Texsox

That works too. I'd laugh if this year they would welcome a coin flip.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 11:33 AM) No, it's not a complicated one. He KNEW he needed to pay the taxes, he even got an extra check just to cover the taxes. he even signed a form saying that he would use this extra check to pay the taxes that he owed. If he is that stupid, he doesn't desrve that kind of a job. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YzJjO...jhlMWQ2MWZiNTA= That kind of blatent disregard for the tax laws would land you or me in jail. This guy is just another rich asshole gaming the system because he thinks he can get away with it, and hoping now that his 'friends' and connections can get him out of it. Jail him! I agree with the spirit, but seriously, you would not find yourself in jail for this. We just do not lock people up for this. Heavy fines. No jail time.

I believe the original intent was for private citizens to be armed and available to fight what ever needed fightin' I also weighed the pros and cons of having one available in my house for "protection" and decided the risks outweighed the benefit and never had one even remotely available when my kids were growing up. Basically, I decided for the gun to truly be protection, it would need to be easily accessible, loaded, and without a lock. I imagined I would have less than two minutes to react to save my family. That same situation was too risky for my kids, so I opted against it. Did I mention that was when my kids were growing up? Don't even think about it now.

Wrap yourself around this A question mark player becomes a low risk high reward type signing when he signs for ONLY $1,000,000

I had just heard that for the first time in commercial aviation history in the US, we went two consecutive years without anyone dying in a commercial airplane crash. That pilot is a champion.

Another point Rock, remember I favor legalizing marijuana, the difference is I do not put a bow tie and tails on a pig and sell him as the Prom King. You mention other drugs that are legal. Great point. Alcohol. I believe far more dangerous than pot. What are we doing about alcohol? Raised the drinking age Lowered the threshold to be considered drunk taxed the crap out of it restricted advertising Cigarettes, again, arguably worse than pot Restricted adverting sued the crap out of them made them fund anti-smoking campaigns taxed the hell out of them restricted where people can smoke I see this and believe society is becoming more restrictive and moving away from anything goes. Since the trend is towards more and more restrictions with alcohol and cigarettes and a lower and lower image for those activities, why would you think society would be less and less restrictive on pot? It just is not logical. And the financial picture, the #1 benefit of legalization is also too idyllic. Once pot is legal, manufacturing costs will increase. Manufacturers will have to carry product liability insurance, workers will be paid wages, benefits to employees, advertising, FDA inspections, etc, will all be included. Then you are going to add a tax on top of that. You are suggesting that users will gladly pay double or triple for a legal product. I agree, some will. But unlike alcohol, where there is a huge difference between home brews and professional brewing, a very good product can be grown at home and smoked. Law enforcement will shift from criminal to tax violations and we try to collect those taxes on the home grown stuff. I see that reality and still believe the benefit outweigh the cost. You'll argue there are no costs. And perhaps I am out of touch with today's pot smoker. I certainly did not mean to insult pot smokers by insinuating they would get high and watch TV. I recall pot smokers watching TV. Fire up the bong and watch SNL. Perhaps lighting a joint, turning on Dark Side of the Moon and syching it with Wizard of Oz. So tell me, what are pot smokers doing today that is so valuable and worthwhile?

I've stated why I believe marijuana should be legal. You want that plus wanting marijuana called a miracle drug that will be the savior of our society. Sorry. I do not believe it. But seriously, when it is made legal, Please get a job promoting pot, I have never met anyone so devoted to a product. If you find that mocking I am sorry. And the get "high and watch the tube" was a Steve Miller band song. Popular during a time when drugs were not looked down upon by society. You see, I've lived through times when drugs were socially acceptable and when they were not. That gives me a different perspective on why pot remains illegal. Not some textbook fallacy about 100 year old faulty research that people think of when they are high. If society truly valued those benefits, they would just raise taxes to pay for them. But as you have explained, you need the incentive of legal marijuana. Basically, if pot is legal, stoners will then send money. Works for me. All the benefits are financial. You seem willing to trade higher taxes if you personally have legal pot to smoke. But once again, you believe that nothing bad ever happens because of pot. And I find that laughable.

I am trying to think of a player who via free agency did not do bettr than a sure thing that was offered. I am certain there has to be some.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 10:31 AM) Woo-Hoo TEX IS BUYING TICKETS TO THE SOFTBALL/PATIO PARTY THIS YEAR!!! Doesn't this read like Gage wrote it?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 10:26 AM)

To me the only interesting conversation, and certainly the only worthwhile one, is what criteria, or what code was written and run, that produced these results. Someone set the parameters, what were they? What values were placed on health, starting pitching, defense, schedule, etc. etc. etc.

QUOTE (103 mph screwball @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 09:07 AM) hope Walker can fix him So much can be said about that phrase.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 08:51 AM) Gangs aren't terrorists, that's a ridiculously wide brush to paint with that will leave your canvas messy. Their motivation isn't political, it's money. As I said, it is admittedly a stretch. Just trying to help Rock out with his pot dealers support terrorism comment. They do share some characteristics such as the use fear, intimidation, threats of violence, etc. The difference is they provide services to the neighborhoods. The orderly distribution of drugs. The organization of gambling. The management of prostitution.

I'm kinda digging the one year @ cheap and trying to catch some lightening over different guys 5 @ lots. What the hell.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 08:17 AM) You're right, it is, marijuana is grown in places like Kentucky or California for example. There are shady ties (criminal, but not necessarily terrorist, at least not directly or to a large extent) but this is mostly because it's illegal. If it was legal there would be nothing to hide, and the likelihood of someone growing and directly using the money to support terrorism here in this country is pretty low because it would be stupid. With other drugs those are imported from overseas. So you have places like Colombia which is the most notorious, and Afghanistan which needs no explanation. For a while I thought the tobacco lobby had a chance to legalize marijuana. They had the cash to compete with the alcohol lobby, were losing jobs, crippling regions. But they have become such outcasts that they do not have the political might anymore. It also becomes how you define terrorism. For most, we think of international terrorists. If you take it to a local level, and include gangs and such, which is a stretch, perhaps the comment holds more validity.

With all his choices, slipping across a border, taking up in a new town, divorce and bankrupt, etc. he choose this path. And for that I applaud him. He has offered us entertainment. He has offered us a brief respite in our day to think about how f***ed up his life is and how much better ours are. What a selfless and caring man.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 08:19 AM) Its amazing already how many of the pointless arguements have switched side, yet the things that remain important aren't really changing. Am I the only one thinking that after the 8-9 weeks between the election and inauguration? We will fail internally. We are our own worse enemy One person, even as President, can not move our country more than a nudge We all know this, but prefer debate at this level instead of the serious and hard decisions that need to be made Minor stuff is the wins and losses in elections

Correct me if my perceptions are wrong. Comparing a couple sox pitchers. Wednesday afternoon in May before a crowd of 6,000 Colon goes 6 innings, gives up 5 earned, appears almost asleep. Freddy goes 7 gives up 5 at home, 3 on the road Javy goes 8, gives up 1 earned Buerhle goes 7, gives up 4, looks relaxed and having fun Saturday night in late September at Yankee stadium, playoff spot on the line. 70,000 fans Colon goes 8, gives up 3, filthy in the 6-7-8 Freddy goes 8, gives up 3, pissed he's pulled, wants to finish Javy goes 3, gives up 8, leaves no out and the bases loaded. May have crapped/pissed his pants Buerhle goes 7, gives up 4, looks relaxed and having fun

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 08:52 PM) True, and I don't get nearly enough opportunities to enjoy them with kids around. Had a nice Fuente Hemingway Christmas week along with a wee dram of Laphroaig outside on a brisk night and it was wonderful. The person below me has bought some manner of lottery ticket this month. False. I hate schools. Unless you count that drink I bought for this really hot chick . . . The person below me thinks at least one their professors is hot.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 07:56 AM) As far as ties to terrorism that is more of an issue with cocaine and opium etc. than it is with marijuana. That's pretty much what I thought, but I believe rock is more of an expert in that area and find it easier to accept his statement than try to refute it. It seems the point of origin is much closer with pot than other drugs.

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ Jan 15, 2009 -> 06:10 AM) Why is that so funny? There are commericials telling people to play the lotto to support public education. The lottery is yet another vice that is only in place for financial reasons that you curious didn't notice. I guess once it's legal you don't really care what others do with their money. Perhaps youd feel the same way if pot was legal. I have stated many times that the financial reason is the best reason to legalize pot and why I favor that action. And if legal, rock should be the smokesperson for pot. He's even stated it is safer than water. People have OD from water, but not pot. As he has pointed out, more people have died in water related deaths than pot. That kind of blind devotion and worship is a wondrous thing and should be rewarded. But if I am understanding rock, and others here, The increased tax revenue to fund schools and roads would be a good, perhaps noble thing. The believe better schools and roads are important projects and a huge benefit to society. They are willing to spend more in taxes to support those projects, but ONLY if the government allows them to get high. So I wonder if they really believe in those projects or they just want legal pot. Come on, if those projects are that important and beneficial, why only pay the taxes if it comes with a joint? Every so-called victimless crime opens up the same line of financial reasoning. We are against the crime until it contributes something positive to society. Usually that contribution is monetarily. People will pay for their vices. Eventually I see almost every victimless crime being legal, with pot perhaps being the next one to fall. Gambling, prostitution, etc will also eventually fall to the same line of reasoning. We'll have plenty of tax revenues when there are hookers and bookies in every neighborhood and every drug is legal. I'm not certain how that makes for a better society. But we will have some kickass roads and schools. Kids learn of the faulty science, racism, and propaganda from almost one hundred years ago and believe that is why pot *remains* illegal today. There have been many bad laws that get dropped, overturned, forgotten, and changed. Pot *remains* illegal for much different reasons today. Alcohol lobby Easy, cheap, fast, reliable, testing for marijuana use The leaders of today grew up during the drug culture of the 60s and 70s and see the downside. They have made most chemically altering substances harder, not easier to use. Pot being caught in the "Just Say No" drug net. Thirty years of encouraging less time under the influence, not more. The appearance, and probably it is, of "selling out". Anti-smoking (anything) campaigns Questionable (trading a bigger vice for smaller) or no societal value beyond financial. And the facts are correct that far worse substances like alcohol are legal, but beneficial substances, like antibiotics, are only available with a prescription. In many countries, like Mexico, those are over the counter. So our pharmacology is all over the map. It always will be. I use to believe, at the minimum, it should be decriminalized, but rock mentioning the ties to terrorism makes me rethink that. It probably then needs to be all or nothing. Legal or illegal. I agree it should be legal, but do not agree that increased pot smoking will make this a better country. The population will not become healthier. Productivity will not increase. We will not see an increase in intellectual breakthroughs. The only benefits will be financial, and if those benefits where that important, people would have already voted the higher taxes necessary. So we really do not place that high a value. It's just an excuse to get high and watch the tube.

For all the reasons I dislike Javy, are the reasons I like Colon. Wish he was a few years younger and healthier. But if we have to take a chance on someone, I'll take a guy that pitches better the closer to October.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 05:24 PM) I honestly think that having an opinion on what is dangerous, what is pot-related danger, and what are the differences between pot and other drugs depends entirely upon first hand experience. Also if you can find some statistics on marijuana related deaths then there is your proof, its not exactly a debate. Does it impair your ability to drive? Sure, but about as much as having the flu, taking Day-Quil, or any other very simple parts of life. Regulation of use and a warning is the way to get around that. Talking on your cell phone is more dangerous these days. As far as the gateway part, there isnt a magic drug dealer store, each product comes from a different part of the world, different countries, different sources, its not exactly easy to find a wal-mart of illegal substances. And a financial benefit to the country, city, state, and county is a societal benefit. If a 10 year old gets to go to a school with better facilities and is taught by a teacher who has had a better education because of taxes collected on marijunana sales, then it DOES benefit society without being a user. Not sure about your "vitamin" comment. Marijuana has been proven to have medicinal purposes if that was your question. Also even though you cant smoke in a handful of cities or states across the country indoors, it wouldnt exactly harm the user base since walking down the street would be a huge boon for the industry anyway. I agree there is a financial benefit. I agree that is the single best reason to legalize it. The death question is fine. You believe if someone dies high in an accident, it is not pot related. I disagree. Just like a drunk driver fatality is alcohol related death, so to is a fatality from driving high. Now tell me no one has ever gotten in an accident when high. You believe pot is a miracle drug. You can't wake someone pretending to be asleep. So I am done. Rock's plan to fix schools and roads? We need more poeple drunk and stoned in this country! Dammit! Get high and support school kids!!

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 04:53 PM) The taxes on the pot would make millions for states and the government. The fast food industry will have more demand. Less people will abuse more addictive yet legal substances (pain relievers, alochol) in favor of a substance that gives better effects and can not be lethal directly. I honestly believe if pot was legal, there would be a good number of people who would stop drinking alcohol. A drug that physically destroys the body, causes the users to be aggressive leading to abusive behavior, and that in turn would reduce some violence and drunken driving. We've been over this before, and you try to spin the argument, but driving high is safer than driving drunk. I'm not saying I support driving high, but if we could replace all the drunk drivers in the world with stoned drivers, it'd be much safer. There would also be a lot less public urination/vomitting outside Wrigley Field, campus bar, and other places where binge drinking is part of the scene. I think society benefits from all of this. That is one of the best summaries I've read and some great material for thought. The financial benefits are obvious and I can not believe anyone would disagree. My first reaction would be, in a world where smoking cigarettes is getting harder and harder to do legally in public, wouldn't it be difficult to find places to smoke? Even some localities have banned smoking in bars and taverns. My only objection to the driving argument are those that claim they drive better high than sober. High or drunk is not safe. So whether it is safer drunk, stoned, on heroin, or acid doesn't matter. No one wants an impaired driver driving next to them and that argument would never be used to make pot legal. And I know people who agree with you, they agree to the point that they would never drive drunk, but will drive stoned. Again, not a good argument if you want pot legal. Again, everyone here seems to forget I favor legalizing, but I do so with an open mind. I do not see pot as this magical vitamin that has all these benefits and no costs.