NorthSideSox72

First trailer has hit the internets.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 28, 2008 -> 11:56 AM) Am I the only one who really hates that "Flip flopping" is considered a bad thing? I for one have no problem at all with the concept of changing one's position based on new information or hell even based on a new piece of polling data...if they're flip-flopping to a policy position I support. I think it's fit to judge each one based on how they act before, during, and after the flip, and which position they're taking on. For example, Obama's cave on telecom immunity...ugh. McCain's flip-flopping on torture and wiretapping, ugh. George W. Bush's unspoken embrace of all things diplomatic which has suddenly dramatically improved our ability to deal with our supposed enemies? (i.e. North Korea, Iran). Yay! It all depends on the reasoning, and any relevant change in the situation, IMO.

QUOTE (knightni @ Jul 26, 2008 -> 04:59 PM) New York's gonna eat Marte alive. Have to agree. Unless he's toughened up mentally in a big way (which I suppose is possible), Marte is not going to handle NY well at all.

Please no.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 28, 2008 -> 10:10 AM) Lack of experience does bug me a bit - but that's not the main reason. His "flip-flopping" doesn't even bother me because politican=flip-flop, depending on who's handing you your lobby (dirty) money. But his positions on many social issues really bothers me. And so do McCain's policies, so I give them both equal time on the "not liking" them. There is a difference between flip-flopping, and adjusting and/or clarifying a position based on the terrain. One clear as day flip-flop from Obama was the telecom immunity thing. He just ouright chickened out on that one, and that bothered me.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 28, 2008 -> 08:41 AM) At least I have real reasons for "writing off" Obama. Oh there are plenty of good reasons. His policy stances (if they don't match yours), his lack of experience, his flip flop on a couple key issues, etc. I just also see a whole lot of people who grasp on to the smallest, silliest stuff, and go all high and mighty about it, as if it were an indication that the other candidate is the devil.

Wassermann is no replacement for Linebrink. So, this is worrisome. But, I do actually think that a 7th-8th-9th of Thornton-Dotel-Jenks is pretty damn good. And I feel pretty good about Wassermann doing work spelling those first two occasionally, and doing some mop-up as well. Ehren has been very good at every level, at every stop in his career, with just one exception - the month he was with the Sox earlier this year. His numbers in 2007, not just ERA and WHIP, but also peripherals like GO/AO, were stellar. That tells me he's got more than just a funky delivery, he has good movement and sink, which are key at The Cell. And while the 'pen has been struggling lately, I don't see any significant velocity drop from anyone other thank Linebrink, so I don't think they are tiring. There are just some guys in slumps (Logan in particular), that I think they will likely snap out of. And Thornton is already back, and pitched well Sunday. I'm more worried right now about some of the starters' recent struggles, and Konerko, than I am about the bullpen.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 28, 2008 -> 09:27 AM) NSS, About about people you know and have a personal link? What can they do to influence your vote? That's different. I do talk with certain friends (the ones where politics comes up), and I do listen to their input. But those discussions are usually not things I take at face value - they are vetting discussions. We trade information, and try to get a better picture. I especially like speaking with people when they are not of the same mind as me, because that's when you are more likely to learn something. Then there are politicians, or people of influence, that I know personally. And I do take their views into account as well. And truly, I do learn things here on SoxTalk, in the Buster. I just try to filter out the noise, and dig into issues with people willing to have real discussions.

I was banned, or at least suspended, from WSI, back in '06. And here is the best part - it had nothing to do with anything I posted there. For whatever strange reason, back in 2006, I decided to post a few times on the Tigers' board. There was a poster on there, named Timberwolf, who was a huge Twins fan and just a general ass. Anyway, he also posts on WSI. One of the Tigers' board posters asked me about the various Sox boards, so, I gave him a breakdown. And I honestly wasn't insulting at all to WSI - just pointed out that WSI is more the common fans' board, and for that matter, was a lot less harsh than the SoxTalk crowd (and that SoxTalk was a little rougher on new posters, but had more pure baseball knowledge). Apparently, Timberwolf took some excerpts from my posts (not the whole thing, of course), and sent them to the Mods at WSI, who then banned me. A few months later, I talked them into reinstating me. I still post there, on occasion. I'll probably get banned again for this post.

When it comes to supporters in the general sense, I could care less. I just don't associate a candidate's followers with the candidate in any political way. If you try to do that, in the current internet age, you will find yourself hating every candidate out there. If you are talking about other politicians and their support, that is almost as useless, to me. The exception is the inner circle. Those couple inner layers - in the case of a President, this is their cabinet, their closest advisors, and their VP - do matter to me. One of the reasons I voted for Bush in 2000 was that it appeared he was involving some of the right people, in that inner circle. Powell was someone I had immense respect for. Rumsfeld, whom it turned out I was very wrong about, I also thought was a good name. Even Cheney, who I think really just snapped on 9/11, gave me some level of confidence (at that time, I would have said he had a Richardson-like resume, but on the right). Well, it turns out that Rummy and Cheney were crummy and crappy. But at the time of the election and shortly after, I must admit, those choices helped me decide on Bush. So as these candidates assemble that inner circle, I will be paying attention. But honestly, I just don't give a s*** about what various internet posters, bloggers, radio hosts, random party backers and talking heads think.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 28, 2008 -> 09:13 AM) I haven't disagreed with this at all (I do agree that McCain doesn't have the "experience" he's been portrayed to have - no one in the senate does). But, tell me, how's he getting a free pass when all I see here is seeing 800 posts a day about how McCain is a doubletalking asshole devil, while Obama walks on water? I see it here all the time about how McCain is a blazing, bumbling idiot, so I'd say he's hardly getting a free pass. If you look through this and other threads, I think you'll find only a couple posters who fit your description - Obama walks on water, McCain sucks, etc. Similarly, I think you see about that number of posters who wrote off Obama as soon as, and for any reason, they could.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jul 27, 2008 -> 08:07 PM) He was friends with Rezko, anything is possible. Not saying he knew about it, but if he had frineds who were looking out for him..... Frankly, there was more apolitical motivation to get those than politcal. Remember, the woman involved was Jeri Ryan - the actress. There were all sorts of people who wanted those documents.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 27, 2008 -> 09:04 PM) I think his stuff is pretty undeniable, the dude is straight nasty. He really pisses me off when he won't pitch inside, or pitch to contact. He was doing that this game. His pitches would actually work and be biting, but he looked like he was either trying too hard to strike everyone out, or he was just afraid to let the ball see the strike zone, and he'd keep missing off the outside corner. The Tigers hitters would just sit on it and wait for one that wasn't too far outside, and nail it. He does this every game. When he's challenging hitters instead of trying to fool them, it works beautifully. When he doesn't, it makes his other pitches ineffective. Contrast this to, say, John Danks (or Mark Buehrle, since he is basically Danks with less stuff) who just won't care, and will throw inside to Barry Bonds if they wanted to. You need to be able to work both corners, especially when you have such quality off-speed stuff like Vazquez has. Good post. It looks to me like that's exactly the case. He's avoiding the inside corner, and that won't work with him. Oddly, even though his stuff is very different, when he slimps, he has the same bad habit MB does - staying outside too much.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jul 26, 2008 -> 09:13 PM) They're just not that good. We're putting the final touches on their season tomorrow. Well, turns out your sweep prediction was almost right. I'm pretty happy with 2 of 3 at DET, even if they were ugly wins.

Ah yes. The take a verbal dump thread. That's right everyone, get it out of your system.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 09:50 PM) The speculation bill will not help drive down prices. Thank you.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 02:00 PM) Loaiza is also going to be released. Well, that part is OK, I suppose. Esteban was done anyway.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 01:54 PM) Absolutely not. He can still be dealt, as we've seen Uribe at 3rd the last few games and hitting well. I wouldn't be at all surprised to still see Fields dealt while Crede is on the DL. I think that depends on the length of Crede's DL stay. If its just 15 days and looks like no biggie (for this season), I think you're right. If they think this will be an issue where Crede isn't healthy the rest of the season, then I don't see the Sox dealing Fields, unless they acquire another 3B. I really doubt they want Uribe at third headed towards the post-season.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 02:59 PM) FWIW. Wamu's credit default swaps are trading above the level(mid-800's), that Bear Stearns' were before they went bye-bye. Rumors are heavy on the FI floor at a large institutional buy-side (which shall go unnamed) that Wamu is going under. Started hearing it a week ago.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 02:48 PM) Fields is up, will be with team tonight score Did they say how long the DL stint is?!?!

Did they say for how long? If this is a 15 day rest-up-the-back thing, which has happened before, then its not a huge deal. Just plug in Uribe, and call up Getz. But if its longer term, then its Fields or we go get a Blake type guy, if we can.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 02:23 PM) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/c...icle4392846.ece That was awesome. Cheers.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 02:32 PM) Lousy parenting (or high out-of-wedlock birth rates) is also an eventual by-product of lack of education. In part, yes. They are all inter-related of course.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 01:24 PM) This whole thing is just sad, whether true or not. Either Edwards gets raked, or Mrs. Edwards gets raked. Either way, it's just plain sad. That's a good, succinct description. One of them is getting treated like s*** here. I just am not sure yet which one.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 25, 2008 -> 01:24 PM) This argument will always come back to the need to strengthen our education system, especially in poorer areas. That. The three biggest reasons for crime are poverty, lousy parenting, and lack of decent education. Drill down further, and the main reasons for poverty are lack of education, lousy parenting, and people being born into poverty. We can't changed parenting, unfortunately. But we can certainly change the way we educate our youth.