NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 04:12 PM) I do because it shows the lack of respect that these people have. In the "picture" case, it was a different term and a different circumstance all together. When you have foreign dignataries giving us a pen set made from the same wood as the Resolute and ours gives DVD's, I'm sorry, it's a total lack of respect for the history of your office. Well, I disagree, but more importantly I think it just doesn't matter. The actions of our government are more important to me than the silly symbolic crap.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 04:08 PM) Totally not the point and in totally different circumstances. And in both cases, utterly inane topics. Seriously, who cares what gifts they give. Pointless.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 03:59 PM) They do get voted on, aside from one or two potentially illegal ones that I think Don Young (R-AK) snuck in a few years ago. They get voted on as part of the normal budgeting process/normal process for whatever bill they're being put in. The thing that defines an earmark is not that it's not voted on. The thing that defines an earmark is that it is Congress itself that is saying exactly what the money must be spent on, rather than Congress allocating an amount of money to an executive branch department based on a budget proposal, where the executive branch is getting to choose what the money is spent on. Passing a bill with no earmarks is no different than passing an earmark loaded bill if the money is all going to the same place. In both cases, with the notable Young exception, they're still voted on following the normal Congressional voting processes. OK, either you are incorrect, or I am not explaining what I mean. An earmark is not voted on. The bill its attached to is voted on.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 03:56 PM) Great D by Wise in CF. Quantum colorization, brought to you by Kalapse. Points if you get what I am saying.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 03:49 PM) Even McCain dropped the earmark pledge repeatedly last summer when it was pointed out by some intrepid folks that things like all U.S. aid to Israel are funded via earmarks, and no, McCain was not in favor of eliminating all U.S. aid to Israel. Didn't get called on it much down the stretch, but every time someone asked him about an obviously good earmark he backtracked. IMO, there are no good earmarks, ever. There are good funding proposals, that get snuck in as earmarks. And if they are good, then vote on them in some useful way.

Box score says Richard 3.1 IP with 2 hits, no runs, no walks, 3 K's. Looks good. Did he fall apart after that or something? He'll be good as a long/middle reliever, not a starter (yet).

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 02:40 PM) let me guess, his will be centered aroudn no ear marks. That'll balance the budget. Won't balance the budget, but would be an excellent achievement on multiple levels, if they could actually do it (which they won't).

Chicago is clearly the frontrunner. You have to look at history and politics of the Olympics. Tokyo and Madrid are almost assuredly out, because their continents will have had the two previous ones. Also Tokyo does a bid, literally every year, and Japan had the winter olympics very recently (Nagano). Rio is a strong candidate as the possible first South American city, but they have two HUGE problems - crime rate (which makes Chicago look like switzerland), and that it is proposing basically a "lite" olympics that is a non-starter. Chicago has a better than 50/50 shot of getting it. And the idea that Chicago won't see much helpful change if they get the Olympics is blind to history as well.

Well, we really need Anderson to turn it on now, lest we go from Wise to Owens in the f***ing leadoff spot. Which is just so frustrating. If this was a crappy team anyway, then hell, who cares. But this is a team that, other than CF, looks like a contender to me. Ugh.

So ever since Facebook changed its format to be more like twitter (which is idiotic - if I want twitter, I'll use twitter), I keep seeing all these stupid posts from people about various tests they take. What kind of tree they are, what their favorite kool aid flavors are, whatever. Finally, one comes across that looks fun - what President are you? OK, now, everyone guess before scrolling. Who is NSS? I don't think so.

I'd take Pods over Wise, no doubt in my mind.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 12:18 PM) To me the Catholic Church has become a group that is more worried about preserving the Catholic Church that the values it was founded on. Yes. There is a difference between the church, and the faith (or beliefs). The church is made up of people, flawed people who do not always represent the best interests of the church's membership.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 12:42 PM) All I know is it is a damn good thing I had some savings because of the assholes I worked for fired me. I haven't tapped my 401K yet and I've been off 4 months now. I may have to in a couple of months... but people really need that 6 months that everyone talks about. If you have a family, it's really hard because of COBRA. That s*** kills. If I didn't have that, I would be able to get through until almost fall. As I understand COBRA, you get to keep your insurance, but pay the full rate charged to the company you had previously worked for. So yeah, its an increase in costs, a big one probably. But the alternative is worse, right? Having no insurance, or having to buy private individual insurance, which is probably more costly than COBRA. Or am I misunderstanding?

QUOTE (danman31 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 10:01 AM) Damn, I wanted this to be true. Why?

QUOTE (ptatc @ Mar 29, 2009 -> 11:31 AM) We are!! It's been 25 years since I've done it. I'm sure they've missed me. I did it in 2003 and 2007, hope to go again some year. Its a blast. And we did actually see Lance in 2007, as he rode through town past us (we were standing there eating). He rounded the corner to the open road, and took off in a hurry. A couple riders were clearly trying to keep up with him, not sure if they were his wingmen or just dudes wanted to say they rode with Lance. They were having a hard time keeping up, as I recall.

I'm fairly impressed at the AG's office doing this very much against the political winds. It makes me upset because Stevens is a slimeball by all accounts, but, I'm happy that the AG's office is doing the right thing from their perspective.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 09:36 PM) NorthSideSox probably should have saved his post for tomorrow. Would have been a good one. CRAP! I wish I had thought of that. Not many people read this forum though, I suppose I could put it in PHT and most people wouldn't know.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 10:27 PM) Simon Johnson had an excellent piece in the Atlantic while I was gone, arguing 2 key points...the immediate path out of this requires nationalizing the worst-off banks, and the financial industry has built itself into a permanently unstable spinning top that goes for a while and comes tumbling down. (This chart shows Wall Street rapidly increasing as a share of the economy over the last 20 years or so as the American public has been convinced to dump more and more funds in to their hands. Bigger version at link) I certainly hope that people realize this whole mess isn't JUST Fannie and Freddie, or JUST poor regulations, or JUST poor reg agencies, or JUST greedy bankers, or JUST high risk uncleared financial instruments, or JUST consumers leveraging themselves beyond any level of reason... its all of them.

I'm usually a pretty big KW defender, but... Wise starting in CF and leading off? Seriously? Come on. Fortunately, I'm guessing that Getz leads off by late May, and Anderson overtakes Wise in playing time by June, hitting 9th. I just hope it happens much sooner than that.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 05:12 PM) Is this Silverio story real? I specifically said it wasn't. Sorry for the scare.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 12:17 PM) http://www.global-report.com/perth/?l=en&a=347624 I have no idea what this has to do with the Republican thread, but... awesome.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 11:45 AM) Because there hasn't been an "Adam Russell" or a "Boone Logan" this spring training (unless you consider Randy Williams I guess). It's why someone like Juan Cruz would have been a nice acquisition if you didn't have to give up draft picks for him. I actually think the bullpen will be a strength this year. Its got a very solid 4 or 5 in the back when it counts - no need to spend tons of money on the other couple guys, who are just cleaning up anyway. Having a couple of MacDougal/Carrasco/Egbert/Williams/Wassermann/Russell is just fine.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 11:34 AM) I think he has a better rapport with Senate Dems. I'd agree with that.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 11:28 AM) The only way you need to think about it is this...if you were the Yankees, would you give him that contract? No.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 11:22 AM) Barney Frank isn't doing anything that the Obama Administration doesn't know about... not on a policy level, anyway. The bats*** crazy mouthy crap? I agree. Policy? No way. Obama's leading the charge there. I disagree. In fact, I think its been an interesting thing to note that this Congress-President party majority thing was way overblown, because Congress has wanted to do things their way, and Obama has had to follow along or oppose them on some things.