NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Mar 11, 2008 -> 11:51 AM) these kids are completely brainwashed lemmings. 'yesssss professor doucebag, GW Bush is Hitler. Of COURSE!!!! Must. citizen.arrest.him.' Well, who is more brainwashed? Those kids, or the people who actually are convinced by Rove's marketing agenda via Bush? Not that I disagree about the kids being crazy. Clearly they are.

Neither Fields nor Crede are locks for anything. Fields is a rookie, basically, and he has some holes in his hitting to adjust. Crede is coming off surgery and has a really inconsistent offensive track record - which Crede is the real one? Late 05 into 06, or 04 into 05? So what is actually known? --IF healthy, Crede is the better defender. --Fields is now and will be for some time, a lot cheaper --Crede has an agent who will 99.99999% take his client to free agency after 2008 Those are the knowns. So considering all the unknowns, the knowns seem to favor Fields. I'll take Fields. BUT, if Crede truly cannot net even a Jonathon Sanchez type guy in trade, I can see why they might not want to just give him away. Fields will not suffer irreperable harm by going to Charlotte to work on a few things. And it gives Crede a chance to get back used to major league pitching, so that he can be traded near the deadline. If KW can get something good for Crede in ST, do it. If not, play him out, and trade him at the deadline. That's my take anyway.

I just realized I went over 10,000 posts. And I'm just not sure whether or not to be proud of that.

QUOTE(StrangeSox @ Mar 11, 2008 -> 10:18 AM) Go nuclear and you're only left with a small amount of radioactive waste which can be reprocessed and stored. Go solar/wind/geo/hydro/hydrogen and you have no waste whatsoever, not to mention much lower risks to public health and a lot less expense to run.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Mar 11, 2008 -> 09:46 AM) Electric cars move the point of pollution from the cars to the electric plant. I know no one was touting the environmental impact but wanted to toss it out there. Those plants are many times over more efficient at producing energy than gas-engine cars though, so its still a significant net drop in energy. Plus, you are assuming these will all be pure plug-in powered electrics. They will also, I'd guess, employ regenerative braking and other internal electrical regeneration methods, which are basically "free".

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Mar 11, 2008 -> 09:32 AM) I guess what I'm curious about is why we would allow something that is required for our society to function be subject to enormous price shocks that are not related to supply? Isn't this as foolish as what California let Enron do to it five or six years ago in regards to electricity? If it doesn't have a product flow like a commodity, why would you trade it like one? Well, the price shocks are somewhat related to supply. Just other things as well. There are pluses and minuses to trading it this way. And removing it from trading may actually hurt prices in many ways, not to mention reduce market transparency, and further encourage B.S. from the oil companies.

Looks like some of the speculation of Hall being replaced by Lucy/Armstrong can probably take a rest. Hall started the B game, went 1-for-2, and made a strong throw to 2nd on a basestealer. Looks like he might be healthy after all.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Mar 11, 2008 -> 09:27 AM) So would changing the currency of trade of oil to the Euro stop the rapid increase in oil cost? I'd suggest the dollar is only one factor in the meteoric rise in prices. All the other things SS2K5 and I brought up - weak equities markets, speculation and fear, non-commodity-like product flow, and the fact that its not a renewable resource - all play in.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 11, 2008 -> 09:26 AM) The dollar slide and the flight from stocks to commodities are the two biggest legitimate fundimentals behind the rise of crude. I would also argue the high prices are the only way to change behavior to move away from fossil fuels. That's right, I forgot about the dollar aspect as well. Very true. And I agree on the change of behavior - I've said it before as well. Its going to be the only way this country will change.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Mar 11, 2008 -> 08:57 AM) So there doesn't seem to be any legitimate reason why oil is this high. Inventories are at a relatively historical high and there's no real distribution shortage. This is pure speculation. Was it a mistake to allow the free trade of oil as a commodity given its absolute need in society? No, I think it works quite well to be traded as a commodity. Speculation does indeed sometimes throw it too high or low for the fundamentals at play, but, keep some things in mind. For one thing, fundamentals never tell the whole story. Those speculative items, like news of OPEC's intentions, are important. Also, there are times where that same speculation underprices commodities. But here is the real issue - the commodity in this case (oil) doesn't market like other commodities. Its not available via a large number of entities. The prices therefore cannot flow naturally. The competitive pressure that should bring the price down doesn't exist, because of the cartel of oil nations, as well as the cartel of oil companies. Its a commodity, traded as such, but marketed like a oligopolized product. That's why you are getting this out of control rise in prices, most primarily.

$109.20

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 07:54 PM) I saw CBS nightly news tonight. Their coverage of this story was hilarious. First they give a glorifying montage of how great Sptizer is. Then show a shadowy camera angle and creepy music.... the GOP is out to get Spitzer. Then kind of mention that maybe he is busted in a prostitution right. But of course, this is right down the middle reporting! right northside? I'm sure it is too you. just like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are totally unbiased, or so says the right wing voter. There is no shame in calling out the media for what they are, but my duty as a informed citizen. I didn't see this, but, I'd love to see the video. Seriously, are you saying that they made it out to be Spitzer is innocent and the GOP set him up?

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 04:39 PM) How long until someone tries to blame this on Rove and 'illegal Bush wiretaps'? I don't know, but it took only 2 posts for someone to claim he was going to get special treatment because of his party.

Just to throw a log on this fire... Crede is hitting .095 this spring. Its probably the long absence from seeing live pitching, more than anything else. But its not helping his trade value probably.

QUOTE(G&T @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 04:36 PM) She probably knew it was going on and isn't THAT shocked. My wife knows??? Oh crap!!!!! just for the record... JOKING.

QUOTE(jasonxctf @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 03:09 PM) powerful men like to feel powerful. What's the power in paying for sex? Anyone can do that.

QUOTE(Mplssoxfan @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 02:59 PM) Like he's not having a bad enough day, the NYTimes has to pile on. If I was stupid enough to do something like that, my wife would not go out there on stage with me to discuss it. She'd be busy packing up and leaving.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 02:38 PM) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080310/ap_on_el_pr/obama_ticket Obama basically saying "hell no" to the idea of being VP to a ticket with Clinton as president. Apparently, unlike Clinton, Obama realizes he still is the leader and favorite overall in the race for the democratic nominee. Clinton realizes it too. That's why she keeps bringing this up - trying to look maternal and in control.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 02:36 PM) There's a bump, but Clinton has been campaigning in MS. However, she's gotten nasty and that won't fly well everywhere. But yesterday and today she's been in PA.

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 02:34 PM) Funny because when Crede was at the point Josh is in his career, Joe's defense was WORSE than Josh's. I strongly disagree. I am all for the Fields era to begin, but, Fields has yet to reach even Crede's rookie defensive level. Josh may eventually be a pretty good defender over there - at least adequate anyway. But he isn't now, nor will he ever be (probably), as good as Crede defensively

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 9, 2008 -> 05:52 PM) Rasmussen issues a Mississippi poll... 3/5, 816 LV Obama: 53% Clinton: 39% So the three polls out show Obama's lead as +14, +24 and +6. Kind of a wide range. Update. Insider Advantage, the poll that was +6, did a new poll on the 9th. They now have Obama +17. Either I.A. is really lousy, or Obama's getting a bump - maybe because Clinton has seemingly conceded the state, and is campaigning in PA.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 02:25 PM) Spitzer is totally f***ed. At least he won't have to pay for it this time. . .

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 02:18 PM) Well, we'll see what media attention this gets. It will be big news because it's SEX and it's high profile, but it would be "an embarassment of epic proportions" if it was Spitzer (REP). But I don't have to say that. Puhleeze. More of the GOP victim mentality. He's the governor of NY, a former AG, and a guy who was looked at as a rising star. Its going to get HUGE attention regardless of his party affiliation.

QUOTE(SoxWS05 @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 02:02 PM) Ohh give me a F---ing break. Frank Thomas? He was with the team for over 15 years, bad example. The others are 5 players you picked from the last 20 years, every organization in sports can pick 5 players over the last 20 years that have traded their own. How about more recent players like Buehrle and Konerko, they took somewhat of a discount to stay with the organization. I think if you made a reasonable offer to Crede for like 4 years- 28 million he would take it. This would be the best thing they could do. He plays better then good defense, it GG caliber D and watching Fields boot balls last season should make everyone apprecitate how important Joe is at 3B. No one is saying Fields plays better defense at third. They are saying you have to take the whole picture into account - you seem to be ignoring his contract, his agent, his back problems, and his inconsistent offense.

QUOTE(SoxWS05 @ Mar 10, 2008 -> 01:14 PM) How is Fields a better fit then Crede? Let's see...Crede plays near GG defense, while Fields looks lost out there and Crede won the silver slugger award in '06 while Fields is yet to play a full season. By my calculations Crede is better offensively and defensively. Seams like the better fit would be the better player. I say start the season with Crede, if he's healthy offer a multi-year deal and trade Fields. Crede is going to free agency. That's been made abundantly clear. Add that to his back problems, and the fact that he's unlikely to be as good as Fields offensively, and it seems the best decision is to stick with Fields and trade Crede. Crede is done after 2008 no matter what - its just a question of if you can get something for him or not, and how much you stunt the growth of your future.