NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 03:01 PM) Except all that corruption. Not that Dem. Gov's have been better, but let's not sweep the problems under the rug. Note I said pretty well, not great or perfect. Corruption was still there as in other states, and the pension problem was simmering but not quite boiling... yet, Illinois in those timeframes was still seen as a relatively effective state government. Progressive even.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 02:28 PM) Yeah, the funny part is that Illinois screwed themselves up with pretty much one party rule. No one helped them at all. I've said before, when IL had a long stretch of Dem legislature combined with GOP governor, and both were relatively moderate, things worked pretty well in Illinois. QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 02:42 PM) I'm quite confident that Brady would not have signed this bill. No, he would have pushed for some other, different stupid idea.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 02:53 PM) So I'm starting to get some information from my new job about our 401K plan. There is a 3% match (pre-tax only) but I basically have no control over it other than how much I put in it. I'm told that the people that handle it are "very conservative". I'm trying to decide if I should take this or do something on my own. I don't know much about this stuff myself but I have a good friend who is a financial adviser that will help me if I go on my own. I also have some money from my previous employer that I need to roll into something. First of all, that 3% is free money - for every dollar up to 3%, they contribute another dollar, so those investment dollars are doubled. Do not, ever, pass that up. You should contribute at least that 3%. And as SS said, the pre-tax part is also a big benefit. Anything you try to do independently, unless you are some trading genius, won't compete with that, especially up to the 3% level.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 02:19 PM) The Anti-Defamation League has issued a statement responding to Governor Palin. Didn't read the whole thing, but the excerpt is solid.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 01:46 PM) However, this is entirely beside the point. No one in their right mind thinks we're going to turn the Earth into Venus (By any means other than nuclear weapons). The problem is...it can become a very unpleasant place for humanity. Thank you. People who think we're destroying the earth, or think we're fine because the earth will be fine, are missing the point. Its not about protecting a rock in space, its about protecting ourselves from the backlash of our own actions.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 01:31 PM) And that's exactly what they'll do, quite easily. Probably, but let's see how the political trends fall out. Illinois has always been seen as a reliably blue state (in recent decades anyway), but there was a significant shift this past year. In addition to the GOP gains, some Dem reps and senators refused to sign onto this thing, and they are also not likely to sign onto such a change. Furthermore, as the state's financial situation gets worse (which it will, despite these actions), the trend is likely to continue. I'd not be at all surprised to see the state GOP attempt to put on a state Constituional amendment to require voter referendum to increase taxes as well, and they don't need legislative majority to put it on the ballot.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 10:57 AM) That is, by far, the worst reason for any player to not get votes. I understand that you're just making a point (and a valid one, at that), but a player's relationship with the media should have absolutely no bearing on his chances at getting into the HOF. To be clear, I was not at all saying it was a GOOD reason. Just that for some, it may be their reason.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 11:51 AM) I would have preferred a gradual increase over time, instead of a steep increase with a promised reduction in the future. That would be the opposite of what was needed, so no way that would have happened. The only good news is, the step-downs are written in law, so they'd have to specifically pass legislation to change them. Bad news is that they did this at all, and at the scale they did. QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 01:15 PM) "I didn't lie! I just changed my mind because this CRISIS is brand new! We didn't have any idea that we were in an emergency situation!" GMAFB. I hope everyone who voted for this idiot is happy. http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2011/01...as-burning.html Well, it was this idiot or the other idiot.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 10:22 AM) Funny how this was missed: http://www.weeklystandard.com/sites/all/fi...docs/Bernie.pdf Hm. Usually I like me some Bernie, but this was a stupid set of things to put in the same letter.

I'd have been OK with the income tax going up a bit. But only if they left the corporate rate alone AND did a LOT more to cut spending and fix the structural financial problems.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 09:01 AM) Blood libel? Seriously? Well obviously her precise choice of words is stupid, as she tends to do. But her overall point is both valid and self-deprecating (though she doesn't seem to realize the last part).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 08:53 AM) For once, I agree with her. That maybe a first. She's right, but she is also unaware that she is criticizing herself along with the people she's targeting.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 09:43 PM) I doubt that Frank gets in on the first ballot for three reasons. 1. He spent years as a DH. 2. 1994. He was dominant force having his best season ... then baseball shut down. 3. Giambi's steroid enhanced MVP season cost Frank his 3rd. Second time around, he's in. YAS, good to see you! And I agree, though I'd add: 4. Maddux and Glavine on same ballot, plus whatever holdovers, may make it crowded 5. Even though he's generally considered clean, his whole era for power hitting will always be questioned 6. Frank did not exactly have a fantastic relationship with the media

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:39 PM) We can't use-less-energy or increase-efficiency our way out of the AGW problems, not without crippling economic output. Solar, wind and other renewables are a long way off from being large-scale power sources because we don't have a good way to store it yet and use those technologies as baseload power. So we're left with "clean" coal technologies like carbon capture or investment in nuclear (which of course has its own issues) for the time being. We're a long way away at current rates of work towards the solution. We spent a ton of money on short term stimulus that could have gone a long way towards increasing the pace of production or real solutions and actually created long term jobs. Obviously, some of the AGW problem is going to happen no matter what, because its already in the stream. But these technologies are very much capable of being large-scale sources, if we wanted it to be a priority.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:33 PM) Heck, long-term it's even a potential way of getting what we've already put into the atmosphere out of there...so at some level, it actually does solve a need that green-energy doesn't solve. If it's buried correctly...it can dissolve into untapped groundwater and then react with the surrounding rocks, just using it up. Am I the only one who thinks that shoving metric megatons of a chemical or gas into the bedrock is a lot more likely to cause unknown side effects than simply using less energy? Or setting up solar panels?

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:31 PM) I think we can create a whole bunch of hypotheticals to support or view on this issue no? Which is sort of the point - having this guy in the mix ended up being basically a non-factor, but it could have been anything from him being a hero, to him making things much worse. Hard to say what might have happened.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 12:30 PM) J4L's expectations are higher than most users'. I don't think that's a huge issue. I wouldn't give the off-season an A+ either. I think out of all the teams in baseball, the Sox might have had the 4th or 5th best off-season in terms of acquiring talent and spending responsibly and efficiently. I'd rate teams like the Brewers, Phillies, Red Sox, and the A's ahead of our off-season right now. I'd even consider the Tigers since they just added Penny. As it stands, I'd give The Sox FO an A- with room to improve to an A if they bring in a good 4th OFer. Can't believe I will say this, but... I don't know that you will find a substantially better 4th OF than Lillibridge or De Aza. Because if you did, they wouldn't be a 4th OF, they'd be starting somewhere. I'm not a fan of spending big money on a backup OF unless you plan some sort of rotation.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:28 PM) The thing that I think may decide it is the Stealth Elf being out of options, while I believe De Aza has one left I thought they were both out of options. In any case, the other wild card is, I get the impression that Ozzie loves De Aza. Either way, I don't think the issue will be settled until well into ST.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:27 PM) The answer to the discussion of course is applying a fee to carbon emissions and letting the market sort itself out. That is one answer, but I'm honestly on the fence about it. Lots to like, lots to not like. What I'd rather do is invest in putting the US in front of the technologies, reap the financial benefits of the exports and inflow of money, and gain energy independence to boot (while drastically reducing pollution). My overall point being, carbon capture is quite literally burying our problems instead of dealing with them.

Nice work, though I don't think Lillibridge is a set deal yet for the bench. I think De Aza has just as good a shot at it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:22 PM) Actually, it could very well be a real solution, even within a decade...the chemistry and physics actually work to make it practical, but we're not there yet, and we have to be quite careful about how it's done (for reasons like those BS outlined). In most cases though, it's basically used as greenwashing; an effort to say that the politicians are doing something when they're really not. To me, its burying the problem and asking for the law of unintended consequences to kick in. They way to save more resources, quite simply, is to use less of them. This other stuff is IMO not going to help things.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:17 PM) Interesting side-story. Just want to add as well, if he's intending to take a firing position as his method, then getting so close as to shoving the guy into a wall is pretty stupid. That's the lack of training there.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 02:06 PM) I oppose it. As do I. Giving teachers career carte blanche because they reach a certain seniority threshold is institutionally stupid. It helps no one other than themselves.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 01:19 PM) via Carbon capture isn't a real solution. Its another way for people to avoid taking responsibility for their consumption, and living in denial. The only real solutions involve using less (energy and everything else), protecting wild lands, and providing energy from renewable sources.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 12:40 PM) I thought that was what he was referring to, but he put Rosa, which is the name of some data protection company or something. I was thoroughly confused at first I misspelled it. QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 12:47 PM) Alright then, so which is it? If his parents have absolutely no influence over his behavior, I am supposed to believe that Sarah Palin did? I have no problem just taking the guy for being completely crazy. But you can't argue on one hand that our politcal rhetoric is nurturing this sort of violence, and then on the other hand claim his parents had no hand in his development as a person. He's either crazy or he's not. He can't be crazy for purposes of exonerating his parents but deeply capable of being influenced when it comes to political rhetoric. A person can definitely be both, and in fact that's a strong positive relationship. Crazy people are easily set off by things going on around them. Parents could be partially to blame, neither you nor I know.