Balta1701

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:46 PM) And which jobs are those? Took my fiancee over 2 years after we got out here to find a job. She applied for multiple fast-food jobs just so she could have something to build a resume & pay towards her college loans. Couldn't even get that. Finally found something decent last fall.

Lots of people standing around JPL with the occasional large outburst of clapping and cheers. Just heard a "That was easy" over their broadcast. Step 1 of orbital insertion...pressurization of the main fuel tanks has worked perfectly. Next step is a switch over to the low-gain antenna, which can broadcast to Earth while the spacecraft is turned & slowing itself down. 32 minutes until firing.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:47 PM) BA with an infield single! 4/19 in the spring. He's up to .210! That's Timo Territory already!

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:47 PM) Nope. Coop getting interviewed now Wow, and the Widge was catching today too...Jose stank last year when the Widge was catching. He keeps the walks at 0 and he'll win almost every game he pitches.

Jose walk anyone today?

QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:38 PM) The get paid s***, for the most part. These aren't people making CEO salaries. :headshake Their contributions to the economy far outweigh whatever benefits they get. So do you people b**** about aid the U.S. gives to foreign countries as much as this? 1. They're paid sh*t, but they are still paid enough such that they are able to send money back...and given the value of U.S. dollars in Central and Southern American countries...they're sending back significant amounts. All over out here banks advertise their willingness to send money abroad for free for 1 single reason. 2. They also do significant amounts of damage to the economy, by driving down wages for average working people and taking away jobs.

QUOTE(rudylaw @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:36 PM) I noticed again today that Pods is not in the line up. He has only 9 ABs this spring, lowest on the team except for Widger. He is 1 for 9 with 1 cs and has not played a lot. Is any one else concerned? He had a bit of a sore arm last week that kept him out of some of the early games, IIRC.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:34 PM) I bet those two are giving each other crap about it to. If it motivates whichever one doesn't make the team into playing better and becoming better trade bait...they can taunt each other all they like.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:22 PM) I was referring to various bans, including against handguns, or magazine clip sizes, or other things as well. Assault weapons bans included. But you are right, the federal assault weapons ban was a pretty weak attempt at it in any case. I understand...but you can also argue that since a genuine, large caliber, semi-automatic assault rifle may be a different beast from a handgun. A handgun might be useful in your home for example. Or a normal rifle can be used while hunting. An assault rifle though could be a completely different story. Cut access to those, and maybe they become so expensive that the criminals just go ahead and use a less deadly rifle or a handgun, or maybe there are less stray bullets, etc. But then again, who knows, since we've never really tried a real ban.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:15 PM) BA grounds out to short, 3-17 on the Spring now. Clearly there is only 1 thing we can do to help our offense...move BA to 2nd base.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:12 PM) What is it, something like two years past their life expectancy? You're right, they really have kicked ass. It's getting kinda funny at this point, though. I hear the probes on both of them are pretty much cashed, so, it'll be kinda fun to see what happens. Yes they're still going. It will be 2 years past Spirit's life expectancy next month. They'll probably still be going up towards the end of the year, maybe even afterwards. It's possible that some of MRO's instruments could be online while those are still running, and maybe could even be useful in guiding the rovers to whatever it sees. Hell, it might be able to see the rovers.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:10 PM) But placing the blame for this incident on the shoulders of this administration, Congress or the gun makers is just not supported by any logic. Statistics show, over and over again, that bans on certain types of guns do only one thing - take them out of the hands of those who are unlikely to use them illegally. Criminals won't heed the bans. They are useless, and in fact create more crime by creating a new black market enterprise. Well, I understand what you're saying there, that the statistics suggest there's no correlation between these bans and a decrease in the usage of those guns, but I would point out, as I said a moment ago, that the Assault weapons ban basically did absolutely nothing except give the NRA something to harp on. The ban targeted 19 specific weapons varieties, all of which were assault weapons. It did so in ridiculous ways, judging things like whether or not you could clip a bayonet onto the rifle, that sort of thing. So what did gun manufacturers do? They just redesigned the guns with slight changes to get around the ban, and marketed virtually the exact same thing. And, you could also get your hands on the exact gun made before the ban...they were just more expensive. I don't think there's been any genuine test in this country as to whether or not actually banning assault weapons would lead to an increase or a decrease in violent crime using assault weapons, because there's never been an assault weapons ban which was more than window dressing.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 12:07 PM) That's interesting, Reifert said Cora would be taking over as manager for today. Well, i got mine from the Trib. I assume someone will tell us who's right soon.

Oh, Joy.

Of course, in all fairness, it should be pointed out that the Assault Weapons ban didn't really ban assault weapons, it banned specific weapons which could be easily tweaked to do the exact same things and get in under the ban...it also didn't ban assault weapons produced before the ban was instituted, there's no guarantee when the assault rifle that killed the girl was made, etc.

Hmph, Tim Raines will be doing the managing today. Ozzie's in Venezuela opening the Sox's baseball academy.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:40 AM) Damn, Missed. Now which one of you am I talking about? OW!

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:39 AM) Does the baby know any words? Like strap or it or down? Well whatever it does...it better not strap it on.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:37 AM) holy s*** has this thread turned... I blame Dan Rather and the Swift Boat Vets

QUOTE(zach61 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:25 AM) You do have 1 point though. If the baby had a cub hat on, my hesitation would probably cost it its life and I would only have time then to save myself. But if the blastulas had cub hats on...you'd never know unless you took the time to examine each of them with a microscope...and then you'd really be in trouble!

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:26 AM) Sorry to interrput, but I can tell you he could get in big trouble. Fines, suspended liquor license... even criminal charges for the bartender personally, if they thought he knew he was underage and let him drink anyway. But if the ID's were good and his business had no idea that the kid was underage...what then? I understand if the business lets him in deliberately, but can they seriously punish a business for someone using a well-made fake ID that looks real & passes all the usual checks?

So...within a few short hours...the Red Planet is going to have a new dot floating in the sky above it. 1 hour and 59 minutes from the time I'm typing this line (1:24 p.m. PST), and probably shorter by the time I post it, the main engines on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will begin firing, slowing it down and allowing it to begin slipping into a low orbit around Mars. This is going to be an interesting mission, assuming everything goes well today. The MRO has the most advanced package of instruments yet sent to Mars. You're almost literally at the level of being able to create a "Google Mars" with the accuracy of this thing. Good luck MRO, and have a safe day. We're lookin forward to seein what you can do. (1 hour, 55 minutes until firing now)

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:18 AM) I hope that Rams one doesnt come true.... In some ways Bulger could possibly be an upgrade... he is a very underated QB. When Healthy.

QUOTE(Mplssoxfan @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:16 AM) However, as a manager of a bar and restaurant licensed by the state, I would love to see this kid serve a little prison time (or county jail time) in addition to the punishment I stated above. Some idiot with a computer and illegally obtained templates has the ability to mess with my livelihood? Stow him away for a while; if he doesn't offend again, restore his civil rights and expunge his record. Can you give me some more details about how that would mess with your livelihood? If someone at your bar got through using a fake ID, do you face sanctions? Otherwise, wouldn't he just be helping you get extra customers?

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 11:04 AM) Damn. In retrospect, I can see your point too. I think I'll just STFU and let you two go at it. Have fun! Take 20 paces...turn...