Balta1701

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 12:15 PM) But to believe that control of the Panama Canal could in some way cripple our economy of cause some military problem, is not accurate as I know it to be. Can modern destroyers/cruisers even get through there?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 12:09 PM) Like most, if not all, advances in technology, it will be profits that dictate how fast. If consumers decide that the risk of losing 911 calls makes VOiP unattractive, it will be solved quickly, if they don't care, it will take longer. BTW, the true leaders in innovation in technology are the porn industry. From VCRs to E-Commerce, they drove some technology and air freighted most of it How many consumers of VOIP realize that they have a 911 related problem before its too late? I bet you this guy didn't have a clue until his house was on fire. Saying that the consumers will dictate whether or not this changes presumes that the consumer is informed, which may require legislation or lawsuits before that happens.

Well, I'll agree with him that the firing of Mr. Donahue was probably somewhat politically motivated and a bit unfair...Methinks O'Reilly is probably just unhappy about being labeled the "Worst person in the world" so often. I wonder if this will earn Mr. O'Reilly another of those awards... Link to O'Reilly's petition.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:52 AM) I thought there was something in the works to widen the canal to be able to handle the modern supertankers and then some... Maybe I was reading speculation? Can anyone else help me out here??? I believe that Discovery did run a program covering whether or not it's possible, but they also covered Dave Stevenson's idea of using a nuclear bomb and a big blob of iron to send a probe down to Earth's core, so them covering it doesn't mean it's going to happen. A few years ago they did complete a project to Widen and straighten the Gaillard cut, the narrowest point on the Canal.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:51 AM) Or even better, maybe Oden next year. That would be acceptable as well.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:12 AM) Eddy Curry. B/c of him, we had to trade Antiono Davis in order to trade Curry, and we hasd to get Tim Thomas in return who hasn't done squat for us. But we're going to get 2 nice top-5 draft picks, and hopefully 1 of them will turn into Aldridge.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:35 AM) And getting back to the Panama canal, how does it effect is at all anymore? Interesting story...Back when the U.S. was first considering constructing the Canal...there was a deal struck with Nicaragua for a canal through that country, which would have gone through lakes, been much easier to build than the Panamanian route, and which I believe would have been wide enough to process even the Nimitz carriers. But, it was basically sabotaged by Teddy Roosevelt. (Voice of America News)

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:35 AM) Based on my observations of 20 years in manufacturing, and setting up sourcing operations overseas, that is my opinion. I will agree, I am not 100% correct, neither am I 100% wrong. Some larger, bulkier stuff will go sea. But look at any shippping trends over the last 20-25 years and see the increases for air cargo. We are making things smaller and lighter, which ships easier by air. From a financial standpoint, do you want you invoice to start on March 1 via air or April 3 based on sea? Rarely have I seen billing terms that start FOB shipping point. It is almost always the clock starting once the customer has possession of the goods. Another example, shipping the record player by parents owned by air would have been inconceivable. Shipping my son's iPod makes sense. And getting back to the Panama canal, how does it effect is at all anymore? Well, the other side of that token is that all evidence shows that the amount of goods coming in through ports in the last decade or so has absolutely skyrocketed. Every single major container-based port in the U.S. set a record for the amount of cargo it processed in 2005, according to the LAT. Air cargo may increase, and it may increase at a faster rate than shipping is growing, but that won't happen forever, espeically as fuel prices continue to increase. Many companies that manufacture things are happily willing to accept the difference between a 1 day delivery and a 2-3 week delivery if the price difference is large enough, and based on the size of those containers, the price difference certainly is.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:35 AM) Western music is wrong. But it feels so right.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:32 AM) You're absolutely wrong on this. Love Rex Kickass, the travel agent. Actually, I believe he's almost 100% right on that. Rex, you're wrong. How dare you ever show your face here again. Go listen to your western music.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:26 AM) I wouldn't be opposed to a civil union type of arrangement to where a gay couple would be eligible for equal benefits and/or penalties under the law. Interestingly, it is starting to seem that some Republicans are actually starting to take up that position. In Colorado, a Republican in the State's Senate introduced a bill which would allow just that, which seems to have gained the support of Focus on the Family's James Dobson (those on the left will probably have heard him bashed at whatever websites they read).

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:26 AM) You're absolutely wrong on this. Absolutely 100% wrong.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:22 AM) So the Dems would be OK with removing virtually all federal funding from education, putting that entirely on the states? Having seen what happens when the Feds step in, I'm not sure that would be a terrible idea, if there was some way we could guarantee that the funding levels wouldn't be cut in, oh, let's say Alabama, which would hurt the U.S. as a whole by creating a less educated workforce in a decent chunk of the country. The nice thing about having more state participation in education is that it would provide more opportunity for innovation to develop...for states to find things that are actually working better and saving themselves money, as opposed to having the Feds say "you must do things this way."

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:12 AM) I don't think that Democrats are far off from you when it comes to states rights issues. Not when a Republican is in power. Or at least a big-government Republican.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 11:04 AM) I'm curious as to when China actually got the contract on the LA port. I'm still looking for when they first started, but it appears that they were trying to buy territory at the port as early as '98. WND, of all places.

Well, I guess this is one way to make a point.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:58 AM) Free trade my ass. They need to turn in their GOP cards and STFU. Man, I'm sad I wasn't here on the day Bush decided to support those steel tarriffs.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:53 AM) This is just some crap the media and Dems are grabbing onto to make the adminstration look bad. (Random MSNBC piece) Honestly, if those are Dems, I really don't want them.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:52 AM) Honestly, I think they ought to get booted out of control. I think the Federal government's role is to keep its borders secure - which would mean Port Administration in my book. I for one am becoming more convinced that they're probably right that I shouldn't care who runs them as long as the U.S. still has control over hiring and firing of security personnel...but the real thing we should care about is whether or not the containers themselves are being properly inspected, and by almost all accounts they're not.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:48 AM) From what I got yesterday while reading, China pretty much runs the port of LA. (Source, the "China Post").

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:43 AM) lets add a wrinkle to this thread. What would your legacy be? Best hitter ever, best pitcher ever, most k's, etc. Im still surprised nobody picked golf. Baseball...don't care about exactly which position, but would like to be pretty good at defense. Legacy? I'd love to hit .400.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:39 AM) Elaborate, please. There are people who think that high numbers of abortions are a bad thing and that we should work as hard as possible to lower that number without making the procedure illegal, and there are people who don't a priori accept that having an abortion is a bad thing.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:33 AM) If you guys peruse this thread, I've been pretty damn quiet on this issue as I wasn't sure where I stood. I did make an initial post stating that this didn't make any sense to me. But, as time has passed and I've weighed the pros and cons, I'm leaning toward thinking that based on the trends of the recent past with the selling of our infrastructure, the fact that most of our ports are managed by foriegn companies, etc ... I'm beginning to think that is much ado about nothing ... speaking in relative terms. I think you're almost certainly right that this is going to wind up being much ado about nothing, I just can't figure out why the Administration seemed so unwilling to at least sit down with Congress and explain their reasoning & why they were so staunchly supportive of it.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 24, 2006 -> 10:30 AM) Fortunately, that ended quickly. Hopefully someone will drop the hammer on this too, and get these VOIP providers to be held to the same standard for emergency services that the land line companies have to follow. I doubt it will take that long. If this story is more than just an isolated case...it's only a matter of time before someone dies while on hold with one of these companies and the lawsuits start. Heck, I bet it won't be long before this guy sues.

Ok...time to start taking bets on how long this thread stays open...