southsider2k5

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Jan 18, 2006 -> 01:13 PM) But that should have happened back around...oh...1985. Shame it took the world so long to realize something sucked so bad. See also 3 million paying customers a year at Wrigley Field.

Curious here... Are we on our own, or are we resourcing for answers? Personally if it is looking up other peoples resources, I am not much interested in this. If it is something that is based on our own knowledge and opinions then I am in.

Who knows how this will happen. All I know is that a companies shareholders are a lot more likely to hold a companies CEO to the fire for not declining share price, than the citizens of Maryland are to vote out their legislators for passing that law. Consequentally I think it more likely that WMT would have to play hardball as they know that their jobs are on the line. Also I think if other states are considering these laws that it forces WMT to respond quickly to scare other states into not passing similar laws if they know WMT is willing to fire people and shutdown stores. Also I am not sure if it will get that far, as I am not convinced that MDs law is legal in their own state as it only targets one group, which would have definately been legal if WMT had been mentioned by name. Instead they used a thinly vieled "employer of 10k employees or more" discription, which is only fit by WMT.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 18, 2006 -> 12:51 PM) And never anyone in the aisles to answer a question, in my experience. But you could be right. I was just guessing that, since Walmart is highly cost-conscious, they'd likely not be staffed at a level higher than necessary. But if that's not the case, and they have room to cut, then this 8% thing will make them do that. A few things #1 I know WMT is the nations largest grocer, and I have read before that the margins for a typical grocer are less than 1%. #2 I don't know what their consumables profit margins look like, but WMT specializes in loss leaders to bring people into the store, so I doubt there is much fat there either. #3 I also know that their payroll is kept pretty lean as well, and the added costs of operating in big cities pay enviornments is what has kept WMT out of urban areas for the most part. The great majority of their locations are in rural areas where they have little to no competition for labor, and they can keep the prices low. #4 It isn't that any one WMT makes a lot of money, it is the fact that their business model has a ton of stores making a steady solid small profit, which adds up to huge profits at the end of the day. I really don't think adding 8% to their single biggest expense (payroll) is going to be good for many individual stores bottoms lines, and I think WMT with their history of playing tough will resort to store closings in many cases sooner than letting their profits get ate up by this law. I think they will recognize that they can invest their capital into more corporate friendly areas and shutdown stores that aren't profiting as much as other areas could be.

I love the quote from Kenny. I know it was from the Garland press confrence, but it rings so true and goes to exactly what makes KW invaluable to the Sox. He is driven.

Here is my prediction on this... Z and the Cubs already have a basic idea in mind for a long term deal. They will announce a 4-5 year deal worth over $50-60 million at about 12 million per year before Z has his arbit hearing.

I'd give it a whirl.

I am sure the conversation with Borchard went something like you can give up your number or you can give up your roster spot... Its up to you.

f***. This means Zambrano is wanting a long term deal with the Cubs. Not good news.

I just don't understand why we need an Al Green thread?

FYI, it isn't just the Ryan they are working on. Basically every single interestate south of Madison is getting worked on in 2006. The Ryan, Ford, Skyway, Kingery, and I80 are all having major work done on them.

IIRC Nagin was already quoted earlier saying that he wanted to make sure that Hispanics didn't take all of the reconstruction jobs in NO. I am pretty sure we all know what he meant in his initial comments here.

QUOTE(EvilMonkey @ Jan 17, 2006 -> 10:37 PM) If Walmart would just close up shop in Maryland altogether and leave the state, I think that would stop this witchhunt. Lets see MD deal with all the unemployment they will have to cover once the thousands of people are unemployed. PLus healthcare. And Maryland is such a small state that most people could get to a store in a neighboring state if they really needed to. I would be willing to bet that Wal-Mart makes up that 8% by either closing facilities or laying off employees. You can't tell me that Wal-Mart is going to just sit by and absorb an 8% hit to their bottom line. Heck I wonder how many of their stores in MD even have an 8% profit margin to lose? I also wonder if it would be consolation to be jobless knowing that someone else has insurance. Also I wonder if this will survive constitutional muster since the law was obviously passed just to hit WMT without actually specifying WMT...because the lawmakes had no doubt when they put the description of companies that this law was supposed to effect that it would only be WMT.

I'll have some cake sent upstairs... you be sure to wait by the elevator for it

QUOTE(Steff @ Jan 17, 2006 -> 05:17 PM) Good grief. I would be pissssssstttt off if I spent $15K and had no post season options... Sounds like everyone who is in already is fine right? Now you know coming in that you don't have post season tickets if you buy a plan, so it is out there in the open. Sounds like the Sox are making sure to avoid the PR disaster of having people unknowingly not end up with tickets.

Wow. Awesome!!!!

I know this is a joke and all, but FYI they do make a new one every year. The WS trophy is not a traveling trophy like the Stanley Cup.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 17, 2006 -> 04:23 PM) (yes, I know it's not an amendment...but anywho...) I hope you just forgot the green on that one... otherwise that is a stretch that Hawk wouldn't even call

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Jan 17, 2006 -> 01:33 AM) Chappaquiddick is so played out. Honestly, Ted Kennedy is a person who gives you so much material to work with, and nobody can seem to get past 1969. The nose one was my favorite. You mean like his belonging to a club that bans women from joining... And just now vowing to get out of it? http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics...rticleid=121646

I'm pretty sure I will get up there for at least one night... I am trying for Friday. I am still trying to get some passes though.

Great news. It still doesn't convince me that Joe Crede won't be paired with Jose Contreras for a 3B, relievers, and a SP prospect.

Don Luskin http://www.smartmoney.com/aheadofthecurve/...?story=20060113

While driving, you look down to dial your cell phone. Failing to watch the road ahead of you, your speeding vehicle crashes into an overturned fuel tanker, causing a massive explosion which turns you into human kibble. I knew I hated Cell phones for a reason.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Jan 17, 2006 -> 12:06 PM) I love the "They all do it" defense, because it's so four year old in nature. It's OK for you to do the wrong thing, because everyone else did! Who me? I am just being patriotic.

QUOTE(THEWOOD @ Jan 16, 2006 -> 06:57 PM) Game 1 of the ALDS this year I was sitting in the UD with a buddy...he went to the bathroom and came back laughing...he told me that while he was waiting in line for the stall in the mens room that he thought he heard two people in the stall, then all of a sudden he heard a girl moaning, and the smacking of skin together....he said everyone in line just started laughing...seems like the UD is the place to enjoy some adult activities Some of you youngins would have loved what went on at the old ballpark. it was CRAZY.