players do the same? I think Crede will be around in 2007 with another 1 year deal but will be gone next off-season. Cintron will be back as expected and our bench will be as strong as ever (Cintron, Mac, Ozuna, Gload back-up catcher, back-up CF/4th OF). I said he was a scumbag. I can put up with a jackass from time to time. As proven by my long term membership here at Soxtalk

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:11 PM) RFIDing people is where I draw the line. I am pretty open to all sorts of survelliance, but having a device that can be passively scanned from under my skin is too far reaching. My dog sure, he is chipped. But again that is my dog. That's easy to say now. What if your livelihood depende on it? What if your retirement funds were dependant on it? What if your family would disown you due to social pressures?

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:03 PM) It was cut back far too deeply. Not only was the military scaled down too far but the intelligence services were gutted. Peace dividend = good Hollowing out our military and intelligence capabilities = bad I agree 100% with your answer.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:05 PM) Great success! My previous comment wasn't, btw, meant as a jab at you or anything. Don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Nah! It's cool.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 01:57 PM) Wait... you think Abraham's seed was only spread to those nations originally? That they are somehow the chosen? No. Abraham's seed includes the Arabic people, the Jews and the 10 lost tribes of the children of Isreal. I believe we (English speaking) are the children of Joseph ... with half of the birthrite going to Ephriam and half to Manessah. In fact, Issac adopted both of Joseph's sons after the family reunion in Egypt ... and considering the Levites (sons of Levi ... one of Joseph's sons, became the .. how can I say this ... the priests of the children of Isreal ... the fact that Issac adopted those sons of Joseph maintain the number of the tribes of Isreal at 12. This stuff is confusing, but are you following me?

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 02:01 PM) You are right, that could be the case. Its incumbent upon us, the voters, to see if that turns out to be the case. Exactly! ... But with the liberal media in their pocket ....

QUOTE(Soxy @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 01:58 PM) Christians have been saying that since, well, since Paul (or even the Gospel writer of Mark). You know ... that's one point I'll give you.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 01:55 PM) http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061212/pl_nm/...ress_funding_dc Well, after much talking in generalities, this is very specific. No earmarks until a system for local project funding can be implemented. Interesting that it took the "Tax and Spend" Dems to go after this instead of the GOP. Good news is, since some GOP'ers are still the old school small government types, this will probably get lots of bipartisan support. Local projects are not always evil, of course. I'd favor something like what the Chicago City Council employs. Money going to infrastructure needs (roads, bridges, sewers, all of that) is spent broadly, but a percentage of it goes to each Alderman to delineate as they see fit. Further, of locally generated sales tax monies (TIF zones), a percentage HAS to go back into THAT neighborhood or zone. The key to implementing a similar system at the federal level is making sure the amount going to each district for this purpose is small, and is distributed based on factors of real importance (population, other national funding in that district, poverty and need, possible ROI, etc.). This can be ... and I'm not saying that it is ... can be looked at that the Dems are putting things off until they've had time to brainstorm as to how to push through their earmarks without making it look like that's what they are doing ... or ... letting enough time pass that 'earmarks' are not such a catch phrase like they are now and they can push them through when the pressure abates to a certain extent.

I'm not familiar with the person of whom you are speaking. I just know I've been looking for this stuff to begin for 20 to 25 years now. There are a whole slew of theories as to how it will come about ... the Illuminati or whatever ... I don't know why or how it will happen, because at this point it is only speculation. But, I do believe it will happen. There's too much smoke for there not be some fire.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 01:42 PM) You got the names right. Jacob was the favorite son of Isaac who wrestled with God and got the new name. But wasn't Jesus considered to be the fulfilment of those promises? Doesn't his promise reflect the new covanent that God made with us (consequently negating those previous ones)? Sort of like the Abrahamic covanent was replaced by the Davidic one (it's been a while since I took theology), but I seem to remember there being several different covanents with God and his people, each one overwriting the last. So, basically the new covanent (as celebrated in the eucharist) negates those previous contacts with God. The promises God made were unconditional, and when it comes to the wealth and whatever, those were not fulfilled by Christ. God didn't put a timeframe on it, he just said it would be. Abraham's seed, if in fact we are the result of that seed ... which I believe we are, were not as numerous as the sands nor were they spread to the corners of the earth during the time of Jesus. Only in the 20th century did that occur. And it occured with the English speaking peoples of the world. U.S., Britain, Australia.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 12, 2006 -> 01:23 PM) The Amazing Boras. Anyone that looks into his eyes immediatly loses all control and starts throwing money around. All Boras has to do is ask for $100,000,000 and teams will rush to see who can pay it. Too bad we can't send him around the world to solve all the worlds problems. Boras attracts the best talent and the best talent signs the biggest contracts. Anyone here who thinks they would sign for less and turn down more money is lying. Players are competitive. Would you take your job for less than the guy in the next cubicle, especially if you are better at it? Every player I've ever known, knew where he ranked in salaries. It's as much a competition as on the field. It's like this Texsox ... Boras is a master at manipulating the player. He builds them up in their own eyes so they think they are God's gift to whoever signs them. For example, Boras put out a glossy publication that compares Barry Zito to ... are you ready for it? .... Sandy Koufax! There is no way Zito is another Koufax. He's a notch above Buehrle ... maybe ... probably. Yet, Zito was eating this s*** up. Boras appeals to the ego of the professional athlete ... which they all have to have if they are going to be successful. Boras also has the uncanny ability to present his case like a Johnny Cochran type lawyer, when it comes to dealing with the owners and playing one owner against the other. The man is a scumbag, imho, but he's a genius scumbag.