NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 12:59 PM) There you go. It can't be just an accounting rule difference. That isn't about saving money anyway, that is about asset valuation. Taxpayer dollar savings are about cash flow, not asset and obligation valuation. Where does the tax savings supposedly come from?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 12:57 PM) Damn that was a quick split! Anyway, if you loan payment is >10% of i, then you can be adjusted downward. Still doesn't tell me the tax part. I get the part where students could save some money, potentially. But where does this cost FEWER taxpayer dollars? Seems to me it would cost more, just on program implementation. Is the US going to be collecting the interest now?

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 12:39 PM) above-average pinch runner needed. we can tell ourselves it doesnt matter that much but it comes in handy at the moment where Ws can become Ls No room for that on a 25 man AL roster, its a waste of space. Also, because the whole team is faster and more athletic (as a group, not each individual), you are already improved in that area. Unrelated... I haven't looked at the OD roster and felt this good about the team since 2006.

I'd love it if someone could give me a real answer on this... Obama says that by cutting banks out of the student loan business, it will save taxpayers $68B over the next few years. Where does that savings come from? How is this possible? And please don't give me the "it doesn't, he's lying as usual!" or "because banks are evil and will take profit from taxpayers" B.S., I'd really like to know the math involved here.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 11:10 AM) That would be too bad for Whisler, he's a good guy who's worked hard and pitched well in Charlotte. I hope he gets a chance, if with the White Sox, then somewhere. Now that I think about it, I'd bet Whisler ends up in the pen as one of the two lefties (with Threets).

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 10:13 AM) It is the 100th anniversary of the president throwing out the first pitch. Why do it for the Nationals though. I understand he resides in Washington D.C. He's the President, it really only makes sense to do it for the Nationals.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 09:24 AM) Any confirmation on McCulloch moving to AAA? His performance hasn't warranted it, but there's really no place left for him to go at this point I think there is a good chance that McCulloch and Whisler are not long for this organization.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 08:54 AM) Yeah, he was traded to New York for what, I don't know. They had to make room in Charlotte for Wilson Betemit. Well, I guess this answers the questions you had previously about who would play 3B in Charlotte. So now Charlotte would be: C: Flowers 1B: Viciedo 2B: Retherford SS: Lillibridge 3B: Colina OF/DH rotation: Gartrell/De Aza/Danks/Kroeger The rotation, I still have no idea - some five of Hudson, Marquez, Harrell (might go to pen), Hynick, Whisler (might go to pen), Torres (might go to pen), McCulloch.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 29, 2010 -> 11:56 AM) http://twins.scout.com/a.z?s=292&p=8&a...amp;nid=3766470 Last year was only his first in AAA, so I imagine we'll probably see him at some point this season. His numbers and profile sound a lot like Dan Remenowsky, but a few more years advanced (and 3 years older). High K rate, low walk rate (at similar levels), low ERA and AvgA numbers, signed older (22-ish), not velocity reliant for his K numbers.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 07:56 AM) After some Googling, we're both wrong on the date, it was 1916 for Columbus. I've used that topic in a high school history class (I was considering teaching at one point, and was a student teacher), and I used to know all the little details cold... now they are getting fuzzy, if I don't look them up.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 07:45 AM) Do you count areas that became states? Because the Japanese invaded 2 islands in the Aleutians, but Alaska was not a state at the time. No? Ok, then we go back to Pancho Villa and his attack across the border to try to seize a weapons depot in what, 1915 I think, which led to General Pershing following him around Mexico with an expeditionary force for about a year until he kinda got reassigned to this small conflict in Europe. I should have said "The current 50 United States", as yes, I meant the Aluetians and Japan in 1944. Bigger points for you getting Pancho, who crossed over and sacked the city of Columbus, New Mexico, in 1912 or so. They raised the Mexican flag, said they were taking back all of "northern Mexico", then proceeded to run like hell back towards home. Villa's forces were not backed by the government as a whole, they were a rogue unit, which is why Mexico didn't mind terribly that the US came for him. What they didn't expect was that the US army would march more than 500 miles into Mexico to do it. That mini-conflict was also interesting in that it was the last time horse cavalary was used in a foreign war by US troops... but was also the FIRST conflict where the US military used aircraft. I also think, if I recall right, that Villa's own soldiers eventually killed him.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 29, 2010 -> 11:35 PM) New version up in original post. Added Javier Castillo to the mix. Did we send him to the Mets last year?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 07:39 AM) Baserunning...there's been some nice stuff going on, except Juan Pierre looks awfully slow to me. Alexei, Rios, Becksy have been moving well. Ozzie has also pulled off some sweet hit and run/double steal plays in the spring, and I think almost everyone on this board would agree that the hit and run is the one pressure/speed play that Ozzie has underused the past few years, so hopefully he likes those. Defensively...well, we've improved the OF. The IF...hasn't looked good to me yet. Beckham's still obviously settling in at 2b, Alexei seems right where we left him last year. I've gotten this impression too - the baserunning has looked quite good, other than Pierre, strangely.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 27, 2010 -> 07:05 PM) ETF is essentially taking something and making it a "stock". You take whatever its underlying is (in this example gold) and translate it to a per share price. It exactly mirrors whatever it follows, but the ETF price is based on shares instead of ounces or bushels or whatever. Honestly it is a supersimple product in general because of its set up. The full term is electronically traded fund. Actually its "exchange traded fund". That is, as opposed to mutual funds, which are traded OTC. But I agree with the idea here - the best way to get into commodities for an amateur is ETF's. There is a Gold one, and various other metals, collectively or single, as well as oil, gas, etc.

QUOTE (Tex @ Mar 29, 2010 -> 10:08 PM) http://www.ktva.com/ci_14679763 http://www.krgv.com/news/local/story/Mexic...M_NfPEGvew.cspx There have been at least two occurances. The most recent was yesterday, it was just on my local news. The border violence on the south side of the river is starting to make me a little nervous. Starting to? The violence in near-border Mexico has been huge for some time now. Them having a helicopter clip a bit of US airspace would be the least of my concerns. QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 29, 2010 -> 10:12 PM) We've been invaded by land and water for decades now, might as well add by air to round it out... Reminds me of some of my favorite historical trivia questions... See if you can tell me this WITHOUT looking anything up... Who, when and where was the last time a foreign military invaded the United States (the 50, not territories)? Who, when and where was the last time a foreign military invaded the CONTIGUOUS United States?

Amazingly, I'd be that if you looked at the win # threads created in ST over the past few seasons, and found the more-or-less average, I'd be the poster base here would be pretty close to right most years.

It was made pretty clear today in the Trib that the 13th pitcher thing isn't happening, now that the club feels Jenks is healthy. Its Nix. CJ is already out, and Lillibridge isn't a real option. I suppose there's a long shot that De Aza makes it over Nix, but, I really doubt it.

Kap SAVES!!!!!

By the way, looking at the poll results, it seems like the crowd is saying about 88 wins.

QUOTE (daggins @ Mar 26, 2010 -> 06:08 PM) With all the questions surrounding the offense, there are still issues with the SP and bullpen that could sabotage the season. Peavy doesn't live up to expectations, Jenks is hurt or ineffective, Putz the same, Garcia is lousy/injured, Hudson isn't ready, Pena stinks... there's a decent chance of all those factors going wrong. Combined w other problems, I don't see much more than 80-82 wins. There are all sorts of things to doubt on this team, but I still don't understand the mindset of "questions". Every player is a question, every season, on every team. Any player could stink, or have a career year. So the key is looking at the real question marks, the players that are actually up in the air - guys like Rios, TCQ, Garcia, Putz, Jenks. These are players who we either have specific concerns about, or who have had an erratic or poor performance in recent years. Just saying "Hudson isn't ready" can be said of every single minor league pitcher in baseball, just as "Pena stinks" can apply to every single middle reliever in baseball, and therefore its not really a "question mark" at all.

Dear SHIPPS- This had better not effect your play on the field. Sincerely, Coach Also, Congratulations!!!

QUOTE (lostfan @ Mar 26, 2010 -> 05:46 PM) Most of that was just a long segue into me showing off that I know something about something.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 27, 2010 -> 07:52 PM) ATT is writing of a cool billion by itself. I can't imagine that is good for hiring. If we're going to bash the cost side of this, then let's at least be honest. The charge-off isn't due to increase costs of health care - its closing a sort of strange loophole in previous law that allow companies to get a tax-free federal subsidy for Medicare retiree costs AND still take that amount as part of a tax DEDUCTION. I mean, come on - taking a tax free income stream, turning it out the door to retirees, then taking the deduction for those costs? That's completely bogus. So yes, companies will take charges due to this, and yes, that will have a negative effect on those companies. But its also a matter of getting a corporate tax rule back to something at least resembling fairness. No individual tax payer can get a way with getting a federal grant, spending it, and then deducting it.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Mar 26, 2010 -> 04:04 PM) George Bush was in Haiti with Bill Clinton. After shaking hands with Haitians, he felt the need to wipe his hand on Bill Clinton's shirt. I don't quite know what this means, and I'm not sure if I should shake my head or laugh out loud. I really don't. That one hand swipe? Honestly, I think he was just being W - a friendly gesture to Bill. I'm not being sarcastic here either, I'm serious. I think that's all it was.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Mar 26, 2010 -> 05:20 PM) Growing economy? Russia's economy sucks and is headed for decline in the near/mid-future. America is in decline, relative to China, India, and Brazil, but compared to Europe and Russia we are in much better shape. Also I think you and Y2HH earlier were oversimplifying Russia. Russian leadership (specifically Putin) wants a "strong Russia" but not necessarily confrontation with the United States. No, they don't really trust us, but why would they? It's not like we trust them either. To us, or at least some of us, Russia getting stronger does look confrontational or threatening, but it's not like Putin literally wants the Soviet Union back, in fact he has that famous quote "he who does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart, he who wants it back has no brain." What this means for us is that Russia is a strategic competitor just like any other country in the world, and it's just basic international relations where countries get a leg up on each other. It means we have to figure out how to work with around Russia, be wary of them, and sometimes look around their waist to see if they're holding a knife behind their back, but it's not like we need to be expecting war to break out just because Russia is strong and influential again. What benefit is there to them to provoke a direct military confrontation? It'd hurt them just as much as us, physically and strategically. Eh? First, I wasn't talking this year's economy, when the whole world is basically in the s***ter. I'm saying that in the past decade, they've grown a lot, and long term look to continue to do so. Second, I completely agree with you that they don't want a real confrontation with the US. I never said otherwise. Not sure where you are getting that.