Texsox

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 24, 2008 -> 11:39 AM) So we should just ignore the laws as they are in Iraq because it isn't a big deal here? Just the opposite. We should ignore our laws and respect their social customs and accept this was a protest insult and not intended as an assault. We are applying our laws there. Flip off the Pres? no big deal. Flip off the Pres, trip, and poke his eye out? Big deal. If the guy threw a feather pillow, helium balloon, or anything other than a shoe, I'm all for locking him up and calling it assault. From what I read, this shoe thing is intended the same as you flipping me off and not meant to harm anyone. Again, from my understanding of this custom, their is a right way and a wrong way. The correct way results in no physical harm, which is what happened here. So based on that, getting beaten and spending a few years in jail is more like why we were told we went over there to stop.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 10:49 AM) I can't speak for Iraqi law, but by US and general common law, what he did is textbook definition of assault. He threw a potentially harmful object at another person. That is assault. So I wonder how many Iraqi's Saddam locked up for their traditional gesture. I hope we freed all of them when we liberated the country. No wait, we need to beat them. I am so confused. Why did we invade and bomb the hell out of their country again?

This guy did not invent some new insult. The intent, as is the long standing custom there, was to insult and not to actually hit him. Just like flipping him off is not to actually hit anyone with your finger. This seems to be the point that many people are overlooking. This was a traditional gesture. The man had many other objects available to throw at Bush if the intent was to assault him. He did throw a cell phone, clipboard, lap top, chair, he threw a shoe, because that is the custom. Basically you guys would be saying that flipping someone off should result in jailtime. But yes, if Bush was actually hit and died, or any other silly what if you want to come up with, it would be different. Just as if someone was flipping someone off and accidentally killed them or caused them to need stitches. But instead, just like when you flip someone off, no one is hurt, this guy managed the traditional and long standing custom perfectly, and no one was hurt.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 10:29 AM) Just curious about what you think here. What do you think would happen to an American charged with spitting on the leader of a China/Russia/North Korea/Cuba/Palestine/Canada type country during an official visit of theirs to our country? Disorderly conduct, a fine, 1 year probation. I don't see getting beaten and spending two years at taxpayer's expense, in a federal prison. What would you expect?

Basically it doesn't seem to rise to the level of assault in my estimation. I can't think of anyone doing hard time for throwing a shoe. From what I read, the charges all stemmed from insulting, and that just seems wrong to give someone two years for what is tantamount to flipping him off.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Dec 22, 2008 -> 11:36 PM) Heading down to Texas to visit my sister/brother-in-law and my brother. My brother-in-law and brother both recently got new jobs, so they don't really have the ability to take off extra days to come here, so my parents and I are heading there. Probably stop by this house too. Saw it the last Christmas I spent down there, 2 years ago. Most Christmas lights I've ever seen on one house. That is smart. I, on the other hand, am stupid. I'm here in Chicago freezing my nuts off everytime I go outside. I swear on the honor of Sam Houston, Milam Smith, Stephen F. Austin, and all the founding fathers of the Great Lonestar State, I will never leave and head north in winter again.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 09:43 AM) Nobody cares about the insult though. Hell, I'm certain that Bush gets insulted much worse than that on a daily basis. But throwing an object at someone is assault, plain and simple (I just threw a pen at my gov't boss a few minutes ago though, lol). I believe SS just posted he's being tried for insulting a foreign leader, not assault.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 09:22 AM) If an American threw a shoe at Bush, Blagojevich, or Obama, they'd be facing charges, too. Plus it would be stupid because it does not have the same connotation here. How about if they flipped him off? Perhaps they would be tried as a hate crime? I do wonder if that was a Saddam era law that was held over or something we insisted they add to their laws when they wrote their new Constitution? Could you image if they locked up an American in Saddam's Iraq for "insulting" a foreign leader by flipping him off? Perhaps beating and torturing him in the process?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 08:23 AM) In Iraq insulting a foreign leader is a crime, and this is what he is being charged with. Which is interesting. Wouldn't this be an example of Saddam era laws? I wonder if we have a similar law here which provides jail time for insulting a foreign leader?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 08:37 AM) No it wouldnt. Throwing an object at someone and making a gesture are not the same thing. Spitting at someone is an insult. Throwing your shoes at someone is an insult in Arab countries. Who cares what it is the equivalent of? If throwing gum at someone in Iraq was the equivalent of punching someone in the face here should they be judged the same way too? So? I'd be willing to bet assault is assault in pretty much every country around the world and that assault is not just a US law. Furthermore, when has Bush demanded that that Iraqi citizen be jailed? I havent seen that or heard that anywhere. From what I remember, didnt GWB say it wasnt a big deal? Who cares? An earlier analogy was someone spitting on someone here. I agree, what is allowed, not allowed here is not relevant. So, how many people have been jailed for throwing a shoe at someone? Imagine if someone threw a shoe at Rod B. How many citizens of Illinois would be clammering for jail time for the criminal?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 08:05 AM) It was assault. Assault does not fall under the grounds of freedom of speech. Period. You want a good analogy? What if someone spits on the president while in the US? You think they are just gonna be allowed to walk away without any repercussion? A good analogy would be a foreign President demanding a US citizen be jailed for flipping him off while he is here in the US. Imagine if the President of Turkey expected Turkish laws be followed in the US while he is here. Again, from what I am reading, where it happened, which is the point of the conversation, it is the equivalent of flipping someone off and not a jailable offense. Are you suggesting that US laws should be enforced around the world? It may be assault based on US laws. But this did not happen in the US.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 23, 2008 -> 07:54 AM) If it wasn't meant to harm, why throw it? He could have held it up and made his point all of same, by pointing at the bottom of it and telling him what he was saying. Why did raising the middle finger come to mean something? Why is thumbs up an insult in some parts of the world? I don't know why they chose flinging shoes, it seems kind of stupid, you may have to walk home barefooted. Or perhaps tthat is why, you want to insult them so much you will walk home barefooted. Kind of the opposite of crawling a mile on broken glass. But it seems if you flung your shoe at your neighbor, you would not be locked up.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 20, 2008 -> 08:36 PM) Gigantic surge in demand for this brand of shoes. I wonder sometimes if Mr. Bush truly understands how unpopular he is. He bought two pairs

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Dec 19, 2008 -> 08:23 AM) Freedom of speech and throwing objects at a head of state are not the same thing. Imagine the outrage if someone throws a shoe at Obama during his inauguration. Bush was in a foreign country where their traditional insult is to throw a shoe. The shoe is clearly not meant to cause physical harm and you would not be imprisoned for doing that to a random person. If a visiting President was here, do the laws and customs of his country apply, or the US?

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Dec 21, 2008 -> 02:20 AM) Soxtalk has disappointed me yet again. Bad Santa at #12? Are all you GOOFY?! Yeah, I was shocked it was on the list also

This is awesome, it really works and makes sense too ….. This Math Test Can Predict Your Role Model... Try it without looking at the Answer. Pick your Favorite Number from 1-9 Then multiply that number by 3. Then Add 3, then Again Multiply by 3 You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number. Add the digits together. Scroll down................... Now with that Number, see Who Your ROLE MODEL is from the List below : 1. Einstein 2. Nelson Mandela 3. Abraham Lincoln 4. Tom Cruise 5. Bill Gates 6. Gandhi 7. Brad Pitt 8. Hitler 9. Texsox 10. Barack Obama

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 18, 2008 -> 09:45 PM) Interesting thought. But its wrong for the same reason its wrong for executives (which I have seen you yourself complain about) - you are rewarding bad behavior. I'll pass. Somehow this feels different than a CEO.

Speaking of the Vatican. Pope John Paul II forgave his would be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca, and was instrumental in having the Italian President pardon him and have him released from the Italian prison. Now he was immediatly transfered to Turkey for crimes he committed there, but I always thought it sent a great message about Catholicism and forgiveness. Imagine what a message it would be to the rest of the world if Bush spoke about freedom of speech, of being able to protest in a democracy.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 19, 2008 -> 02:54 AM) "How old is the earth?" "4.56 billion years" "Punch punch punch" Rock Jock humor. I love it.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Dec 18, 2008 -> 01:08 PM) I think Bobby reads Soxtalk. Maybe if he knew something about baseball he could post here.

I was afraid the colorization would prove distracting, but they did a wonderful job with it. It was understated, but almost perfect. The Easter scene was breathtaking. Easily the best job of colorizing I've seen.

I was just listening to a report that has me now comparing this flinging a shoe to flipping him off. The shoe is not meant to hurt anyone, but it does seem to be the equivelent of flipping him off, or any of the other gestures of anger.

I bought Holiday Inn, the colorized DVD. Actually is was the three pack. B&W, Colorized, and the sound track. I have a friend coming over tonight. We'll see how it passes. I was encouraged looking at the scene that was on the box.

I knew after reading the thread what the reactions would be. Maybe it is all bulls***, but expanding his speed range from blazing or offspeed to Fast, blazing, or off speed seems like a more effective strategy. It also seems that dropping from all out would extend your career. Nolan Ryan was a freak of nature, Clemens was juiced, and Randy Johnson faded. I'm certain we can think of a few more.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Dec 18, 2008 -> 03:09 PM) True...but only if they threw the Dreidel song and Sandler's Hanukkah Song in with it. The person below me can't believe it's almost the ninth year of the first decade of the third millenium. True The person below me thinks this is funny, it happened to a lady I know who emailed me this amazing story . . . I was shopping at the local supermarket where I selected: a half-gallon of 2% milk, a carton of eggs, a quart of orange juice, a head of romaine lettuce, a 2 lb. can of coffee, and a 1 lb. package of bacon. As I was unloading my items on the conveyor belt to check out, a drunk standing behind me watched as I placed the items in front of the cashier. While the cashier was ringing up the purchases, the drunk calmly stated, 'You must be single.' I was a bit startled by this proclamation, but I was intrigued by the derelict's intuition, since I was indeed single. I looked at the six items on the belt and saw nothing particularly unusual about my selections that could have tipped off the drunk to my marital status. Curiosity getting the better of me, I said, 'Well, you know what, you're absolutely right. But how on earth did you know that?' The drunk replied, 'Cause you're ugly.'