southsider2k5

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 08:47 PM) No or limited regulation helped bring us where we are. I'm ok with corporate accountability. Regulation by people who have no idea what they are talking about is what got us where we are today. Take regulation of the financial sector away from the idiots in Congress and let the Federal Reserve handle it. There is a large difference between "accountability" and laws that make the situation worse. I would say laws that bankrupt our largest banks artificially make things worse.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 10:11 PM) I'm pretty sure what he's saying is that as of right now and the immediate future, the poor state of the economy still hurts Republicans and they don't gain from it. And they will probably be able to do so for a couple of years at least, based on popularity ratings.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1412459...-020409.article

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 01:36 PM) It helped bolster confidence in the financial markets after repeated fraud at companies like the ones you mention. Confidence brought us Lehman and Bear. I'd rather have them in business, than bankrupt.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 01:21 PM) People who walk into a revolving door but refuse to actually push it. Expecting others to do it for them. Ultimate in selfishness. Grab the door instead of pushing it. That'll get their attention

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 01:06 PM) What exactly do you think stimulus is? It's money that is temporarily used by the federal government to juice the economy. You may not like a particular program, but saying "stay with the bill's intent" is just incoherent when the intent of the bill is to spend as much money as effectively as possible to make sure the downturn doesn't continue to spiral. That is pretty interesting. When you are talking about adding an estimated 330,000 government jobs, I really don't call that temporary, as I can't recall the last major governmental job layoff that has happened. Its also only spends an estimated 8% of the funds in 2009. Here are my keys to a stimulus plan. -Truely temporary spending, in that it would be one time outlays, and not any continuing programs. -Tax cuts and rebates. This gets money into peoples hands now, and not in 2011, 2012, or whenever. -Revoke Sarbane's Oxley. It has caused more problems that it has solved. It wouldn't have prevented Enron or Worldcom, and it hasn't stopped fraud from happening. All it has done is added an expensive layer of compliance to each companies statements, which is wasted money. -Make sure you have the ability to adjust to future economic challenges, but not making too many permanent changes. The economy could be better in 2-3-4 years, and all of this spending could be causing inflation. It could be worse, and we need something different or new instead. The point is we don't know, and we can't use up all our ammo when no one knows what will happen. -Don't allow state and local governmental agencies who receive any kind of temporary funds from a stimulus package to raise taxes. If they do, take away funds on a dollar for dollar basis. It does no good to the general public if they get money from one source, only to get it taken away by another.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 11:49 AM) Tom Daschle withdraws as nominee for HHS. lol. So the HHS gets shot down for tax problems, but the person who is overseeing the checkbook is cool... Nice.

QUOTE (shipps @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 08:09 AM) I voted for tex,he is just so old and wise that I think there would be some great drunken conversation. "When I was your age..."

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 11:22 AM) I know. I'm not allowed a little kaperbole now and then? Anyway, actually forcing foreclosure relief on the banks would be a vastly more effective means of helping that market stay some of its losses. The reality in the mortgage market is that the overheated markets are going to decline until people can afford those houses based on the incomes that they have. And since a lot of those markets were dramatically overbuilt, that means that the prices are still going to decline an awful lot. This action actually is/would be a contributing factor for banks not being able to lend money. When banks have loans out, they can't loan that money again. If they aren't receiving payment on those loans, meanwhile holding a depreciating asset against that loan, it is adversely affecting their capital ratios. Under Sarbane's Oxley, they have to keep reporting those falling prices against their loans. It means that the bank is stuck with a bad loan on its books, and is unable to lend again.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 10:53 AM) Random thought.... we all assume a Abreu signing means Dye is gone. Any chance Abreu plays center? I know he's not a wiz defensively... just throwing that out there as a crazy idea. Doubt it's even an option. To be fair, we have seen guys like Jr, Everett, and Makowiak play out there. They don't seem to value defense out there too much.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 09:07 AM) Why even say anything though if it's rarely true. I almost wonder with Williams if he is just putting stuff out there so no one knows what is going on, because no one knows whether to believe it or not when they hear something.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 09:04 AM) Maybe. Or not. So once again, you just can't take anything literally, whatsoever, from KW. This could also be an agent trying to get some bidding going from other teams...

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 08:31 AM) Wow. I assume Abreu can't play CF, right? Therefore, this means someone is about to get traded? That is exactly what I was thinking... Or are we looking at a 4 players for 3 positions scenario (Thome, Dye, CQ, Abreu for RF, LF, and DH.)?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 3, 2009 -> 07:54 AM) The plan is a wreck, but I wouldn't call it a fraud. Last I saw, a large percentage will be spent by 2010. I am pretty sure this is 2009, and equally sure that the speed at which government could implement these projects (even the worthwhile ones) is not measured in days or weeks - its months. And I am sure you would know as well as anyone, part of the trick here is confidence, and the markets are going to fidget and roll based on the smallest perceived changes (whether real/current or not). The markets move first, and can help propel further confidence. If Obama and Congress can pass a "stimulus" bill that spends a big chunk of money with the perceived goal of helping create jobs, even if the spending is late 2009 or 2010, its going to have a material effect before the money is even spent. Its the mental part of the game. You and I may not buy into it, but a lot of people will, and the markets will price it in ahead of time. Caveat: I am NOT defending the stimulus bill as it stands. Just pointing out that the argument that its material effect is not helpful to the current economy isn't correct. According to the velocity of money, money spent does not have a material affect on the US economy for at least 6 months, and in reality, it is more like a year. Money spent in 2010 doesn't have a material affect until 2011. That is two years from now. If we are waiting for the markets to "price it in" we are in real trouble, because the markets are down about 20% since election day. This is including the period of time where Obama introduced and detailed this stimulus plan, and its passage has become clear. I would say that means the market has spoken quite clearly on its opinion of the plan. The marketplace seems much more interested in the "bad bank" plan, versus the "stimulus" plan. Here is a nice link on the velocity of money, and how much it has slowed in the economy right now. In other words, it is taking longer for money to move through the economy, and we are going to take longer to move money into the economy. Its a recipe for disaster. http://www.urbandigs.com/2008/12/you_want_..._deflation.html

And a columnist finally gets it! Why aren't the banks lending? Its the government's laws that are preventing them! I have only been saying this for months. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28985294/

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 2, 2009 -> 09:10 PM) Stolen from Brad DeLong: And waiting 2-3 years to do it. You keep leaving that part out. The Obama spending plan is not spending that is happening in a timely enough manner to save the economy. If things are really as bad as Obama saids they are, spending in 2010, which will have no effect in the economy until at least 2011, will do nothing to save the economy in 2009. I don't know how much more clearly I can say this... This plan is a fraud.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 2, 2009 -> 08:32 PM) You'd be the first one to point out normally that the Fed has already dispensed $2.5 trillion or so if you count the fed's balance sheet and the 1st part of the bailout. Anyway...I'm just going to keep firing Keynes back at you. To first order, the efficiency of the program does not matter at all. What matters is that the government is the only group with the power to pursue an inflationary track right now, in the midst of what is rapidly turning towards a deflationary spiral. If the government doesn't do this, there's simply no reason to expect a recovery. That is a really nice job of nit picking by the way. If the economy is as bad as Obama said it is, spending in 2014, or even 2010 isn't going to do much for it. It needs to be done now. Besides if efficiency doesn't matter, why would the Obama administration be b****ing about Wall Street bonuses or a Lear jet? After all, that is money in the pockets of Americans today, which is way more than the President is proposing. The economy is scheduled to recover on its own about the time Barack is going to be running for re-election, which is a pretty interesting coincidence to say the least. He gets to take credit for the recovery, when in reality, his spending plans effects won't kick in for years, and blame Bush for the times in between. Brilliant.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 2, 2009 -> 07:47 PM) Seriously, I'm not going to deal with the logic here...I'm just going to point out; right now, this is the Republican view of the economy. I don't care whose view of the economy is, its wrong. If things are really as bad as they are saying they are, then we don't need to be waiting until the economy is projected to be into recovery to fix things. All that tells me is this plan again has nothing to do with a stimulus program. This is the federal government equivalent of golden parachute for decades of being inefficient. We all know how poorly run many of the feds programs are, so what are we going to do? Expand them by about 250,000 employees. I'd rather seem them hand the $800 billion to failing banks. It has a better chance of making it into the economy in, oh I don't know, the next 2 years...

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 2, 2009 -> 05:21 PM) The CBO has put out an analysis of the version of the Stimulus package the Senate is taking up. As currently written, 78% of it is out the door 18 months after passage. Clearly, the Democrats are totally refusing to listen to the suggestions of Republicans. I'd personally like to see that amount decrease slightly as more long-term infrastructure (rail, electrical) investments are inserted. So Barack is going to wait two and a half years to get a real fix for the economy. Boy that's some emergency.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 2, 2009 -> 01:55 PM) Daschle, like Geithner, shouldn't pass confirmation. Neither deserve the posts they were nominated to. Unfortunately, both will make it in. Not only is this a mistake from a right/wrong perspective IMO, but it is yet another bit of political damage that Obama has elected to take on, when he easily could have found other qualified candidates who don't have this baggage. He is throwing away small bits of his political capital in supporting these guys, and I can see no logical reason to do so. Daschle may have helped with the campaign, but he certainly wasn't a difference-maker in it. Geithner bought Obama nothing. So WTF? I love how Obama can vilify an entire industry for the bonuses and perks they are getting, but then can go out and hire tax cheats and people engaged in pay for play to be in his cabinet. Wall Street supposedly doing this because it doesn't get it, what does that make Obama?

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Feb 2, 2009 -> 12:58 PM) Am I allowed to post certain "premium" aspects of this article on ST? Nope.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Feb 2, 2009 -> 11:26 AM) Is the highest we've ever seen Brandon Allen rated? That's great news for the organization. Until he gets the K rate down a bit, and/or starts drawing about 100 walks a year, its too much.

QUOTE (RME JICO @ Jan 31, 2009 -> 12:40 PM) http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=As8Z...o&type=lgns Some quotes: If they get 25-30 wins out of the back of the rotation, they could win the division. If they don't they will be battling for 3rd place.

Happy Birthday boys

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 31, 2009 -> 11:25 PM) Brian Anderson is still around, and so is Dewayne Wise. Anderson has obvious ability and has culled a cult-like following among Sox fans despite getting limited play the past two seasons. In 2006, Anderson played in 134 games and batted a subpar .225. Last year, he started only 39 games but appeared in 109, often as a late-inning defensive replacement. "I think he grew up a little bit as a player last year, and I think he grew up a little bit as a man," Guillen said. "He will get a legit shot to win the job." Guillen said the same about Wise. The battle at second base is even more crowded, with Getz, Lillibridge and Jayson Nix set to compete. General manager Kenny Williams said top prospect Gordon Beckham needs a full season in the minor leagues. Lillibridge is a product of the Atlanta Braves' system, and Nix comes over from the Colorado Rockies. Much like Williams, Guillen is eager to see Lillibridge when camp opens in Glendale, Ariz. "I think this kid is going to bring a lot, because I talked to (Braves scout) Jim Fregosi and he's really high on him," Guillen said. "He's a player; he shows up every day trying to beat you. That's what I hear." from dailyherald.com This kid is my sleeper for the CF job. He would be a perfect fit if he could approach his pre 2008 numbers.