Texsox

I think D12 with their Sox tattoos are way more fans then some dude wearing a cap . . . you know, just saying . . .

QUOTE(LowerCaseRepublican @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 03:55 PM) Pot. Kettle. Black. Not. Going. Back

One day the zoo-keeper noticed that the orangutan was reading two books: the Bible and Darwin's Origin of Species. Surprised, he asked the ape, "Why are you reading both those books?" "Well," said the orangutan, "I just wanted to know if I was my brother's keeper or my keeper's brother."

NOTE FROM CHRIS: Men's Health magazine recently named Ft. Wayne, IN, as the country's dumbest city -- just barely beating out Newark, Las Vegas and Corpus Christi. The Top 5 Signs Your City's Not So Bright 5> City Hall is located at the intersection of Jessica Simpson Blvd. and Britney Spears Ave. 4> As the citizens of Poopyturd Falls will attest, you'd better make sure some legal safeguards are in place before you decide to resolve a budget shortfall with that "rename our town" gimmick on eBay. 3> Your mayor gets re-elected running under the campaign slogan, "b**** set me up!" 2> To improve the town's image, the population unanimously voted to change the name from "Skanksville" to "Skanksburg." and Topfive.com's Number 1 Sign Your City's Not So Bright... 1> City Council just granted an Indian Gaming license to a business consortium from New Delhi. Join ClubTop5 to see the whole list: http://www.topfive.com/html/clubtop5.shtml

Ruminations for March 9, 2005 -=++=- The reason I enjoy The Home Shopping Network so much is that they never interupt their shows with commercials. (Fanny Bright) -=++=- I think I may finally be winning my 3-year-old message board thread about how I'm not always stubborn and obsessive-compulsive. (Michael Cunningham)

QUOTE(winodj @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 03:39 PM) Tex: The GOP could not have done it in California after the 2000 Census, because the Democrats control the California Legislature. There is talk of Democrats doing tit for tat redistricting in other states that they now control to "level the playing field" so to speak and negate the gerrymandered effect of the Texas redistricting in the 2004 Congressional elections. Personally, I think its a s***ty idea to do it either way. The last thing I want as a private citizen is to have to figure out who my congressman is every two years. My mistake. It was Colorado and Pennsylvania

I figure if I cannot cover it while wearing a business suit, I'm not getting one. That's why I have an "exit only" tattoo on my butt. English and Spanish. Just in case I pass out.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 11:16 AM) Where the heck am I going to get specific figures for where a businesses break even point is? I have no idea who would fail, or how many would fail. Do you? I think you just answered #5 with the question you asked before that. Is it worth keeping 2 people working at $4 an hour or one at $7.25 or $6.15 (depending on which plan you like) You just kinda answered that except on a biggest scale with the 1 @80k vs 4 @20k. As for the full time job part. I do believe if a person is going to work a 40 hour job, they deserve to earn a living wage. If someone wants to make less, there is nothing that makes them HAVE to work 40 hours in a week. If you are looking at a 2nd income job, it would fall under that part time category, as I can't see someone working 80 hours in a week. I think you just argued for the Dem plan of $7.00+ The minimum wage would be some where around $7.40 to have it be a livable wage. Sorry I wasn't clear on 2nd income, I was thinking 2nd income as in the spouse not staying home with the kids. Sadly, down here working two full time jobs is a reality for many people. The call centers here are filled with bi-lingual employees who work evenings and weekends in addition to their M-F 8-5 jobs.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 03:15 PM) And there in lies the problem. People don't care about $11 billion worth of fraud that cost 10,000's of people their jobs, and endless people their retirement money, stock market losses etc, yet Martha Stewart is big news. I don't get it. We would rather laugh at Martha going to jail than cry over people losing their pensions. Also, people who are interested in those financial crimes, are also more likely (I'm guessing) to want more in depth coverage and are probably getting that in the WSJ, Money Line, and other narrow cast publications and shows. Another factor, looking at Tyco, and I know them from their electronic manufacturing acquisitions that they destroyed, is a very complex web. It cannot be explained and understood in 90 seconds. Martha can. But, I agree with you, our news priorities are whacked. Wouldn't liberal reporters want to show fat cat corporate types screwing the common man out of his pension? I guess even their bias cannot get them to report corporate fraud (can we get light green, for only slightly sarcastic)

QUOTE(TheBigHurt35 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 03:15 PM) That's interesting. But that was only because they couldn't reach a redistricting agreement after the 2000 census, correct? I will probably be moving to Texas late next month, so this is of some interest to me. They could not agree on a new map, so agreed to keep the old. The courts agreed it was legal and they could continue with the old. The assumption was the map would be in effect until the 2010 census. The GOP came up with a brilliant strategy here, and I believe California, to pick up seats and it worked. Dems in the Texas legislature walked out and left the state rather than face the music and the special sessions. Governor Perry ordered the State Police to Oklahoma to arrest the representatives and bring that back to session so a quorum could be in place. If it wasn't so sad, it would have been funny. It was reported at the time this was the first time a redistricting occurred like this. YASNY mentioned the DEMs had done it before, I'm not certain he was meaning this mid decade plan. What they did on the Mexico border was stretch the district N-S literally they are a couple hundred miles long and of course snake back up into GOP strongholds and pit border Democrats against upstate GOP.

Three people ask nicely for someone to stop doing something, and instead of stopping, the person berates the people and dismisses their feelings. I guess that works for some people. :headshake I assume their parents taught them that at home . . .

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 12:43 PM) how often was a day of the Martha Trial the front story on the news? The minute it went to the jury there were umpteen reporters all over the place talking about. Yet when the largest case of fraud in the history of corporate American goes to the jury, nothing. Its a joke. I agree it's a joke, but did Soxtalk have more posts regarding Martha or Worldcom? What are people interested in? Other people and Martha was funny.

QUOTE(TheBigHurt35 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 12:16 PM) They can only do it after a national census. Unfortunately, both parties have conspired to gerrymander their incumbents back into office recently. Not exactly true. They did it last year in Texas after both parties and a judge in 2002 agreed to keep the old map. Once the GOP gained control, they redictricted Texas, gaining seats and screwing my area terribly. Each district here looks like a fajita plate. 20 miles wide and 200 miles long. Link Here

QUOTE(TheBigHurt35 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 10:54 AM) I only dismissed one person's concern after said person questioned my maturity. FWIW, the allowance of cussing and the availability of offensive emoticons on this site take away from the "gentlemanly" character that you speak of projecting. In such an environment, I'm rather surprised that the use of the word "b****" caused such an uproar. In fact, one might even call that hypocritical. Just my $0.02. Personal choice. There are several words that women find offensive, and should, IMHO, be avoided, especially when someone complains. Does it tell you something when one of the people who voiced up can joke about hot lesbian sex, but finds that word offensive? You may call it hypocritical, I accept it for what it is. An individuals preference to not read a particularly offensive word that is only used to insult females and describe a female dog. Because there are so few things here that people complain about, it would seem easy enough to avoid the one or two. But hey, it's your choice.

I was wondering what was so gross, then I got to part about the lawyers . . . I kid because I care™

QUOTE(ChiSoxyGirl @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 10:49 AM) Whew, is it hot in here or is it me? Oh wait, it's both. guys are so easily to distract

QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 10:45 AM) Maybe not a spectator sport but certainly it could be a team sport though hehe All fun and games, until they ignore you

QUOTE(ChiSoxyGirl @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 10:40 AM) I suppose there have been some times when it's tempting to put that minus out there..... when you failed as a teacher

QUOTE(LowerCaseRepublican @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 10:35 AM) You mean calling them a dyke, right Tex? (oozing with sarcasm) If the mousepad fits and ChiSoxy, I've never believed that sex is a spectator sport.

As soon as I hit post, I realized I opened up a lane that a drunk oil tanker captain could sail his ship through

QUOTE(TheBigHurt35 @ Mar 9, 2005 -> 10:28 AM) Agreed. At the very least, using the "ignore" function is a hell of a lot more mature than whining about somebody calling a political figure a "b****." Queen Prawn, ChiSoxyGirl, and I believe Steff, all weighed in on this. It's more than 1 person, and almost universal among our regular female contributors. I didn't read one lady stand up for calling the journalist a b****. So is it more mature and polite to dismiss their concerns or call them whiney? You decide. I would rather be a gentleman and find another way to describe a woman who I disagree with.

The possible scenarios for having a 40 year old babysitter 1. Family friend or relative 2. Unlicensed day care 3. The babysitter wasn't "all there" None of which excuses the woman's conduct. American justice Involuntary Manslaughter 12-15 years, out in 6.

Both excellent points and would have to addressed in a comprehensive min wage law. Getting to #4, how many business do you think failed because the min wage is $5.15 and not $4.15? And if a venture can only pay $4.00 an hour, or $5.15, is that the employer we should be trying to keep in business? When the job creation issue comes up, the slam on each administration going back to at least Bush the elder, have been high wage job loss vs. min wage creation. If as a society, we are not placing much emphasis on min wage job creation, how much emphasis should we place on min wage job preservation? And opening up a #5 I do not believe that every job, full time or part time, should allow someone to support a family. Isn't there room for 2nd income jobs? Jobs for students? Semi-retired? Maybe the debate should center on replacing the higher dollar jobs being sourced off shore and replace them with *more* jobs paying in the middle. Perhaps as a society we have some gain if we lose a $80,000 software engineer job, but it moves 4 people from $25,000 to $40,000 per year.,

Maybe someone will invade us and then rebuild the infrastructure. IMHO, that seems overly harsh and subjective. I drive regularly in Mexico and I see lack of guardrails, curves sloped the opposite way, dirt roads, standing water, garbage everywhere. We're at least 2 or 3 grades above that F.

Both parties operate about the same way. History and competition have honed the process and in that comes efficiencies and survival mechanisms. I believe the GOP has the upper hand today because of their strategy to discredit anyone who criticizes them by calling them bias. That was pure genius. They also have gotten the party faithful to sponsor all GOP talk shows. Again, pure genius. The mid census redistricting strategy led by Texan Tom DeLay, which resulted in 5 new house seats for the GOP, was again, pure genius. They even took the classic tax and spend strategy of the Dems, repackaged it as don't tax and still spend; and crushed the Dems some more. I cannot think of a political strategy that hasn't worked for them in years. In the game of politics for the past 8 or 9 years, it's game-set-match GOP.