Texsox

Probably true. Hogzilla was true. And that one was over 1,000 pounds.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 25, 2007 -> 01:37 PM) I ended up pretty dehydrated and cramped up really bad about the time we were high on LSD. Ugh. I ran god-awful. BUT WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR Just Say No!

QUOTE(mr_genius @ May 25, 2007 -> 04:54 PM) i agree with part of what you said. i'm definately not "anti-mexican' or anything like that. i don't have a problem getting people that are here working steady jobs a path to legalization. but we aren't bringing over canadians to do management jobs in large nunbers. tech jobs and engineering? yes, from India and Asia, but only because those jobs are impossible to completely fill with americans that have no education or skills in these fields (and have no desire to obtain these skills). also, these tech and engineering immigrants did it legally. And if we actually had a path to bring in low skilled workers I would agree, That is why we need a guest worker program that allows people to come in here and work for ten, twenty, thirty years and return to their home countries for their golden years, or, by achieving certain objectives, like not committing any crimes, paying taxes on time, etc, Be allowed to stay here. Side note, Why is it easier for us to accept we aren't turning out enough skilled workers, but not accept we aren't turning out children that want careers in menial labor? It's a crisis we don't have enough lawn care workers and bus boys but not a crisis that high salary jobs are being filled in from over seas? Import the bosses to employ Americans. That is a crisis.

Happy Birthday!!

QUOTE(mr_genius @ May 25, 2007 -> 04:42 PM) wow, that is messed up. we're gonna have a billion mexican immigrants slamming over the border. the country can't sustain tens of millions of new people mexico coming over. there just aren't that many low level jobs. what are we going to do when all these people are here, and citizens, and only a third of them have jobs? this whole thing needs to be thought out better. Amen, I'd love to hear just one elected official mention tying this to jobs. No jobs, no immigration, Not from Mexico, Pakistan, Canada, England, Norway, not from there or there. Not over there or under there, Jobs, jobs, jobs, needs to be the reason. And I still think it is crazy how we don't have a problem with a Canadian coming over and taking a 80,000 management job but fight like hell about Mexicans taking $15,000 construction jobs. Which one is someone here likely to hold?

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ May 24, 2007 -> 01:10 PM) The Sox have enough hard throwers that a bruising could easily happen. Hell, with as wild as MacDougal has been lately, he can even claim it was an accident! Hell if he doesn't hit him they could claim he *was* throwing at him.

I was just looking at some of the rating for professors I had and can guess how many "bad grade hatchet jobs" I was reading, I like the concept, but the comments are suspicious at best.

Another possibility is hotels, restaurants, gas stations, rental car companies, will place a "hold" on a dollar amount to be certain your charges will go through. Once you settle up the hold is released and the correct bill is entered, But what I suspect happened here was either A. An employee figured to make a little extra or B. They saw the total and accidenatlly entered it as the tip. My first call would be to the bar, then your bank.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 25, 2007 -> 06:08 AM) Funny, no one seems to want to answer any of my questions anyway, instead just asking more questions. But that's OK. I reread your posts and only saw one question and will attempt an answer, We have 12,000,000 jobs being worked by illegals who may not be paying into social security. Once these 12,000,000 jobs are in the hands of legal employees who will be earning benefits into social security, we will have a crisis. You ask how we can avoid that new huge burden. There is no way around that looming crisis. The only way to avoid it is by using illegals and no one wants that anymore. As soon as those workers go on the books we have a problem. I don't see how it makes a difference if that worker is a new immigrant, or one of our children. We offer benefits to the working poor. We are adding those 12,000,000 *jobs* on the roles. That is 12,000,000 more positions that will pay in and receive benefits. Do you see a way around it? It seems as if you are arguing we should have continued to use illegals so we wouldn't have the social security problem and I know you don't want those illegals breaking into your home and taking your things.

Anyone actually check out those sites before signing up for classes? Hey jim, what do your students say about you?

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 24, 2007 -> 02:28 PM) I know the arguement is OMG who will do these jobs, but I think it is hilarious that all of these illegal activities can be excused just for that reason. What is wrong with actually setting a real plan for legal migrants to work in the US? I know it is easiest to sit and snipe at those who disagree with you, but are you telling me if I broke into your house, took stuff from you, and then claimed it was my house because I was there, you wouldn't have a problem with it as long as I did the dishes? If so you all can send me your addresses. You are missing my point, Who will work these jobs AND not create the financial burden that you outlined? Take away all the illegals and replace them with our kids. Wouldn't the financial burden be the same for all the government benefits? How does replacing these workers with our children reduce the cost of government benefits? I don't see unemployment rates dropping much. Built into those rates are professionals between jobs, etc. An accountant isn't going to work for a landscaper while trying to find another accounting job. I'm just not seeing the cost of government benefits being important in this debate, The only way to avoid the increased government cost is to continue using illegal labor and that is wrong and should not be tolerated, Not sniping, just trying to understand how you are arguing that by making illegals legal that will bankrupt the system but somehow replacing those illegals with other legal workers will not.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ May 24, 2007 -> 12:49 PM) I still fail to see a reason for invading the country. Iraq was not an imminent threat. Iran and North Korea are more of a threat. Iran and North Korea could have kicked our asses much worse than Iraq.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 24, 2007 -> 07:19 AM) Heck you can take that a step further and even start to figure out that these people probably aren't going to pay in nearly what they get out of the system. If these people are indeed coming to in to work our "unwanted" and lowpaying jobs, SSI is only taxed at 7.65% of income. So for someone who is even earning as much as $10 an hour and working fulltime, they are only paying in just under $1600 a year in FICA. [$10X40hrs/wkX52wks)times 0.0765.] So in other words if they work 10 years in the system, they will take out more than the spend in about 13 months, and that is only if they are single and have no dependants. If you take the highend earning potential of $2312 then it takes just under 7 months to become a net earner on the SSI program. Now starting taking that math times millions, and tell me how it does not place a huge new burden on the system? OK, so "these people" don't come in, Who works these jobs and doesn't cause the same problem?

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 23, 2007 -> 12:25 PM) I know in Absolute-land things are either black or white, but there are both services that are being strained by illegals, and others that have not been strained at all. Things such jails, hospitals, and food pantries are bursting at the seams. Many other government programs which have residency requirements have not been touched yet. I hadn't considered it from that angle. Good point, I know the hospitals here have a huge financial problem with all the "tourists" who go into labor while "visiting" the US. Of course their babies then have dual citizenship. Something I think really needs to be looked at. The world has changed in 200 years and is much more mobile. Looking at the numbers, whomever is working these jobs would qualify for the benefits. Unemployment is continuing to be very low, So if we suddenly removed those workers, who would take those jobs and not also be taking benefits? The only group that works those jobs and doesn't take benefits are illegals. So I'm not certain how that should fit into the solution.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 22, 2007 -> 09:09 AM) Actually I would argue the opposite is going to happen. Once these people are legalized, there is going to be a HUGE influx of 12 million new people utilizing social services that they never had used before, because they had no legal standing to them. Its one of the costs of this bill that no one seems to be mentioning. There is probably more unknown about that statement as any in discussing the problem. On one hand, we are told they are already costing us billions in these benefits. Then the same people will turn around and claim they are not using them, but will after becoming legal. Bottom line, we need a system that ties immigration to jobs. That does as much as humanly possible to have these humans "on the books". That decreases the desire for people to risk their lives to find some menial labor job in the US. That equalizes the situation where Cubans become instant citizenswhen they touch the beach, but makes a criminal of any Mexican who does the same thing. It takes government support for the working poor to live in this country. Our options include lowering all our standards to live at what the poorest can afford in terms of interstate highways, clean water and air, military, etc. Or accept that the taxpayers with the most resources will shoulder a greater share of the financial load that it takes to have our publicly supported schools, parks, military, etc.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ May 21, 2007 -> 07:05 AM) Oh, you'd be surprised how many people here think along the same lines as him. Faulty logic? Misstating facts? Misleading statements? Convenient lapses of memory? Yep, lots of them here. Just check out the GOP only thread I'm joking.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ May 18, 2007 -> 01:17 AM) Or if Joe's back lands him on the DL like it has the past few years. Our little ray of sunshine . . . Some people look at a glass and say it's half full, some look at the same glass and say it's half empty. Sox fans looks at the glass and says it's half full of s***ty tasting water because K-Dubya bought the wrong kind of water, Ozzie didn't know how to mix it, and we should have swapped our greater tasting water two years ago and we'd have a lake full of great water right now.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ May 19, 2007 -> 05:46 AM) This upcoming amateur draft is very important for our future. Not only with the first selection, but more for showcasing to fans that they've finally realized safe picks don't win championships. . So skip over the most highly touted players for the dangerous choice? No thanks.

Happy Birthday!!

Yet, by almost any yardstick, Ozzie is one of the top 10 Sox managers of all time. Amazing.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ May 18, 2007 -> 08:09 PM) I'm so confused.... Just providing a hint, as you look for me among the living and the dead . . . I won't be on this weekend, honestly I forget about the game.

We have bloated SS to the point it doesn't resemble true retirement planning. A harsh way to put this is, the only difference between this and Public Aid is the semblance that most people have contributed to what they take out. The problem is we are now placing people into SS that should be in other public aid groups. If you are injured and can't work anymore, that should be in the unemployment arena or similar until you are 65.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ May 18, 2007 -> 04:54 PM) It' sbeen a long time for me since an 18+ Metro show, but I remember them checking ID's well enough that if you didn't have one that said you were 18 you were SOL. Then again, my girlfriend was the one who wanted to see Echo and the Bunnymen, not me. . Obviously a lie. You and a girlfriend