Rex Kickass

I think Ozzie Guillen is not a long term solution for the White Sox. He, like all managers for all teams, plays a role for a team struggling to shake itself out of a long time rut. When Ozzie came in two and a half years ago, he took a team with a lot of the pieces people thought necessary to make the postseason - and didn't make the postseason. However, it wasn't for a lack of his trying - it was from bringing a different kind of play and system into the White Sox strategy. New pieces were needed, and because we had a front office that wanted to win badly - new pieces were added. In 2005, we had a dream team - even if in the beginning, only the faithful saw it. Ozzie inspired a team atmosphere that we hadn't seen in the White Sox in years. Sox Pride was very much what we saw. Do I expect us to repeat? Not really. And its not for a lack of talent, its more about the intangibles. As hungry as Oz was last year to win, this year - it felt as if he was just more content to sit on his laurels. It felt that way for a lot of his players too. I can understand that. It isn't often you get to be world champions - you should get to enjoy that for a little while. From this die-hard New Jersey fan that follows more games on StatTrackers then TV, it seems like Ozzie manages on emotion rather than strategy. Although it can allow for amazing highs - like the 2005 post season, it can provide serious slumps - because emotion and "gut sense" seem to often get in the way of fundamental managing skills and fundamental baseball skills. We're lucky to have Ozzie Guillen in our organization. He provided a spark (and still can provide it) that few other people could hope to be able to produce. Unfortunately, sparks don't often translate into lasting fires.

I know that. Most of them are in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. There are a "few" in Beirut - but they're busy with what's happening locally. US News resources in the Middle East are much fewer than you'd think. Did you know that only CNN had an active Baghdad journalist team during the Iraqi invasion in 2003, and they were expelled two days into the war?

Btw: The Fox News Journalists is the Third Top Story on CNN.com. The 8th lead on MSNBC and Fourth on Foxnews.com.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 09:15 AM) His points are all correct - if embarrassing. Do you think he is trying to defend that fact? If he is, then I agree, that makes him pretty slimy. But I think maybe he was just reporting the fact, and not so much saying it was right. If that is the case, then be angry with the Beirut bureau reporters for ignoring the kidnapping - not this writer. DU? Actually the Beirut bureaus are busy with Lebanon. This is happening in Gaza. We kinda forgot about that mess in general. And besides, who wants to hear about missing journalists when the Jon Benet suspected farted in business class on his flight to LA?

According to my friend with his MA at Julliard, it's a big difference.

This is kinda sad when you think about it. 171 people die in a jet airliner crash in Ukraine today. Iran replies in the Nuclear Showdown that's ongoing. The UK is planning on a 50% withdrawal from Iraq within the year. And the lead story on two of the three cable news websites is this dude getting sent from California to Colorado to maybe, possibly stand trial on a 10 year old murder case. And on the third news site - its story two.

Couple new polls out this week in CT Senate. Lieberman 45, Lamont 43, Schlessinger 6, Rasmussen Lieberman 44, Lamont 42, Schlessinger 3, ARG. MO Senate Talent (R, Inc) 46, McCaskill (D) 44 Rasmussen Talent 46, McCaskill 47 Survey USA MT Senate Burns (R, Inc) 47, Tester (D) 47 PA Senate Santorum (R, Inc) 41, Casey (D) 47 Strategic Vision Santorum (R, Inc) 42, Casey (D) 48 Quinnipiac

From the Observer in the UK. I'm not sure which newspapers in London are papers of record, so take an ounce of salt with some of this. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/st...1854503,00.html

Hit the hammer on the head here. As "concerned" as we were about it, we weren't really that "concerned" after all. Once it became clear that Syria wasn't going to join this fight, world powers were content and see just a few million sit in risk of death from a war that most of those people didn't want.

Israel/Lebanon by the numbers. The death toll in Lebanon is somewhat disputed, although the AP pegs that number around 845 based on a variety of sources. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060817/ap_on_...y_the_numbers_1

I wouldn't say "quite a job" but in this important circumstance, he's done pretty well.

QUOTE(Harry&JimmyRocked @ Aug 16, 2006 -> 09:24 PM) parque??? Butter.

One car should be SNAKE. The other PLANE.

So as much as I hate to admit it, I gotta pass out some Kudos to John Bolton at the UN. Somehow he managed to work enough with the French to get a ceasefire through the Security Council that has some teeth. Although we couldn't be the "honest broker" alone, by teaming up with France we were able to put together a solution that, if it holds, will help acheive Israeli goals in the region while potentially preserving Lebanese democracy.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 18, 2006 -> 10:44 AM) Its just like anything. When you hold yourself up as a moral authority on anything, there are people who are going to make sure that you aren't hiding in a glasshouse. It doesn't surprise me at all, as this is done everyday... Just ask people like Pat Robertson. I don't think advocating and encouraging policy change is nearly the same thing as claiming yourself a "moral authority."

SOAP delivered what it promised, Snakes, Planes and Samuel L Jackson. The crowd was drunk and annoying, I did almost vomit from the movie. It was indeed as stupid and wonderful as I would have expected.

He's running as an "independent minded Democrat" which includes getting all but endorsed by a Republican president, accepting money and help from Republican partisan sources. If Lieberman wants to keep his spot in Senate seniority, he oughta pledge that he'll caucus with the Dems in January 07.

Pluto/Charon = Minneapolis/St. Paul Cold and boring.

I've dropped out of Michigan State twice. I do occasionally follow John LLLLLL Smith's football team and Tom Izzo.

Virginia Senator George Allen is in hotwater. As is the case, an operative of his opponent's campaign was there with a videocamera to catch any crazy thing that the Senator says. (From my experience in campaigns - just about everyone does this now BTW). The Senator referred to the brown skinned camera man as "Macaca" during a stump speech. Macaca is a type of monkey. It's also a slur sometimes used by White Power afficionados for African Americans in place of the more traditional words. The story: http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/16/all...teer/index.html

Lieberman could end up a man without committee assignments or seniority in the Senate. http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheH...1606/news1.html

Well, although rights are afforded to women in Iraq and Iran, I wouldn't call them the most progressive of middle eastern states. Especially in Iraq, the chaos has made women especially unsafe.

Did the News-Dispatch ever report on it?

I saw the AP article on this yesterday and I knew right away they were illegals. When you start hearing about mattresses in the kitchen and illegal plywood walls, you know who that's for.

From New Jersey Craigslist