NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 21, 2011 -> 02:35 PM) The problem is...we kind of actually saw that last year, with the joke that was the deficit commission. What we got was, however, not a workable plan for deficit reduction. It had the magic joke of "Limiting health care costs to 1% a year" built into it, just like this concept we're discussing pretends to do. What we got instead was a plan for how to cut the top tier tax rate from 35 to 21% while making up for it with tax increases on everyone else. Why did we get that? Because the people who wrote the plan were people who would benefit enormously from that change in tax policy, so they wrote a plan that would make them a fortune and have everyone else pay for it. The idea of an outside party sounds nice...but there's a reason why this game is hard...not only do you have to find a way to satisfy the interests of the people in Congress, but you also have to have people who don't automatically put forwards a plan that would help their own pocketbooks at the expense of everyone else. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 21, 2011 -> 02:44 PM) Yeah, they cut about $17 billion in year over year savings by doing so. Here's the press release version. I was clearly stating that it hadn't been done in any large scale, but that ObamaCo did that relatively small thing. Not sure how that was unclear.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 21, 2011 -> 02:21 PM) I don't know why they should, either. We don't elect politicians to blindly follow 3rd party think-tank recommendations. And I don't know how you'd ever get something agreed to--Republicans would always want something like CATO or Heritage, Democrats would always want (insert liberal version, drawing a blank) The disagreement is exactly why an outside party should do this - and one from business, not government. And they can be asked to provide a range of solutions for each problem, leaving Congress with some wriggle room. This will never happen of course, but IMO its the best course of action.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 21, 2011 -> 02:06 PM) I dunno how cutting money from the budget in this fashion isn't a positive on some level. Is it the best way to do it? No. But we're dealing with the government here. Every dollar is necessary will always be the argument. I'd agree with a plan that can look department by department and put a percentage based on that. Wanna talk about a campaign promise that has NEVER been done - "i'll go through the budget, line by line, and make cuts." It's probably too impractical to do that. One side will find X line important, but the other won't. We all know this is just posturing. But it'll (hopefully) start a national discussion. It's not perfect, but it's a start. Very little has ever been done that way, in my voting lifetime. The one President who actually did do a little bit though? Obama, the "socialist". What is needed is a holistic review of all government agencies and programs, handled by private consulting practices that do NOT have business stake in those agencies, to determine where to find the efficiencies or cut departments as needed... and then do what they recommend.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Jan 21, 2011 -> 11:21 AM) - White Sox clothes - If your baby will be formula fed, sign up at Enfamil.com for their program. You get free formula and coupons. (that sh*t's expensive) - When you run out of free forumula, coupons, buy coupons on eBay. I bought 20, $2/off coupons for $1. - Signup for the Pampers Points program. - Get a bouncy chair. Not a swing, but a chair. I think ours was called "soothing vibrations" It's perfect to put on the kitchen table while you are eating. My little girl loves to hang out with my wife and I while we are having dinner. If she's in the other room, or we are outta sight for a while when's she's awake, she goes ape-sh*t. That's a very good one, and definitely avoid the bouncer swings or anything that their legs hang through (including those little "cars" they roll around in). There are multiple studies of why those are terrible for development of babies' joints.

Across the board, all-department cuts of X% are ineffective and will make things worse, not better. You would be cutting 20% of some programs that actually help the economy and should be left alone... and cutting 20% of some agencies that should be cut 50% or eliminated all together. Its nonsensical, and the only reason its done in either the private sector of government is desperation and/or laziness.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 21, 2011 -> 12:33 PM) Continuing the budget cuts talk from the ® thread, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...ml?hpid=topnews So, at least in the House, Republicans are again exempting a large portion of the budget from any serious consideration. Cuts will be in domestic programs, probably those that can least afford to be cut. And more importantly, they are targeting the programs that will have the least overall effect. Social Security, Defense, Medicare, Medicaid and Interest on Debt make up something like 85% of the federal budget - and they apparently don't plan on touching those. This is where the cries from much of the Congressional Republicans - who by they way bear much of the burden of this debt with their own actions - for being concerned about deficits and debt are utter bulls***. If you really want this to work, you have to cut Defense spending significantly (by cancelling or reducing silly programs within it and by getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan), address the Social Security burden (for example, by lifting the regressive Soc Sec tax cap, and raising the retirement age), reform Medicare and Medicaid (which is one of the parts of the Health Care Bill that actually was good), and start looking at eliminating or re-tooling programs not based on political liking but on pure efficiency. Further more, close the carried interest income and trading-for-a-living loopholes in the income tax code. Finally, they need to look at how that 15% domestic variable spending slice is used and try to re-target the spending in areas that result in actual job growth. Doing all of that would be a real, actual solution. Neither party seems willing to do these things.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 21, 2011 -> 07:54 AM) Just get the baby an iPhone 4 and start up the video chat. Oh even at just-turned-two, she's already trying to make use of my phone. I figure by age 5 she'll know more than I do about the computers in the house.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 05:38 PM) Yeah I think all Ozzie means is that by simply anointing Morel as the 3B is a slap in the face, because Morel will have to earn it. I don't think that's really a problem. Thank you. Ozzie has already said its Morel's job to lose. All he is saying now is, its not granted.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 04:40 PM) murder leading to more murder? I thought that was fairly apt. Its at least as apt as crosshairs leading to killing. Crosshairs OVER THE PERSON WHO WAS SHOT being a possible link, while I disagree with it, makes some degree of sense to discuss. Abortion being related to this, at all, is a joke, and you know it. You are trying to characterize the silliness of the thread - which I agree with - but doing it in a way that is ridiculous on its face.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 01:05 PM) Before we get too optimistic, remember that our manager is Ozzie Guillien. Ozzie on whether Morel is his starter at 3B: "That would be a slap in the face of Teahen." - Doug Padilla Ozzie also has said its Morel's job to lose in ST.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 04:11 PM) Man I hope Teahen gets traded. If not, he's going to be whipping boy#1 around here all next season. Teahen will be fine as a backup 3B, 1B, RF, DH and LH PH. Its really just the contract that was stupid. I can't really hold that against Mark, that's on KW.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 01:31 PM) That is what the first couple days were all about in here. You're just being ridiculous now. You may not like what people posted - I know I didn't like a lot of it - but it was all at least somewhat on topic. Abortion? Come on.

QUOTE (Controlled Chaos @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 02:22 PM) Baby monitor. I would go with the video one, especially if this is your first kid. A mirror for the car. It attaches to the headrest facing the baby, so when you look out your rearview mirror you can see the baby in theirs. Also, why is your baby giving us the finger? We had an audio baby monitor, thought about the video, but my wife got spooked by the stories out there of the signal being unencrypted and available to anyone nearby to pick up. Probably nothing worth worrying about though.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 01:30 PM) Eh. We are halfway through this Presidency, and confidence is where now? I'm not sure what gets said that changes two years of non-believing, but OK So by your description, the President has to only do things that change people's entire way of thinking? Kind of a ridiculously high bar to set. I'll say it, and this will sound harsh. I honestly think that if you look at the SOTU address, and its symbolism... and you look at the attempt by some in Congress to go bi-partisan in their seating and standing arrangements... and your reaction is that its all useless? Then you are bitter and jaded. One could argue that you are those things for good reason, given all the bulls*** that goes on, but that's what it is, and that's what that reaction is.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 02:06 PM) We found that the little cloth ones work well when they are teething. Helps to keep some of the drooling off their clothes. Also lots and lots of blankets. Oh, so you mean you used it just for wearing around? That's interesting, didn't think of that. When they first starting eating actual food (instead of milk), those little ones we found to be... less than sufficient.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 01:55 PM) Diaper Genie Pacifiers Toys with bright colors (it's a great way to get them to stop fussing and look at something) Oh yeah, Diaper Genie is a must. We have the simple foot-pedal one, not the fancy electronic ones that we were afraid would break all the time.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 01:19 PM) Yeah I know about the basics but what else am I going to need? We have a 2 year old, and here are some things that we ended up using a lot, that you may not think of... --Triple Paste (trust me), which you will use a lot, and its expensive --Baby backpack (got ours from REI) - way easier to use than a stroller in the city and for buses and trains, etc. We use it more than the stroller, easily. They can start in these around 6-8 months, when they are strong enough to sort of hold themselves up, and they are good up to 40 pounds, so say 3-4 years old. --Can't have too many cloths/small towels --Outlet covers - something people tend to forget (goes along with cabinet locks, etc.) --Bottle warner, way faster and more even-heated than other methods --Lots of bibs, for when they start baby food and solid foods. You will go through them quickly, and I recommend the hazmat suit type things that have sleeves and a little pocket built in. The tiny little cloth ones are nearly useless. There's a few to start with.

Two favorable economic numbers today... UE claims dropped a lot from last report, down to 404k, from 441k. Expectations were for 425k, so this was a good surprise. Last week looks like an anomoly, as the 4 week moving average edged down to about 412k. Below 425k signals growth, 375k signals strong growth, typically. So the trend is still in the right direction. Existing home sales jumped 12.3% in December, for the fifth gain in the last six months, and beating expectations significantly. They are now at the highest level since the tax credit expired in June. Prices declined 1%, so it looks like the price declines are slowing. Inventory is now at 8.1 months, versus 9.5 months previously, which is also a good sign. Foreclosures are still a looming issue, though new filings and new delinquencies have been falling steadily.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 01:00 PM) I think the Royals may have their worst team ever this season and for them, that's saying a lot. Pitching wise, yes. Offensively, I think they may do pretty well.

QUOTE (scenario @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 12:55 PM) Should we have some sort of "Saber" award for statistical knowledge/contributions to conversations? Yes.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 12:10 PM) Maybe they can use that fine upstanding Philadelphia abortion doctor to stick his scissors into his neck and cut his spinal cord. Seems to be a fitting way to end this creeps life. And then they can do the same to the doctor. But lets defend this guy. Very humane way to kill an innocent child. s*** like this makes me want to puke. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=...dhOq5Hs9ycCdKag Well that's sick, but also completely unrelated, and nice baiting in there too. No one has even brought up the topic, let alone defended the guy.

Iowa State with another oh-so-close loss on the road. After losing on a single free through with less than a second left at Nebraska, they lost in OT to Okie State. This team is much more competitive in the B12 than anyone thought they would be. Even the games they have lost, they have stayed very close, even on the road or against a team like Kansas. But Freddy has some recruiting work to do. Three of his starters are seniors. I still think this team has a strong shot at an NIT bid. NCAA chances that we already slim are fading.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 19, 2011 -> 04:43 PM) Just a body to catch. There are 28 pitchers in camp, and they have to get them all into shape, and it will be easier to do so with 6 catchers than 5. It's also never a bad thing to get catchers experience with other pitchers, as it would be a great learning experience for them as well. What is interesting about it, I think, is that its Price (who has not really been a starter in the systems in recent years) and not Gonzalez, who was in camp last year.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 08:53 AM) Chicago No. 1 in road congestion Luckily for us, none of the candidates have devoted more than 30 seconds on discussing public transit. Yeah, I think Chicago USED to be good at getting out in front of mass transit infrastructure needs. But right now, with the fiscal mess the city (and state) is in, its hard to push for the solutions that will make a long term impact like spending money on mass transit infrastructure, instead of bloated city payrolls and other bulls***.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 20, 2011 -> 07:42 AM) Now that the SOTU is nothing but a made for TV event, the whole thing is a sham and pure stupidity - kind of like a campaign, hmmmm... I actually think that this one is more important than many previous ones. The idea that a lot of these people are going to cross the aisle is of course symbolic - but the whole act is symbolic. And not only is there nothing wrong with that, I think its actually a very good thing. This is needed at this time.