NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Jun 30, 2006 -> 12:06 AM) I've read a couple of pages in this thread and I must say, I don't think this has to do with pessimistic fans. I see SSI talking about how we fkd up by not taking all 3 and he's one of the most optimistic fans around here IMO. Fact is, you have to take 3 of 3 from the worst team in baseball. Especially when you consider yourself the best team in baseball, you're supposed to be the best team in baseball, and you're trying to win a division. These kinds of posts make me laugh. You HAVE to take 3 of 3? On the road? Do bad teams like PIT and KC go 0-162? OR even 40-122? No. They win 60 games or so, maybe more. Do good teams like the Sox or DET go 13-0 against KC? No, of course not - they might go 10-3. Bad teams beat good teams on occasion. We won two of three, and almost won the third, on the road, without our DH. What is the problem here? Times like this, we need to remember the axiom: every team wins a third of their games and loses a third. Its what you do with the other third that makes the difference. We have the 2nd best record in baseball, and its late June. I am soooooo not worried.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Jun 30, 2006 -> 08:24 AM) I'm glad you sad it and not me. I'm already labelled as godless and anti-religion 'round here, mostly for wincing at these instances where church/state separation lapses. But I agree with YAS's sentiment that people spend too much time protecting the surrogate symbol of American feedom and not the real thing. Well, I'm not the slightest bit anti-religion. The opposite, in fact - I expect the protection of all people to practice the religion of their choice. And for that to happen, we cannot force one set of religious faith (i.e. God) on the citizens of this country. I don't even have a problem with people saying it that way, if they'd like, on their own. But if I ever have kids, they better the heck not be forced to say it in school if they don't want to.

I am doing RAGBRAI in 2007, with a group. But can't do it this year. Have a blast!

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jun 30, 2006 -> 03:58 AM) I think I've hit on the perfect way to express my opinion on this matter: I pledge allegience to the constitution of the United States of America and to the republic over which it presides one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. If you remove the 2 words therein that Congress added in a fit of red paranoia in the 50's, then I am right there with you.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 04:49 PM) Do you consider him a "thug" now? Should sheriff Joe Arpaio have the right to pull him over and search him for drugs when he's driving through Arizona? OK, so, your signature gives me the willies every time I see it. Just disturbs me. What the **** is that picture from?

Everything will be OK when we take 2 of 3 from the Cubs, and the tiggers lose 2 of 3 to PIT this weekend.

I'm sooooooo not worried right now.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 01:50 PM) The President undermined the authority of his own administration by leaking classified information to a reporter and then published it on the front page of three of the most popular newspapers in the nation? That's news to me. Bush didn't do "the exact same thing." He spoke in GENERALIZATIONS. The Times (and the two others) printed DETAILS. I see no specifics in the articles of any material consequence, just like there were none in Bush's statements, and the proud proclamations all over US government websites. Just the one thing - we are watching your financial transactions. Therefore, same thing. I have nothing more to add here.

Busters- The snark level has increased beyond what is acceptable. This is a general warning that Rex, myself and other Mods are not going to let ad hominem attacks, insults and mocking/badgering to continue unchecked. Anything you post that insults, mocks or attacks another poster, you will be hearing from a Mod, and the thread will be closed. If it becomes a pattern, further action may be taken, including suspensions. So, with that out of the way... can we please just play a little nicer in here? Thanks, NSS72

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 12:22 PM) Points like that shouldn't need to be voiced but I guess they have to be around here. Since the President himself did the exact same thing, I guess he isn't aware either. Better write him a letter. While you are at it, tell him to stop desecrating American flags.

Can we take it down a notch, please? No need to be calling anyone a Dumbass, Nuke. That was uncalled for. Let's all think before we add that last sentence to our posts (we all do it - the last little stab). Then we can keep this thread open for further discussion.

Nice to see SCOTUS call the Administration on trying to have it both ways - they either are allowed protections under Geneva, or under our own laws. They can't simply invent a legal crack for them to fall into.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 11:16 AM) Yes, I know what SWIFT is. :rolly If you don't think that the press featuring classified anti-terrorism information on the front pages of their papers is going to make foreign governments think twice about working with us, you're living in a dream world. Again, that information was nothing materially different from what the President said. Therefore, the NYT/LAT/WSJ did no more harm than our own fearless leader did.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 10:42 AM) I strongly disagree. I can imagine a conversation like this happening in the future... [ring, ring] Pervez Musharaff: Hello? George W. Bush: Mr. Musharaff, this is George W. Bush. How's it going? PM: Not bad, George... considering that my country is infested with terrorists who have tried to kill me twice already. How about yourself? GWB: Good. Listen, I would like you to help us located suspected al Qaeda in Pakistan. PM: [pauses] I'd love to help you, George, but... GWB: What I have in mind is a collaboration where our CIA will help your govnerment track phone and e-mail records of suspected terrorists in your country. Your government will supply the information and our government will supply the equipment. PM: Well, um... GWB: The beauty of this is that it's perfectly legal in your country. So, what do you say? PM: I'd love to help you, George, but al Qaeda sympathy is so strong over here that I would likely be targeted for assassination again... GWB: Oh, don't worry about that. The program will be classified - nobody will know about it. PM: Oh, kind of like the "covert" SWIFT program that ended up on the f***ing front page of the New York Times? GWB: Excuse me? PM: Your press is so out of control that your government can't keep a secret anymore. People over here read the New York Times as well, you know. Islamic militants have tried to kill me twice already. Given that they riot over RUMORS of your people flushing pages of the Koran down the tiolet, I'd be surely targeted for death if this program were ever leaked. I'm sorry, George, but I can't help you. Give my best to Mrs. Bush. [hangs up] Very amusing. But entirely unlikely, unless Musharaff was just looking for any excuse to hang onto. The stretch being put on this by the GOP is ridiculous. And, again SWIFT isn't a program. Its an industry standards organization. Saying SWIFT is involved in tracking financial transactions is like saying pipelines are involved in moving oil. Its either obvious or pointless to bother pointing out.

QUOTE(Queen Prawn @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 10:08 AM) He used to carry the glucose tablets all the time, not sure why he switched over to hard candy. I know my mom has already placed a package in either his pocket or lunch bag that he carries with him. I am going on lunch to buy them a new meter - apparently their old one is not working well these days (my mom is diabetic, but takes pills for it). Thanks for your well wishes. He is okay now, but I think about him being so confused and alone and it freaks me out. I think now he will not think twice about calling someone when he gets the feeling again - apparently it has been happening quite often (never this bad) and didn't tell anyone. Another thing he could carry is Glutose. It's basically the same stuff as the tablets, but it is a gel, in a little tube. The advantage there is, even if he loses consciousness, you can apply the gel to the gums and it will work. We carried it in the kits all the time. Potential life saver. But again, not to lose sight of the story, its great to hear your Dad made it OK, and I hope he gets well soon.

Glad to hear that QP, that your Dad had someone watching out for him. Diabetes is scary stuff. Weird that there he was, in your dream, eating ice cream. Some things defy explanation. I am sure the Sgt would appreciate a card. I know I did.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jun 29, 2006 -> 07:38 AM) Either way, it's really good to know we've got 2 guys in AA in Tracey and Montero who could probably be in a lot of other major league bullpens right now. So when are you going to fix the Gload stats in your sig?

QUOTE(minors @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 11:08 PM) What I should have said is seeing people posting around here thinking Liberals can do nothing wrong and while all Republicans are a bunch of fools that is what pisses me off. I'm not sure if you've picked up on this yet... but the EXACT same thing happens in here the other way around, and just as often. Its partisan politics. Not pleasant, but a reality on both sides of the aisle.

Damn you, Steff. Damn you.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 04:49 PM) Rush busted? Maybe, like Tom Sawyer, he was trying to stay in the Limelight until 2112, of his own Freewill, he's a Working Man, not some Fly by Night, and needs to keep this Closer to the Heart. Maybe for The Big Money he'll become a New World Man and listen to the Distant Early Warning because that is the Spirit of the Radio. Nice. Welcome back, Tex!

QUOTE(minors @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 06:10 PM) Frist has done more in his life than most people will do in their lives like saving lives, so hearing liberals complaining about him really makes pissed. So now we can't criticize Frist because he is a Doctor? I like this. This is great. You know, years back, I volunteered as an EMT. I even helped save a life or two, possibly. I guess that means I can do anything I want now, and not be criticized for it. Excellent!

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 03:48 PM) What you saw was a leak of classified information and the undermining of our government's ability to operate in a clandestie-but-legal manner to foil terrorists. You may not have a problem with that, but I sure as hell do. Nothing was undermined. Nothing new of any relevence came to light. Therefore, I have no problem with it. If something in there really could undermine our work, I'd be upset too. But nothing in there does, so I'm not.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 03:24 PM) From the LA Times article... In other words, the leaked info lets terrorists know that their transactions have a much better chance of being tracked down by the U.S. government than they did back in the '90s because our government can more-easily access international banking records. It's a "heads-up" for them to make alternate plans to further disguise their actions. In the exact same sense as when Bush said it. No new material is here. The only way to "mask" their transactions is to not make them, which was the message before anyway. Again, I see no new actionable intelligence in the article.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 02:00 PM) And I suppose that this program was known to, say, the seven idiots who were recently arrested in Florida? For every savvy al Qaeda operative who is aware of this program, there is a low-level idiot who is just as dangerous. Bush can come out and say "we're tracking terrorist finances" (duh) without giving the details. Apparently the NYT cannot. Obviously, if the details were already known, the NYT wouldn't have had to publish it on the front page and go through the trouble of obtaining classified information. Please point out where in the NYT, LAT or WSJ articles that they gave any sort of useful details at all in so far as our tracking of transactions. What piece of information is contained in there that gives away anything that wasn't given away by Bush himself? The only piece of specific information I see there is a reference to SWIFT. SWIFT is just an information standard - USED BY INSTITUTIONS. To an account holder, terrorist or not, this information is irrelevant. There is no difference to them functionally, between saying "we're tracking your money" and "we're tracking your transactions via protocols like SWIFT", because the account holder has no f***ing clue how information is moved around. And further, they have no control over it. So again, what information was conveyed in those articles which is actionable for a terrorist? Name one thing they would or could change now that they wouldn't have before.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 28, 2006 -> 01:18 PM) Someone needs to pin this. I just put in 50. How the heck are people putting in 50 votes at a time like that??? And doesn't it limit you to some number per day per email address or something?