Texsox

I believe most (50% - 75%) are there for the party, and I don't mean Dems or Reps.

Each person probably has their own reasons, and I'm guessing, some of the reasons are, it beats working, it's a parade, a chance to get laid, have a couple beers, make a difference, be a part of something big

I always thought they didn't start selling SRO until the game was sold out. It would encourage people to "sneak" into seats if they did it prior to a sell out.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ May 1, 2006 -> 11:19 AM) Not entirely on the first part...as you increase distance, resistance goes up, so you simply cannot transmit the power that far. You don't have to. Less get's pulled from one area and it just kind of cascades. Dallas doesn't pull as much from St Louis, who doesn't pull as much from Cleveland, who doesn't pull as much from Boston, and viola. Capacity in helps no matter where. Now I wish every home also had a means to generate electricity. I've looked at various solar possibiites, with the bonus of "selling back" excess.

I found some isopropyl alcohol and that stops some of the itch. I must have been bit 20 times in less than a minute.

But weren't Republicans the majority party the entire time Bush was in office? Guessing at the numbers, I assume much of Dubyas involves the war on terror. Bush and Clinton didn't have to deal with a 9/11 type attack. I dislike graphs and charts like this without understanding exactly what it repesents.

Excuse me while I vent Mother f***ing, damn, s***, f*** f*** f*** fire ants. My foot was already hurting and a bunch of fire ants attacked from nowhere and now it itches like crazy and I can't find any of my fireant stuff. Mother f***ing little bastards.

I always wonder if this is a standard operating procedure for a President and that every other President in the past couple hundred years did this as well. It could be quiet because it is routine.

QUOTE(samclemens @ May 1, 2006 -> 10:58 AM) if the boycott has no impact on the economy, it will defeat the cause of the boycott today. the entire purpose of the boycott is to show how much of an impact "immigrant" (illegal) workers have on the economy and how important they are and why we have to grant them amnesty. if there is no impact on the economy, it will prove the complete opposite of what the boycotters are trying to prove. I wasn't certain what you were trying to "impact", I thought you meant impact on the immigration reform debate.

Dear Sam Clemons, When we were in the Senate together, John Kerry and I shared a lot more than a last name. We both came to public service after having served our country in Vietnam. And that experience caused us to make a fifteen year effort to bring peace to Cambodia, resolve the POW-MIA issue, write a road map to normalization with our former enemy, and follow that road map until a former prisoner of war returned as our ambassador in 1998. That diplomatic voyage was long and very contentious. It began with President George Herbert Walker Bush and ended with President Clinton. It was not possible without the courageous leadership of Senator John McCain and many other Vietnam veterans who served in Congress. It was angrily opposed by many and reignited many of the bitter, personal debates surrounding the war itself. It's among my proudest accomplishments. We were able -- Republicans and Democrats together -- to achieve a great foreign policy success at the site of our worst foreign policy mistake. We stood shoulder to shoulder for peace and reconciliation. Millions of Cambodians and Vietnamese are better off today because of it. For me this was an effort worthy of our sacrifices and reflects my strongest desire for America's destiny as a peace maker. For those who have fought in war, decisions about war and peace and how you send men and women to war become personal in a hurry. Wars -- even when we agree they are necessary -- are not the result of our successes; they are the result of our failures. Something more, though, was seared into both John and me by our Vietnam experiences. Half of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall are the names of Americans who died after the policy makers knew our nation was on the wrong course, after both political parties called for expeditious withdrawal. And yet the war dragged on for five more years. "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?" Thirty-five years ago, John Kerry asked that question as a recently returned Vietnam veteran testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He acted because he believed it was right to dissent from a war he believed was wrong -- and he was willing to endure the attacks of the Nixon Administration which hated John for saying what he believed. This testimony provoked more than partisan attacks. Even many of his fellow veterans were angry and some never forgave him. I remember this well because I nearly lost my first race for Governor because people thought I was John. Say what you want about the content of that testimony, it was an act of profound courage. And say what you want about that testimony, there is little doubt that Vietnam and the United States would have been spared tens of thousands of its youth had John's advice been taken. Ten days ago, in a powerful speech on Iraq and dissent at Boston's Faneuil Hall, John made it clear that those who disagree with President Bush's course in Iraq have a right and an obligation to challenge a President who they believe is wrong, a policy they believe is wrong, and a war in Iraq they believe weakens our nation. John stood up and defended the dissenters -- whether retired generals or our fellow Vietnam veteran Congressman Jack Murtha. In an age where those who speak out are too often vilified or worse, John spoke out about and acted on the real meaning of patriotism: having the courage to speak your mind, heart, and gut even when it's unpopular. I urge you to watch this vitally important speech and to forward it to as many people as possible. VIEW HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FANEUIL HALL SPEECH ON DISSENT AND IRAQ We're at a big moment here - one where each and every one of us must reject attempts to silence criticism of the rudderless course Washington has charted, one in which each of us must absolutely refuse to let soldiers and civilians die to save face for politicians unwilling to admit their mistakes or change course. I urge you to watch this speech and to join with John Kerry in speaking out and doing everything possible to make 2006 the year that we did what's right for our soldiers in Iraq, our nation's foreign policy values, and our national security. Sincerely, Senator Bob Kerrey

We are on an energy grid. Add electricity in West Texas and someone in Maine benefits. How come garbage dumps aren't located near wealthy communities? How come prisons aren't located near wealthy communities? There are all sorts of things that people don't want in their backyard, and in our society, they seem to always wind up in some poor person's backyard, not wealthy Democrats _or_ Republicans.

I'm confused by your choices, how can it have no impact and hurt the amnesty movement?

QUOTE(samclemens @ Apr 28, 2006 -> 08:07 AM) ah, the classic "not in my back yard". it transcends all political boundaries. I'm starting off May by agreeing with Sam IMNSHO, this is more about wealth and privilege than political viewpoint.

With this great start, we are exactly 1.5 games ahead of 2nd place Detroit. So while congratulations are in order, let's not annoint this team just yet. Put it in perspective. Plus, at any given time 1/3 of the players are playing great, 1/3 are struggling, and 1/3 are on their way to either of the above groups. I think this time is better than last years, but talent alone doesn't win divisions and world series, luck, health, etc. are all necessary

Why do anything to encourage patriotism? Better they cheer and yell then sing the words in their own language.

What I was trying to say is, the best solution may change, as you stated, based on the number of workers. Having undocumented workers makes counting them impossible, and therefor makes the "correct for America" policy more difficult. I'm not certain if there is a difference in the solution between 8 and 12 million, it's still a lot of workers. Now a difference between 2 and 15 million would start to expose some differences. And of course the unemployment rate of these workers could also be a factor. One possible explaination is many of these jobs are seasonal and project dependent. Farm workers are following the crops, construction workers are following the housing booms, etc. Perhaps this highlights another reason that documented workers do not desire these jobs because of the uncertainty of steady employment. If you were a lawmaker, and facing this decision, which numbers would you use? There are times when these people really earn their money, this is one of them. And to answer your question, IF there are 12,000,00 and only 7,000,000 are working, AND the other 5,000,000 aren't children who can't work, parents the workers are taking care of, etc. In other words, IF these 5,000,000 are able bodied individuals who can not find work, then we need to make certain they are not receiving government benefits they did not contribute to and our next immigration policy needs to address a 40% unemployment rate. We can not and should not allow people to come to this country, legally or illegally, just to collect public aid and other benefits. They should been gainfully employed, or, demonstrate the ability to support themselves. (if someone wants to marry a foreigner, and they have the resources, that person should not have to work. If someone wishes to retire here, and has the means, they should be allowed to.)

QUOTE(kapkomet @ May 1, 2006 -> 09:01 AM) Hmmm... VICTIMS! VICTIMS OF THEIR OWN SUCCESS! I bet they're retired because they got so wealthy and fat off us rich-ass Americans who wanted to pay "cheap" labor.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ May 1, 2006 -> 08:55 AM) So exactly how misrepresented is the story of the poor Mexican who just wants to work here? The numbers thrown at us say 11-12 million people here working trying to scrimp and save some money. The US's statistics are saying in the whole work force only 7.2 million people are working illegally, which means something in the area of 60% of the illegal aliens could even be working. Then if you combine that with the people Tex is referring to who overstay work visas from other countries, and we could be looking at a whole lot less of the population specifically from Mexico and Central America who are in the US and actually working... Could the story of being here and doing the jobs that no American wants to do just be a myth? How do you explain the other at very least 4 million people who are here not working? First off, the premise may be wrong and highlights one undisputed fact, having people here we don't know about, and aren't included in the census, makes a fair public policy difficult to reach. If the 12,000,000 was based on counting the ears of workers and dividing by two, and now there are less workers, perhaps the entire population could be much less. Maybe there are only 7,000,000 illegals? As the number gets smaller and smaller, does it mean we should take the issue less and less seriously?

QUOTE(DePloderer @ May 1, 2006 -> 08:40 AM) Thanks, as we'll be arriving a couple of days before the game (Sat) we'll want to take in a few of the major sights and sounds of Chicago. That hotel looks reeeeal nice though. You have to love old Hotels. Some of the rooms are tiny, based on modern designs, and remember it is about 100 years old. Check their packages, I was usually good at finding deals. But I would schedule my stays around the deals. And, if travelling to Milwaukee the Pfister Hotel is another favorite. I see they have closed the English Room, which was a very nice restaurant.

In related news, people are actually talking about Brantley today, much different than if he said Pooholes.

Just a reminder that that the YNOT Picks need to be in quick today. Kalapse has posted the questions. Linked Here And this would be a good time for a to Kalapse for taking on this contest. Thank you.

To make your trip better, before slamming the lid on the bonnet, you should learn to speak English like a good American, not that stuff you speak over there

QUOTE(DePloderer @ May 1, 2006 -> 08:28 AM) I am now trying to find a hotel. Not knowing Chicago at all, I don't know which area to choose. Can anyone help? The choices seem to be; DOWNTOWN Loop Near North North Michigan Ave River North South/South loop Lincoln Park/Lakeview. What is the best way to get around Chicago, we'll be coming in from O'Hare. Bus? Rail? Can we get a family pass for a few days? What are you going to be doing, and that will determine where you want to stay. Downtown is always a nice touch. I love the Palmer House

BTW, I'm showing support by wearing my Esteban Loiza jersey today

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ May 1, 2006 -> 08:14 AM) While this boycott/protest/rally/crime orgy thing annoys the crap out of me, I have to say I don't feel too badly for companies suffering without their illegal immigrant hires. They are in the wrong as well. It's not just illegals walking out, it's the people who support the illegals.