Balta1701

QUOTE(greg775 @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 04:00 PM) Was just reading an article here about Miguel Olivo today. Wouldn't you rather have him as AJ's backup than Hall? Just askin. If we could get them at equal cost, sure. But Hall is already under contract for this season. Hall is going to be paid about $2 million no matter what. So is any upgrade from him to Olivo worth extra money?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 03:45 PM) It is interesting we would have a wiretapping discussion in a thread about a communist dictator. You know, just thinkin' American citizens should be at least as protected as Cuban citizens, shouldn't they? /snark.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 03:49 PM) If Texas decided to declare our independence, y'all would just move the wall 700 miles north If you guys gave enough money to the Bush libraries, you could make that happen without bothering with the whole statehood thing.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 03:36 PM) I would love to be able to vacation in Cuba somebody. And if you have never had a Cuban cigar ... you have never had a read cigar. If the U.S. and Cuba ever work this mess between them out, it might overnight become one of the top vacation destinations in the world. I'd expect billions of dollars to flow in to construct hotels and other associated facilities the day after it opened up. And, combined with the use of corn for ethanol...the end of that embargo might be enough to force the soft drink companies to resume using real sugar....

Pure rumor mongering, but hey, it's the internet, and this campaign is built on hope right?

QUOTE(R.J. @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 02:43 PM) Buf in the situation you presented... If the Giants are offering us basically nothing (Noah Lowry) right now because Crede hasn't proven anything, then maybe you give him a couple of months time to play and hope he develops value. The problem is...if you're playing Crede to increase his value, the longer you play him while you try to make his value go up, the more his value is going to go down because most GM's have calendars somewhere in their world. You trade Joe after he has a good April...his value hasn't gone up as much as it could if he had a good May also, but if you wait until the end of May, he's now missed 2 months of a team's season. And you can say the same thing about every month.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 01:14 PM) Who was the girl at the back of the auditorium? Why did the writer just randomly mention it in the last sentence? This girlfriend, between the CNN interview and now this, must be considered at least suspecious. The writer buried it because it's probably likely that it didn't happen. There are always lots of unverifiable rumors that spring up in cases like this. I can't guarantee it didn't, but the more hectic things become, the more people are involved, the more wierd things people are going to remember seeing (Puffs of smoke on the grassy knoll, demolition charges beneath building 7, etc.). If there was a real focus on that event, if there were a lot of witnesses or actual witnesses going on record, it probably would merit its own article.

QUOTE(GoSox05 @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 01:36 PM) The Giants. They love aging vets. Bay Area Laboratory CastrO?

Best case scenario...Joe Crede comes out and puts up an MVP caliber season. Like 60 home runs and a gold glove. In that case, he walks as a FA and the Sox are lucky to get a draft pick for him, because someone offers him a boatload of money. Worst case scenario for the season...Joe never fully heals or regains his former form, hits like .200 or below for the first month of the season...and again, Joe Walks as a FA and the White Sox get nothing for him, because in this case the Sox have a better option already and there's no reason to spend any money on bringing Joe back. In either case...no matter what Joe does, if the Sox hold on to Crede, he walks for nothing at the end of the year.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 11:45 AM) On the ESPN.com rumors board it has Dusty Baker hoping Kenny Lofton plays for the Reds. It also has the White Sox listed next to Interested. That would be interesting. Lofton for cheap seems reasonable to me. Because we don't already have more outfielders than at bats to go around?

QUOTE(bmags @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 12:20 PM) well, i think it's certain she will lose Hawaii and Wisconsin at least. We thought the same thing before New Hampshire too.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 11:17 AM) Well, that's what Congress just did for us. They decided to change the law (or read: let the old one lapse) to allow the backing of the lawyers presenting these lawsuits. And the Bush Administration and the Republicans allowed the law to lapse because they wouldn't accept and in fact blocked passage of extensions to the old law because they were so determined to get their immunity. If this law were that important, the Dems were more than willing to give additional extensions. But the Republicans would not allow that because they wanted to get guys like you out there saying this is the worst thing in the world because now we can't wiretap anyone and the terrorists are evil and are going to kill us all tomorrow! If you believe the Dems are making this country less safe to protect their trial lawyers, then the Republicans are making this country less safe to protect AT&T.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 11:12 AM) Which brings me to a question. If you think about it, the "superdelagates" is the epitome of old school. These were put in place after McGovern got his ass blown out by Nixon. It is to basically fly in the nose of the voter block and give the "superdelegate" the power to overthrow a more popular candidate should the need arise. Well, it looks like the Clintons are about to denonate the nuclear bomb, even if Obama is more popular by delegate count. You know damn well they will, because this is all about Hillary getting her due. It really cracks me up (read: it's hypocritical as hell) when all I heard back in 2000 "LET EVERY VOTE COUNT" to watch this whole superdelegate thing come up in the Democrat arena now. Or am I totally missing something here? I'm not trying to throw stones, I'm being serious when I ask this. Fixed that for you. And yes, you should cackle hysterically if the party that has made such a big deal of voting rights, Hell not just in 2000 but if you throw in the whole civil rights movement on top of that, would put itself in a position where party insiders would subvert the will of those same voters.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 11:05 AM) Because it's technology beyond "wiretapping", and the laws that are enacted gives the people who need it the ability to adapt to changing methodology of communications. Then they should go to Congress, as they've done several times since taking office, and ask that FISA be amended to adapt to those technological changes. They shouldn't just decide to ignore the current law because I'm now sending an email over a connection instead of a phone call. Just openly deciding the law doesn't apply would be something Castro would do. (Like that? Right back on topic. There ya go!)

Don't think it's been posted yet but we have our first reports of post-declaration violence.

Always up front, usually within the first 3 rows. Easier on both the eyes and ears.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 10:00 AM) But they didn't break the law, until a couple of days ago at midnight... or did they? The thing is, Rex, no one knows what's happening, and why, and if the telecomms were told to intercept something that *could* have saved lives prior to the amended FISA law from last summer, then they DO deserve immunity because some assclown who was having phone sex with his girlfriend on the phone might choose to sue and help said trial lawyers who just FLOODED the Democrats with money - and wow, they all get paid nice and fat from those bogus lawsuits, now don't they) - even though the government or the telecomms don't even give a s***. (niee run on, eh?) Then fine. Accept the Feinstein provision that would grant the telecom companies immunity but would change the defendant in all of those lawsuits to the federal government, so that the cases go forwards but the government, which you claim is the one asking for the taps, is the one facing the lawsuit, and thus the question of legality will still get its day in court. The real fun of that immunity is that if it does pass...it essentially ends the last court route available for finding out whether or not the program is actually illegal or not, and it prevents us from ever finding out what they were actually doing unless the next president decides to put out a report detailing exactly what they did. Because the government has already shown a willingness to defy Congress, and Congress has shown no willingness to use any of its powers to enforce subpoenas against the government, and has shut down all those nasty partisan "investigations" that could actually answer that question.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 07:12 PM) What do the Bears need most though? Help at RB, WR or the OL? Which way do you go in round 1? If Malcolm Kelly is there at 14, do they pull the trigger? And do they keep Grossman as a starter? The Bears could add Moss, Tomlinson, and Brady to their roster this offseason, but if they don't fix the O-Line they miss the playoffs again.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 06:33 PM) This has turned me off to her. Wow All the drugs and rehab didn't do that for you but this does?

Just out of curiosity, who do people consider to be some of the better hitting coaches in the league?

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 01:10 PM) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8021702461.html How is she ready to lead from day one? Her campaign didnt even know the RULES to a primary-caucus. They've had over a YEAR to figure this out and they JUST learned the rules? She is NOT ready to lead from day one. Maybe it's just that Texas's rules are that messed up (And from what I've read, they are.)

The U.S. has recognized Kosovo as an independent nation. Britain and France have done the same, and Germany says sort of "We're working on it". Greece, Spain, and Romania say they will not do so.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 09:24 AM) Well we could blame the weather, a perfect storm, pressure, or whatever else Walk attributed to hitting bad last year instead of the hitters sucked and their coach had no clue. Isn't it at least possible that some combination of the general suckitude of Andy Gonzalez, Darin Erstad, Gustavo Molina, and the injured versions of Jermaine Dye and Joe Crede and Toby Hall and Scott Podsednik played a big role? The one thing I think I can say positive about Walker's work last year is that the guys who really seemed to need him...the young guys...actually seemed to come up, learn a few things, and perform. Fields, Owens, Richar, all seemed to trend positive with the bat given enough time in the big leagues. Naturally, you evaluate it every year. If this team stinks with the bat again this year despite upgrades...then by all accounts it'll be time for a new voice.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 06:56 AM) Personally, I think Eric Milton or Freddy would be worth a cheap, incentive laden contract. Colon already rejected the Sox offer, or else he'd be my top pick. Only if they'd be willing to accept a minor league deal.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Feb 17, 2008 -> 09:31 PM) Wasserman and MacDougal should be fighting for at least 1 spot. And then you've got Masset who could fighting for a spot also (possibly the same one). And Mac and Ehren both have options left, while Masset does not. For that reason, the Dotel signing probably consigned Wasserman to the minors, at least to start the season. If they still have any hope left in Masset, they'll put him on the 25 man to start the season so that they don't have to cut him.