NorthSideSox72

Enjoy, and discuss if you'd like.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Sep 16, 2008 -> 10:05 AM) Does Q have his locker cleaned out? It's my understanding Joe could play right now if Ozzie would let him. When he was taken out of the lineup this last time, he thought it would only be a few days. I'd be curious to see if Contreras even has a cleaned out locker. It's not a pretty situation. Q might come back this season. As I read it in the Trib the other day, Crede is back to just doing stretches now, and won't be able to be back because of his injury. I suppose its all a matter of interperetation, though. WE don't really know exactly what is going on in there.

They cleaned out his locker because he won't be back this year, due to his injury. He's hurt. This idea that his rehab is being drawn out too long by Boras is ridiculous. It would make zero sense to do that from any perspective. So long, Joe. You'll be missed by many Sox fans. Hopefully, you can find a solution to your back issues and make a comeback later.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Sep 16, 2008 -> 09:46 AM) The topic was getting young blacks to vote, Diddy did a good job of this and raised turnout four years ago. I didn't see that topic come up here. We need to be careful where we put these things, especially in the party-gutter threads. This should probably be in the Dems thread, or the general election thread, or maybe its own thread. I'll move it.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Sep 16, 2008 -> 09:27 AM) I love Diddy... where's he at this year with his Vote or Die? Why is this in the Republican thread? Is P Diddy a GOP'er?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Sep 16, 2008 -> 07:21 AM) AIG is down over 50% in pre-market trading. Ouch. GS and MSDW crashing too.

That sentence makes absolutely zero sense, grammatically or otherwise.

To be clear on what I was saying earlier, I am not saying that Biden wasn't endorsing Obama. I'm saying those quotes are not. As an illustration, consider this... read that quote again, and attribute it to John McCain. Doesn't seem far-fetched, does it? I could see him saying a very similar thing, out of respect. So, if you think that Biden was saying to vote Obama because he is black, then we'll just have to disagree. I saw no words of the like.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Sep 15, 2008 -> 05:01 PM) I thought it was the Republicans who were the ones always bringing up race? It is just as bad to suggest that it is better to vote FOR someone because they are black as it is to suggest you vote AGAINST someone because they are black. And yes, you can substitute 'woman' for 'black'. He's saing 'Vote for Obama for A, B, C & D. Oh, and also because it would be a travsformative event. Because, you know, he's black! Bonus!' He said nothing of the sort. He never said you should vote for someone because of anything - in fact, as far as I can tell re-reading the article, none of those quotes were endorsing Obama in any way at all. He said, and I quote: " He is stating that it would be significant, transformative, for that to happen. And of course he is right. Note that his description doesn't even say it would be GOOD - just that it would be a major event, a changing event. How can you not say that would be the case? Nowhere in that article is Biden saying to vote for Obama because he is black.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Sep 15, 2008 -> 05:47 PM) What else does that mean? Oh wait, let me get my hip-waders on, it might get pretty deep. Its already pretty deep when you added a headline to an article that had no connection to any reality in the article. Seriously. How do you make that leap? Not sure if you are aware, but, there has never been a black President (or any racial or gender minority President). So, yeah, its a transformative event. I'd say that's an apt description. How do you jump from that to "vote for Obama because he is black"?

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Sep 15, 2008 -> 05:34 PM) Joe Biden says to vote for Obama because he's black. How sad. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll...ID=200880914028 It sure would be sad... if that's what he said. He of course said nothing of the like.

Oh, and, one possible positive of the markets crashing out in equities... this could help bolster the real estate market a bit.

Only good news is, it looks like both houses in Congress are getting close to a serious energy bill. Offshore drilling will be allowed with some restrictions, tax breaks to big oil go out the window, and those funds are used for bigger tax cuts for alternative energy R&D companies and bigger breaks for consumers on high efficiency vehicles and household energy using equipment. Also, they are talking a 2028 target for 85% of vehicles being non-gas/diesel.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Sep 14, 2008 -> 01:43 PM) And it's great training for the FFB. Future Fraternity Bros. /hey Rock, sorry dude, I couldn't resist cracking that joke. For the record, Rock isn't the only former fraternity member on the board.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Sep 14, 2008 -> 09:27 PM) If there's one thing the financial types around here have taught me, it's that the free market is always self-correcting and walks on water, so I'm not worried. Being one of those financial types... none of us have ever said such a thing on here that I can recall. The markets tend to self-correct for 99% of issues. The other 1% is a danger that needs to be regulated, and so does some of the 99% (because some "corrections" are a little too harsh on the economy). This consolidation is probably a necessity, although, I am surprised that Merrill is among the bunch falling victim. By the way, there is still another big domino to fall (at LEAST one) before we hit a bottom, especially in financials/banking: swaps. Write downs if we're lucky, numerous firms collapsing under their weight if we're unlucky.

83-65, +1.5 over MIN (2 in loss column) 13 or 14 games remain, depending.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 13, 2008 -> 11:10 PM) So not all of our minor leagues suck? Hooray! We sent 3 teams to the playoffs this year. The system has improved significantly in the past year or so.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 14, 2008 -> 12:04 AM) Hawk and DJ didn't always get along but they've become pretty good friends and I think Hawk repsects Darrin. DJ in the right booth can be above average but with Hawk its tough. I would prefer Stone and DJ than Stone and Hawk but both are upgrades over DJ and Hawk. That.

QUOTE (knightni @ Sep 12, 2008 -> 06:15 PM) I'd like the new President to slow down the outsourcing of work that's been happening. Any item imported into the US that comes from a company based in the US but produced overseas should have a tariff put on it. Any fraud involving the circumnavigating of the tariff would involve high fines and penalties. I personally think that would be a huge mistake. What you want, ultimately, is US businesses to do well and hire more people at as good wages. Taxing them for outsourcing will cause businesses to shrink and do the opposite. You want a solution to outsourcing? Move forward instead of backwards. Work on education, and do everything you can policy-wise to create jobs on the FRONT edge of modern business, instead of the back end. If we keep trying desperately to cling to businesses whose cycle dicates they are in a constricting phase, pretty soon, we'll tariff and low-paying job ourselves out of financial superpower status.

QUOTE (DABearSoX @ Sep 12, 2008 -> 03:22 PM) Touche on that one....but then this brings me to this...what about the new voters that signed up to vote for Hillary Most will vote for Obama.

QUOTE (DABearSoX @ Sep 12, 2008 -> 02:17 PM) Yea..but the huge problem with that is...actually getting those people off their asses to vote...sure they can sign up online or from a person on a street but that isn't going to automatically give that vote to Obama, especially if there is bad weather in their neck of the woods on November 4th. They showed up for the primaries - that was the example. I think they are just as likely to show up on election day. Millions of new Dems voted in the primaries.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Sep 12, 2008 -> 12:49 PM) If anyone is interested in the contrast, here is Gibson's interview with The Messiah back in June. The hardest question he got was somethign abotu Hillary. No asking about rumors or smears, no asking him about foreign leaders, all softball. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Story?id=5000184&page=1 amazing how this campaign has shifted so quickly into something much harsher.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 12, 2008 -> 11:06 AM) Do not underestimate the Republican ground game...aka the evangelical part of that party. In 2000 and 2004 that was, as far as I could tell, their ground game. That's how Bush outdid his polls. They were turned off until McCain picked one of them as his VP, now they're back in the game. While they have strong support, I think it pales in comparison to what Obama has built up. The new voter registrations alone are huge numbers. And in 2004, I think the reason Bush outperformed the polls was about the polls. There are selection biases present there which they did not account for. Also, like in this current election, Bush got a few points of fear swing votes on the day (as McCain will in November).

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Sep 12, 2008 -> 11:52 AM) I think McCain will ulitmately pull it out. GOP grassroots is simply better than the DEMS, even if Obama has revitalized the DEM base. I think it'll be really close though. I just can't get over the fact that even after Obama had 3-4 months of nearly sole coverage in the media, McCain still leads or is at least even with him. There's not much more Obama can do at this point. If McCain is going to win... which if the swing states go each way, in your view? Also, I think McCain has a big gameday edge with the fear factor as I've mentioned. But the ground game, grassroots, is much more in Obama's corner. I think we've seen that in the primaries.

Earthquakes: one in Memphis woke me up a few years back. Not a big one - no damage or anything. Tornadoes: Saw one, about a mile from me, in Boulder, CO of all places. Going away from us, luckily, because we were outside with minimal shelter available. I've been hiding in an interior room from tornadoes a couple times in Iowa, and once with the recent storm in Chicago where the building shook. Blizzards: I've lived in the Chicago area from 1972-1991, 1998-2001 and 2004 to present. So, all the big blizzards of those periods, including the ridiclous winter of '78. Also was in Denver when the one that killed 50 people came through in, I think, 1998. Floods: Helped sandbag the Skunk River in Ames in the 1993 century flood.