southsider2k5

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 10:23 AM) Which has always troubled me. Wouldn't you want to do business with those people that share your ideals? The same people that would naturally support you? Basically we want the GOP to support Dem businesses and vice versa, Doesn't make sense. If you are an ag business, needing guest workers, would you donate to me, or one of our pro-border wall types? Now once I am elected, wouldn't I also support a guest worker program, as I have stated here forever? The someone looks back and sees someone donated and then received favorable actions and believes it was pay to play? I understand the dangers, but this area is always less cut and dried than first glance. They are charging a sitting governor with this, amongst other things. If we say it is illegal in Rod Blago's case, why isn't it illegal when the future Secretary of State does it?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 09:13 AM) I'd suggest those are three different issues, only one of which is a vetting one - Commerce (Richardson). They failed to recognize the problem there. It may turn out to be nothing, but he's under investigation. With Treas, I'm frankly very disappointed with the fact that the FOUND those tax irregularities in the vetting process, but decided to proceed with him anyway. Really poor judgement. As for State, I am not sure there is really any fire there, to be honest. And this coming from someone who really dislikes Hillary Clinton. With Hillary, these types of allegations have been floating around for a very long time. They finally got their records released and there was a direct link with certian companies receiving favorable actions after giving money to Bill's fund. That is pretty much the definition of pay for play.

QUOTE (Gregory Pratt @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 09:45 AM) Jeter will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. There will be at least one writer who says, "Jeter is overrated because he's a Yankee; Jeter dates better-looking women than I do; Jeter didn't deserve the Gold Glove!" Same with Maddux. "He spit on the ball," or someone will say, "He played in the steroid era," or who says, "Maddux never gave straight answers to questions. He always gave Bull Durham nonsense." I hope you don't seriously think it's a possibility, especially not for someone like Jeter. No one is going to get 100%. Ever. By the way, I don't know why people care about the exact percentages. Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb weren't unanimous; Walter Johnson, no. No one has ever been and to worry whether or not they should be is to worry about something ultimately unimportant and unrealistic. You mean Jeter and won't be unanimous, correct? There is no way those guys won't be first ballot HOFers.

If we are just giving money away, here is a way to give each taxpayer or business up to a 7.65% return to each employee depending on how it was done. They also get personal kudos from me for actually referencing actual history, instead of just policital BS, by referencing Japans banking collapse. http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all.../pub_detail.asp

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 07:56 PM) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090113/D95MGFTO1.html May belong in the cabinet thread instead, but just imagine if this were to be you or me? On one hand we're assured he's brilliant and possesses a steel-trap mind for finance. On the other hand, he "forgot" that he had to pay taxes in America. Sec Commerce-Pay for Play Sec State-Pay for Play Sec Treas- Tax evader, possible immigration violator. lol. So much for surrounding himself with better people. This is the ethics and change we have all been waiting for, right? Not to mention everyone who made fun of the Palin vetting process, probably needs to grab a second plate for the crow they are eating now.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 03:25 PM) I honestly don't see that up for debate. He is in every way a first ballot Hall of Famer. I would say so, but I have no idea how writers outside of Chicago view his career today.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 09:52 PM) Long but excellent piece on how taking some of the stimulus package money and investing it in a substantial upgrade of our freight rail system can turn around and generate major savings in terms of time, money, efficiency, greenhouse gases, and so on, if the money is allocated wisely. I'll excerpt a few useful bits here. They have been talking about doing exactly that on the south side of Chicago. The NIMBY's are blocking it all because they are afraid it will generate extra rail traffic, increase wait times at crossings etc.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 09:14 PM) For discussion, here's an issue that was brought up before and scoffed at by everyone else without really making an argument against it. Bob Herbert, non-economist writer for the NYT, raises the Stock Transfer tax issue. non-Economist writer? I would at least like to see someone who understands what the lack of liquidity does to a marketplace. If you want a really good example, look at the credit market.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 03:43 PM) That right there is the simplest and most profound statement I have read on this subject. And it could be said for everyone in that region. For what it's worth, that wasn't meant to be deep at all. It was just a statement of fact about how Israel views the world. They will literally destroy anything that they think is a threat to their existance, and they do not care what world opinion of their actions really is.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 04:24 PM) Waste is an interesting concept. What happens when the government wastes money? A supplier makes a higher profit and hires more people? The government hires more people thereby lowering unemployment? While I wish the government would make the fullest use of every dollar we spend, I think I agree with Balta, it isn't that crucial if you believe the government needs to be racking up debt and spending, spending, spending. I guess Balta believes that one $60 an hour job is more important than 3 $20 an hour jobs because that is what you get from a wasteful government. You also get all of the goods and services that you are paying for not delivered in a timely and efficient manner. Every dollar wasted in a program is one that isn't reaching the intended target.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 09:43 AM) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090113/ap_on_...tters___dollars So no one had any comment on this? I was curious if anyone would say anything. I think it is very interesting that this stuff has come up with Richardson and now Clinton within a couple of weeks of Blago getting indicted for the same type of stuff, and being investigated for it for a very long time. It kinda goes back to my point about how many people Blago pissed off to get indicted for this stuff, while in other people's cases it is a minor mention on a back page somewhere that no one really cares about. This is happening all around us in both parties. It is happening at the highest levels of our government, and it is glossed over.

QUOTE (kjshoe04 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 03:19 PM) On Espnnews just now one of the guys talking about the hall of fame voting said in a couple years that Frank Thomas could be an interesting debate. What a joke. The only debate is first ballot or not.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 01:48 PM) Since so many people here ask for girl advice, I will too! If a girl is flirty with you almost at all times when you see her, texts you a lot, and then sends you a partial nudie picture, does she want you? I'm unsure on this one. We'll need to see the picture to be able to answer that question.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 12:10 PM) uh, what do I put if I live right on madison (the zero line) North side or south side of the street?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 12:11 PM) No Jordan Danks huh? I really wanted to see him in person. Walk over to the minor league complex. It should be all right in the same area.

Eider Torres put up an over .300 average with what looked like some nice speed in a repeat of AAA. Santos looked like had some pop as well. Kroeger looks like he might be figuring it out as well.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 11:22 AM) I wish Danksy part 2 were here, but i'm excited to see what kind of impression Flowers, Poreda and Beckham leave on the team. The other three names of note are Myrow, Kroeger, and Restovich. Two of which (K and R)were really big prospects at one time and are both deserving of a shot at the MLB Level. Sadly this chance will not and should not come with our organization. Myrow is pretty much a more patient Brad Eldred and might have a decent shot of picking up a handful of abs if Allen isn't ready for if/when Konerko gets hurt. I was actually going through the googling some of the names I hadn't heard before. There was more middle infielders than I really expected to see in that bunch.

I saw the unedited title of Sprig 09, and I was wondering if there was another Palin kid running around...

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 10:40 AM) I completely disagree. That movie was terrible and predictable. Maybe it was a bad night because I totally missed it. Usually with those movies I figure it out right away or the end scenario is so unrealistic that the movie sucks. This one was neither for me.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090113/ap_on_...tters___dollars

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 08:44 AM) Is that the one where Tom Hanks tries to save Sarah Marshall deep behind enemy lines in WWII? Nice

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jan 12, 2009 -> 03:13 PM) Why, because Paul Konerko's numbers during his peak years (1999-2006 or so) aren't as impressive because a bunch of the "better" numbers around him were achieved in large part due to steroid use? I think comparing their numbers (if we assume both of them were clean, which i'm going to) is logicial. It's not like they played 50 to 100 years apart. Because it gives you no idea how they dominated their own era. By just using naked numbers pretty much every pitcher who pitched regularly from 1900 to 1925 or so should be in the Hall of Fame, because their numbers are hugely better than anyone of the last 30 years or so. There also should be no HOF pitchers from their era because their numbers don't compare. You are missing the most important factor in what makes a Hall of Famer is that they had so much of a significant impact upon their era, that they are considered one of the best of all time. You can't pull numbers from different eras to make that comparison. It isn't a black and white type of thing.

I would like to see the Soxtalk Awards kick off again personally. We have plenty of time for another list.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 07:42 AM) Well, I had been relatively supportive of Israel's moves on Hamas. But this is disturbing, and Israel will probably, rightly, lose a bit of their international support over it. Israel doesn't care about foreign support outside of maybe the US. They care only about existing. If they feel that is threatened, they will remove whatever that threat is.

So the wife and I have recently become addicted to Redbox, and have seen a whole slew of DVDs over the past couple weeks... Here are some quick thoughts. Saving Sarah Marshall was a must see. This was second to 40 year old virgin in that group of movies (superbad, knocked up, etc). Just hilarious. We actually watched it again, and it was even funnier the second time around. Rightous Kill was great as well. To be honest we rented it because Pacino and De Niro were in it, but wow. I won't spoil anything, but it got me. Hancock was god awful. I kept waiting for something to grab my attention, but it never did. When was the last good Will Smith movie? Legend was a bomb as well. Wall-E was a good movie. I don't know about all of the hype it got as one of the greats, but I did enjoy it. Eagle Eye I commented on above. I just couldn't get into the movie the whole time I was watching it. It didn't have one shred of believability, and I kept thinking that I had seen it before. Then I thought of War Games, and it was over. Get Smart I enjoyed. They really didn't give Steve Carrell as much of the Maxwell Smart lines and tics as I thought they would, but it wasn't bad.