NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 09:01 AM) pgammo Peter Gammons @ @BNightengale indians don't think he'll even get to them That's very interesting. They think an AL team with a .500 or worse record is going to claim him?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 08:32 AM) No need for sarcasm, just agreement with this. Even removing AGW and the huge impacts there from the equation, our energy security is pretty weak. Which is why I am also OK with more drilling, and some nuclear, though I am a little hesitant about the oil shale thing because of the much higher environmental impact of that.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 08:23 AM) That's just it. I was reading a while back that Exxon literally can't figure out what to do with its cash. http://seekingalpha.com/article/276484-exx...to-shareholders If they really thought this was going to be profitable, they would be pushing money this way so that they could control the transition. Exxon does spend a lot of money on it, by the way. They don't know what to do with the REST of the cash. Companies like Exxon will invest just enough into these alt energy fields to make sure they are set up to slide over when necessary. But they do not want to spend any more than that, because that may hasten the arrival of those new technologies, and cut into their profits. It would be business-stupid to over-invest in that, for them, right now. But the US is not an oil company (waits for sarcastic response from Balta or StrangeSox), and energy policy is an inherently important national security and economic issue. We are doing very little as a government to help protect ourselves, and it scares the crap out of me.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 08:09 AM) And yet companies, especially the energy companies who can't find places to invest their money, aren't moving their cash into this area. Oil-based companies are making huge profits on oil and gas right now, of course they aren't moving more into alt energy (though they are moving some, BTW - they realize what the long term future holds). They are just doing what is smart for them, even if it isn't in the best interests of the country. And the smaller startups are struggling for cash, as they always do. There is VC money out there going into it, but those VC funds have been running dry for nearly everything, not just alt energy.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 08:10 AM) If we are going to talk about histories of nation building, I don't think Europe exactly has a stellar track record looking at things like the Middle East and Africa, not to mention the EU about to collapse under its own weight. Europe's track record is from way, way back. And if we want to go that far back, the US did a reasonably decent job making sure Japan got back on its feet, and Europe did the same for West Germany after some tough years. But recently, the US has failed miserably, and Europe hasn't really given it a shot. They can't do much worse. You do make a good point though, that financially, this is not a good time for them to be jumping into such a thing.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 05:15 AM) Saladino and Jon Gilmore are both having one hell of a hot streak. And Kevan Smith keeps his going too, now in his last 5 games: 12-for-19, 5 2B, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 08:07 AM) I expected all of the answers about Afghanistan and Iraq, but if you stop and think about it could you build a government from the ground up? Even having some help is better than none at all. Again, I agree that seems logical. But quite frankly, I think the US is no good at it. Let Europe take a crack at it this time.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 08:02 AM) With energy costs up as high as they are, these jobs should be booming. If they are going to be accepted and invested in, it is going to be when gas is $3.50 to $4 a gallon. That is when people are going to see profit in this stuff. That is when profits would be higher - but demand is lower. We are in a circumstance where, just as these industries were starting to see decent growth in purchasing equipment, the recession hit. Not just any recession, but the worst since the Great Depression. So even though the products are generating even greater returns, consumers and governments don't have the cash to outlay. Which is one of the reasons why I argued that, in this particular type of recession with high energy costs, now is the perfect time to invest in this stuff.... but, we wasted the "stimulus" bill on short term garbage instead. If we had done more investing in this field, then when the recovery eventually begins (whenever that is), you will have cheaper products ready for consumers just as they start being able to spend (and as energy prices go up even further, which they likely will as a global recovery takes foot). We have really lost some opportunities with this, we f***ed it up.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 23, 2011 -> 07:35 AM) Honestly it will really help to have some sort of a military presence there at that point because then we can help install some stability and transition. That has been the logical mindset for some time, but then, that didn't work well in Afghanistan, and didn't really work at all in Iraq. Putting aside that we can't un-do the decision to have prompted this in Libya, now that we are here, maybe it works best to give the locals a try at it instead of us. Our track record on nation-building recently is ugly to say the least. Worst case in Libya is that it becomes a haven for terrorists and human rights conditions are bad, but then, that is exactly what it already was. What may happen though, is a military presence IS there, but not a US one.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 07:54 PM) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/19/us/19bcg...amp;ref=economy so much for the 'Green Jobs' hype. Articles like that crack me up. There are all sorts of good points they can make, and do - like the fact that government promise X number of jobs, but it doesn't happen... or the fact that the actual manufacturing is not just going overseas later, but right away, because we got behind the curve on this... the fact that the tax incentives and programs meant to spur growth in this area weren't well thought-out. Those are all major reasons why there aren't more green, jobs, and the author does look at some of them. But then, apparently because they don't feel their arguments are strong enough, they add in a bunch of obviously ridiculous stuff. My favorite was " clean-technology jobs accounted for just 2 percent of employment nationwide", which is apparently meant to make me think it is a small number. But of course, 2% of all US job, in a field that was virtually non-existant 15 years ago, is a HUGE number, and makes me feel better than I did about it. Then there is the creative use of grammar to hide truths, like " Two years after it was awarded $186 million in federal stimulus money to weatherize drafty homes, California has spent only a little over half that sum and has so far created the equivalent of just 538 full-time jobs in the last quarter" (LOL, see what they did there?). And of course, they full-on ignore the biggest reason, by far, that these programs haven't taken off as much as we'd want - just as energy costs started to balloon, the economy went in the s***ter. Well duh. I see this a lot lately, and its not a left or right thing, because I see it from both sides. People who write these articles have apparently given up on making rock solid arguments or points that would withstand some scrutiny - they have decided that their readers are so dumb, they can mix in fact with fiction and exaggeration and get away with it. I feel insulted.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 04:18 PM) Just wait for the AL to make its first adjustment to him. See Gordon Beckham (late 2009/early 2010). Then we'll see how he does combatting their book against him. That's why his batter's eye is so key to this discussion - it makes him much more likely to handle those adjustments well.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 04:04 PM) I don't need to have brand new. If I can find something with 10K miles or less for a few thousand less than a new car, I'll be happy. We are looking now with the hopes that we can get lucky and stretch another 12 months out of our current car. By then the 2013 models will be starting to come out and the 2012 models will be older. Just be aware, recent model used cars are relatively very expensive right now. There is a supply shortage, due to various economic situations that occurred 2-3 years ago, causing a lack of these vehicles. You may pay a lot more than you want to.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 03:28 PM) Small sample guys, let's not get TOO excited yet. Except he was showing himself to likely be this good, throughout his minor league career, until he took a wrong turn about 1.5 seasons ago. And he even admitted, he went and tried to change a bunch if things, unsuccessfully. So this isn't a guy who was mediocre forever and then suddenly looked good - this is a guy who a lot people thought would be good, then went off course, and seems to have found himself again.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 03:23 PM) More from Huntsman along the same lines: I liked Richardson in 2008 because, despite his personal foibles, he was business-minded, and he was reasonable. He was interested in fiscal discipline in a way most Dems weren't, and he had a record of being able to get two-party support for a ton of initiatives. Plus he had foreign policy experience. Huntsman, it is the same sort of story. He's the only guy I see in the current GOP field who seems to be reasonable (this aspect is even more dramatic in the 2011 GOP, where extremism is in vogue), he's got foreign policy experience, and his fiscal mindset while conservative, is not living outside of reality.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 03:14 PM) He could also rotate in at DH, and yes I am going to say it, 1B if he got some reps over there. That's an idea - Backup C, rotate at DH assuming Dunn still struggles against lefties, maybe cover 1B occasionally. Ozzie tends to not want to do that though, have his backup C play elsewhere in regular season play, in case AJ gets hurt. But really, that is such a rare occurance, I personally wouldn't care about maybe losing the DH for part of one game in a season.

Used cars right now are getting better dollars in relative return then they have in decades - so I wouldn't definitely buy new, which it sounds like you plan to. Look up reliability numbers, and resale value numbers, both good indicators of cars that age well.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 03:12 PM) Serious question here...what is the relationship between the Social Security Disability Trust fund and the regular program, especially in terms of the benefit cap? If you raise the tax eiligibility, does some fraction get earmarked for the disability fund? How is the funding for each determined? Until this moment I didn't know that there was a separate trust fund for the disability portion of the program. I haven't googled yet, but I seem to have a strong recollection that the Soc Sec taxes paid by employees and employers is set for both disability and retirement funds. I've said before I wanted the programs fully seperate, and I seem to recall researching that at one point. If this is not the case, then where else would the money come from? General funds?

This presents an interesting question for next year. Assuming the Sox don't trade AJ, what do you do with Flowers? The gut reaction might be to have him be the backup C, but I'd think for a guy at his stage of development, you'd want him to get regular at bats. So I pose this to the board - assuming AJ isn't traded, do you have Flowers at backup C, or have him playing every day in AAA to get swings in and work on his D?

QUOTE (danman31 @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 12:46 PM) Going from Bristol to Great Falls shouldn't take an adjustment period. He probably was just pissed he had to go to Montana. Pro ball is a big lifestyle adjustment for these kids out of college. The time demand is greater and they're playing almost everyday and for a longer period of time. He could have just hit a wall and needed a break. Yeah, when I said adjustment period, that doesn't necessarily mean just adjusting to the pitching talent he is facing. It is similar to going off to college - yeah the classes may or may not be tougher, but there is as you say, a lifestyle adjustment. He had to move across country and re-settle in a new setting. He also, as you said, could have just happened to hit a bad streak at that time. Hard to tell.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 01:42 PM) Except that isn't all of the cuts... It is about half. So that's part of the picture, but certainly not all of it.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 02:46 PM) Eliminate the cap. I've said before, that is one of only a few pure tax increases I'd be OK with. The others being lifting the Bush cuts on the top bracket or two, and getting people who make their money via the markets to pay income taxes instead of cap gains on their actual income (this is technically already the case, but their are gaping loopholes).

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 09:46 AM) Plus they completely changed the ending from the book. He's supposed to strikeout at the very end. Yeah, that's they type of moment where it probably works well in the book, but just wouldn't work in a movie.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 09:07 AM) Kev Smith reborn at Great Falls. Last 4 games: 10-for-15, 3 2B, 5 RBI, 2 BB / 2 K, SB May have just been a brief adjustment period for him when he first arrived, which is normal.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 09:32 AM) I'm not sure i'd agree that life begins at conception, but I also think allowing abortion up through 28 weeks is wrong. As of now I'd say that it's acceptable up through 5-6 weeks probably. I dunno how having a heartbeat and having brain function doesn't make you "alive." "Life" is obviously an incredibly difficult word to define, but let's compare it to its opposite - death. "Death" is when you have no heartbeat and you have no brain function. So if you have both... Under my definition of being alive or of "life" (which is obviously the sticking point here), he's still emphasizing "innocent life" in believing that capital punishment is wrong. IMO abortion is doing the same thing. I get that, from your perspective of when a fetus becomes "life" in the human sense, his views are inconsistent. But given his perspective, they jive just fine. So it really does come down to when you think "life" begins, and I am not sure there will ever be a real concensus on that.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Aug 21, 2011 -> 08:43 AM) Language NSFW Definitely have to see that, that's a date night with the wife movie. QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Aug 22, 2011 -> 08:25 AM) I have no idea how I went so long without seeing "The Natural", but on Friday night after a late dinner out, I popped it on due to XFINITY's "Preferred Collection" of like 300 older revolving movies they make available. Holy s***, that movie was awesome. Unsurprisingly, of course. I wish we could see the alternate film where Roy Hobbs doesn't lose 16 years because he got shot. That would be intensely boring. Why not just watch some highlight reels for 2 hours from real baseball? The movie is empty if he doesn't get shot.