Balta1701

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 01:33 PM) Scientific American had an interested article in this month's issue computing CO2 emmissions for various automotive technologies. They compared All-Electric, Plug-in Hybrids and gas-electric hybrids. In a lot of regions, you ended up with less emmissions, but in the Illinois/ Indiana/ Ohio areas, you actually ended up with more emissions for all-electric and plug-ins than a regular car. It's behind a subscription wall: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article....plug-in-hybrids I read through that and thought it was really quite pathetically done. It assumes that the CO2 emission per unit electricity stays constant, which isn't the case. You make things vastly more efficient when you, for example, increase the electrical demand (i.e. by charging up a car) at night, since you don't have to power down the power plant as much, and thus you keep the 2nd law of thermodynamics on your side. Of course, then there's the next step...you combine plug-in hybrids with an effective cap and trade system such that old coal fired power plants are at a huge disadvantage and you wind up retiring them in favor of other methods that also generate power at night. I.e. you also add the ability to shift electricity around onto the grid (i.e. the smart grid) and you suddenly have those vehicles as a place to store excess electricity generated from wind.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:56 AM) well its also a mathematical exageration too. people who want to make the case that Obama has increased our deficit 3x that of Bush, are taking Obama's budget (which includes the 2 wars) and comparing it against Bush's budget (which did not include the 2 wars). I've read someplace, and I would need to google search it to get more info, that 2 biggest causes in the multiplication of the deficit are (1) The reduction in government tax receipts due to the recession and (2) The whole Obama includes wars and Bush doesn't calc. (3) was the stimulus spending. This image has been floating around on the left for about a year.

Oh, and I should note that the Budget for Interior is only $12 billion (and that's covering things like the National Parks as well).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:29 AM) The gulf of mexico ring a bell? The oil spill? Very little of that is the EPA. That was the MMS and other entities within the Department of the Interior, completely different cabinet office. Their job in the Gulf started once the oil spill started, not really before.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:27 AM) So around $3 million left to spend then? Depending on how they've structured all their deals, maybe a little less, maybe a little more. At this point, there's probably clauses we don't know about that somehow affect the dollars, and there's always the veterans exemption once they get pushed closer to the cap or sign 2nd roudners. According to Sam Smith though, you're right.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:26 AM) As I keep saying, while you keep trying to hammer the partisan point, I am not married to my party. I can see fault in them. I also see this number being way low, especially in view of the reactions to the financial crisis and the EPA, if we are going to start making "waste" judgments on things other than actual waste. the EPA? Its total budget decreased last year to $10.02 billion. How is that getting lumped in there?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:23 AM) Count it all Mr Democrat. Well, then I'd believe that number. We saw quite well though how great the response was from the right to a $20 billion increase in DOD funding if it was associated with things like killing the F-22. I'd also bet that it counts inappropriately counted tax credits in that number, which isn't really classified as spending but which, if it was, would be something like 25% of the budget.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 11:20 AM) So the government is admitting to misspending $110 billion last year. Does that mean we drop the whole waste isn't that big thing? And in reality, if the feds are will to admit to $110 billion, how much bigger is that number in reality? Right now we are talking about pretty much 10% of the deficit. Are we counting the DOD or not?

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 10:50 AM) I guess it was a cheap deal then. I saw that the team had $4.4 million left to spend after the Watson S&T. "Slightly over the minimum" is how I'm reading it described.

QUOTE (ICP! @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 10:46 AM) Jud has delusional ideas of himself. Am I failing to register the sarcasm in your response or are you failing to register that from the original article?

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 10:21 AM) I think we're out of cap space now depending on how much Thomas costs. Thomas is an alright backup. He'll probably end up being a 10 PER player. KC

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 10:15 AM) You know why the deficit has exploded the past 24 months? It has something to do with another thing that starts with an r and ends with an n Racist African American women?

MLB Has added HGH testing to the minor leagues.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 10:04 AM) A real attempt to cut waste means you have people whose job it is (ideally these would be outside consultants) to look at every line item, and find ways to be more efficient. I'm pretty sure we signed the bill to do that yesterday.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 09:51 AM) This is one of those areas where the GOP is just being flat-out two-faced. They complain of government intervention in business, overspending, etc., and say they want energy reform... but they seem just fine with subsidizing big oil. Its laughable. Be more cynical. Small government concepts go out the window as soon as big business can be helped by big government.

Matt Barnes signs with the Lakers. Not sure how he's a great fit there. Maybe they're just thinking that Artest is too old to hang with Lebron over 7 games and will need more help. Theo Ratliff to the Lakers as well. Now with Bynum's legs, that one makes sense.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jul 22, 2010 -> 11:10 PM) This trend of "super teams" is extremely worrisome to me. It is NOT good for the NBA to have so many super stars in so few cities. Stern needs to find a way to stop this. I think this could be EXTREMELY damaging to the NBA if it continues. My solution is raise the max deals to 19-20 million but in act a hard cap. I would be much happier with a Super Team in NYC and a Super Team in Miami than I am with one super team in the whole league. 2 Super teams and there's at least a good conference finals matchup

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 22, 2010 -> 06:38 PM) Who would touch Bynum with his injury history? If you're holding Chris Paul and he genuinely forces a trade by the deadline this year, saying that he won't sign an extension in 2012 under any circumstances and you guess that there's going to be no basketball in 2011 so essentially becomes an expiring contract...isn't Bynum and a few draft picks more useful than having him walk away? I'm sure you could spin Bynum off to a team willing to part with more picks as well.

QUOTE (kane0730 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 09:41 AM) The order is kind of interesting. It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect if these things are true: Fielder's price is the highest but he's also the top player Dunn's price is elevated well above where it should be Berkman just flat out won't be healthy this season.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 02:44 AM) His OPS is .849. It was .853 last year. So it's not up. It's basically the same. He's got 27 doubles as of right now. He had 51 last year. He'd have to go doubles crazy from this point on to top that, though I'm sure he'll get close. Like I said, I'm not saying he's a bad player. But his power relative to other players at his position is severely lacking. He's 15th in SLG% amongst all qualified 1B. And a .153 ISO is beyond pathetic. The other issue on that list is that he's also blocking other guys, like NSS's favorite Kila and in the future, Hosmer.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 09:06 AM) Aside from my prediction though, if all they can pass is that joke described in your post, I will obviously be disappointed. I'd be surprised if they can pass that without some serious industry subsidies or something like that.

QUOTE (sweatpants @ Jul 23, 2010 -> 12:35 AM) I'll admit I haven't been to the Cell in a couple years, but don't they have last call in the 7th inning stretch? If they do, wouldn't serving after the game totally defeat the purpose of this. I'd bet that this is a way to continue sales after the old 7th inning rule. If people are expected to stay late, they may as well buy from the Cell rather than a bar past the railroad tracks.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 22, 2010 -> 11:04 PM) I'm a little surprised we didn't sign Cust after spring training and put him in AAA. That was a no risk deal. Maybe he's no better than Kotsay, but at the time I thought he was worth a shot. It was either Thome or Kotsay. Once they decided not to sign Thome...they were going full speed ahead to wreck this DH train.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Jul 22, 2010 -> 06:25 PM) NY could offer say Randolph and Chandler plus something, the Lakers I doubt would move one of their big 4 (who are pretty old and don't have favourable contracts). Bynum?

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