caulfield12

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 04:26 PM) And then what? Let their value go to s*** because you don't have enough spots in the rotation in a year or two - so you're either moving SP prospects to the bullpen out of necessity, or you're keeping them in AAA because there is no room? Again, I am not saying the Sox should take less in a trade to get a bat. But the headliner in a Q deal should be a bat. I don't mind taking back another pitching prospect, but I want multiple bats for Q. Taking a Glasnow, Keller, Newman + package, and saying f*** it, we'll acquire hitters later from our excess pitching is going to bite us in the ass down the line. Other than Soler, what elite Cubs' prospect has lost value for this reason? Vogelbach? Fringey.

If Pop looed like JFK Jr., he'd be a shoo-in.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 04:02 PM) Often times for the most expensive procedures, there isn't actually time to "price shop" because it's an emergency situation and even if you could, there are very strong emotional incentives against choosing the cheapest option when it comes to your own life and well-being. Market forces don't work in health care for a variety of reasons. More in terms of the costs of getting diagnostic tests done, pretty wild variations and fairly arbitrary in terms of willingness to adjust if you try to dispute the charges. And yeah, emergency situations...no time, but aftercare, inpatient vs. outpatient, there should at least be more options available. In theory, that competition should help to improve costs and force the lower quality providers out of the market. A good example was raised today. In those state reimbursements, they can hold back 2% for state population wellness...let's say, HIV and AIDS prevention in Louisiana, which has huge problems with this particular issue. Every state is better positioned to determine on a local level how best to allocate those funds. Iowa or Wisconsin might use it more for elderly/senior care programs due to aging populations, for another example. As long as the revenues provided states are the same or higher than under ACA, the argument that Washington can better administer the program doesn't hold up. That said, we won't have "replace" fully functioning until 2020, an election year. And we won't know how the insurance markets and pools will react until at least 2018/19. We do know that a lot of insurers opted out because the Medicaid reimbursements were too low...it went from 23 to 5. Arizona, obviously an aging state with numerous retirees, saw over 100% premium hikes in the last year, and had some counties that almost ended up with nobody willing to cover from an insurance pool standpoint.

ACA was also causing numerous issues with rural health care...let's see the GOP fix for that.

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 01:59 PM) Also have Avi and Davidson listed as DHs. They're looking at Asche for RF or DH? Isn't he more of a LF? Well, Melky will be gone and it likely won't matter 2-3 years from now anyway, other than positioning their 2018 draft picks.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 10:06 AM) Even if you throw out the division aspect, I don't see them having a top end position player future star that would catch the Sox interest. Makes zero sense...but it would probably be some combination of Cuthbert (who they might DH and need for 3b in the future), Strahm (who they need this year), Zimmer (Mr. Injury) and Mondesi Jr. (stock is down). If they could acquire also Cain and get him to sign an extension foregoing free agency, but that realistically won't happen.

That's why someone had Bill Nye the Science Guy as well. I basically just went through 3-4 existing responses to this question and threw all the names together. For someone with a science background to make it, something close to cataclysmic will need to happen in the world first...where it's hard to logically claim there's no tie to global warming/pollution. If there were elections here in China...that moment would be getting closer and closer, especially for cities from Beijing/Tianjin to Shanghai to Nanjing, in that triangle of dangerous pollutants in the air everyday. Another version of An Inconvenient Truth is needed, with Gore basically gone from the scene.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 12:31 PM) I'm interested in the middle part...why would a grad student like you end up dead because of this clause? Trying to better understand, becuase even when the system was broken, wasn't there the ability to go to free health clinics or in an emergency just go to an emergency room. Not saying it was a good answer, can then such person is saddled with debt, but I thought people could still get treatment at certain types of hospitals regardless. Remember, I am pro healthcare for all, just trying to understand. There are a not insignificant number of people with ACA plans where the deductible is set at $4000-$6000. That doesn't make sense. That's basically catastrophic insurance, but it's going to expose families to either financial ruin or not seeking urgent care that could be life saving in that $1000-$3000 range (because it would all end up out of pocket), which covers quite a bit of threatening eventualities. Another issue being addressed is transparency. When possible, you should be able to keep your own doctor from previous plans. You especially should be told the cost for any test or procedure at 3-4 competing health centers and hospitals so you can make a determination of quality vs. cost, and the hospitals should be forced to compete with each other on pricing...rather than just dumping a completely unexpected bill on a patient when it's too late for them to make an informed decision.

Get used to hearing the word "robust." He did do much better with the press this time around...and the Cassidy/Collins health care fix has some pretty interesting suggestions in it, to be fair. How the CBO scores it, who knows, but it appears they're willing to allow any state that wants to keep ACA can do that...the coordination and plan can be turned over to individual states OR people can decline coverade completely with no penalty. With the health savings accounts, it will basically automatically add everyone into those programs just like Social Security works, so technically more people will be receiving SOME form of coverage. Obviously evening out the risk pools will be the key, but that's the first time in years an actual plan has been presented by the GOP. In fact, by allowing states to choose, it shows the potential to pick off Democratic states/senators whose objections should be muted by being able to retain Obamacare. Pretty smart politics, and it was basically forced on them by Trump, instead of merely repealing it. As it stands right now, 30 million Americans are still without coverage. The infrastructure investments will be popular because the cities/mayors will have access to those funds...instead of it being under state control like the Obama infrastructure money early in his administrstion, which wasn't allocated all that effectively or efficiently imo.

Let's see if Sean Spicer can recover his integrity in the next hour or so. Conway is already toast. Tomi Lahren or Hope Hicks will be the next lambs to the slaughter...but hopefully someone will actually push back against Trump and stand their ground. The scary thing is some really respected media members were shocked that Spicer went so far against previous character in carrying water for the new administration on such a nonsensical issue.

Lemonis has shown interest in running?...that's the hardest part in today's polarized climate, convincing someone it's worth it to him and his family. Does he want 1/3rd of the electorate questioning that every move he makes is secretly showing favoritism to the Middle East or Muslims? Kennedy went through it about the Pope, obviously Obama...ut also seems to be too good to be true. We're so used to being disappointed and disillusioned by flawed politicians/scandals.

You can forget Hansen and probably even Fulmer in the Top 100 if Collins is so low. Same with Burdi. Not sure what his opinion on Basabe is?

The only truism here is Jordan is the GOAT.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 07:13 AM) This sounds like a Donald Trump speech. You aren't going to say it out right. You are just going to make a bunch of innuendo and hints about it, and pretend that isn't what you are saying so you can be right with both sides, and then just make up anything else to fit the narrative. You can't just take an offer to another team for another player and assume that is what we are being offered, especially when a report is out there that contradicts that. C'mon, you've never heard of alternative facts?

Manchester by the Sea was excellently acted but way too depressing. American Honey is one of those low budget movies that you should see...Shia LeBouf does his best Frank TJ Mackey (Magnolia reference) and just maybe still has a career ahead of him.

Day 4 begins National Parks Service employees banned from using official twitter account https://www.yahoo.com/style/national-parks-...-172739369.html First conflict of interest lawsuit filed...with lots of huge legal names like Harvard's Laurence Tribe attached. This will likely be thrown out due to lack of standing. They're going to have to find a competing upper tier hotel in DC that's clearly losing business to Trump's and not afraid to stand up to him publicly. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ethics-lawyers-s...-051119236.html Trump's son Eric Trump, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, told the Times on Sunday that the company had taken more steps than required by law to avoid any possible legal exposure, such as agreeing to donate any profits collected at Trump-owned hotels that come from foreign government guests to the U.S. Treasury. "This is purely harassment for political gain," Trump told the newspaper. According to Conway over the weekend, Trump tax returns will not be turned over despite 120,000+ petitioning on first day at new Trump WhiteHouse.gov website. Had promised an update or response on any issue/petition that gathered at least 100k online signatures or more. Has been a tradition for both candidates to do so going back to 1976.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/st...m=.63ab73ecb38d The traditional way of reporting about the president is officially dead, Spicer already killed it. Maybe the entire press should just ignore him for a month and see what happens with nobody to fight with or antagonize? Fox News could still carry his press conferences live...since he wants a controlled media with no hostile questions like Russia or China. I think he would get bored eventually with nothing but sycophants and butt kissers around him, but probably am overestimating his humanity.

QUOTE (reiks12 @ Jan 22, 2017 -> 07:44 PM) Actually dont believe its postering anymore. I think Luhnow is this delusional like his fanbase. Posturing. As opposed to Michael Jordan's forte against defenders at the rim.

The Red Sox still don't trust Sandoval. Moncada and Devers were their future at 3b...with Pedroia holding down second for at least 2-3 more years. You can't trade both options if you're Dombrowski. If Devers was a corner outfielder, he would have been much more expendable. But yeah, Sale and Frazier together would have made sense...but they have to muddle through this year hoping for the best at this point at that position while waiting on Devers to arrive.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-set-move-...-071739318.html Russia moves closer to decriminalizing domestic violence. Party like it's 1953....err, 2017. Simply can't wait for Obama's sanctions to be lifted and our first trade and military cooperation agreements to be signed with them!!! Great day, beautiful day for all thugs and bullies who have Bobby Knight-like attitudes toward women...Putin, Duterte, Assad, Trump, Ergoyan. We should start to call it The Alliance of Excellence.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/201...ight-now-214678 America, You Look (Exactly) Like An Arab Country Right Now The moment at which we felt real solidarity with the American people, though, was when we started hearing BBC reporters talking to your citizens with the patronizing tone they normally reserve for the Middle East. Correspondents were sent to far-flung corners of the United States to talk to farmers and factory workers to try to understand how they feel and to ask condescending questions. I’m from the British Broadcasting Corporation, are you familiar with the BBC? Where do you get your news from? Do you feel angry? Does religion play a role in how you are voting?. (The only thing missing were pictures of people with blue ink on their thumbs; please consider introducing that practice in the future.) There was talk, too, of rural strongholds and urban bastions. Deep social and geographic divisions whose origins go back in time. They’re not quite tribal divisions, but there was more than enough religious and political sectarianism to ignite our interest. Who are the liberals and the conservatives and how did their disagreement begin? What’s the difference between alt-right and the Tea Party? What’s the origin of the schism between the neo-conservatives and paleoconservatives? Watching foreign correspondents trying to explain the differences was mesmerizing. And then there’s the unrest. In the lead up to the inauguration, we started to hear about youth protests against the new regime. Come on! This is bordering on plagiarism now. Please write your own plots and stop borrowing ours. Although, we usually wait for leaders to take power before we start protesting; we like your preemptive revolution approach.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 22, 2017 -> 03:42 PM) Trump is a thin-skinned egomaniac, no doubt about that. For many decades now, he's never faced any opposition in the business world from anybody. Everybody's kissed his butt, so to speak for decades. America knew this and still elected him president. So big deal. If he can do the job, great. If he can't, well, the next election cycle will probably begin in 2.5 years. It will go by fast. So we shall see. But nobody should be surprised by his ego surfacing again and again. I just want results. Improve the economy, baby. Build up the military. improve health care. I'm willing to bet one of your houses that you will change your tune within a year. While I would love to be wrong....Greg, we currently have 19 aircraft carriers, China has one (built on a Russian shell) and is now building their first close to original one. #2 in the world has four. Don't you believe that instead of building ships the Navy isn't even asking for that it would be better to allocate tax revenues to Social Security and Medicare...programs designed to provide a safety net for American middle class families? And do you really want to go to war with China or, more likely, in the Middle East yet again?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix...m=.e1b88b944259 When lies become "fake news" and now we get Conway's "alternate facts" and unfortunately 1/4th or 1/3rd of the country is willing to believe them or look the other way. https://mobile.twitter.com/rascouet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw And of course the Twitter source for that insightful Trump media strategy outline is getting battered by right wing social media for not oublicly identifying the source or simply making things up to fit a narrative. "But I'm worried about tweeting now because I've been able to not be harassed much thus far and this might change now." You know things are bad when Nazi Germany/Maoist China/Russia/Mussolini come to mind on a daily basis as perfectly appropriate comparisons. Freedom of speech and the press are always the first to go. Educational indoctrination/destroying intellectual curiosity comes second.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 22, 2017 -> 12:39 PM) Unfortunately I dont see any way to break the cycle. Approximately 500 newspapers endorsed Clinton, approximately 27 endorsed Trump. A good portion of America just no longer accepts "facts". Yesterday on this board there was an argument about whether or not Clinton "won" the popular vote. Historically speaking this has happened before. After the fall of Rome, European society entered the "Dark Ages." Its starting to appear that we may be heading down that road. Otherwise why attack Science, etc? Even if you disagree with global warming, our society should still be investing money to determine the facts. We shouldnt just say "The Pope said the Earth is the center of the Universe, so it must be true." The idea of "alternate facts" is pretty scary. Not to mention the biggest driver of American greatness and innovation/ingenuity is Silicon Valley the last two decades. The inaugural address could just as easily been aimed at those entrepreneurs as it was at the Washington establishment. Fwiw, Trump's immigration and trade policies are supported by exactly one person out there, Peter Thiel. That's why all the talk about California leaving the US isn't completely as far-fetched as it sounds. Highly unlikely, but...well, the electoral college doesn't do much for them, does it?

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jan 22, 2017 -> 11:47 AM) f***. Double f***. The common thread with most of those Cabinet members and Paul Ryan is adherence to the tenets of Ayn Rand's philosophy. And we wonder why the GOP gets labeled as selfish, or only motivated by individual greed or advancement rather than societal progress.