Balta1701

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 12:20 PM) So did A-Rod..... He is 21 years old, thats going to happen from time to time with a rookie. See, um, like every rookie. The question is whether or not he'd be in a situation where he could overcome those sorts of attitude issues. In a place like NY, you've got the gigantic spotlight, the added glare of being another organizational-savior, a bunch of big time stars around you, etc. In Chicago, you have a few more quiet leaders (Konerko, Thome, etc.) and a manager who might kill you if you don't listen. Might that work better for the kid?

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 12:17 PM) I didn't say that. Im just pointing out how backwards that line of reasoning is. Then why doesn't the reverse of that argument apply equally well to you? If it's hypocritical to support a government banning specific and unhealthy varieties of food while at the same time opposing a government's banning of specific types of pornagrphy, why is it not hypocritical to support the porn ban and oppose the food ban? QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 12:19 PM) This doesn't ban any fatty food whatsoever, merely regulates the ingredients that can be used to create the fatty food. If we nanny state on this, why not nanny state on that? Or maybe instead, parents can just sign a permission slip every time Junior goes to McDonalds too. That might increase the life expectancy in our nation by 5 years.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 12:05 PM) That being true then why ban fatty foods and leave porn in the hands of children? That approach makes no sense at all. So therefore you have no problem with state entities trying to ban certain types of food?

- Stat supposedly from the Wall Street Journal today, subscription only.

SurveyUSA. 10/21-23. Likely voters. MoE 4.3% (9/16-18 results) Perry ® 36 (35) Bell (D) 26 (23) Strayhorn (I) 19 (15) Friedman (I) 16 (23) A Rasmussen poll to be released later has it Perry 36 (33), Bell 25 (18), Strayhorn 22 (22), and Kinky Friedman 12 (16).

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 10:12 AM) I don't think that's been a factor in this case. IMHO, the two biggest reasons for the slide to federal power are: 1. Plain old hunger for power by the federal government (like all governments, its self-feeding in that sense) 2. Most people in this country want an easy answer, and a single scapegoat. Focusing their attention on the federal government makes that happen for them. Therefore, they always demand action from the Feds. 3. It's cheaper to lobby 1 large umbrella organization to change the laws to benefit a business than it is to lobby 50 smaller organizations.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 08:14 PM) And the article says that it effects both candidates... I'm going to start calling you the "Drive By Media"... LMAO. Yes, it cuts off Allen's party affiliation...but cuts off Webb's entire last name and party affiliation. QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 08:36 AM) It doesn't matter who wins, the other side will yell "CONSPIRACY!!!!!" no matter how clean the voting might be. One thing that would really be amusing about the GOP holding on to both houses ( I know its unlikely ) would be to hear the shrill cries of leftist bloggers crying bloody murder and saying we "stole" the election. One easy way to shut up all those shrill lefties would be to actually spend the money at the federal level to create national standards in voting equipment and actually provide a paper trail. But for some reason that has become a partisan issue...to the point that it can't get through the Republican Congress.

Let's have Christ our President Let us have him for our king Cast your vote for the Carpenter That they call the Nazarene The only way We could ever beat These crooked politician men Is to cast the moneychangers Out of the temple Put the Carpenter in Oh it's Jesus Christ our President God above our king With a job and pension for young and old We will make hallelujah ring Every year we waste enough To feed the ones who starve We build our civilization up And we shoot it down with wars But with the Carpenter On the seat Way up in the capitol town The USA Be on the way Prosperity bound

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 10:01 AM) Not to mention the thread crying about the original thread being closed... Which is then closed.

The GOP is in heavy competition in something like 60 races in the House at this point, with something in the range of 20 looking like they're about to flip, maybe more depending on the next 2 weeks and the size of any tide. The Senate is a different story, and their firewall/race baiting strategy might just be enough to hold on to seats in Missouri, Virginia, and Tennessee. Montana is still up in the air also, but Mr. Burns does seem to have a little momentum. The Dems will probably take the house, and the Republicans will hold on to the Senate by a narrow margin.

My CD Drive hasn't worked in a year.

QUOTE(Leonard Zelig @ Oct 25, 2006 -> 08:38 AM) There is a 60% chance of rain in St. Louis today and a 90% chance tonight and tomorrow. I think that would benefit Detroit. I understand how it could shuffle the pitching lineups and that might help Detroit, but one of the Tigers' problems simply has to be rust. Zumaya walking people last night, Verlander being hit hard, their key bats going 0-for...more rest doesn't help Detroit with those things. And, if there were to be 2 rainouts in a row...Then Carpenter is up on normal rest in game 6 instead of game 7.

I guess that's what happens when you take > a week off sometimes.

James Webb is still running neck and neck with Senator George Allen (The Macaque guy) in Virginia. But it seems that Sen. Allen is going to be getting one heck of a big hand courtesy of some voting machines. Vote for James H. Jim!

QUOTE(Brian @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 06:47 PM) Why would the Cardinals want Thome to play LF for them? Preston Wilson.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 07:04 PM) I know this guy is supposedly great and all that, but I have no interest in spending a total of 80 or 90 millon between posting fee and general deal for a guy that has never thrown a pitch over here. What if he's Kaz Matsui part 2? Well, Iguchi is a Free Agent at the end of this year...so we do need another 2b

QUOTE(CrimsonWeltall @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 06:43 PM) The legal system is getting too expensive. We should probably get rid of trial by jury while we're at it. We will save at least ten dollars per juror per day they would have been in court. Think of all the money we could save! Bush is already working on that.

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 05:18 PM) Agree with Nuke. Trial, Appeal and a .50 cent 9mm bullet to the back of the head doesn't cost that much. But it also ends any chance of correcting a mistake, and as we've all seen, the American judicial system is very, very far from perfect, and does make more than a few mistakes, including in capital cases.

Boras to represent Japanese pitching star Matsuzaka

QUOTE(iWiN4PreP @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 03:02 PM) yes but the white sox with a-rod + bmac >>>>> crede + garcia Personally, I would add a caveat to that related to the $$.

Does anyone else think that the Yankees with Crede + Garcia >>>>> the Yankees with ARod?

Here's the question I have for folks here: how comfortable are we with a quasi-rookie leadoff hitter/LF next year? (Stick Milledge next to Anderson and suddenly we have a great defensive outfield, with potentially a ton of speed and good power in LF)

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 11:54 AM) And again, as I said, dinner is fine - its face time. Also, a hundred people all donating 2k is fine. I could care less about either one. If that was all it was, was $200,000 from 100 employees of Exxon Mobil (INDIVIDUALLY, it needs to come from them, not the company), then that's all fine and dandy. It won't be enough to influence them. And either way, its then a choice, not blackmail or such things. So in other words, you have no problem at all with the current system, because that is exactly how it works. There are some small details that are different, but you're telling me you have no problem with the general principle. I totally disagree.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 11:35 AM) I don't agree. If Lobbyists raise millions, fine. Where does it go? Because if it ends up with a politician in ANY way, then make it illegal, and the penalty is forfeiture of office. Real simple. And I don't think raising money is evil - just leave it as raising money from the PEOPLE individually. This is really not a hard thing to enforce. I think that is where many of the current laws are going wrong - people go around them. The answers to that are so simple: make the laws direct and to the point and absolute, make the penalties high, and put an enforcement mechanism in place that will actually be used. Those are the missing pieces. But you're missing the one key point...the people giving the money will always, always have an agenda of their own. Especially when you get to big donors, they are donating that money for a reason. If you simply ban the ability of one person to give it directly after raising it from others, then all that person has to do is be the one who hosts the dinner with the politician where all his rich friends show up, which is basically how most of these donations work today anyway. And even if somehow you found a way to ban politicians from having dinner with donors, then politicians will still know which industries are their heavy donors, what their heavy donors want, and so on. If I'm working for an oil company, and I give $2000 to a candidate, do you think that candidate and their workers are too blind to tell where their money is coming from? Any system where people are allowed to contribute directly to a candidate is going to give you the same problem. There is just no way around it. People aren't breaking the law right now, they're following it to the letter, and still industries and wealthy donors are able to arrange it so that their voices are heard a lot more than mine.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Oct 24, 2006 -> 11:17 AM) If it's properly imposed, the death penalty accomplishes all of those things. Its too bad our society doesn't have the guts to bury those who deserve it. It sure fails on the rehabilitate part.