NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 07:32 PM) Did Obama really just give up a third of our nukes to Russia without running it by the Senate? Not even close. Its yet another reduction treaty, both sides reducing. Considering the stockpiles both still have, this has basically no strategic capability impact whatsoever.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 04:08 PM) LINK Whomever wrote that piece doesn't seem to know much about finance. "Repackaging" debt as securities is not a bad thing whatsoever - that's first of all. Second, the AAA rating is not provided by MSDW, it has to be applied by a rating agency like Morningstar or BB or one of those ilk. Now, if they rate it AAA, and its garbage debt, then blame the raters, not MSDW. But in the current environment, those rating agencies have become much more risk averse, so the chances of that being an overrating are actually pretty low. In fact, look at the BB link - its one third AAA tranche and two thirds Baa2 tranche, indicating significant risk (via Moody's). But by bulking the two risk levels together, you are hedging that risk, without using truly dangerous abatement techniques like swaps. Third and finally, bulking off debt could actually help grease the wheels in the markets a bit, but its also buyer beware. When you buy a debt instrument, you take on risk. If whomever is investing your money is dumb with regards to risk, then that's their fault, and that is who you blame. MSDW is doing exactly what they should be doing here.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jul 9, 2009 -> 07:02 AM) A lot of the right-wing blogs out there are going around about Section 304 of the "cap-and-trade" bill. Here's the most prominent google search article on it. Basically, the argument is that you'll have to have a state-mandated energy audit before being able to sell your home. One thing I noticed is that this actually seems to be in section 204, not 304. 304 is about building codes while 204 is about a labeling program. So, I tried reading Sections 204 and 304, but legalese isn't a natural language for me. Can someone else determine if the way they are characterizing it is correct or not? http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h2454...;nid=t0:rh:2317 That page (opencongress) is running some script that is killing my browser, so, I can't open it fully. But I can tell you right now that any restriction on selling a home due to energy issues under some sort of inspection scheme is simply not going to fly, unless the US government plans to pay you for the house, because its a clear violation of the takings clause of 5A.

Shirek just having no problem with AA hitters so far. This Joseph Serafin kid is looking intriguing. He's pitched 4 games (2 starts), 17 innings, and has yet to give up a run of any kind. He's also struck out 11 and walked just 1, given up just 6 hits in those 17 innings (for a .109 AvgA), making his WHIP 0.41. I'm thinking he may need a bit more of a challenge than the Appy League.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Jul 9, 2009 -> 01:12 AM) Congrats to Jordan Danks!! He's replacing David Cook in the All-Star game. Cook has to be laughing to himself. Gets screwed into another year in AA, becomes and All Star and is in the HR Derby, then finally gets promoted to AAA... just before the All Star Game. Still though, great news for Danks!

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 03:39 PM) He's done significantly better defensively over the past month and a half. His errors are not as commonplace as they were the first 6 weeks of the season. He's got a cannon for an arm too. Good to know, thanks.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 08:31 AM) CQ's health > maybe a few days of production Exactly, especially with the team doing just fine as-is. Zero reason to risk it. We just have 5 games left, then a 4 day break, giving TCQ a nice long rehab in Charlotte.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 03:02 PM) Is this even true? I'm not sure I'm buying Hawk's constant praise of our bullpen. Granted it's better than most but it's not as elite as he makes it out to be. Who has a better bullpen today than Jenks-Thornton-Linebrink-Dotel-Pena-Poreda-Carrasco?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 02:14 PM) We need a youtube of this. LOL They did actually videotape it, and said that if you got into the department, you could have a copy. I ended up not joining that department, and left law enforcement entirely, so I never got to see it. Someone probably has it, somewhere.

QUOTE (JorgeFabregas @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 02:33 PM) FWIW, his UZR/150, after starting off below average this year, has been climbing towards his 2006 number. Defensive stats in general tend to be questionable early in the season. Just not enough events in the denominators.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 02:31 PM) I think you're wrong. If a moderate was going to win, they would have won by now. The pro-life, anti-global warming part needs to stay that way (although personally I wish the pro-life part would go away...) because real conservative values would dictate that. The gay marriage thing I've been quite clear on it, and most conservatives agree with my stance that it's a state's rights issue (and so is abortion when it comes right down to it). Moderates candidly don't stand for anything. There's just not a Reagan type out there, but if there were, they'd get a lot of traction in this environment of Barackus the Great. I think you have missed the reality here - a moderate is not needed for the primaries, they are needed for the general election. And in that, I think its right on, that is what the Republicans need in order to win in the generals. The party has just moved too far off center. I also think your thought that moderates don't stand for anything is off base - moderates are not usually in the middle on everything, they have views on both sides that net out to moderation. And those folks make up a huge chunk of the population. They stand for lots of things, and they are the key to winning close elections.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 01:58 PM) Nuclear power is a terrible idea. And that's just speaking economics; it costs vastly more than any other form of electricity generation out there right now. I'll guarantee you Chu knows this, and he's playing politics for potential votes here. I think you are missing my point. Chu's statement was about alt energy tech in general. Clearly, nuclear is the least ideal option of those available, but this was a compromise, and his statement indicates that this is among many of them they will push.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 01:54 PM) Well, 20 errors in 82 games cant be good. For a 20 year old adjusting to US pro ball in his first year, I'd actually say that's not terrible. But errors is not a good measure here, I'd want to hear from someone who has seen him play, how he looks out there.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 01:52 PM) Obama makes nuclear compromise to pass clean energy bill Glad to see Chu say this: Exactly what I have been saying. I'm happy the administration agrees.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Jul 7, 2009 -> 07:30 PM) Yeah, at this point I could pass all the different tests (situps, sit/reach, bench press, 1.5mile run), but I'm trying to give myself a little bit of breathing room. The mile and a half run is the most concerning of mine, especially since we're at the mercy of whatever weather conditions or in door track conditions the testers throw at us. For all the runners out there you know training primarily indoors and then running outside in 90 degree weather or 10 degree weather is good for knocking some time off your run. Also, CPD does use the power test. Their test proctors are notoriously lenient with applicants in the initial power test, though. There are two power tests every applicant has to pass before the academy, and with with how slow everything moves with CPD they'll basically tell you that passing the first one was a gift and the second one wont be. I've heard of people struggling in every category only to be marked as passing. OK so, I have to take this opportunity to tell a story, about my experience with the Lombard PD test (the obstacle course). Its actually pretty amusing... So, there are 150 or so of us out there in a school parking lot, along with 10 or so cops, and a paramedic crew (most of the cops and medics are there for the show I think). The cop leading the test explains what we have to do... You start off sitting in a squad car, driver's seat, buckled in, and wearing a 20 pound duty belt. There is a cop in the passenger seat. The cop has a little tape recorder, and a radio. He plays you a radio call of the incident you are responding to, including the description of a suspect. When that is over, he yells GO into the radio. At that point you have 42 second to... --Unbuckle, get out of the car, close the door --Run about 20 yards, partially through a cone slalom course --Scale an 8 foot chain link fence --Run a little further to a spot in the grass with a 90 degree turn, on grass they have wetted down with a hose --Run to a fake wall with a "window" that you have to jump through (pads on the other side to land on) --Get up and run a longer stretch, past a gallery with 4 manequins with numbers on their chests - you have to shout out the number of the manequin that matches the description from the radio call --Run a little further to a picnic table where there is a 180 dummy, which you have to pull off the bench and drag 5 yards After explaining the test, they have one of they uber-buff Tac guys do the course for us, which he finishes in about 30 seconds. Then its time to line up and get numbers. I decide that I don't want to get more nervous than I already am, so I get up there quick, and get #3. #1 goes, does pretty well, passes. #2 is this overweight guy, who does fine until he scales the fence. Takes a few shots at it, finally clears it, lands awkwardly, and is now writhing in pain on the ground. The medics go over to check him, and the cop running the drill says "get him out of the way!", and then "OK, new obstacle on the course, #3 get up here!" I start off OK, get out of the car, do the cones, get to the fence. Start the fence well, leap up, one pull and I'm one leg onto the top of the fence... then my foot slips, and I land in such a way that my upper body is over the fence, my lower body still behind. Desperate and no thinking, I just reach down, grab the fence, and pull. Somehow, by some miracle, this causes me to do a flip off the fence, landing squarely on my feet on the other side - to the sound of cheers from the crowd and an "oh hell yeah!!" from the cop nearby watching the festivities. I could probably try that move 20 times and not pull that off again - I seriously don't know how I managed it. I do the wet turn, jump through the window (cutting my knee open), run by the gallery and shout the correct number, get the dummy and drag it, and collapse on the ground. As I'm laying there, here is a cop hovering over me, smiliing, and he says "41 seconds - you pass, gymnast boy!" So, I passed. Still not sure how.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Jul 7, 2009 -> 07:30 PM) Yeah, at this point I could pass all the different tests (situps, sit/reach, bench press, 1.5mile run), but I'm trying to give myself a little bit of breathing room. The mile and a half run is the most concerning of mine, especially since we're at the mercy of whatever weather conditions or in door track conditions the testers throw at us. For all the runners out there you know training primarily indoors and then running outside in 90 degree weather or 10 degree weather is good for knocking some time off your run. Also, CPD does use the power test. Their test proctors are notoriously lenient with applicants in the initial power test, though. There are two power tests every applicant has to pass before the academy, and with with how slow everything moves with CPD they'll basically tell you that passing the first one was a gift and the second one wont be. I've heard of people struggling in every category only to be marked as passing. OK, I thought CPD had something different, since they have their own academy (or did). The POWER test was developed by the staties, for their academy, originally. The run was actually one of the two easy ones for me (the other being bench press). Situps took some training, and sit/reach was ugly, I am just not a flexible guy.

Anyone know how the Sox are feeling about Viciedo's progress defensively? Because if it looks like he isn't picking it up, we might see Dayan taking Allen's place in Charlotte at 1B.

We can hope that Anderson stays and Wise goes, but I kinda doubt that happens. Actually, I'd be good with both of them going, and giving one of the outfielders in AAA or AA a shot instead. But Wise is the worst of all options for 4th OF. As bad a hitter as BA is, Wise is worse, and is a far worse defender.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 8, 2009 -> 08:58 AM) Go green! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090707/ap_on_...ens_wind_energy Now if this were so promising, why would he cancel it? He says they got off the blocks too quick, but I call BS on that one, and furthermore, he's seen what's in the Cap and Trade (Tax and Kill) bill. It's all a big redistribution of wealth boondoggle. PERIOD. But it's a "job creator". Uh huh, so how many millions of jobs are we going to kill to create a fraction of the green jobs? The article answers your question: Further, he says in the article that wind isn't dead at all. You are really reaching here.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 7, 2009 -> 09:11 PM) Ok, I'll try again. Every time Sarah Palin says anything, I think she gets more "press time" from the liberals trying to make her "more stupid" then she already was. Meanwhile, Obama can fart in the wind, and this same media will spend article after article talking about how rosy it smells. The point with Sarah Palin is that no matter what way you want to slice it, the liberal media does scorn her every move. Yes, she's an awkward little duck, but who cares how she waddles? If they would just STFU about her, the "conservatives" wouldn't have nearly the esteem for her. It's sort of reverse psychology in a way. The media attacks, the conservatives build her up as something she's not. BOTH needs to stop. The point with Barackus the Great is - you know - these golf outings... he's "cool, calm, and collected - such an awesome dude to be able to go out there with the pressures of the job and kick some ass on the golf course." With Bush, it was "why the f*** isn't this asshole in the office where he belongs?" But the larger point is NEITHER Obama's "cool golf game" and "Sarah Palin is the anti-Christ" should be covered the way that it is covered. I hope that explains it better. I'm complaining about BOTH - not just Palin or Obama. I think the media coverage is disgusting on about everything now. Oddly, I am more annoyed with the Obama coverage than the Palin coverage. I agree that the media is fawning over Obama in a way that is just way over the top. However, in Palin's case, she's basically creating a series of car wrecks and shouting LOOK AT ME, so I can't really blame the media for following it.

Recaps... Charlotte lost 8-4 to Norfolk. Marquez got pummelled, gave up 9 H, 7 ER in 2 IP. ERA now 10.35. Nunez, Wassermann and Williams finished the next 7 innings giving up just 1 run. Restovich with 3 hits, Lucy and Betemit with HR's. B-Ham came back to beat Montgommery, 7-6. McCulloch got beat up again, 5 ER in 5 IP. Fernandez got a scary save giving up a run and having the tying run at second. Shelby, Flowers, Cook and Viciedo, the heart of the B-Ham order, all with 2 hits, and Gartrell with the 3-run HR. W-S beat Salem, 2-0. Rasner throw 6 shutout innings, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K - his ERA now 2.84, has a 60:15 K:BB ratio, and batters are hitting only .198 against him. Mollenhauer with 2 hits, Loman with a 2B scored the runs. Kannapolis won in a blowout, 9-0. Leesman throw 6 innings giving up just 1 hit, had 4 BB and 5 K. Burdie and O'Neill completed the shutout. Greene with another 2 hits has his average up to .315, Garcia and Vargas with 2 hits each. GF came back to win 4-3. Buch got some guys out this time and went 1 IP for the win, in relief of Wickswat who went 5 IP giving up 2 ER. Jeff Tezak with 3 hits now hitting .385 for GF, and Colligan hit another HR to give himself a line of .364/.465/.750/1.205 so far in 13 games. I doubt he stays in GF for long. Bristol lost 5-4 to Johnson City. Simmons started, with 2 IP, gave up 3 ER. Holmberg went 2 IP giving up 1 ER, Heidenreich 3 IP 1 ER (also 4 BB and no K for him), then Wiltz with 1 scoreless IP. Misael Taverez had a 3-run double, Wagner and Lee with 3 hits each.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Jul 7, 2009 -> 08:53 PM) Here's what I want to know -- is there not a younger, more productive relief pitcher in their minor league system? Forget their system - I thought we had some in ours. I figured someone like Link or Rodriguez was lining up to be the Dotel replacement.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 7, 2009 -> 05:28 PM) You are totally missing the point of the post. Do tell.

QUOTE (baseball17 @ Jul 7, 2009 -> 06:40 PM) What's going on with charlie leesman? His numbers seem pretty good, I wonder why he hasn't moved to WS Welcome aboard!

Maybe we are about to trade Dotel?