Texsox

Other people have opinions around here? I've never read one

When I got to Texas I switched from my old "stylist" to a barber. He's not nearly as cute and the leans overs aren't at all interesting; but at $7, I can't beat it. A years worth of cuts for what I use to pay for 1.

My understanding from another source is that there was weight considerations involved. I still think it's funny. Imagine sitting at the South Pole and there's a knock at the door. Excuse you, might you have some petrol for my plane? I seem to have run out. (Pilot holding up gas can) I wonder if his official energy contractor was Enron. And the scientists telling him to get lost. Priceless.

Just wondering; While they are spending your tax dollar would you like them to spend it with the low bidder meeting specifications or spend 2% more with a British or Spanish contractor? 5% more? 25% more? It's never a free lunch.

Before I fully agree; did Dollar Bill own the team in 1961? I thing they haven't screwed up, the Hawks have the coolest uniforms in pro sports.

Do you think that Wilson Alvarez guy will be as good as the Wilson Alvarez that played for us a million years ago? I think we're going to pray a couple arms comes out of our minor league and into our starting rotation and bullpen. KW is looking for the next Dontrel Willis. We'll pick up a mid level FA who's a year or two away from his best year (either on his way up or down). I like the Maddux back in Chicago angle but I doubt he'll have 12-13 wins next season. Hmmm come to think of it, a switch to AL might bump that up to 15-17 and all of a sudden we replaced Colon. I'm not fooled by Maddux's "I'd like to come back to Chicago" comment. He's smart enough to not toss out any city in public. We need a front line guy who will throw some innings like Colon. Our starters managed to hide our bullpen a little bit. If Bart, Mark, and Estaban didn't chew as many innings as they did we would have been another 3 or 4 games back. I rate our problems right now as bullpen #1 and Relief #2. We could stand pat at every other position and still be in the hunt. If we don't shore up some pitching we're out of it.

And the owners will give him absolutely no money so he'll really feel at home

OMG Konerko is looking good. I wouldn't mind seeing a situation that puts Frank out there a couple times a week. I'm still amazed at his productivity when he plays the field. beastly, you bring up a good point, we may want to keep Kong and pray he and Botch turn things around under OZ.

I left to go pick up some sushi and as I was standing in line I remembered the scalping. I hoped someone remembered it. Winning does seem to be everything as far as ownership. During the running of Da Bulls, JR went out and grabbed the extra guard, the rebounds, whatever little thing was needed and I never remember hearing about salary concerns. Maybe JR needs to sell one of his teams. I'm not sure which one, but one of them for the good of the other.

No, bring it all back up and we can rebuild, we love to rebuild, we're Sox fans!

The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bee hockey team has done an incredible job marketing the team to people who literaly didn't know Zapruder from Zamboni. The players have been great about making appearances, the team supports every non profit walking in the door. Sorry for not mentioning the Fire or Wolves. I tried to keep it to the big 4 sports. I would have liked to see them ranked but we don;t have that feature. I would probably go Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Sox, Hawks. Actually I would put the Trib in first and Dollar Bill in last and the other three in any order you want.

s***, I have to vote for the ScRubs.

Remember, based on ownership not GM.

Dollar Bill Worst and Pullme are the two worst sports executives on the planet. I can't think of another duo who have f***ed up a sport in their city as badly as these two. It seems like our biggest moves are to piss away talent and spend $$$ on drug addled, worn out their welcome everywhere else, players. They have managed the impossible, making JR and KW and JR and Krause, look like executives of the year. Hockey is more popular in Dallas f***ing Texas than in Chicago where the NHL originated! These cowboys had never seen a puck before and in a season or two had built a bigger fan base. What's the ration of misses to hits with these two 10-1 maybe. The last guy we had that had a clue was Keenan and he scared the s*** out of these guys. And finally are we through with mamma Suter's children? Are there any more we can hire? The Blackhawk Christmas party must lookm like a family reunion. Dammit, you got me started again. Poll idea.

Sounds like some of my friends from college part I, and I wouldn't vote for any of them either. In major league politics, the protocol, pomp and circumstance is every bit as much as important as what you do. Gore should have given a heads up to all the other candidates. You can't ignore party politics not matter to which side of of the aisle you've sold your soul. The same guys Gore blindsided with this, would be the guys he would need to be elected dog catcher, not to mention if he has any asperations down the road. You can screw the guy all day long if you follow the protocol. He should have called up each candidate and said "hey your going to read tomorrow I'm backing (insert name here). I'm doing it because of X, Y, and Z (which each candidate would already know)" It's a long way to go in this election with at least a surprise or two down the road. I'm already thinking about Dean-Gore. How about a career VP?

Antarctic pilot gets frosty reception SYDNEY, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- New Zealand and U.S. scientists have given an Australian adventure pilot the cold shoulder in Antarctica, refusing him fuel to fly home. Jon Johanson succeeded in his quest to become the first to fly a homemade, single-engine aircraft over the South Pole, but used more fuel than expected, his partner in Australia said Wednesday. Sue Ball said Johanson was able to land at the joint U.S.-New Zealand McMurdo-Scott air base, where he requested about 100 gallons of fuel to fly to Argentina, Ball told The Australian newspaper. Both scientific contingents refused, with one U.S. official saying neither country was there to operate a gas station for tourists. The U.S. group is providing shelter and food for the pilot, while New Zealand said they would fly him home on the first available flight. Retrieving the aircraft would have to be at Johanson's own expense, he was told. Johanson has previously flown the same plane around the world three times, including over the North Pole. Nothing like getting a :finger from a few scientists when you drop in on their party.

I figured we would have kissed and made up. Through most of the last century our foreign policy was "here's some money, please like us".

I am hoping to go into this season with all the pessimism I can muster. I'm hoping to set my sights on breaking the all time loss record. I'm trying to set my frame of mind that this will be the all time worse baseball team ever put on a field. With that frame of mind, the season will not dissapoint and may even be fun. I remember the pain of getting swept in the opening series after practicly booking a flight for post season play. Not this year. The best we can finish is 5th, possibly 4th if the Tigers lose a couple of their top players.

By Sue Pleming WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Citing national security reasons, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has ruled that prime contracts to rebuild Iraq (news - web sites) will exclude firms from nations such as France and Germany that opposed the U.S. war. In a policy document released on Tuesday, Wolfowitz said he was limiting competition for 26 reconstruction contracts worth up to $18.6 billion that will be advertised in coming days. "It is necessary for the protection of the essential security interests of the United States to limit competition for the prime contracts of these procurements to companies from the United States, Iraq, coalition partners and force contributing nations," Wolfowitz said in a notice published on the web site www.rebuilding-iraq.net. The move is likely to anger France and Germany and other traditional allies in NATO and the U.N. Security Council who are being blocked out of prime contracts after their opposition to the war. They may bid for sub-contracts. But the decision will placate countries such as Britain, Italy and Spain, which provided troops to Iraq but whose companies were excluded from the first round of deals that went to U.S. firms. The contracts cover electricity, communications, public buildings, transportation, public works and security and justice. Additional contracts are also being awarded to oversee those projects. TIT FOR TAT RESPONSES U.S. trade lawyer Clark McFadden questioned the administration's criterion for the contracts. "Is this going to set a precedent where national security can be used to justify limiting competition?" he asked. Procurement specialist Prof. Steven Schooner from George Washington University said it was "disingenuous" to use national security as an excuse and predicted an angry reaction from those nations excluded. "This kind of decision just begs for retaliation and a tit-for-tat response from countries (such as Germany, France and Russia)," said Schooner. But a defense official said NATO partners had known for weeks they would not get prime Iraq business. "This is not a slight. We still have many agreements with those countries and good working relationships with them." Wolfowitz is hoping that excluded companies will put pressure on their governments to join the post-war effort. "Limiting competition for prime contracts will encourage the expansion of international cooperation in Iraq and in future efforts," wrote Wolfowitz. The document, dated Dec. 5, listed more than 60 countries eligible for contracts funded by the $18.6 billion appropriated by Congress to rebuild Iraq. The list included Britain, Australia, Poland, Japan, Italy, Norway, Spain, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, South Korea (news - web sites), the Philippines, Romania and Saudi Arabia. Some officials had argued privately the United States should not limit international competition to rebuild Iraq, where the infrastructure has been shattered by years of neglect, war and post-conflict looting and attacks. The roll-out of tenders to rebuild Iraq has been delayed in recent days while "high-level" policy decisions were being taken on Iraqi reconstruction and as lawyers checked that the final wording complied with U.S. procurement laws. A defense official said he expected the new contracts to be advertised on government Web sites later on Tuesday or on Wednesday. U.S. trade lawyer Roger Schagrin told Reuters non-coalition firms could still get business from selling material and equipment to the lead contractors. "Much of the money is expended on materials. A British or U.S. company could get a prime contract and then buy 100 percent French materials," said Schagrin.

Be good, how did you wind up in the barrel?

I use to backpack with a woman who could pee through the fly in her pants. She claims it was very easy to learn and very handy especially when drinking. Since I had already learned that her body parts were perfectly normal, it was a big surprise.

common southsider BeGood is the best poster boy for something I'm starting to enjoy his threads. He starts one and everybody slams him. Usually with some good humor. Although I thought he said poser in his original comment. I propose a most improved award for BeGood.

Donate your time ~ play for the second most popular baseball team in Chicago. Brilliant just f***ing brilliant.

The reason we hate him so aften is he's right so often. Dead nuts correct on this. I'm wondering if we continue to get f***ed by our own free agents will JR and Co. suck it up and grab some better (re $$$$) talent or bag the season? I'm hoping after getting backed into a corner and seeing the season going down the tubes in December they make some bigger moves than what Colon would have cost.