NorthSideSox72

Had the day off, so I saw Book of Eli yesterday. Went in expecting a lame version of The Road. Came out pleasantly surprised - it was actually a pretty good film. Not quit 4 star material (there were a few inconsistencies that were hard not to notice, possible due to deleted scenese), but overall, it was worth the price of admission. I'd recommend it.

Dye would struggle in the Wrigley RF defensively, but offensively, I think he might be better than anyone else in the Cubs OF.

QUOTE (since56 @ Jan 18, 2010 -> 10:59 PM) The white sox did not win with Thome. That is the truth. Winning the world sieries is the only win. If you think winning 90 games or a division is winning maybe you belong in wrigley where they accept losing and losers. I always love this internet tough fan thing. No one actually thinks that winning a world series is the only thing worth winning, and that anything else - from winning a league pennant down to losing 100 games - is all the same. They aren't the same, and you know it. Furthermore, it also dismisses the fact that the post-season is always a crapshoot. The team that wins it all is the best team AT THAT TIME, which is not necessarily the best overall team that season. So goal #1 should always be, to actually GET to the playoffs. How you line yourself up for them is secondary, because it has to be, since if you don't make the playoffs at all, none of the rest matters.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2010 -> 01:42 PM) If 15% of the stimulus hadn't been a cut in the AMT, I might have agreed with you. The increase in ceiling for the AMT over last year is $500 per individual ($1000 for married/jointly), and only effects 3% of tax paying households (about 80M of those). 3% of 100M is 3M, multiplied by a blended amount of about $750, gives you $2.25B. That, by my math, is about 2.8% of the Stimulus bill - not anywhere near the 15% you claim. Or, are you creatively saying that the amount of money in the stimulus bill for the AMT was the amount to cover all the way back to the 1986 origination levels?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2010 -> 01:38 PM) No. Unless it goes directly to the top wage earners it's wasted. um... can't tell, are you playing Kap or something? Also, keep in mind that most tax credits and write-offs targeted at individual taxpayers end up helping everyone BUT the top wage earners, thanks to the AMT.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2010 -> 01:35 PM) But tax cuts! Everyone agrees on Tax Cuts! I like the idea of doing both, in the energy space - direct funding and competitive research, as well as targeted tax incentives and breaks.

Yet another reason why the stimulus should have been energy-focused. This is all so predictable.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 17, 2010 -> 10:18 PM) The Dow is a forward indicator. And guess what, it was pretty damned right on. If that's the case, then you guys who have been such naysayers for months apparently forgot this. The Dow has been steadily trending up since last March, and is up about 60% during that time period.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 17, 2010 -> 09:51 PM) if the unions had so much power they would have been able to get card check at least to a vote with a huge democratic congress. QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 17, 2010 -> 10:17 PM) Because if they aren't guilty they have nothing to hide? SS, what does your response even have to do with bmags' post? I'm at a loss here.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 17, 2010 -> 07:40 PM) Please. There is a reason that isn't happening, and it has nothing to do with that. Its the same reason they seem to be exempt from all of the "too big to fail" crap. No one is talking about breaking up the auto companies either. Ah yes, the union conspiracy. You guys make them out to be much bigger boogie men than could possibly be realstic. Its simple, and it actually makes sense, as I noted before. Now is not the time to hammer the car companies in that particular way. Although, if Chrysler starts listing off course again, I'd be all for dismantliing them, in order to protect Ford and GM.

2006 by a long shot, for me. But I do think the 2010 team is the marginal favorite to win the ALC, which looks very weak to me all around. Starting rotation looks like one of the best in baseball, bullpen looks better than most teams, defense should improve (but still not be great)... but offensively, I see the team as pretty much dead even as it stands now, against last year's offense. Maybe even fell back a bit. Unless we get Thome or a similar bat, in which case I think the Sox become clear favorites for a division title.

There should be an option for "there is just as much economy in the news now as their has been, Tex is seeing things".

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 16, 2010 -> 02:47 PM) I'm still waiting for the automotive tax to recoup the losses from the irresponsible auto companies bailout losses... You know exactly why that isn't happening - the auto companies aren't making billions in profits. Deep pockets, and further more, protecting the auto industry means protecting jobs. Most of the large financials are making money and not laying anyone off now, so its safe to raid them for the money. If GM suddenly was making big bucks this year, they'd be in the discussion too.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 15, 2010 -> 05:14 PM) To you and Balta both - I'm actually raising a question about creating some sort of an organization that offshoots from the military that deals with this stuff. I understand both of your points as to the "heavy lifting" and support that the military provides, but they are not a rescue operation by and large - they are not designed for it. Security - agreed, but they are also not supposed to be police, either. I'm not saying assholes are being assholes, I'm leaving that judgement out of it. I'm just asking a question from the logistics side, which Balta and you both partially addressed. I'm just more or less thinking out loud - the military is supposed to blow stuff up, not be peace keepers and police and aid. So is there an arm that should be created for this? Or is that more bureaucratic crap? I think you raise a good point - and the US has their own crews to do just that, domestically. If you want a crew to serve the world, that includes all those things, instead of cobbling it all together when these things happen... the UN is the ideal place to put it. In fact, I think that would be an ideal role for the UN. They have peacekeepers, but maybe they need a disaster response unit too. That's something all countries can agree on, I think, and pay in bits of money to.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 15, 2010 -> 04:18 PM) re: the meals on wheels comment: leaving the Democrat part out, our military is not built to provide "relief efforts". That much I agree with, no matter who is in charge. I wonder if there should be a creation of some sort of meals on wheels type of military organization so that they actually could be effective at this sort of thing. Isn't that what americorps is or should be? I think in this case, you need the military, because part of the issue here is security and logistics that the relief agencies can't provide. So I have no issue with it. But really, my reaction to those quotes is... "hey look - assholes being assholes! Shocker!"

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 15, 2010 -> 01:21 PM) it's a split contract and he can make up to $1.2 mill It's a bit surprising, but he didn't have good peripherals and it's questionable whether he can continue to repeat that success. Yet, he had two good years in a row. Some guys are good, even though it appears they shouldn't be. I am beginning to think Carrasco is one of those.

QUOTE (heirdog @ Jan 15, 2010 -> 12:04 PM) *Yawn* and You think they are going to trade Jenks, this late in the offseason?

I'd explore the online-only savings accounts at the likes of ING and E-Trade. They will pay substantially better rates than any other regular savings accounts. I have one, which was paying as much as 4% in the up economy, and pays 1.375% right now.

Article

So, we've discussed before, it Amtrak can better compete with airlines. Well, as it turns out, they are now running an ad campaign at O'Hare, going right for them.

I don't know where to put this, it isn't party-specific. But if anyone ever wanted to know why there is such ire from the left and center about the Christian Coalition types (note: I am NOT saying the GOP, or anything like that), here is why. The Christian Broadcast Network's statement about Robertsons comments - defending him, calling him objective on the topic, and trying to say a curse is historically supported: Disgusting. These people are an insult to what Chritianity is supposed to be. Its just amazing to me, all the hate that Robertson and some of his ilk spew, are a lot like the Islamic extremists they hate.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 15, 2010 -> 10:34 AM) Barring a serious, probably international event, there's no reason for a huge selloff to really start until the Fed starts yanking out its supports. Its inflated the stock market as a bubble it can use to push money outwards, in the hopes that consumers and unemployment can start to rebound before that bursts. Some of those supports are in for the long haul. Others will be removed when its natural to do so. The key is still jobs, jobs and jobs. The Stim bill undoubtedly helped (hard to say how MUCH of course), but it was the wrong approach. Even if it was the right one, its still may not have made enough difference. Where the various UE rates are as we go through 2010 will dictate where we go.

Donny Lucy gets an NRI to Spring Training 2010. Bit of a surprise there.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jan 15, 2010 -> 09:19 AM) Mkt is beginning the selloff. Remember mkts do not selloff on bad news. And the catalyst for this selloff will be the bank earnings that started today. Time/price are squaring out in the mkt, look for trend change. A close back below 1130 today on cash should lead to a test of the December lows. If that does not hold it will be a quick drop to the low 1000's. Well I'm glad I went long SEF then. But I still don't see the markets selling off as intensely as you project.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 14, 2010 -> 03:12 PM) They need the catchers early in camp. I guess I thought after Lucy's injury, losing a season, then coming back and just doing badly last year, at his age... he'd be done. But I guess not. With Armstrong gone, I suppose Lucy will back up Flowers at AAA. Or maybe start at AA, but I'd think Logan Johnson will be starting there.