Texsox

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 26, 2009 -> 11:26 AM) Am I the only one who found/finds it absolutely repulsive the amount of coverage he's getting? He's a freakin' peder-ass. He was pyschotic. Yeah he was a gifted musician (25 years ago) with a difficult past, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he molested little boys and became a pain killer addict. I swear, flipping through the TV last night I was surprised it was Michael Jackson that died and not Jesus. And how about those awesome celeb statements? Madonna's says she can't stop crying. Quincy Jones said he lost a part of his soul. GMAFB. QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jun 26, 2009 -> 10:19 PM) He was accused of pedophilia, not jay walking. Lots of people had bad childhoods and dealt with abuse. I appreciate his talent, and the gift he had and the world will miss his talent. I can also appreciate that its not normal for 45 year old man to sleep in the same bed with children that are not their own. Yep, about sums up my feelings. I was old enough to be in clubs in the early 80s when Jackson transformed pop and dance music. I can forgive "victimless" transgressions like drug addiction, but his transgressions surpassed those. I find it sad that people will look past child molestation if the perpetrator is famous enough or they like his work enough. And I am not looking at the thread here, but the 24/7 tributes and crying fans calling into radio stations. What they do not seem to understand what they love, is his music, not him personally.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 22, 2009 -> 02:25 PM) I'd be absolutley thrilled if that was an option for my family. No insurer will allow us to do that because of pre-existing conditions. In 2005, without any restricting pre-existing conditions, I was paying $550 per month. $2,500 per person deductible, $7,500 family. No pharmacy coverage. If I was making $12 per hour ($24,000 per year) more than 25% of my pay would have gone to insurance. Then if someone actually needed to see a Doctor, that would have pushed it even higher. Most policies today, for a family are a couple weeks pay for people close to minimum wage. And we have not even discussed the public health benefits with a healthier population. Many of the uninsured are the very people who prepare our food. Wouldn't you rather have the food handlers getting regular health care?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 22, 2009 -> 02:55 PM) How do rich people take advantage in taxes, when they are the ones paying the VAST majority of them? I'll probably agree with you, but at what point are you determining someone is "rich". I always thought it was the "middle class" that paid the most actual dollars, not percentage. Based on sheer numbers of middle class Americans.

I would hope they dumped paper dollars and went to coins while dropping the penny.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 18, 2009 -> 01:15 PM) Go to an animal shelter and rescue an animal. They do have puppies, but you may also find a dog there a year old or so that you fall in love with. I am glad my home owners association has a limit on the amount of dogs you can have, otherwise my wife, son and occasionally myself, who volunteer at the Plainfield Humane Society,would end up bringing home half the animals we see! We have 2 beagles, both rescue dogs. Sometimes they take work, like our older dog. Her previous owners beat her and yelled at her, which made housetraining very heard. The slightest raising of your voice sent her quivering and peeing. but now she is the sweetest dog around, loves everyone and everything. My last three pets have all come from animal rescues. In two of the three, we took our time, made friends with the employees and volunteers and waited for the "right" dog and cat.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 19, 2009 -> 06:17 PM) Ahhh, it is home to the coolest poster in the history of Soxtalk.net where the hell have you been posting, I believe this is .com besides the coolest posters are in Texas, right Kap?

Slightly west of Austin South Padre Island Blue Island

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jun 20, 2009 -> 09:40 AM) FYI - Not all vegetarians and vegans agree with PETA and it's tactics. I think they do more harm than good for animal rights. QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 21, 2009 -> 10:50 PM) I think he means their marketing is effective, but it causes collateral damage. It's probably not the best way to go about things. I believe if you add all that they believe is good regarding ethical treatment of animals on one side of the scale and all the harm that BigSqwert is thinking, the good would outweigh the harm.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 21, 2009 -> 06:58 PM) I had no reply waiting, but have various levels of scorn depending on his reasoning behind it. Although if it had turned out that he was a major Democratic donor and/or had been contacted recently by Moveon.org or something just prior to his meeting, I am sure that I could have worked up enough scorn to make you proud. But think about this for a moment. You discover the guy is f***ing your wife. Isn't that enough reason to want revenge via blackmail? Wouldn't any other reason really be secondary? What you are saying is a Dem should not seek revenge because it would seem like a political ploy, but it would be ok for a Rep? That's stretching it a bit.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jun 21, 2009 -> 01:01 PM) By turning off more people who might have been receptive to an animal rights message. They make the vegetarian/vegan community look like a bunch of whack jobs. I agree that is the negative. They also work a lot on reforms and energize their fan base. Do you think the people they turn off are then motivated to harm more animals than before? That is the only way I see them doing more harm than good.

How big was their contract that a $55,000,000.00 overpayment could be made? Thems a whole lots of zeros.

He ended the affair, people were hurt all around, emotionally and it seems financially. It some ways I hope this would not end his political career. Maybe not have him run for President, but to continue to lead his state. If everyone who ever had an affair was fired from their jobs, well, I'm just guessing a whole lot of people would be changing jobs on a regular basis. I know it is wrong, but I am a practical guy, and realize some good people have made this mistake. I believe I've read upwards of 33% of men. Alpha, now that you know he is a Rep "top aide", care to write the same scathing post you were saving for if he was a Dem? How would your response be different if the motivation was personal revenge or personal and political revenge?

The numbers certainly are a big part of it, and an interesting double edged sword. The more there are, the greater the need. The more there are, the greater the cost. I just look at people I know, and myself, who change jobs, get downsized, fired, s*** canned, etc. and begin worrying about the health of their children and spouse. One serious injury or illness and hey are financially ruined for life. That could come after working twenty, thirty years for a company, or just being a fresh out of college student off their parent's policy. I know the United States can come up with a better system. The cost of those uninsured or poor patients is already being paid within the system. With higher prices for all consumers and lower benefits by insurance companies.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jun 20, 2009 -> 09:40 AM) FYI - Not all vegetarians and vegans agree with PETA and it's tactics. I think they do more harm than good for animal rights. Harm? How? They may be ineffective, but I do not see how more animals are harmed by their efforts.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 19, 2009 -> 10:11 AM) Lump Boy Scouts and the American Red Cross into that category as well. Hurricane Dolly? The Red Cross wanted every news organization to show what they were doing with your donations. They couldn't quietly go about their business. Same with the Boy Scouts, they wanted to get those kids pictures in the paper doing something good. And my God, some businesses actually *pay* movie makers to use their products. Next thing TV will allow companies to play one minute features about their products in exchange for money. Yep, a bunch of attention whoring organizations

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 19, 2009 -> 09:42 PM) Yeah, like Politicians really care about the people..... NOT. I'm sorry, but I'll trust private insurers over most politicians. Certainly the customer service person the private insurer hires in Malaysia will care much more about you! Basically you are trusting the CEOs, (think Enron) to pay and consult with your Doctor instead of your elected officials who desperately want to get reelected. The same elected officials that keep offering us more and more so we vote for them. The same officials who have added more and more benefits to Social Security. I trust elected officials with my health care coverage, I am more worried that they will over spend and offer a carte blanche program that will become too benefit laden.

A "needless test, ordered to make my Doctor more money" saved my life. Doc "The test came back negative. We can wait and see what happens, (insurance company recommendation) or we can keep looking" Me "What would the next step be?" Doc "We'd send you over to the hospital and run some special tests. The insurance company will balk at paying for them unless you have another problem." Me "See my passport, look at the countries. Kings and billionaires from those countries come here for treatment. I don't want a problem like this while I am in Taiwan or India, their best Doctors are here. LOL" Doc. "Wait until you see the bill" Problem found, a "time bomb" dismantled. Tex rides again. I'm not certain how he made any money on those tests, I paid the Doctors there direct, it was not billed through my primary care Doc. Cubana -- We are better at just about everything than France, Canada, Cuba, etc. We would also do Medical better. But I have faith and trust in America, perhaps we haven't earned your trust yet. The US has the best health care in the world if you are working for a company with medical benefits. We suck if you are unemployed, "working poor", etc. It is a myth that the poor receive these great benefits.

The Cubs have the market cornered on drunk frat boys? At one time Bill Veeck called Sox Park the worlds biggest tavern, and he was the owner. Knowledgeable fans? My guess is both teams have about the same number. Fans of coming to a game as a big party? About the same. Casual fans visiting a ball park regardless of who is playing? Wrigley (see national coverage during the day). Casual fans as business entertainment? Cubs. Suburbanites with "concerns" about visiting the city? Cubs. Casual fans wanting to root for the "right" team because of some identity issues? Cubs. Knowledgeable baseball fans wishing their team had all that income from the fans being made fun of here? Me.

QUOTE (Crash73 @ Jun 13, 2009 -> 06:11 PM) Just remember there was a time when Rowand was considered the same. Good defense, no bat. Some kids take more time to develop. Brian, welcome to soxtalk Something about BA has me pulling for him.

Yep, I am also thinking of a little sun in this summer.

Modern media is connecting people who otherwise would not have gotten together. Take a few thousand wackos, or a few thousands visionaries, spread them out around the country fifty years ago, and they may never have met. Now, they meet, daily, and there is danger, and strength, in numbers.

Some posters have a vision of this place like a neighborhood bar, others as an ivory tower. The reality should be somewhere in between. While we do develop a certain level of friendship with dozens of posters here, there are hundreds more who are also here. Many of the problems occur when "outsiders" enter into friendly bar banter between friends. I believe raising the level of discussion, by force, to some high academic standard would be death to the site, equally troubling is lowering it to a drunken, profanity filled, standard. Restating what has already been said, but perhaps in a different way, can we reach a level of a Thanksgiving dinner with grandma and grandpa and the local Pastor?

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Jun 10, 2009 -> 09:26 AM) apparently the washed IN Cuban players arent desirable Sox management and fans do seem to have a certain fascination with that island paradise and anyone who can fit into a uniform.

QUOTE (3E8 @ Jun 13, 2009 -> 01:09 PM) I was going to say shame on you guys for even debating which national pizza chain is best but I noticed none of you live in IL Yep, Here in Texas, I barely eek out a pizza existence with a local place Armondos that makes a decent thin crust, although it is NY style. Deep dish, I have to either "Lou's to Go" or BJs Brewhouse. There is a tiny place on South Padre Island, Da Pizza Joint, that has the best combination of pizza and surroundings. Also Texas Moon just added a pizza oven and is actively working on his pie. It's the damn sausage that I miss. The usualy stuff is too bland, too processed. I wish I knew the seasonings for the bulk stuff that is on a true Chicago sausage pizza.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 9, 2009 -> 09:27 PM) Certainly he is free to say whatever he wants. QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 10, 2009 -> 02:50 PM) To implicate oreilly in this legally, he would have had to hold a rally, start riling them up about how tiller was killing babies and yell at the crowd to go kill tiller, or to that effect. Just like you can't yell fire in a crowded theater, he is not free to say anything. We do place reasonable limits on speech in this country. We also adjust them to the forum this person has. As I mentioned earlier, intelligent, moral, people have found themselves on both sides of this debate. I believe life should triumph over death. To the best of medical knowledge, every fetus that has been carried to full term becomes a human, not a puppy, amoeba, or a coffee bean. Medically, when the fetus is threatened, it is considered a patient, not a wart, tumor, or fingernail. While it is a hard decision, and I have a great deal of empathy for women in this debate, abortion is wrong in my eyes. When it is used as emergency contraception, it is about the saddest thing I can contemplate.