NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 01:58 PM) Someone should take away his federal salary, pension, and social security, because those are adding to the debt and all. He relented late last night, Senate voted and passed, Obama signed it into law. Here is the interesting part, in my view: So all this, because he didn't like a tax loophole about whether a specific pulp by-product of paper companies was an alternative fuel or not. And he still failed.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 11:04 PM) Like the high socks. Some people think thats cool and sexy.. Depends on who's wearing the socks. Is your team co-ed?

QUOTE (SI1020 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 08:34 PM) Ozzie seems to really like him and that scares me. Ozzie hates his relief pitchers walking guys, though. Cabrera pulls this another time or two, and he'll be shifted over to minor league camp in a hurry. QUOTE (Ranger @ Mar 3, 2010 -> 03:09 AM) Still early for him, too, though he looks promising. I happened to point out this performance, but my being psyched is for Hudson's future, based on 2009 primarily. Just sayin' that with the starting 5 we have now, plus Hudson, plus a few other arms bound for Charlotte that still may show something... that the rotation possibilities for 2010 and 2011 look pretty damn good.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 02:02 PM) oh yeah, softballfans.com is where my buddies go for bat reviews Thanks for that. I need to buy a new one this spring myself. I assume certain softball bats are meant for certain types of hitters, yes? I never got that detailed before in my shopping, I just found ones that felt good swinging, and were good brands in the right price range.

QUOTE (smalls2598 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 01:38 PM) I'm looking to purchase a new slow pitch softball bat, and looking for some suggestions. I last bought a DeMarini 7 plus years ago (or so) which worked out pretty well and definitely gave a little more "pop" than your regular $70 Worth bat. I know pricing has gotten pretty ridiculous, with some exceeding $300. Now, i'm not looking for anything as crazy as that, but more for something to use in a recreational league that doesn't get too intense. I'd like to spend under $200, and preferably lower if possible. Which do you use in your softball league? Which sites are good to find discounted bats, or even "last years models", etc? Or any good sites to find slightly used bats for sale? Are you playing 12" or 16"? Different kinds of bats work better for each. I had a nice Easton bat, but its now deadened, I think it must have some cracks in it. But it did me well for a bunch of years of both 12" and 16" play, and cost me about $100. It wasn't the fanciest Easton you could get, but wasn't bottom rung either. It was ASA approved. And unfortunately, you are now getting into the worst time of year to buy - spring.

Hudson rockin'. I am loving the pitching staff possibilities for this team in the next two seasons.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Feb 25, 2010 -> 03:08 PM) Senator Jon Kyl and Senator Jim Bunning (Both GOP, from AZ and KY respectively) stopped unanimous consent to extend unemployment benefits (which expire at the end of the week) last night. Apparently, according to CQ, Kyl is holding unemployment extensions hostage for a guaranteed fix on the estate tax. GOP leadership promises to get it done, so they convince Kyl and the rest of the party to vote yes. They bring it up to vote again, today, and... Bunning says no again.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 10:56 AM) Nothing like reading a thread full of arm chair quarterbacking opinions on how a Police force should function, perform their dangerous jobs, how they should look, dress, talk, what they should and shouldn't drive, etc., and how everything they do should be done and done better. And I'd guess 1% of you know what the hell you're talking about. My brothers a cop. My brother in law is a cop. His father is a cop. His fathers father was a cop. My friends father was a cop. My neighbors are all cops. Friends are cops. And I'd say I still know next to nothing about what it is they go through, and I hear about the latest stories every single day of my life. As for the new Tahoe's...my brother has been a cop for more than 10 years, and has yet to drive in one. 1. You shouldn't assume that people don't know what they are talking about. 2. I think its interesting that a poster who has repeatedly railed about government spending, doesn't want to see a lens put on a government agency and how it uses money. Police are, for the most part, funded by taxpayer dollars, and therefor the taxpayers can and should have some say in the way they conduct business.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 10:13 AM) I mean, this thread did have a heavy air of the enthusiasm and righteousness you get from stories of a successful persons fall, I agree with iamshack on that. Sure, so do I.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 09:51 AM) Let's be honest. The clinic he went to was to rehabilitate his image. And yes, under the definition we are operating under, there are a whole s***load of alcoholics in this country. Who among us has never showed up to work hungover? Who among us has never stayed out later than anticipated and had a few more drinks than they should have on a night when they should have been home in bed? Our culture celebrates alcohol in this country, and so unless you exhibit the most riduclous behavior in regards to drinking, no one really calls much attention to it. However, anytime someone DOES have an incident occur, such as a DUI, or something like Cabrera did, we all like to get on our high horses and condemn them and judge them. Meanwhile those same people are out getting plastered at happy hour on Thursday after work and showing up still drunk Friday morning at work. First off, I did not condemn or judge anyone. I was pointing out the over-the-top nature of your post. I understand the point you are trying to make - that we shouldn't judge without knowing all the details. I get that. But you have chosen to jump the shark in trying to make your point.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 10:05 AM) I am being texted by a friend in Chicago that the Score is reporting the Sox are in "serious talks" with the Padres about a Beckham for AGon swap. You guys hearing this? Whaaaaa? Alright, let's play it out then, just for kicks. If you trade Beckham, who joins the infield? How does the rest of it fall out? By the way, my first reaction is... B.S. My second reaction is... I wouldn't want to make that trade.

I hope we get some good reports from the game. I'd love to see that group play.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 07:46 AM) http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=46132 Oh please god, I'd be behind this 1000%. Billy Gillespie may have been a douche and a half at Kentucky, but I'd LOVE to see what he could do in Ames. He turned around a moribund A&M team. My God, who writes that site? I got two grafs and a header into it and already found misspellings, and this gem: And "some of". I wouldn't put too much stake in whatever appears on this site. Though I'd love to see the Clones get a good coach again.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 10:56 PM) Mike, he said he has a problem with alcohol. He checked himself into a rehab facility. You honestly believe that makes him an alcoholic? By default? I dunno, I know the term is used really loosely now in clinical circles, but if that is the definition that applies, then this country is absolutely overrun by alcoholics. And this nation was built by alcoholics. And is currently run by alcoholics. The country is absolutely overrun with people who have such bad alcohol problems that it interferes with their work and they have to spend three months in a clinic? Really?

QUOTE (chisoxfan09 @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 10:47 PM) Charles Leesman is also a Non Roster invite. I wonder if with a good ST he gets sent up to AA this year. JPN have you seen him pitch? He is known to have a good fastball but I wonder how his complimentary pitches are coming along? 58 BB's in 154.2 innings. HMM a bit high but we will see. The organization seems very high on Leesman. The Trib today had a blurb stating that Leesman would be starting against the Cubs, in the first spring training game between the two teams.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 02:19 PM) The left field line faces northwest I believe. OK, so... there is a big hole in the RF corner of the stadium. That's the SE corner. You won't get SE winds very often in the Twin Cities, but summer months will usually be between NW and SW. That will create a chute right out to the RF corner... but if its a SW or south-of SW wind, you'll get a reverse, and it will blow back in. So... the really hot days, with a S or SW wind blowing, the RF corner won't be as nice as you'd think. But most days, with W to N winds, you'll get that chute. Something to keep in mind.

We use an online savings account, that we shovel surplus into at the end of each month when I forecast the month ahead. Savings account rates are real low, but its always higher on those online-oriented accounts (e-trade, ING, etc.), so why not use it? Keeping extra money in checking, or a bank savings account that pays like a tenth of one percent interest, doesn't buy you anything. You can keep finances in line and still put a lot to savings and investments if you are willing to put in a few minutes each month to forecast the next month's incomes and costs. That allows you to know how much you can safely invest or save. Also, as long as you can afford to make your full payments, I recommend paying for everything possible on a credit card. You get the points/miles whatever, and its easier to deal with a credit card number being stolen than a debit card. Just keep in mind this is only a good option if you can pay in full each month, and do that forecasting.

QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Feb 28, 2010 -> 11:22 AM) Racism exists, and it's BAD! I think that interperetation is why some people didn't like it. I personally thought that wasn't what the movie was about, it was just a plot device. And I liked the film a lot.

Does anyone happen to know which way its oriented? What cardinal direction the left field line is on, for example? Because I see something very interesting, depending on the facing.

QUOTE (NIUSox @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 12:24 PM) Haha the Campus Police at NIU have Priuses. And for a campus department, that should be fine. They don't have far to go on a call, nor are they likely to get into any pursuits of any length without help from DeKalb PD, or DSD, or the state police. They probably also don't do police custody very often either, so the local PD does the jail runs - no need for the cage most of the time. They might as well save fuel.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 01:51 PM) He uses new media (Twitter) to cry about it... Which is business-stupid for the sun times, in this case. Not the use of new media... but that their writer is making enemies, and the only "play" they are getting is his tweets, which don't supply any ad hits for the paper at all. If people were reading his articles and complaining, that would actually be good for the paper, potentially.

By the way, don't bother emailing Cowley himself, that gets you nowhere. If you want to see something done, email the editor, and tell him why you avoid reading the suntimes now (we really only see Cowley's tweets linked here, no one bothers linking the suntimes.com site anymore, for this reason). here is his email address: [email protected] His name is Stu Courtney.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 01:18 PM) Dude, remember when Jerry Reinsdorf and I believe Andy MacFail co-wrote that letter asking for the hiney bird to be put to pasture? Remember how that didn't work? If JR can't do it, we can't either. This is what sportswriters are these days and there aren't enough hardcore Sox fans around to do anything about it. Complaining about it here might make his editor take notice. Some letters to said editor has a better chance. But by far the most effective way to see this guy run out of his job like Mariotti was, is if a groundswell of Sox fans stop reading the Sun Times (online or in print), AND if they know this is a reason. I mean, the Sun Times is already a pretty lousy paper, so there aren't a lot of readers left to alienate, but one of the few things they've traditionally had going for them was a perceived bigger focus on the Sox (vs Cubs). They advertise through the Sox, and its obvious they want the Sox fan readership. If they thought Cowley was turning them away, that's what would make a change happen.

LOL, what a whiner. I can actually understand how journalists would feel a bit peaved (har) about the emergence of the internet rumor machine. A lot of garbage gets spewed out there, and right or wrong, it intrudes on their domain. The good journalists see that reality, and try to work within it as best they can. They even reach out to the people who may have sources that the writers do not. The lousy ones just b**** and moan, like some pathetic old man sitting at his local bar, going on about how hard the world is on them. Cowley's writing falls into the latter. Keep in mind too though, SoxNet is seen as a part of TribCo (since it sits on their site), the major competitor for Sun Times readership. So there is a professional rivalry there too.

QUOTE (flippedoutpunk @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 09:20 AM) agreed.. while i do agree that SOME Chicago police officers seem to be on the "portly" side, I also understand that not much can be done about it.. Ill take the military as an example, when i first joined years ago i was envisioning a bunch of in shape bad asses that could excersize for days, but the reality of it all is, like in sports, injuries happen. Now some of us like myself have gotten injured permanently during our time in service. What happens is you go to the doc and he evaluates you over time and then declares whether you will be able to run, jump, swim, do pushups or situps, wear body armor etc, for the military ever again.. Some injuries will still allow you to do your duty and go on patrols and what not, some get you sent to units full of paper pushers. But this also creates a ton of soldiers feigning injuries to get out of work (specifically the jobs that no one else wants to get stuck doing), so guys go to the doctor, the doctor finds a little thing wrong with them and declares they shouldnt run anymore for example, so the soldier takes that and (not literally) runs with it. The whole idea behind this is for you to take time off to rest that injury and rehab yourself back into shape, but many countless soldiers use this sort of doctors note to ensure that for the rest of their careers they will never have to do any type of strenuous work, which in turn gives birth to a breed of fat soldiers. I am not a Chicago cop, but I can imagine that they have something quite similiar with people that are quite similair. Like if an officer gets hurt on duty he can claim that it was the Chicago Police Dept. that made him injure himself since all of this happen while he was on patrol. Therefore they will not risk the officer getting injured again and not enforce any type of physical training on that specific person, some people really get hurt and take advantage of this, some people "sort" of get hurt and milk it for what its worth. I know there are people like that in this world, ive seen it all over. But unless we get a real cop to talk about this, im just talking out of my rear end and speculating based on my experience with a different employer Injuries are the exception. And having your department, as a whole, in better physical shape, will reduce injuries anyway.