NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 08:19 PM) Cook county is kind of the same. relatively low property tax, everythign else crazy high tax. sales tax alone is 10.5% Cheap? Not from what I know, talking to people in other areas.

QUOTE (RibbieRubarb @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 08:29 AM) Pixar didn't do Bolt. That was a Walt Disney Animation film. It was a good film, though. I have to admit, I was fairly amused by the little hamster character.

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 11:12 PM) What's the knock on this guy? Why hasn't he ever been called up? His AAA numbers look pretty darn nice the last couple years. He's a 29 year old in AAA. People here deride guys like Owens (27) or Cook (26) for being old, this guy is a few years older than that, and has spent a lot more years at AAA before figuring it out.

Viciedo, Flowers, Lillibridge... all headed for minor league camp soon, I'd wager, along with some others that you knew going in were jus there for at bats. Hard to say what will happen with the bullpen logjam though, I don't know who gets the ax first.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 06:21 PM) Fascinating. Over the last 30 years, Lake Michigan's ice cover in the winter has declined significantly. Having the lake exposed to the atmosphere all year round has led to increased evaporation and more moisture leaving its watershed area. This has led to a drop of a full foot in lakelevel over the past few years. Superior is having severe lake level problems as well. That's an interesting mechanism. Some studies seem to predict up to 8 feet drops in lake level this century from this effect. The ecosystems in Lake Michigan are already so screwed up, its not the same lake anymore anyway.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 04:07 PM) Not after the fact. You can't go back and modify a contract just because you want to. It's binding. If we do as you're suggesting, there's no point in ever having a contract. As I understand it, you can, if a law is passed that directly effects the contract. Laws in the interest of the US (passed by Congress, signed by the President) take precedence over any existing contract. The purpose of a contract is the protection of law, not the protection against future laws. Otherwise, any two parties could agree to all sorts of things to prevent themselves from, say, revealing certain information later (i.e. investment banks). If a law passes that says the info is needed by regulatory bodies (even if it isn't now), that contract is nullified as it pertains to that law.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 03:47 PM) A former nebraska punter screwed the entire grinder meaning up. Yeah, I think that was the biggest part of it. KW and others tried to shield Erstad with that title. And he was a grinder, but, he also happened to no longer be a good baseball player in 2007. All the grinding in the world wasn't going to help him.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 03:43 PM) Chicago would be a glaring exception to that list since I don't think it's had a Republican mayor in like 80 years. Its a silly selection bias list anyway.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 03:42 PM) I really resented Getz before seeing him, because of all this grinder hype he was getting. That’s changed. He actually looks like a good hitter. I've never taken the grinder title to be a bad thing. I think it was made into a bad thing here on SoxTalk. I always took to mean a player that, at ANY given level of talent or ability, went the extra effort to get more out of that talent. And that is never a bad thing. But here on ST, it turned into some ethereal quality that was some subsititute for actual playing ability.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 03:35 PM) I think Jim Edmonds is a DL stint waiting to happen. However, if in the small chance that the Sox sign Edmonds, then I still think Anderson should be in AAA and that the 4th outfielder should be Wise because we need more lefties and speed. The whole purpose of signing Edmonds is that he rakes against righties, and Anderson rakes against lefties. A platoon of Wise/Edmonds isn't a platoon at all, in terms of matchup capabilities. Besides, Anderson isn't a base stealer, but he is just as fast as Wise on the basepaths from what I can tell, and effectively MUCH faster in the outfield.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 03:11 PM) At these levels of corporations, it is pretty standard practice. And its also standard contract law that no contract can be binding that is illegal. If the US decides to change a law, it could in fact nullify conditions of that contract.

Anyone have a gameday link?

Since I did this a week ago, maybe I'll make it a weekly deal. Today's update on the backup catcher candidates in camp, IN ORDER OF INNINGS PLAYED... Miller in 6 games: 14 AB, .429/.429/.786/1.215... 31 innings, 0 errors, 1 PB, 4/6 SB Against Stewart in 6 games: 12 AB, .250/.308/.500/.808... 26 innings, 1 error, 0 PB, 0/0 SB Against Lucy in 6 games: 10 AB, .300/.300/.600/.900... 21.2 innings, 0 errors, 0 PB, 5/5 SB Against Armstrong in 4 games: 9 AB, .111/.111/.444/.555… 19 innings, 0 errors, 0 PB, 1/1 SB Against Flowers in 7 games: 12 AB, .250/.250/.250/.500... 14 innings, 1 error, 1 PB, 1/1 SB Against

Wow, putting Kroeger in the 3 spot? Interesting.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 08:05 AM) To get embryonic stem cells, you have to destroy an embryo. This amendment prohibits funding of any research that destroys an embryo. My understanding is that the you can only use embryos that are already "destroyed", or dead, or whatever term we want to use here. Therefore, you aren't destroying them FOR the research, which I think is the point.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 07:54 AM) A couple thoughts on Adler, and I think we will agree it is a quodlibet. I see a couple areas in which it would be a fair expense. #1, and it seems unlikely, but if Adler is conducting research, this may tie in. Also, I believe the definition of public education could be expanded to allow small expenses for public education beyond traditional K-12, and especially to kids that are home schooled. Finally, tourism still fuels a great deal of the economic engine in Chicago. I agree, comparing taxes state by state is just not accurate. There are just so many taxes, comparing state to state is innaccurate. Texas has no personal state income tax, yet we manage to keep the government running. Gee, I wonder if perhaps Texans pay higher taxes in other areas. SS convinced me many years ago that the graduated income tax is the fairest system. I wish we could expand in that area, reducing or eliminating all of the hidden taxes. You are certainly correct that if this was part of beneficial scientific research in the national interest (like mapping potentially dangerous asteroids for example), or if it was educational monies, then that is a slightly different discussion.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 07:53 AM) If U.S. Cellular does go away, is it possibly they forfeit the naming rights? The rights are part of a contractual obligation, as well as an asset of the firm. If US Cellular is bought, the buying entity takes over that contract and those rights. That works both ways, though - if the contract specified the name "US Cellular", and didn't say anything like "or new corporate name", then the contract is stuck as is. If there are exceptions in the contract, those would apply. So really, its hard to say what would happen, but the contract wouldn't simply die off, unless US Cellular declared bankruptcy.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Mar 15, 2009 -> 10:35 PM) I'm pretty sure Ozzie can't declare the competition dead for someone with 3 weeks to go. My guess is it has more to do with that than with Owens seriously being the frontrunner. This. Owens could still get the job, but I doubt he's the frontrunner. Besides, just like KW, Ozzie needs to talk up these three in CF, because one or two of them probably will be waived/released/traded/optioned before Opening Day, and I'm sure they'd like to get something back for them if they can.

So, I guess some people in the sector were listening to me. The CME and Citadel announced their platform for clearing swaps was approved. The article also states that the ICE is building something similar. So, looks like we'll finally get a real exchange venue and a clearing house for at least part of the swaps business. Good stuff.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 06:43 AM) So, can someone explain this? Because I know it's all in the nuance soemhow. it's always different. Was this just a quick carrot to his backers who may have been heavily invested in this research, to raise the stocks enough to get out, then 'change his mind'? http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/arti...px?RsrcID=44943 Looks like it fits in exactly with what Obama has said. Stem cell research is fine, with cells from already "discarded" or non-viable material, but you can't actually destroy life for that purpose. Where is the issue here?

I think there are a couple really good areas for discussion here. One, at a given tax burden level, what is the fairest, and most economically viable, tax distribution (over property, income, sales, etc.). Two, how much government spending is worthwhile with the economy in the tank. But what I don't get, and never will, is this idea that because Illinois' tax levels are lower than average (which is good), that means we have been "underpaying", or getting away with something. You are basically saying we should raise taxes because everyone else is, which makes no sense at all. Taxation should be at the level necessary to fund government in doing what government NEEDS to do, or can do MORE EFFICIENTLY than individuals or localities. That's it. The Adler Planetarium just got almost a million bucks from the federal government for a projector. Now, I happen to think the Adler is cool as hell, and I happily pay an admission fee when I go. I'd also seriously consider donating to it. I do not, however, see how government NEEDS to provide that, or can provide it more EFFICIENTLY than private sponsorship. It just doesn't fit either one. I'm glad IL's tax burden is in the lower half. In a state where much doesn't work, I think that actually is a positive.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 14, 2009 -> 03:32 PM) Getz is easily the quickest player on the Sox from the batter's box to first. Its funny how a person's actual speed isn't necessarily the same as their speed on the basepaths. Thome is faster on the basepaths than a few guys on this team, for example.

Al-Issay makes him sound like a terrorist. Getz beats one out for an infield hit. Seems like things are starting to solidify a bit.

I'd consider it for a one year deal. Heck, I was the one a few months ago suggesting we go sign Mark Kotsay on the cheap.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 14, 2009 -> 11:59 AM) This kills me. OF COURSE the DOJ is political. It always has been and it always will be. How about Supreme Court Justices? Hmmmm. It's political! Wow, who would have thunk it? It was easier for Clinton to fire the whole lot because there was 12 years of Republican control. Don't EVEN say that wasn't political. Obama is going to get the people he wants based on their ideology. PERIOD. Oh wait, he's got Republicans in his cabinet! Please. That's for show. NSS, this isn't fairy tale land. No offense, but Obama is NOT that much different then Bush was. In fact, I would argue in a lot of ways from what I've seen since election day, Obama is worse, because at least with Bush, you knew the dirty crap was coming because they told you. With Obama, if you criticize, the mud starts slinging from behind and the knifes come out to attack. I'm sorry you feel that way. I've said this a whole bunch of times, but... I think many of Obama's supporters AND his detractors went into the election with the wrong idea of how things would go. Some of his most avid supporters thought he'd go in there and change the world overnight, which is just not possible. Many of his biggest critics claimed the exact same thing - that he would change everything, and for the worse. Then there was a third set of people, also critics of Obama, who thought he'd be exactly the same, that they are all the same, etc. None of them were right then, and none are right now. He's doing what history, and his own words, told us he would do. He is different than Bush, and is making some significant changes, but not at nearly the scale or scope that many were duped into thinking he would. So not, he is not the same or even close to the same as Bush. But no, he is not our savior.