NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 04:21 PM) I expect to see BA put up similar numbers to what he did in the 2nd half of 2006, with a bit more power, and hopefully a cut down on the K's a little. The main issue I have with Rowand is the amount of times he K's at the plate, and yeah I know people will argue he's a clutch hitter and everything, but to me he's never been the same since that 2004 (think it was that or 05) season he had. If BA can put up his 2nd half numbers plus some power and cut the K's, I'd be pleasantly surprised.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 04:10 PM) Atlas Shrugged was good, but I never could finish it. I got about 2/3 of the way through it and then stopped for a while. When I picked it back up a month or two later - I couldn't pick it back up without starting the whole thing over. And at a thousand pages, I wasn't having any of that. I had the same problem with Foucault's Pendulum. Umberto Eco is one weird dude.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 04:17 PM) i like Mayor Daley. he's not perfect, but i like a lot of things he's done for the city. my main complaint with with him are high sales and property taxes. I'm pretty much with you there. Its the tradeoff - higher taxes (which go partly to graft), but a city that runs far better than most. At the local level, most people are fine with that, even when they know beyond a doubt that pockets are being lined. The graft isn't a good thing, but if its the current situation versus one where we have an honest mayor who can't get a damn thing done... I'll take Daley.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 04:14 PM) Is it just me or do other people think Brian Anderson could out-produce Aaron Rowand with the bat next season? Many seem to. I'm not convinced.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 04:09 PM) it's a big city, there is going to be corruption that the Mayor does not have knowledge of. I'm wondering if you have the same reaction to Richie...

Bayh getting entrenched as a centrist. I'm still rooting for this guy or Richardson, from the Dem side. I want to take a good look at Bloomberg too, though.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 03:33 PM) best joke response of the day nomination What the heck is that a statue of? It looks like an alien coal miner.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 03:16 PM) Bloomberg would wipe the floor with Rudy. Interesting. I know very little about the man. I'll have to do some homework.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 02:24 PM) Yes. If not more. It took Crede some time to develop into the defensive monster we have now, Anderson already is that. Anderson's numbers in the minors are quite comparable to Crede's in his first stops at each level, and I would say BA is a better athlete in general. I agree Anderson is a better athlete. I am just not convinced he can mit major league pitching. I am more than happy to be proven wrong.

QUOTE(GreatScott82 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 02:15 PM) KW is known for re-aqcuirering his grinder-type players. How many times did he get Everett? Like 3? lol I am one of Rowand's biggest fans and would love for him to be back on the southside. Think about it, it would most likely be for 1 season. You give BA a season down in triple-a to develope into a better hitter and he can easily replace him in 2008. The cost for Rowand shouldn't be too high. A) he is coming off an injury. and B. he is on his last year of his deal. What do you guys think it would cost to get him? Anderson has now played a full season of MLB baseball. Its unlikely any team would send him back to AAA at this point, unless he goes into June with a .150 average again. QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 02:19 PM) The exact same things that are being now said about Anderson were said about Crede as recently as August 2005. Now half the board would rather have Crede than the best player in baseball, ARod. But does Anderson really have the skills that Crede did, even when he struggled?

Recently finished: Under the Banner of Heaven (Krakauer) - took me a while. Fascinating read, though. On the shelf and up next: Fiasco Atlas Shrugged Xenophobe Books I am eyeing for purchase soon: Blood and Thunder State of Denial

Rowand = Anderson (more or less) That's my feeling. If you trade Anderson and get Rowand back, you gain a little on hitting and add a little speed, plus he's a fan fave and a great guy for motivating those around him. But, you lose a bit on defense in some facets (Anderson is somewhat better than Rowand in some areas, equivalent in others), and Anderson comes cheaper for many moons to come. Plus Rowand is more injury-prone, due to his crash mentality. I'd be happy personally, as long as we don't overvalue Rowand. But equally, I don't want to see us keep Anderson in CF because we overvalue him either. I just don't believe Anderson will ever be any better of a hitter than Rowand is now.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 12:15 PM) Tom Daschle will not run. Evan Bayh will form an exploratory committee to start raising funds, and will announce his final decision (=yes) in January. Michael Bloomberg is also seriously considering a run as an independent. John Kerry has significantly delayed making a decision about running in 2008, in no small part because of the fallout from his botched joke. I wasn't expecting Bloomberg.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 11:02 AM) I disagree. I see gun registries in the same light as I see intercepting phone calls. Registering your guns doesn't necesarily stop you from owning a gun, just as having your phone tapped, doesn't stop you from having free speech. Personally I think both are end-arounds designed to chip away at the true intent of the respective amendments. Well said - that sums up my view as well.

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:54 AM) It's too bad. He seemed to be doing a good job as ambassador. He wasn't pissing anyone off and he was trying to hold the UN accountable for what it produces; namely, if you sanction someone, you follow up with it. I'll happily admit that he was doing much better than I thought he would.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/04/bol...n.ap/index.html

So, like a last-minute TV ad... here, each candidate can (if they so choose) make ONE post, up to 500 words in length, to make a last stand before tomorrow's voting. This is optional of course. Post away...

The debates have now closed. I'll start the actual election thread tomorrow morning, and it will run through Thursday (I'll probably actually shut it down first thing Friday morning). The original setup for this allowed for one last "statement" from each candidate, so I'll open that thread now. This is your chance to get your last lick in, if you want to. Limit to 500 words again, please. There are TWO RULES on the voting that everyone should be aware of. One was specifically stated when we started this, the other is common sense... 1. You may not vote for yourself. Honestly, we have no way to police that - so its the honor system (among politicians - HA!). If people think that is a dumb rule, then we'll do away with it next year (we do an annual cycle here on Soxtalk). I just figured, with such a small number of voters in Buster, it would go better this way. 2. For those of you who may be considering creating other ID's on the site to vote more than once, please do not do that. Its against the site rules anyway, I believe. Just a reminder (*cough*... Friends of PA... *cough*). Good luck everyone! Enjoy this last day of discussion!

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QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 07:12 PM) I'd be in favor of such a registry...and I fully agree that you should need a warrant to get access to it. This includes the President, btw. Actually, if I win the office and this bill comes before me, I was planning on putting an exemption before my signature stating that I could follow or not follow the law as I see fit, and that I could see the list any time I damn well pleased.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 04:32 PM) This isn't a list of who owns guns. This is a list of who purchases guns. There is a difference there. Why is it ok for the government to track a credit card's purchases but not ok for the government to track a list of gun purchases? We already do the former, but not the latter. Again, a national gun registry can be created in a way that would not violate the spirit of the second amendment. It could be inaccessible without a warrant, for example. Rex, come on now. It's not a list of who owns guns, just who purchases them? That's ridiculous. If its purchases, then anyone who legally owns them and bought them from a dealer of any sort would be the owner of record. Its effectively a list of who owns guns. A credit card does not represent a check against the government. Gun ownership does. So, in my opinion, there is a big difference between the two. If a registry is created against my beliefs, then I would certainly want to make sure it was warrant-only access.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 04:09 PM) The Second Amendment: How does a registry prohibit people to keep and bear Arms? It doesn't. It renders the amendment impotent in a different way. The government should not be allowed to maintain a list of who owns what guns. Having read some of the federalist papers, and various texts from the framers, its pretty clear what the purpose of the amendment is. And a registry intrudes on the freedoms that were intended to be protected.