Balta1701

QUOTE (BaseballNick @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 04:19 PM) It looks like he's missed a lot of time over the past three seasons. How healthy is he? Edit: I see he played only one game at 3B last season. It doesn't appear he'd be able to give us much as a backup infielder. We could do worse at DH though. The nice thing would be, he wouldn't have to play the field that often if he was a DH as well. His numbers with the bat worry me with their inconsistency though.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 03:02 PM) Quentin = DH Jones = CF Rios = RF Pierre = LF Rios is a really good RF, leave him there. Jones was one of the best CF's in history in a bigger park, playing CF for us shouldn't be an issue, he's only 32 -- he just needs to show up in shape and were good to go. Rios has been a better CF the last few years than Jones.

QUOTE (kev211 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 02:13 PM) I wonder if this all ends up helping Conan in the end, I'd expect some people who never watched him are tuning in to see what he says and maybe will follow him wherever he goes. Plus the press has been pro conan, and he is going to come out of this looking like a saint I think and Leno wont. In this case, any press is probably good press. Leno will benefit from the brouhaha as well. Just think, for an example, how Letterman's ratings spiked after his "scandal" last year.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 01:47 PM) Other corporations. Happens all the time. But why is that even important to this conversation? Because 2k5 is asserting it never happens.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 04:37 PM) Take a look at this list of aftershocks. WOW That's sort of a normal pattern for a quake this large. Rule of thumb, everything is logarithmic. So, you set off a magnitude 7, you get of the order of 10 magnitude 6 events, 100 magnitude 5 events, 1000 magnitude 4 events, as aftershocks before all is settled. Of course, that also leaves the small probability of another magnitude 7, but that's usually unlikely. Things get really interesting, for example, if you set off a magnitude 8 event in the L.A. area, and you wind up with 5 or so aftershocks that are magnitude 7 events on their own.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 11:21 AM) Balta, if you are reading this thread... I may need to work with the mission down there on a disaster readiness plan. I had previously been concerned mostly with hurricanes, and hadn't even realized that the area was seismically active. Do you know where I might find a seismic risk map for Haiti? Or a faulting map, something like that, that shows me what kind of danger the area might be in for quakes? Thanks. I have to head back upstairs for work, but one other thing to keep in mind is that it's not just the location of the faults that matters for earthquake damage, but it's also the kind of land on which things are built. Steep slopes can give way in slides, for example, so topography could be useful. Areas built on recent alluvial fill without a deep foundation can be particularly vulnerable because those areas tend to liquefy during shaking. Just from a basic search, here's an older overview geologic map. The stuff that might be particularly vulnerable is recent alluvium, especially alongside water. Port-au-prince appears to be built entirely on that.

QUOTE (sircaffey @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:31 PM) People use that example all the time, but I still wonder if it's really that good of an example. Yes Brady went crazy one season, but the very next season and for the rest of his career, he went back to being what he was before that 50 HR season. Did he only take steroids for that one season? I would think it would be crazy to believe he didn't at least take them the season after hitting 50 HR. He hit 18 HR that season. It's also possible that the heavy doses of steroids caused some health problems that made him change his routine or come off a cycle or get injured in a different way or switch drugs or any number of things. Or, for all I know, he could have been clean (he wasn't Mitchell reported was he?).

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:58 PM) It'll be the best ratings they have had in a year if they let it ride out. Yup.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:59 PM) Change that word, and that's what we get from you. You know, our transparent government. Private sector demands accountability because there's a shareholder who will kick your ass out if you don't give it to them. Government gets re-elected for being corrupt. Why's that so hard to understand? Obama is running the biggest ponzi scheme in American history right now and the platitudes are thrown at his feet by the likes of you every day. He can make money appear out of no where and enjoy the fruits of it with no ramifications, except to say by people like you that he's helping, saving the world and creating jobs. What you don't realize is what you're doing is exactly what I'm criticizing you guys for. Every single thing in your statement there is not backed up. I ask you to do something other than just say "there's a shareholder who will kick your ass out if you don't give it to them", to prove your case. For example, I could counter with many, many examples from just the last year of shareholders being burnt so that guys could walk away with big bonuses, where if the government hadn't stepped in the shareholders would be left with nothing. Now, you may well be able to prove your case. Cite some data on something. Give me anything, anything at all with a bit of heft to it. You're not even at the citing an anecdote level here; I'm challenging your assumption rather than accepting it blindly, and instead of being willing to back up your statements, your response is frustration and anger.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:06 PM) Since when is an .801 OPS below average? You are also factoring in his 2009 season, which was terrible and he's still got an .801 OPS vs righties. I could counter by saying that in both 2007 and 2009 his OPS against righties was about .760, and the year that stands out from the last 3 is 2008 where he was much higher.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:23 PM) I like the 2010 pitching staff, but to say this team has "better pitching all around" is a huge stretch. If they all pitch up to career averages, they still won't be as good as the 2005 team. Actually, I'd say if they all pitch to their career averages (with some lee-way considering how young 2 of the guys are)...we could easily have starting pitching that is better and deeper than the 2005 staff, but a bullpen that is much weaker. In 05 we had 1 guys with an ERA in the low 3's (3.12, MB), 3 other guys with ERA's between 3.5 and 4, and then a 5th starter around 5 with time split. If everyone just pitches to their averages since their rookie struggles for Danks and Floyd, we're already right there.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:48 PM) Don't forget immygration. We have to make sure we can gerrymander the s*** out of the disctricts for Democrats in 2012. ETA. Wait, I thought the great stimulus bill was supposed to fix jobs? You mean we need another jobs bill? Wow! Quite frankly, yeah, another jobs bill to fix what was gutted from the stimulus would be a nice addition.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 12:47 PM) LMAO. You're the one asking circular questions to what's pretty clearly written. You don't want to see the point, you want to move it. His statement was quite clear. He made a statement saying that there is more accountability in the private sector than the public sector, and as such you see less sweetheart deals. I found that surprising because I feel I've seen a whole lot of corrupt backroom deals come from the private sector regardless of this so-called accountability, so I questioned on it, and you'll note I have gotten zero specifics or examples or details as a response. I'm supposed to accept the platitude that the private sector works better at imposing accountability without evidence. When I ask for that evidence, it pisses people off, rather than eliciting an educated response. If you're not willing to back up your own statements, then you're going to have a rough time in here because that's how you effectively debate an issue.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 11:01 AM) *YAWN* This whole thing is a waste of time. GOTTA PASS IT NOW! Why? SOTU. What bulls***. Actually there's still a good chance that they'll miss the SOTU as a deadline, as things currently look. The House isn't happy with their compatriots. The reason to get this done and passed is that there is quite a bit of other legislation that needs to be done. Budget for this year coming up, some sort of jobs bill, a cap and trade bill unless you just want the EPA to impose emissions limits since they already have the statutory authority, finishing approving the other half of Obama's nominees which are still held up, etc.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 11:06 AM) You know Balta, all you do is keep moving the carrot. You can never debate on face value anymore. Fine, you want to keep piling on. All I was doing was responding to his exact words. If you're unable to defend the very things you say, then don't say them.

Switching topics rather than responding to that...I think this would be a very good move by the FDIC and a way to institute reasonably solid regulations without having to go through the Congress, which the banks already own.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:55 AM) I can see how spending in a few years saves jobs now... So, is your argument that we're going to be 100% out of the hole we've dug by the end of 2011 such that the continuing dollars won't be needed, that the projects that money is being spent on (mainly energy and construction at that point) is unimportant, or that we should have made the stimulus bigger and more focused on job growth in the first place?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:54 AM) It means that there is more accountability for these things in the private sector, because if they don't work out, people lose their jobs. In the government they get re-elected because they are providing for their district. So there's more accountability for sweetheart deals in the corporate sector, but they happen with an equal frequency as the public sector? Ok, if you say so.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:52 AM) It is what you do to prevent the collapse of the banking industry, when they are going into that sector of economy. And it's also what you do to prevent 25% unemployment, which is why fiscal policy has come in.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:42 AM) Actually I never said that. In that case, I have absolutely no idea what this means. QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:01 AM) As opposed to governments who give sweetheart deals in exchange for cash? I think there is actually more accountability in the corporate sectors, because at least they have to answer to shareholders. Judging by re-election rates, the government doesn't seem to have that problem.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:43 AM) I never said I didn't understand it. My point is you can't say that rates are low and that is proof that there isn't inflation, when in fact the Fed is throwing trillions of dollars to make sure that isn't happening. It doesn't prove anything, except that they are obviously scared of something, and it isn't deflation. Um, throwing around trillions of dollars is exactly what you'd do to prevent deflation.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:40 AM) I don't think Ozzie wants Nix on the roster. He doesn't like him at all. Then who does that leave, Lillibridge? He got included in the same comment last year. I'd be more than happy to see a guy appear who can hit and also play IF. Blalock is kinda intriguing me lately for that reason. But until it happens...I'm worrying.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:25 AM) And it doesn't strike you that governmental ones happen all of the time? Read post 72. I think they happen all the time in both cases. You argued that they're uncommon in the business world and common in politics, I think they're common in both. I feel I see it all the time in the corporate world, from the types of deals/contracts that companies sign to the type of hiring decisions they make to these bonus payouts.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:27 AM) And if you don't understand why interest rates haven't risen being entirely artificial, I am not sure where we can even go with this conversation. And if you don't understand why the Fed is artificially keeping interest rates down, well, actually, considering your side wants a balanced budget during a time when the actual interest rate should be like -7%, I'm really not that surprised.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 13, 2010 -> 09:21 AM) I think the bolded is not only not a given, but is unlikely. I think 7 bullpen arms is nearly guaranteed, with Ozzie managing (though I'd be happy with 6 myself). The other slot is more likely to be part of the DH platoon. Honestly, until a DH is signed...my head tells me to agree with you but my gut says Ozzie is going to keep Nix or Lillibridge up as that last spot because that's what Ozzie wants.