NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (ptatc @ May 20, 2009 -> 10:43 AM) A great book is: Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. I'ts an historal and cultural persprective on why culture and civilizations developed the way they have on different continents. That's a good one, read it a few years back. I think I've pimped it here before, but if you want a historical book that reads as interesting as fiction, and is among the best I've seen at painting a picture of how the American persona was built... Blood and Thunder, by Hampton Sides.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 20, 2009 -> 11:08 AM) No one in the org would tell you that Gilmore is seasoned, but he's got tons of raw power and the Sox love him. And I mean love him. Glad to see him getting a role cause he's got some massive power potential and is the Sox best third base prospect (note that I'm saying that strictly because I don't consider Viciedo a 3rd base prospect, rather a LF or 1B prospect). And than of course Josh Fields isn't a prospect anymore. Retherford?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 20, 2009 -> 10:42 AM) Off topic... This is pretty neat. I like it - true conservationism at work.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 20, 2009 -> 10:26 AM) I'm not saying the technology is a bad thing, I'm talking specifically these roller skates on wheels, as my 3 year old daughter could equate the cars to. Yeah, I don't get that either - not in its current form. I saw them in Europe, where having a much smaller car, in the cities, made a lot of sense. But people didn't use them out in the country. And if you are going to have a car that small, you'd better give me like 80 mpg or something ridiculous - not 33/40 like they get, which you can more ore less match or beat in a lot of regular passenger cars.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ May 20, 2009 -> 10:19 AM) that smart car is a golf cart with windows. It makes me nervous seeing those guys on the highway Yeah, they really are only practical for being a city car. I wouldn't drive one on the highway.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 20, 2009 -> 10:19 AM) Hard time selling? I read that there's a 1 year waiting list. Sorry, what I mean is, hard time becoming a major market player.

QUOTE (BobDylan @ May 20, 2009 -> 10:15 AM) I'm always slightly embarrassed when somebody catches me reading Stephen King. I don't know why, there really is no reason to be. I have read some King stuff that I liked. I've noticed this in books and music... there is this weird phenomenon where if you are reading a popular author or listening to a popular piece of music, that people who read or listen a lot look down their nose at you. Like, oh, that is so passe. Well, guess what? Some authors get popular because they are good. I don't feel embarrased reading Stephen King. I used to be a big Tom Clancy fan too, before he went off the deep end and his books fell apart (everything up through The Sum of All Fears was pretty damn good). I ALSO read obscure stuff. Neither should result in feeling guilty.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 20, 2009 -> 10:14 AM) There's other technology besides oil - that can and would support "big" cars, not these damn (stupid) (sic) cars. True story - sort of off topic. We were sitting in a Walgreens parking lot the other day. A (stupid) car drives by, and Alissa starts talking about how she wanted to go roller skating. That particular car, the smart car, isn't a great example anyway. The mileage it gets is only a few clicks better than I get with a Ford Escape Hybrid. I think that car will continue to have a hard time selling, unless it gets far better mileage than regular cars. And your first sentence makes my point - we need other technologies to grow up quickly.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 20, 2009 -> 09:57 AM) If people wanted these damn cars, they would be selling now. They are. Look, here is the deal. Because oil is a finite, non-renewable resource, you have two choices. You can allow the natural flow of business to deal with it, or you acn force the issue. Under about 99% of situations, I tend to want to leave business alone. But the exception is when there is some huge risk on the horizon that private business will not, or cannot, adjust to properly. I don't want to drive off that cliff. So, I am in favor of doing a lot to accelerate the already-occuring process of reducing oil consumption in this country. Now, if you are going to do that, then it makes sense to use this approach. You know oil will go up in price, you require increased mileage, which will get us off oil faster and save money. The offset is of course the increased cost of vehicle production. Ultimately, we as consumers will spend this money anyway. The question you need to ask yourself is, where do you want that money to go? Overseas for oil, or domestically for at least some jobs here? I think the answer is pretty obvious.

Last few years, I've read more non-fiction than fiction. Anyone else read any substantial amount of non-fiction, particularly history-related books? -- Here's a seperate question. Name an author who you like that you'd call a guilty pleasure. Something you know is not great literature, but you just enjoy it anyway. I'll throw one out there: Tony Hillerman

QUOTE (Cknolls @ May 20, 2009 -> 09:06 AM) Will the administration also own the increase in traffic deaths due to the new autos? Ah yes, the paranoia from the right begins. Fuel efficiency does not mean sacrificing safety. In fact, fewer gigantic, heavy SUV's on the road will probably decrease traffic deaths. So even if an increase in smaller lighter cars ends up increasing traffic deaths (which I think is not really likely, as lighter cars are better at avoiding accidents), you have the offset on the other side.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ May 20, 2009 -> 09:02 AM) How will the price of gas be offset by this legislation? If gas increases a dollar a gallon on average it will take that much longer to recover the extra cash expended on the purchase of the car. Also people will probably drive more if they feel perceive they are "saving" money, thereby reducing their said savings. Also, I think we need to be skeptical of the $1300 price increase. It will be higher, gov't is never right on estimates for anything. I think the math is pretty simple. Certainly we are talking about projections and estimates here, and it is impossible to know FOR SURE what will happen. But if you are so deathly afraid of even trying to change things, then you are going to be a lot more screwed.

Cassel FINALLY looking like the pitcher I expected to see in Charlotte this year. Weird to see B-Ham lose. Also, I just noticed that West Tenn's firstbaseman is named "Prettyman". Awesome. Escobar still not doing anything with the bat - .558 OPS right now, and he's been their leadoff hitter in Kanny. I understand the guy is young and plays plus defense, but he has yet to do anything notable with the bat at all. Maybe he needs to go back down to rookie ball for another season, or repeat Kanny next year, to get his feet under him.

Wow, we... won yesterday. Won a game. In front of the home crowd. Hit some home runs even. Weird. I enjoyed this thing they called a "White Sox Winner". Let's do it again. The battle of two pitchers whose season numbers are not nearly what their abilities seem to indicate they can do. Who snaps out of it first? Maybe John will go first with the home crowd behind him, cheering... GO YOU WHITE SOX!!!

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ May 19, 2009 -> 03:57 PM) You really have a man-crush on Kroeger don't you? Can't help it. But even I said "maybe" in there, and for a reason. I'm not deluded enough to think he's a future all star or anything, but I do think he could probably do well if given the chance.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ May 19, 2009 -> 03:22 PM) nah, he's no gold glove but awful is too strong. he's made the routine plays and made a couple of really nice throws, especially for him. But I do like his speed too. Might be a better backup out there than weezy. Perhaps it is the games I have seen, but I've seen him make a number of mistakes. Awful may be too strong a word - he's better out there than Mackowiak.

QUOTE (Molto @ May 19, 2009 -> 03:01 PM) Not sure I understand your first part. I don't much care for Poreda. He'll be a reliever at best, and that's assuming he doesn't lose 5mph in the next two years, which I suspect he will. So I'd rather him come up and show he can't do it sooner rather than later, so there is time to look for other options. As for Beckham, I'm talking mentally. He appears mature enough that he'll be able to handle coming up sooner, but there is no point to it. What makes you think he loses 5 clicks int he next two years?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:51 PM) Who are our SS/2b/OF in Charlotte? Anyone we care about? Because they're in danger. Grave danger. Eider Torres, Keith Ginter, Restovich... mostly no one worth mentioning, except maybe Kroeger in the OF.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:55 PM) This should take a lot of pressure of Getz though and allow him to actually develop. In fact, I love this move and I think the Sox should hold him down there two or three weeks, no matter how bad Pods is doing. Interesting. I don't agree, I think he's already gotten into the major league swing, he's just in a slump. It happens. Now, if we had some leadoff guy who we knew would get on base at a high rate to put up there, then great. But Pods is no longer that guy. So I don't think it benefits anyone. But that's just my view. I was never in favor of "protecting" Getz this season, then or now.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:41 PM) It feels....weird I'm skeptical that they'll meet this standards while still producing vehicles people want for only $1300 more, but I'm hopeful that they can. There is of course some guess work there, the projections of gas prices and average car price increases are still just that - projections. But at least its a thought-out target for them to hit. Either factor could fluctuate.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:37 PM) Podsednik lf Fields 3b Dye rf Thome dh Konerko 1b Pierzynski c Anderson cf Ramirez ss Getz 2b I really wish they'd keep Getz leading off. He's likely to go back up, where as Pods is likely to head back down, in terms of performance.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:35 PM) The admin. estimates $1300/ car price increase to meet this new standards. Yup, and that's about what they project will be in the increase in gas prices for typical ownership of a vehicle in that period without changes to mileage. Like I said, how novel is it to see an administration making policy based on at least some degree of scientific data.

QUOTE (Molto @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:26 PM) Even if Beckham is the real deal and ready to play now, and I don't doubt it from the way he looked during spring training, it's too too risky to bring him up now. Make sure that once he comes up, he's up for good. Let him go through some ups and downs at the minor league level before he experiences it on the big stage. With regards to Poreda ... I wouldn't mind him starting, but that's just because I'd rather him struggle now and show he's not a major league starter than next season when there are certain expectations that he'll never live up to. Good to see you posting in the baseball threads again.

QUOTE (elgonzo4sox @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:25 PM) Great night for baseball...the Cell is heating up...wind is blowing (out, hopefully)...the slap-hitting Twins are in town...our best pitcher is on the mound...Crede's "back" to normal... Time to get out the grill and FRY UP SOME TWINKIES!!! GO SOX!!! Winds out of SSW, means blowing more or less in from RF, maybe at best a little help for balls hit to the LF corner.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 19, 2009 -> 02:25 PM) Seven years to get it to 35? Color me unimpressed. Most foreign companies are probably there or close to it. I agree with the legislation in principle, but make no mistake, its not a small task. Anything more would be insanely expensive to achieve. The cost increase should try to match the savings on gas, more or less, and from what I have read, that is how the Energy department came up with these values to propose to Obama. Again, one thing Obama is doing well is relying on actual experts, like scientists, to come up with the right policies.