Texsox

Isn't the major investment that SS makes in US treasury bills? Since we are running some big deficits, it may have added a few years. In a strange contra-intuitive way. IMNSHO, we have asked SS to do too much. A roof, medicine, and some food, is about all one should expect. I see it as almost like public assistance. If you want cable tv, play some golf, and do some travelling, you better be savings some of your paychecks.

I have faith in America.

I just got a man crush as YASNY

You are welcome

I do feel some empathy for private people who are thrust into the limelight through no fault of their own. The Senatorial candidate (Ryan?)'s wife comes to mind. Her private divorce records were made public because her ex-husband ran for office. Sometimes a free and open society has it's drawbacks. But as I wrote earlier I believe sunshine is the best disinfectant.

neither works for me. But I agree, I prefer them seeing mild sex scenes to graphic violence.

I assume those that don't know they don't and disregard the comment. But thank you Steff for pointing that out. I do need to be more carefull when shooting a shotgun.

I am sorry I wasn't articulate enough to make the point a long time ago To recap I was not saying Maggs number should be retired I was not saying Maggs should be signed I am saying I respect a human for wanting to work for someone else I am saying I respect the team for deciding they no longer want a player I am saying Maggs should be given a hell of a lot better treatment than he gets here. I am saying I want players who are competitive enough to negotiate thier best contract. I am saying I want players to shut up and live with the contract once it is signed.

The numbers are irrevelant to my point. I think Sox fans would show a hell of a lot more class by saying "Maggs was a great player while he was here, he played with a lot of heart, and gave 100% to the organization. Too bad he couldn't spend his career here and we wish him the best of luck." That's the high road. Instead [a couple people] whine and b**** and talk about our best player over the last few seasons as a selfish, greedy, SOB. Nice way to treat the guy and nice way to present a positive face to the world. Who wants to follow a team who has a bunch of assholes playing for them? edited to say "a couple people" instead of "we"

Baines treated the Sox and Sox fans very well. So nice they retired his number. How was he rewarded for his loyalty and being "nice"? The greedy f***ing bastard owners traded him. But when a player leaves a team he's a greedy SOB. :headshake Why is it a one way street?

Can anybody read? I never advocated retiring Maggs number. I never advocated signing Mags. As far as the jersey thing, I am kind of wondering why they retired Baines so early in his career. Keep defending the ownership and their greed. Believe every athlete is a greedy SOB if he doesn't live up to your expectations. I never count another man's money. If he doesn't want to play in Chicago, doesn't want to accept their proposal, so be it. That doesn't make him an asshole. I agree 100% he probably doesn't want to be here. Signing with Boras is the first tip. I also think the club doesn't want him here. Trying to trade him in the offseason was a clue. I also think Sox fans don't want him. But all this speculation on his motives and accusing him of every underhanded, illegal, immoral, thing is silly.

Setting up the excuses for not signing more free agents.

The other thing that sucks in all this is the countries that are subsidizing the steel, if they fall on hard times, come running to the good ol USA for help. So their government stops the subsidies, their people lose jobs and are hungry, and we send them aid. :headshake

The thank you is paying for part of my washing machine, computer, car, stove, circuit breaker box, etc. If you knew that raising steel prices would save 1,000 steel mill jobs but cost 4,000 secondary manufacturing jobs, would you add the tariff and save the steel mill jobs? In my corner of the world, we have no steel mills but we have dozens and dozens of manufacturers who use steel. Rising steel prices are a major problem for people in my area. Many of these companies are on the edge of moving to China as it is. Rising steel prices cuts into the available labor dollars as well and could force these companies to look for cost savings. Guess what, China there they go. I happen to agree with you on the end result, but a different course of action. The correct thing to do is eliminate all subsidies and let the market decide. We will probably lose some jobs overall, but if we are to trust in capitalism, it is the correct path. Sometimes there is a price to pay.

No, I am arguing that any athlete who fights for every dollar is not being a greedy SOB, he is just being competitive and doing exactly what almost every other American would do. I believe in fighting for every cent (on both sides) then shaking hands and living up to the contract. Would it be a good decision to give Maggs 20% of the payroll? Probably not. It worked for the Marlins and Pudge, but I don't think we could catch that same lightning. Are we moving forward by digging yet another pot hole to fill another? Probably not. And really it isn't worth arguing about, we are at least six years away from our once every 10-15 year trip to the playoffs. I just do not think Maggs had major surgery, something that his career may depend on, in some backalley in Vienna, with some Doctor he pulled out of the phone book. I believe Maggs doesn't have a US_centric view of the world. Americans tend to believe that the US has the best in everything, that we are the only humans capable of higher thought. I see this with the Mexican nationals I am friends with. They would much rather be treated by Mexican Doctors than some US hospital where they are looked down on.

Every world body wants a piece of the US. We're the rich guy on the block. And we're going into debt to help these people. I was just pointing out that what is bad for one industry may be great for another. In this case there are more jobs using steel than producing it. We may save 100 steel producing jobs, but lose hundreds more in manufacturing products from the steel. Take for instance electric motors. There is a lot of steel in electric motors. Using cheap steel, American motor manufacturers could compete with foreign made motors. With higher steel prices driving up the cost of their motors, they couldn't compete. So now you should tag a tariff on electric motors. Many industries use electric motors in their products. The white goods manufacturers especially use biggins in washing machines, refrigerators, etc. In fact it is a big part of the cost. To keep NAFTA countries competitive, you need to add a tariff on all finished goods where steel is a major component. Of course it is consumers who pay for all this in the end. The whole point is that some government, to help their steel industry, unfairly subsidized steel prices. In effect they were paying for part of whatever American's bought that was made of steel. I consider that a thank you for us bailing the world out of every tragedy since WW2.

Has George been funny since Nixon was in office? :headshake

From Media Week take it with a grain or two of salt. They obviously have a dog in this fight. Still it makes for interesting reading. It also points out how by banding together, individuals amplify their voices. Should someone's opinion be somehow different if they join together as part of a group? Do these groups bring in individuals that really aren't that strong in their beliefs?

Just remember with tarrifs there are winners and losers. We may have saved a few steel producer jobs, but the companies that use the steel are screwed. Those companies all of a sudden saw huge increases in the cost of their raw materials and began losing finished good orders to overseas companies. There are no easy solutions. There are consequences to our actions. Just slapping tarrifs on steal causes problems for other people.

As part of some sweeping marriage reform bill, Ashcroft eliminated the Tooth Fairy

You would think any red blooded American like Maggs would not trust any foreign Doctor. My God do they even have medical schools outside the US? Maybe it is because American Doctors would be compelled to hold a press conference, against Maggs wishes, and tell every detail of the surgery. We would know so much more if an American Doctor performed the surgery. I'll bet he went to Vienna because those Doctors are forbidden to discuss a patient's condition without the patient's consent. What better way to keep it secret that to go to a foreign Doctor. That also wouldn't raise as many eye brows as if he just went into an American Doctor.

I still believe in Santa, I voted for Bush

That would apply to every military death. Every cop, every firefighter, every teacher, bus driver, or delivery worker. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. We rid our society of problems and mistakes by making ourselves aware of them. Perhaps this morning, some inventor is puzzeling over why communications failed. He was have the next advancement in military communications technology.

Depends on what holes we open up.

The fire?