Rex Kickass

I'm sorry, when did the Soxtalk admins start running the world? Maybe you could explain that to me. The reason that that word is not tolerated, if you must know, is a long time ago - when there were more old schoolers than new, there were quite a few people who were bothered with it. So a decision was made to not allow it here. But maybe that's something you conveniently forgot.

Which park has the waterslide? Is that the BOB?

I find the reporting quality, however, to be far superior. Less Laci Peterson, More things that matter.

Hey, lets not insult folk here. I'm sure one day, they'll figure stuff out on their own.

Wasn't Shingo's entrance Mr. Roboto? There's nothing Techno about Styx. Maybe he could enter to Come Sail Away.

nu-metal is so not nu anymore. Seriously, shave that bad boy.

Yes, because the Yankees have been successful at getting that ring in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Why shouldn't it be made? The brutal dictator left office 20 months ago, the brutal waves only left four days ago.

As the resident gaybo on this board, I guess its time to do the inevitable and weigh in. I don't know what makes me gay, or bi or whatever the hell I am. I just know what I am - I know its not something I can change, and its not something I've chosen. I'm pretty sure I'm still a Christian and espouse Christian values in many of my actions every day. I'm not arrogant enough to assume that I lead a perfect, saintly life - but I try to follow the Golden rule and the ten commandments. I pray. As to being normal, I hope to God I'm not normal - because I don't think the world could take a whole lot of mes. Now I've seen and heard some stupid s*** on this board, but Juggernaut, what you've said could easily qualify as the most pseudo-intellectual mumbo jumbo I've ever read here - or possibly anywhere else. You basically insinuated that gay people are sub human, or at least not as human as you or any other straight person. And I'd obviously, respectfully disagree. "Gay" is "our" word for what we are. Taking that word and turning it into an insult is akin to you taking African-American and making it mean lazy. It wouldn't be acceptable. So for most people in the gay community, its not acceptable to them. You also said that we are the land of tolerance. Wrong. We are a land of equality, maybe you should consider the phrase "All men are created equal." But maybe that's too old school for you. Throw whatever bulls*** science you wanna throw at me about homosexuality or bisexuality being a choice. Being that I wanted, for a long time, nothing more than to change from what I was and couldn't, I'd beg to differ. Your sexuality is not a conscious choice. However, bigotry is.

Would those be fightin words? Just curious.

Having bought his pants on eBay, I can safely say, however, that I am the next best thing. Dynomite!

I always like cockass. I invented that word. Being gay myself, I can understand why folks get pissed off at that. It can sting a little to have your identity turned into an insult. I say that, not as an oppressed gay man but rather as an oppressed frenchman. I don't find the usage of gay as insulting to me personally, or offensive - just not that smart. Seriously, though - Homosexuals are sooo gay! Too much?

I think all this discussion really merits one question: Will Mariotti's departure adversely or positively affect our depth charts at the "Cranky Curmudgeon Columnist" position?

I wonder if this is going to be stamped out by Congress in the name of "Fiscal Responsibility." Vive L'Expos!

Juddling: Good points. A couple corrections though, the original pledge of aid was much less than the 35 million we've currently offered. Colin Powell was the one who said it was just the beginning, not the President. And promises of long term aid often go unheeded, just ask New York City. I think that you're mixing up two distinct arguments in this thread. First, 35 million is not a token amount of money. It's comparable to the larger countries in this world. The UN person who said it was "stingy" of the US to offer only 15 million was wrong, and I believe has retracted his statement since the additional 20 million in aid was announced the next day. Second, its important, in a geopolitical sense, for the President to seem like he gives a s*** about the crisis - even if he doesn't. Appearances matter, and given the fact that the bulk of the war we are fighting is represented between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea - every mistake is magnified. By the way, another fact unnoticed so far in this is that nearly 3,000 Scandinavian people are still unaccounted for. Approximately 100 dead are British, and we can count on several hundred Americans having lost their life in this tragedy as well.

Jackie: Check out the Apostrophe album. Cozmik Debris is an awesome song. "Is that a real poncho or a Sears poncho?" Beastly: Consider this in your argument, discretionary warnings are usually voluntary - and they aren't even applied equally. Certain stores will not carry CDs with Warning labels on them (Wal-Mart for example) and others will not sell them to people under 16, 17 or 18. Some movie theatres will also not admit people under 17 to R rated movies, but its not a hard and fast rule either. When you consider your "freedom to buy whatever," does that mean a "freedom from selling to whomever as well"?

Hell yeah, they're cheap! Where's my cut? I don't think Payroll matters, smart GMs do. Recognizing talent and locking them in before the rest is what will make us be better than the Jankees, Red Sox or anyone. We did that with Shingo, Garcia...

I can picture it now... That selfish bastard wanted to eat HIS OWN MEAL! Can you believe that? Now I know why he got that artificial hip, 2 hips just weren't enough!

I'd disagree. But whatever.

I think the problem is that the definition of what a terrorist is, is too broadly defined.

There's been nothing ugly about this so far. Where do you think politics was most affected by 9/11? Here's a clue, it wasn't New York City or the Northeast. It was the Midwest. I remember visiting New York in 2002 and thinking to myself that if someone was driving across the country that summer, that the attack took place in the Midwest rather than NYC, because the people most directly affected by the attacks moved on with their lives. And the people in Lansing, Michigan - where I lived at the time, hadn't. Or they took steps to find out why it happened and to ensure it never happened again. The fact is, what the President says or doesn't say rarely affects the people who are directly affected. It does affect the people in the hinterlands that are watching the tragedy unfold on their TV or in their newspaper. And there are a lot more of those than the ones affected.

Awesome dude, you going to get involved with the party at all? Or just gonna be an informed voter? Either way, welcome.

So basically, what you're saying is that the US is powerless to change things. We live in the greatest country in the world. The one that exerts the most influence on this planet, politically economically and culturally. What Bush says, in terms of platitudes probably doesn't matter. That he says it, does.

Hey, don't lump him in with me

One more signing. Ozzie decides to become a manager/player as the new utility Infielder.