YASNY

QUOTE(Steff @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 12:49 PM) I'm guessing you meant this as a joke, but we had an issue earlier this year and they actually asked us to read our own meter and call them back. I was like.. "ummm.. ok". Of course, I meant that as a joke. But, I read my own electric meter for years. There was a spot on the bill to write your meter reading. They'd check it once a year or so to make sure you in the ballpark you should be, but there were times where I would fudge a little when I knew the next bill would be a little too steep. Of course, I always had to make up the difference in subsequent months.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 10:54 AM) Im not even on that. They were just estimating my usage so they didnt come and read the meter. I asked the lady, how could you charge me 500 dollars when my bill was truly about 100? She says to me "i guess we were off a little bit." Call them back and tell them you'll estimate the usage the next few months. It's only fair.

Common sense will tell you that the number not in the labor force will continue to rise, and probably at a faster rate as the baby boomers grow older, have more health problems and reach retirement age. As for the unemployement percentage being irrelevent, if it was 9% would that still be considered irrelevent?

QUOTE(Steff @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 09:10 AM) She has the ass of a 18 year old... I hope he didn't object.

I'm sorry, but this is got to me. In a good way. Thanks for posting that, Steff.

QUOTE(Steff @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 08:14 AM) Whoops.. sorry I didn't explain. She was outside with the crowd and out of nowhere a bird swoops down, got flustered by the lights and equipment, went nuts, and poop'd on her. Eh ... s*** happens.

QUOTE(vandy125 @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 07:55 AM) I'm surprised that they could not fire him for that. Haven't people been fired for things that they have put on their blogs? I think that in those cases, the companies have stated that the employees represent their employee even outside of work. He tenured ... therefore all but untouchable.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 06:27 AM) The guys on the motorcycles appreciate that, if only the other cage drivers would think like that. Actually ... I do avoid them like the plague when driving. I give them wide berth and plenty of distance whenever possible.

I avoid the things like the plague.

I don't have a problem with the suspension. His behavior was inappropriate and it's never to early to teach a kid that some things are just not allowed. My problem is with the label 'sexual harrassment'.

Just voted. You are down 60.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 07:38 PM) If thats all true then the Danish papers get to be painted with the same hypocrite brush. While we are painting, let's be sure and get the NY Times.

QUOTE(GasHeGone @ Feb 9, 2006 -> 12:41 AM) speaking of politics, flash tizzle, you're avatar is ridiculous... Why? Doesn't Flash have the right to express his views? Wait ... there is something ironic about this.

From the Trib:

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 11:47 PM) I'll have to hit you and Tex up next time I'm in town. Went to Arlington last year. Very cool stadium. One of my favorites. Yes, it's a very nice ballpark. I've been there a few times.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 03:43 PM) So do you look for the team with the fewest ifs, or the team who will likely end up fulfilling the most ifs at season's end? One could make the argument that the Blue Jays have fewer ifs than the Sawks or Yanks...but they are picked almost universally to finish 3rd. Are we looking at one of the most underrated and overlooked teams in the league in Toronto, even with all the friggin noise they made in the offseason, or are the Yankee and Sawks offenses just that good? Or is the East Coast Hype Machine just working their magic with the Sawks and Yanks again? So many fans ... and media 'experts' ... look at offense as the big determining factor. As any fan south of Wrigley can tell you, pitching and defense wins championships.

QUOTE(Sonik22 @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 07:31 PM) I think it would be nice if they moved to nashville. Not many teams in that area, and nashville is a really nice city. Oh hell. I'd love it if they moved to Nashville. I'm a nice and easy 2 hour drive from there.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 01:28 PM) It's hard to believe that just 5 years ago there was an actual debate on who was better between Sosa and Bonds. Who had a better year in 2005?

QUOTE(Benchwarmerjim @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 05:07 PM) all I got to say is that I support a bit of higher taxes to get an outdoor park But the Twins can't control the windspeed and direction in an open air park. How in the hell do they hope to compete without that advantage?

I agree. Wins, in and of themselves, are not the end all stat for pitchers. In fact, WHIP, ERA, etc aren't either. In my opinion, you cannot measure the quality of a single ballplayer by any stat or combination of stats. There are 9 men on the field at any given time. Those nine men affect the performance of the pitcher, as well as the hitter. As an example, would Dye's GWRBI base hit in Game 4 of the WS been a base hit if Luis Aparcio or Ozzie Smith would had been at SS? Still, the fact remains that the number one objective of any pitcher that takes the mound is to win the game. You cannot discount guys that have a knack for winning the game without being 'lights out' all the time. There are pitchers that can win without their best stuff and there are pitcher that have great stuff that never learn the knack of winning. There are things like intestinal fortitude, competiveness, savvy and determination that can't be measured by any stat ... but the 'W' stat will give some indication.

Why would anybody want to ..... (theatric pause) ..... join that club?

Little Melissa comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about the history of Valentine's Day. "Since Valentine's Day is for a Christian Saint and we're Jewish," she asks, "will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine? Melissa's father thinks a bit, then says, "No, I don't think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a valentine to?" Osama Bin Laden," she says. Why Osama Bin Laden?" her father asks in shock. Well," she says, "I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough love to give Osama a valentine, ! he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and sent valentines to Osama, he'd love everyone a lot and then he'd start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn't hate anyone anymore. Her father's heart swells and he looks at his daughter with new-found pride. "Melissa, that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard." I know," Melissa says, "and once that gets him out in the open, our Marines could blow his ass to Kingdom Come."

QUOTE(hi8is @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 11:28 AM) give me a f***ing break No. You're just going to have to live with it.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 10:17 AM) I'm sorry what part of the NBC Nightly News did "The Book of Daniel" air in again? The news and entertainment divisions of networks are run by different people with different outlooks, opinions and yes, even different agendas. It's still aired on the network, regardless of which division. Hypocrasy reigns.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Feb 8, 2006 -> 08:36 AM) We're already there in the White Collar world. People are working for less, longer hours and fewer benefits. I have a decent paying job, but no benefits at all. My employer might not be spending a s*** ton of money to insure me which is good for him, but I'm a 28 year old guy who has to spend 200 dollars a month to insure himself if I want insurance. I worked for a company three years ago that posted record profits and two weeks later retroactively took my free (and relatively crappy) health insurance away and started charging me $1000 a year (at the time a 5% pay cut.) Do unions overstep their bounds on occasion? Of course. Are there some s***ty unions? Definitely. But without organized labor, a lot of workers would be left out in the cold. Weekends: brought to you by the American Labor Movement. Wow. We agree on something.