southsider2k5

You do realize that MSU is missing their starting point guard? And I am not sure how you think it isn't good to play good teams, but that is another story. MSU will finish 2nd or 3rd in the Big Ten, but the league as a whole is down this year.

The Big 10 is not that good this year. period.

You aren't getting it. The Brazilian's have been a net beneficiary of the free trade agreements. Before NAFTA Brazil had a small net trade deficit with the US. Since then Brazil now has a surplus with the US. Brazil as a country has benefited from there free trade agreements. You can point to individual markets, as well as I can to say that tariffs are hurting our respective economies. This is a narrow view, perpetuated by media only telling half of the story. Also what you aren't factoring in is the US usage of Brazilian labor that did not exsist before NAFTA. Because of the downing of trade barriers, US industry is able to hire and utilize Brazilian labor to manufacture and assemble the products that end up having American name plates. What would these people be doing for employment otherwise? And honestly if the Brazilian people really hate the American influence that much, they can do something about it. In the US it is called Dollar vote. It means not buying products from certian companies and buying them from others. Basically don't buy American products. Elect a government that refuses American grants and loans. Influence is a two way street. So many countries of the world want to have their hands out for grants and aid, but complain when the US wants a return for its money. If the things the US wants are that bad, cut off the US. Tell Bush to keep his military aid, tell Microsoft to keep its jobs, tell Congress to keeps its grants, tell the International Monetary Fund to keep it loans. Then they can also tell the US screw off when it comes to planning its policy as well. How much of the Brazilian GDP is a direct result of US money in one form or another? I would be willing to bet AT LEAST 5 %. End it. As for US growth figures, those were plain and simple the result of $100 billion in military spending increase over last year and the tax cuts moving through the economy (and your 14% is wrong, last quarter was 8.2%) If we spending that kind of money to keep the military industrial complex working at capacity, our growth figures aren't nearly that high.

I am not going to nitpick commodities with you, but know this fact. Every year the US runs a trade deficit to Brazil, period. More money flows out of the US into Brazil than vice versa.

And the reasons for that are many fold. #1 The whole world wants access to the biggest group of consumers in the world (the US). You have to have dollars to do business here. #2 The US trade deficit is at about $100 billion per year. Those are dollars that are leaving the US to go somewhere else, and buying someone elses goods. #3 The US is the biggest giver of aid to the world. This goes out both as equiptment and as dollars. #4 In Brazil (and many other countries) the country hasn't been stable enough to use the Real as a "safe" currency. They have gone through huge confidence crisises in the country and that has cause wild fluxes in the value of the Real. The dollar at least lends stability for pricing sake.

Are you kidding, I can't wait for the 3rd American Idol

I have first hand knowledge of the steel industry. I know people who are very high up in the unions here in one of the biggest steel producing companies in the country. The fact is that the steel industry employs 90% LESS workers than it did 25 years ago. Brazil does subsidize their steel industry, (along with many Pacific rim and Eastern Eurpean countries). That is why they were included in the steel tariffs. Also the Brazilian coffee and cocoa markets export huge amounts to the US, as do the Brazilian grain farmers. (mostly soybeans and wheat) BTW in the US the agreement is called NAFTA (north american free trade agreement)

It goes both ways Raf. For every farmer in Brazil that has lost his job to US subsidies, there is a US steelworker that has lost his job to Brazilian subsidies. When a dollar leaves the US to go to another country someone in the US ISN't getting that dollar. And last I checked Brazil is getting a whole lot more Dollars than the US is getting Brazilian Real.

I thought if they didn't get a first rd pick, they got a sandwich pick to make up for the missing first rounder? I am so confused

The rumor I saw was $48 mil. I don't know how accurate it was, because it was a couple different guys saying they heard it on sports radio out there. So take it for what it is worth...

No big surprise there. Hopefully the rumor about the Angels swooping with a big offer is false, and Bart has to come crawling back here for about 8 or 9 mil a year.

Album. Of. The. Year.

Most likely he is headed to the minor leagues... Too bad Wirtz doesn't have any balls at all. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1677224

Also potential picks come from Alomar as a A type FA, and Sullivan as B.

Yeah we'll get 6 first round picks and it will just like the year the Bulls had 3 picks in the top 7. It will be the worst draft class ever.

AH, I gotcha. If we could get a top 5 pick for Carl Everett in addition to the picks for Flash, and our normal pick, plus potential picks for Bartolo, we could be looking at rebuilding again.

The DRays have a terrible pick? Shouldn't they be in the top 10 at least with as bad as they were last year?

Turns out Howard Dean has had all of his records from his governorship in VT sealed for 10 years. When asked he gave some lame reasons such as George Bush did it (he didn't TX atty gen wouldn't allow it) and it was to protect AIDS patients (they are protected anyway-this was an outright lie) before finally coming clean with an answer. Yeah that Dean he is a real political outsider... Seems to me like he lies just like the rest of them http://www.msnbc.com/news/1000681.asp?0cv=CB20

Let me just add my prediction to this thread for posterities sake Juan Uribe is gone from Chicago before Jose Valentin is.

Hmm I wonder what happens to Jurrasic if their budget dries up. I haven't heard of any other teams interested in him.

Now that was just disrespectful

NO need for green there LMFAO!

Chicago, LA, and actually Houston too are on my personal radar because of the huge oceanic shipping that they do, and the extreme vulnerability of our seaports. Security is so pathetic in the places it is discusting, and I firmly believe that this is the place terrorists can make their next big strike.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2091886/