Balta1701

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 10:00 AM) How old is Carter now Balta? And how soon til all the conversations begin? Carter turned 23 in December. The "Should we have traded him" conversations never happen if Quentin has the kind of season he's capable of.

Pujols is having back spasms, went in for an MRI, got an anti-inflammation shot.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 09:02 AM) That's kind of my point. I personally think that he'd probably just cost you Morel, or maybe not even Morel. Maybe Retherford and Leesman. In any case, I believe he could be had for not a lot. The question you have to ask your scouts is...why is he stuck in AAA for the Royals. Do the Royals just think he's a career minor leaguer? It's always possible.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 01:52 AM) Jones will have a lot to prove when he steps to the plate for real. I know several Ranger fans and they despise the guy. We shall see. I'd love nothing more than he to be the surprise player in baseball. Good luck Mr. Jones. Really, they despise the guy? I'm surprised. It's not like the Rangers gave him a ton of money or anything. Did he throw a bottle at them?

QUOTE (hammerhead johnson @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 12:25 AM) The reasons to like Scott Podsednik: 1. He is no longer a member of the White Sox I can't come up with anything else. 2. "I don't think that taste is there."

At some point, Chris Carter is going to appear in that lineup.

I wouldn't give up Hudson, D2, or Flowers for him.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 08:40 AM) 24's plot turn at the end (you know which one I am talking about) was horrible. Completely ruined the show for me this year. I thought this season was great thus far and only getting better from last week's episode and the first 57 minutes of this week's, but then the plot twist. Just horrible and unnecessary. Anyone else irked by it? I guess "Irked" would be one word you could use. I really wouldn't have been bothered by it normally, but this is what, the 4th, 5th season that they've used that exact same plot twist?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Mar 23, 2010 -> 07:29 AM) What possible benefit do you think it's actually providing now for the public? Wealthy banks. That's the #1 goal.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 10:26 PM) they are getting new customers...remember. Ezra has a read on how the exchanges actually work that is better than I can write. In a different post, he also address the matter I was scoffing at 2k5 about a moment ago in an interview with a Princeton economist (no, not that one).

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 10:24 PM) that really is exciting because that was a hugely popular measure in the house that got railroaded in the Lobby, i mean Senate. Apparently they have the votes in reconciliation to put it through. VERY exciting. Turns out, the reconciliation rules wound up in some fashion requiring them to put it in, because they needed additional deficit reduction beyond what the Health care bill was providing, and there was a nice, easy, $50 billion.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 10:23 PM) And the best way to fix that is to add more costs to them. That makes total sense. They will totally give up profit margins! But you guys keep telling me they're not that profitable! (Of course...what they could actually do is work to cut administrative and overhead costs, because that's where you make your ground up and put out a better plan at lower cost. But you know, capitalism only works once you bail people out).

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 10:17 PM) MEHHHHH, perhaps RIGHT NOW, I'm optimistic this bill will create a much more favorable individual market. That's certainly one possibility...but you'd be forbidden from entering the improved market by now, if you have a large enough employer. Long-term, opening up the exchanges to more people is an obvious, obvious method of improving this bill. But of course, anything that forces health insurers to have to put up competitive plans is evil.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 09:55 PM) Do you honestly believe that insurance companies paying higher costs aren't going to pass them on to consumers? YOU may not be paying the tax directly, but you will pay for it. Do you honestly believe that you're not already paying higher costs because of the insurance companies?

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 09:59 PM) Yay! MORE GOVERNMENT YAY! I think the fact that you think it's a terrible idea to eliminate a $50 billion subsidy to the banks that gets the country absolutely no benefit because the government is evil says a lot.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 08:30 PM) Purely hypothetical question: Under this new system, can my family drop employer insurance and join an exchange? Unless you work for a small business with less than 50 employees, the answer is no. Remember that selling point where the President kept saying "If you like your insurance, you get to keep it"? What they didn't tell you was that if you don't like your insurance, once we get rid of the public plan, you're stuck with it. Basically, if you don't like your insurance you need to find a new job.

Don't be evil.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 05:54 PM) My results: There will be no change to your insurance coverage. You will not pay any additional taxes. OMG!!! SOCIALISM!! COMMUNISM!! Mine too. Anyway...the sad thing is, that's still over-simplified. Hopefully one of two things should happen. Either you should also see your paycheck increase, or you should see your health coverage improve in quality.

QUOTE (Melissa1334 @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 05:34 PM) shouldnt it be a concern? because correct me if im wrong, but wasnt quentin healthy the first half? i remember him playing a while and with a really low average and then he got the heal issue ? You're wrong. Q was healthy for about 2 weeks of the season. He started slumping, and then about a week later we heard specifics about hsi foot issue. It bothered him the whole season from there. The last game I'm convinced he was at 100%, he was hitting .302, after single-handedly destroying the Rays early in the season.

Maybe Jake is throwing all fastballs. Josh Fields is 0/2 with a strikeout.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 04:58 PM) Yeah look at gameday..Peavy is throwing like 96% fastballs. Gameday in previous years hasn't been all that accurate with ST pitch selections

A pitcher from Texas with our first round pick? What could go wrong?

No Kotsay? Against a RHP? No complaints!

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 22, 2010 -> 03:54 PM) I'll admit I know nothing about this Rep Grayson person... but after reading that, I think I like him. Matthews is such a wind bag. You'd hate him. He's an outspoken leftist, the kind that would typically get portrayed as crazy. He's the one who was quoted on the House floor saying that the Republican Health Care plan is "Don't get sick".