Texsox

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 10:11 AM) I don't think it's even debatable. Four strong teams will be beating the crud out of each other all season. Gotta feel bed for the Royals and the clobbering they are going to get again this year. And feel bad for them . . . must be that mec you are using.

The question becomes do you want to be the Florida Marlins with a couple World Series trophies sandwiching years as the worst team around, or a string of better than .500 seasons and no more World Series trophies?

QUOTE(Steff @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 02:32 PM) Which is what they as human beings are supposed to do. God bless 'em! The guy that makes minimum wage claims he'd be loyal to anyone that would pay him $25K. The guy making $25K claims he'd be forever loyal to anyone paying him $100K, the guy making $100K claims he'd be forever loyal for $500K. They all are telling the truth, at that moment. Plus, the drive to be #1 includes salary time. Every player I have ever known, knew what the salaries were around him and at his position. There are players that would be happy as hell to be making $300,000 instead of $3,000,000 if the highest salary was $275,000. As Steff points out, that's human nature. If you have better "stats" at work, you'd be pissed to know the guy in the Boise office makes more than you, and the first chance you have to renegotiate you'll be in asking to top that guy's salary.

BTW, I think Newt would make a fine Rebublican President. I would not agree with his agenda, but I think he would be good. There are those ethics violations that were plea bargained away, but over all I agree he is a very well read, intelligent, politician and could sit in the highest office and not screw it up too much.

And your point? Right now the most important thing in my life is an awards program I am putting on next weekend, and I am working on the graphics. Well, that and posting here. Hard core Republicans will tell you everything hinges in the front pages. The world revolves around the front page. This is the media trying to make conservatives look bad.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 01:59 PM) I'm working on a 3.5 year old laptop, and I'm due for an upgrade if I can ever afford it, so that'll presumably be a Vista machine if I ever get that far. The one I just replaced was at least that old, maybe a little older. I just hit a spot where the hard drive was full (all 30 gig ) the touch pad was barely usable, the battery was shot, etc. I am thinking of other uses for it. I have to run a little closed broadcast radio station this summer and am researching ways to make it the brains of the operation.

From the Barbaro put down thread come these gems . . . QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:17 PM) It's been up on Deadspin for a while now, they are your unofficial Barbaro Headquarters you know. It's already on ESPN now and will soon consume your sports world. I really couldn't care less about some damn race horse but I'm ready for it to be jammed down my throat by every major sports media source. QUOTE(SleepyWhiteSox @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:23 PM) QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 01:48 PM) look what I found QUOTE(Jimbo @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 01:48 PM) Headline ESPN, Payton Manning visits Barabaro grave, the colts are heroes. Lovie Smith orders horse meat for villanous bears.

I'm sitting here looking at a new Dell e1705 that is juts begging to be upgraded. I will be the crash test dummy. I have a couple of programs that Microsoft flagged as potentially a problem, one if my Norton Antivirus which has me slightly concerned, the other is a program I don't usually use. I like some of the user interface enhancements I've seen.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it.

QUOTE(bmags @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:44 PM) oh it's a joke. I get it. It may not be.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:28 PM) The difference is, we are talking about their exisitance of the GOVERNMENT, while they are talking about the existance of a NATION. BIG difference. existence? How is it different? Either way people die, regimes change. Perhaps in one case you get to put a cool new name on the country. Nukes are a nice way to say, stay the f*** out of my way and off my doorstep you capitalistic pigs.

Somebody has CNN alerts I was just getting ready to post this. Tough luck.

It is a requirement as a Sox fan to have a media persecution complex. We must always believe we get no respect and the media is always out to get us.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 10:15 AM) Wowza. When did Oscar Wilde become a "reformed homosexual," I must have missed that. . . Thank goodness Tori Amos is still okay. And Sinead O'Connor and most importantly: I can keep my Wham! songs. Whew. . . Wake me up before you go go . . .

QUOTE(Steff @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 10:27 AM) Correct. So if Kenny just keeps his mouth shut the media has nothing to stir, right? It's their job. How can you fault them for doing their job? Exactly. Both sides need to keep quiet and everybody wins.

If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 29, 2007 -> 12:34 AM) AP will offer several versions of the same story on the wire. One for SD papers and stations, another for national papers and stations. I'd be surprised if the SD version of the story wasn't organized differently. Unless things have changed, AP customers can rewrite the story to fit their market. They do not have to run it exactly as written. (But most do)

I should have phrased the last question a little differently. At what point in the creative process does something cross over and become art? I remember eating a Pat's Pizza in Grayslake and a lady far smarter than I put forth the idea that this lump of clay is just a lump of clay until the artist shows it to someone. If the audience comes forward, looks, digests, and says, hey, that's just a lump of clay on a wheel! We might not have art. But walking into your context argument, and here's where I will agree with you. If the audience approaches, looks, and says "hey that speaks to the terror of an artist without inspiration" then you have art. She went on with other really good examples. That was 25 years ago, and I remember thinking she is a genius. Maybe I can get her drunk and she'll go out with me. (she did, and didn't) I believe the Church does speak out on about everything, but the publicity is always different. If the Church is standing with everyone else, they aren't mentioned. As soon as they are standing apart, it is news and gets reported. That leaves a mistaken impression that the Church is always by themselves.

He will be an idiot (again) as soon as he picks against us. The further he gets away from NY-Bos the worse he gets, but still does a very good job.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 01:10 PM) Ask any Sox fan why Robin Ventura left. Also ask them about the White Flag trade. Also if you stop and think about your question for a second... If the Sox are letting a player leave, there is probably a reason behind it. Why would they keep players who are aft-injured, clubhouse cancers, greedy, etc? That doesn't make any sense. It seems that as soon as a guy leaves, especially for money reasons, the next thing we hear are comments trashing the guy. I can't believe that every player that leaves is a terrible guy. I think the team smears some guys unfairly.

Just a little thought on the whole IDing thing. Would any of this make sense Bob Wills (Sears Roebuck) was arrested today in suspicion of molesting a child . . . Rob Hall (Democratic Voter) was arrested today in suspicion of molesting a child . . . Why do we want to know the party, (and we do)? Because we want to know if it's one of "our guys". Who cares about the kid, but was it one of "our guys" or one of "theirs"? How sad is that? Why don't we start holding these guys to the same standard regardless of which side of the aisle they sit? If convicted, the guy is a scum and should be tossed out on his ass. We all agree on that.

Of course the Church is preaching. So is the NRA, the Sierra Club, and every artist that displays their works. The works crossed their line, and that's exactly when they should speak out. Like an audience viewing a work of art, it is up to them to agree or disagree. Many will disagree, many will agree. But the process should be allowed. For some the Church speaking out will guarantee they want to see the movie, others will stay away. This is all part of free speech. If you want free speech for your works, than how can you argue against free speech? And to partially back up to Mary Shelly and Frankenstein, I also enjoy knowing her background and the stories surrounding that work. But I consider them in two different piles. I guess I want to give the artist the opportunity to shed their skin and create something. For example, if to better grasp the Conservative agenda I decided to write a pro conservative book, and it has merits as a pro conservative book, shouldn't that be enough? Historical fiction, something I have just started reading, seems to be about the hardest. To take something like the Civil War and weave a fictional work into it, while remaining historically accurate, boggles my mind. Not to get this off to a tree falling in the woods discussion, but does art exist without an audience? Or does something become art as soon as an audience is involved? I'd rather be having this conversation over a beer . . .

Safe Bands: How the hell does Cyndi Lauper get on any list?? OK, I do enjoy Jars of Clay and Flood is one of my top 25 Rock tunes. But, I'm taking my chances and hoping the Gay Cooties don't infect me through my speakers.

I'm a big fan of the Boy Scout Personal Management Merit Badge, which is required for Eagle Scout rank. Covers all that and more. We have a Senior VP at one of the banks that teaches the class for my Troop. The adults volunteer to monitor,

Not in order, but to answer a couple points, I do not consider my writing art, I do consider most fiction and even some stuff in my area as art. I'm trying to convey information in the most direct way possible and doing my best to write interpretation out of it. I need a wide audience to come away with the exact same information and understanding. This kind of writing is so much easier. Almost anyone with expertise in a field can have a book published. Non fiction is almost easy in that regard. Fiction? I would hate to try and figure out how many wind up gathering mold and how many get published. I am surprised by your first line. Shut up if you're the minority opinion? I can't accept that. In this case, with a billion Catholics world wide, I guess the Church doesn't have to worry too much about that. But I'd defend almost anyone in expressing their views. I have not objected to others expressing their views, I've objected to those who wish to silence the Church. You are correct, you have to listen to other opinions and have your ideas and beliefs tested from time to time. Of course I would not share your last paragraph. I don't need to know anything about the author to enjoy or not enjoy his work. So his belief structure isn't important to how I few the work. Frankenstein is a great work regardless if it was written by a 23 year old female on her first novel, or a 60 year old man with 23 books to his credit. I can think of a time when an idea is presented but not shown and I would still object to it. If for example the film was to glorify the mass murders at Columbine, to hold them up as heroes, I'd have a problem with that. I'm certain that most everyone could provide an example. Ideas are powerful, if you didn't believe that you wouldn't, or shouldn't, be an author. Ideas are all you have. Well maybe not all, but that's a big part of the job.