Balta1701

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 09:11 AM) Just ask Bernie Madoff! Like I said, insult it all you want. It's the best, most stable, most secure, most cost-effective retirement system available in this country.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 09:10 AM) Your question is faulty. It assumes that there is either all government or no government. But every single variety of moderate amount of regulation involved you oppose! Minimum coverage levels, health care tied to employers through tax credits, no rejection for pre-existing conditions, etc.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 09:05 AM) Eh? You are so attached to the system the way it is that you are not even open to changing it? You are just fine with running a giant ponzi scheme? Yes. 100%. Insult it all you want, it works.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 09:08 AM) There is a massive different between regulating care and giving it. That doesn't answer my question.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 05:00 AM) I've got a feeling we could get a lockout not as bad as what the NHL went through a few years back, but we could definitely have some period of a work stoppage. When you've got Derek Fisher coming out and saying financially everything is good (with record TV ratings etc), and some owners losing tens of millions every year, well something is going to have to give eventually there. Unlike the NFL, I'm pretty sure that the NBA has been much more willing to open the books of its teams and actually show that franchises are losing a lot of money.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 10:24 PM) Didn't know where to put this. Is it a bad thing that I would drink Coco's (Ice T's wife) urine if she asked me to? Yes.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 09:02 AM) Ugh. I hate the assumption that just because someone gives you a job, it makes them responsible for you and your entire family from cradle to crave. That's not an "abusive power structure", that is the socialization of personal responsibility. So how on Earth are people supposed to have health care in your world? The government shouldn't provide it, that's socialism. Your employer providing it for you is "Socialization of personal responsibility." The only way left is to rely on the individual market, where being old or sick is a pre-existing condition and they don't want you.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 10:24 PM) http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/j...deadline-libya/ time to end US involvement in Libya This might be better placed in the Libya thread.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 08:59 AM) You mean like medicare where many doctors and medical facilities won't accept the patients with that for insurance? That doesn't really help the argument for you. I'm impressed by the precision of your language.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 12:34 AM) The Dbacks have signed 30 of their 52 picks already. Wow. Is that really unusual?

QUOTE (Brian @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 08:26 AM) if he doesn't get hurt again Even then, someone will pay him a decent amount.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 06:27 PM) Viciedo NOT in Charlotte's lineup tonight. Perhaps it isn't a tease this time. Viciedo is reportedly missing a couple days to become an American Citizen.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 03:29 AM) I'm surprised you didn't think it should be Morel batting 2nd. He's the one guy who seems to consistently hit it to the right side though not a high OBP guy. Right now, Brent still looks like a back of the lineup guy to me. He will hit the ball well, but he doesn't have a ton of power, he strikes out a fair amount, and doesn't walk much. His OBP in the minors is very batting average heavy, and he's still adjusting to the league. I like that he's going the other way with hits a lot, but it's about time to start seeing a little more extra base power from him, which hopefully we will see as the summer drags on. Since May 7, he's hitting .316, but he's only got a .333 OBP and .728 OPS over that stretch. He's getting better, but I think other guys would bring more production to that 2 spot. I'd try Becksy or even Rios there before Morel...they both ought to provide more power than him, if they ever pull out of slumps.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 15, 2011 -> 08:49 AM) I don't get what is so wrong about this and why people are so upset with Jake. He is clearly dying to help the team in any capacity that he can. He wants to win and he wants to be a part of it, that much is evident. Is putting him in the bullpen the wisest decision? I'd say probably not. But it's hard for me to fault the guy for willing to perform in whatever capacity the club deems fit. Most pitchers would never offer to go to the bullpen no matter what. Complain all you want about his propensity to get injured (and it's a legitimate complaint), but at least to me there is nothing to say badly about his character. I really have no problem with him saying this at all. At this point, regardless of what Peavy does, there is a group of posters who are going to dump on him for his contract and injuries. They've got a point, he is always hurt, so no matter what he says, it's bad because he's always hurt.

Well, let's think about it rather than just getting angry. It solves the "6 man rotation" and "Jackson stinks in the first inning" problems. It hurts the team if they wind up needing a spot starter though, if they have to give up any offdays. And with his injury history, you don't want to be moving him back and forth and back and forth. If he's willign to go out there, I'd probably do it. It probably gives us the best chance to win this season.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 10:10 PM) That would be a considerable upgrade, though. His length, athleticism and shot-blocking ability would make an already good defensive team more lethal. He'd be basically their Tyson Chandler. But I can't see him taking such a drastic paycut, even if the MLE remains at $5.8 million. The question is, who will offer him more than that? (the heat might also offer more years as they did with Miller)

QUOTE (Cali @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 09:18 PM) When stadiums cost $500 million and up, whats the difference adding the price of a roof at that point? It's all RIDICULOUS amounts of $$$... Double that price.

QUOTE (MAX @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 09:16 PM) Perhaps they didn't have problems, but don't you think the fans might show up in larger numbers if they knew they would be comfortable? But you need several million, maybe even close to 10 million extra tickets to pay for a dome. Maybe more for a retractable roof. Just think of it as the first ballpark ready for climate change.

QUOTE (buhbuhburrrrlz @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 09:14 PM) THE ROOF IS ON FIRE After that snow?

QUOTE (sin city sox fan @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 09:08 PM) Isn't the Metrodome still standing? Just move the game next door. The roof?

If this does get rained out, they get to replace a game now with one later when they have Mauer et al.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 06:53 PM) That is exactly where this will be a massive failure. Compared to a European system, sure. Compared to the current system, or to any increased-privatization system, however, the PPACA will still be a massive improvement.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 06:51 PM) God forbid we do that anywhere else... Like Medicare, where the administrative costs are vastly below private plans as well?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 06:50 PM) And you've done a great job at proving that the whole point is to destroy any incentive for private insurance. Private insurance has done that. The point is to get the most people the best health care for the most manageable cost. If you're determined to keep a private system, the PPACA is about as good as you can do. Unless you want to give me another round of telling me how we can't afford to have everyone insured and the sick are sorry, out of luck again.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 14, 2011 -> 06:48 PM) I didn't say end social security - I said change it. Changing it might as well be ending it. The beauty of the current system is its simplicity. It keeps the administrative costs down well below those of private sector retirement plans, it makes sure everyone has something, it isn't subject to the fluctuations of the market or to financial crises, etc.