Rex Kickass

There's always the possibility that there are crackpot agents in the FBI.

VA treatment of wounded vets has been a shame for a long long time. If it takes political posturing to improve treatment conditions, bring on the posturing.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 21, 2007 -> 09:49 AM) The French don't seem to think that 3000 dead people is very many... Please please please don't say Jean Marie Le Pen represents "The French" It's like saying Pat Robertson represents "The Americans"

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 20, 2007 -> 02:24 PM) One problem with simply granting another license - the cost of entry, the "moat" if you will, for satelite radio is enormous. Way, way, way, way, way higher than conventional radio. So the only way new licensure is not ridiculously costly is if one of the existing businesses goes into bankruptcy, and the hardware can be bought for relatively cheap. A broadcaster could simply lease space on existing satellites. It may provide for a more limited content stream, but that's not necessarily important when determining competition ability.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 20, 2007 -> 09:37 AM) That's the cost reduction factor I mentioned earlier, and it will undoubtedly be a major argument they will make to get it done. Delivery is not the only difference. Its a whole different product, different content, different hardware. Its paid service for one, not free. For two, its hundreds of channels of audio, not 15. There are other differences as well. The closest analogy is cable and regular TV (though that is still not a perfect comparison for a few key reasons). Sure, people turn on a TV in any case, and yeah, its AV signals they are receiving. But look what happened with cable TV, and satelite. In both cases, the government is forcing competition, because markets with one cable company are getting screwed on rates. The same thing will happen here. Once SiriuXM gets their market to where 50%+ of people have it (like cable/satelite TV), the rates will start to skyrocket. That's the nature of a monopoly. And in the case of radio, since you need different devices and have entirely different content, I'd suggest that satelite radio is much more seperate as a market from conventional radio, than cable TV is from network TV. Therefore, again, more argument that its a monopoly. Seems hard to believe that the FCC would want to create a monster like that, which they would have to break apart later anyway. They don't have to break anything apart. They can grant another satellite broadcasting license. But the truth is that satellite radio is an additional technology. It doesn't replace anything and probably won't. As long as the radio technology makes it difficult for people to have an account for multiple radios in one place, we won't ever have to worry about it.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 19, 2007 -> 05:41 PM) I agree with what most this, but can you elaborate on the part in bold? How is 1 company "plenty of competition"? It's plenty of competition because Sat radio doesn't exist in a void. If it did, terrestrial radio wouldn't have fought its existence for a decade. In a market like Chicago for example there are 40+ options before XM or Sirius ever launched.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 19, 2007 -> 02:00 PM) There are certainly examples of those who did not. And those who did. That is kind of my point though - I think this year will be different than many others past, specifically in that the National election will see candidates act/speak much closer to center than what we are seeing of the recent Congressional elections (2006) or even some recent Prez elections (like 2004). Exactly what has been done that's so far left as center in the new Congress?

Here's what you'll see I bet. Both systems will work at least for 24 months after the merger... at which point, an upgrade will become necessary, or they'll send a signal that's backwards compatible with both. Commercial free music radio will end on most frequencies. It will clear DOJ approval because there is plenty of sat radio competition. It's main focus is in the car, honestly. Not only are there regular radio stations, there also will be HD radio coming up in the next three to four years... this means that in larger markets, like Chicago, the number of local broadcast stations will double or triple. Within five years of the merger, pricing will have creeped up to 19.99 a month. I doubt there's a lot more room than that where they could raise their rates without having killer attrition.

NSS: I'm sorry but if you think once they swing to the fringe, they're gonna come back - I wanna point out one person we thought would do that in 2000. He's currently the President. George Bush basically said I'm a Social Conservative *wink!*. Turns out it wasn't a "you know better" wink, it was just an eye twitch. Assume the position they take on the campaign trail is the position they take in office, because for the last few Presidents, that's been entirely true. Bush 41 was pro-choice too.... right up until he got the VP nod.

It's actually more of a direct ripoff of "This Hour has 22 Minutes" from the CBC. But with SNL Weekend Update rejects writing the show apparently.

It will probably be XM. It has the stronger brand recognition. I would argue that although Howard might have brought about a million people to Sirius, the bulk of the new subscriptions had more to do with the growing availability of Sirius in new cars than anything else.

Who exactly is migrating to the center? McCain and Guiliani are falling all over themselves to say that they would only appoint "strict constitutionalist" judges and McCain reversed his long time position today and says he supports overturning Roe v Wade. The only two top tier candidates playing to the center right now are Hillary and Obama. Obama because he's speaking merely in generalities and Hillary, especially over the Iraq issue - but for her being in the center just means playing both sides. Every top tier candidate is finding away to shift to the edge of his or her ideological side already and its a year before the first primary.

I don't understand how a three year contract is a bad thing for Buehrle at a market rate. If the contracts are inflated now, just wait for three more years, and they'll be in the stratosphere. If he's young and has seven good years ahead of him on the mound, wouldn't it make sense to get 11 a year for three years and be able to get 20-22 a year for the four that follow?

Perhaps Dave Grohl decided that Jonathan Richman was right and the most punk thing he could do is be anti-punk? Richman sang love songs, Grohl made pop songs? BTW: he released a solo album in 1996 or 1997 - it was the score to the movie Touch. Entirely pop and mostly brilliant. Wish I stole it from the radio station I worked at at the time.

4-6 days? My Cubs to English dictionary says "Spring Training starts in May for Kerry Wood"

Assuming Bobby Jenks' closing performance is the start of something big, I think we have an HOF closer here.

QUOTE(Capn12 @ Feb 16, 2007 -> 06:29 AM) Well, I'm not sure how anyone could think Cornell was "the worst part of Soundgarden"...The man can flat out sing, and it always seemed to me that Morello depended on gimmicky riffs and solos that didn't necessarily go with Cornells style. I didn't like Euphoria Morning at all... I just don't much care for his voice. Audioslave's second album felt much more like a showcase of all the talent in the band - it felt like a supergroup's album (sorta like what Velvet Revolver does) - and because of which was a lot better.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Feb 16, 2007 -> 11:12 AM) Which is basically saying the same thing. Yes, he SHOULD have done that, but he didn't. The opposite side of the spectrum is Alex Rodriguez. He measures every answer and the people and the press come pretty close to crucifying him for it. He's too worried about his image. He's not interesting because he doesn't say anything inflammatory. Hardaway is an ignorant bigot. BUT, he was asked a question and he answered it honestly. Now, he has to live with the consequences of that. I can't fault him for saying what he felt, but I can ignore him from this point forward. PS...Mel Gibson was drunk and ranting and Michael Richards just flew off the handle. No one asked them anything, they did it on their own. No one asked this douche to say "I hate gay people" either. It's one thing to say that you're not comfortable with it, it's another thing to say that they hate gay people.

Tim Haddaway is stupid, and has no place talking bad about gay people after he released that "What Is Love" song. We are talking about the same guy, right?

QUOTE(bmags @ Feb 16, 2007 -> 01:20 AM) chris cornell a voice of a generation lol That first audioslave album was awful, Tom Morello reduced to rhythm guitar? It was like the worst parts of Rage and the worst parts of Soundgarden put together. Totally unrelated, I picked up the Sugarcubes box set - features all three albums. Man, they were good alt pop for 1988!

On time means when they push back from the gate. I love how JFK airport is trying to push this back on Jet Blue. "If we'd known that planes were stuck on the tarmac, we'd send buses." So Traffic Control at JFK doesn't know what's on the taxiways?

True, but once the plane leaves the gate, the airport has to give them permission to return to gate and/or get them off the plane outside of the gate... and if the airport thought there was a chance to get them off the ground, they'll keep them in the plane. BTW, JFK has some massive runway construction issues going on right now and almost every flight has nearly an hour cushion built in for taxi time at the airport. It's that crowded.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 13, 2007 -> 11:26 AM) Southern Rock? Limp Bizkit. Incorrect. Limp Bizkit spent several years chewing Faith No More's worn jock. They were no more southern than they were good. PS. George Thorogood = southern rock. Period.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 12, 2007 -> 08:03 AM) Here is your challenge, should you actually choose to accept it. Find me ONE year where the White Sox organization made profits, and the team did not see a corresponding increase in payroll for the next season. Yes, I am calling you to the matt. Put up or shut up. I want proof. Who's matt?

Didn't the last time this get brought up we were treated to a treatise on vacuums and how the dyson loses its effectiveness quickly based on the fact that its plastic?