IlliniBob72

I assume that's a joke. Very funny.

Believe me, she's not "fat". Having said that, she's too big to wear what she was wearing last night and what she used to wear in the past. I think the same goes for Jewel. Whenever I see her, she's bursting out of the mini outfit she's wearing. They don't have to wear mini clothes to be beautiful. Someone needs to tell them that.

This is true, of course. I guess I feel that way more about S&G though because I'm not in the mood for S&G as much as other things. I wouldn't say I need to be in the mood to listen to the Beatles because I'm almost always in the mood for the Beatles.

I find that you've got to be in the proper mood for S&G. Very mellow. I remember closing the shades in my dorm room and just vegging out listening to S&G. My favorite song is America. Hazy Shade of Winter is also a very good one.

Did anyone else see Christina Aguilera last night on VH1? Is it me or is she putting on the poundage? Don't get me wrong, she's not reaching Carnie Wilson proportions, but for a girl who gets up on stage in short shorts and a midriff baring top, she's gotten chubby. If she can't outsell Britney Spears, I guess she's trying to outeat her.

Just out of curiosity, do you know this to be a fact. I can't believe that this is true, unless you also figure in English civilization before 1776. I would have thought the Germans, even if you don't include the Holocaust as a true "war" death toll. 1,000,000+ Russians died in WW II at German hands. I'm sure we're up there, but can't imagine #1. Also, would Civil War deaths count, as we were killing our own?

I don't understand why anyone would pooh-pooh Bush's visit to Baghdad. The soldiers seemed to appreciate it very much, so why would anyone need to know anything more than that? The soldiers loved it and it was important to them, end of story. Of course there will be people like Apu that will claim they were hand-picked Bush lovers. That's just plain silly. Do you think they filled out questionnaires asking if they'd like to meet the Prez and based on that got to eat Thanksgiving dinner? At this point, Bush could walk water and people would claim that there were no sharks in the water so it's no big deal. As for the banning of cameras as caskets are taken off the planes, this is nothing new. There has been a ban since 1989. Clinton enforced the ban, only making a few exceptions for soldiers killed by terrorists. I don't recall seeing the slain of Mogadishu being taken off the plane. While many scoff at the administration's claim that it is for the privacy of the families, there are families that appreciate the ban... On the other side of the debate is Ruth Stonesifer of Kintnersville, Pa. Her son Kris, an Army Ranger, was killed in Pakistan in October 2001. She supports the media restrictions. "A family who feels very strongly and is very proud of their son's service to his country takes a risk when the media portrays his homecoming in a very negative light as just a body count," she says.

Your original statement was... Make them affordable and you've got a deal. At the prices of things, I am lucky if I can make it 4 times a year any more. I used to go 8-10 a year, but I can't afford that any more. If they raise ticket prices as I have heard, I'll be lucky to make it to 2 games this year (paying off debts from my house and getting a wedding together costs bucks). That sounded to me like a complaint that the Sox charge too much. If I am wrong, I apologize. But if I wasn't wrong, my original statement stands. A Chevy Cavalier may be too expensive for a teenager, but as far as cars go, it's not expensive at all. The Sox may be not "affordable" to someone with many other financial obligations, but as far as sports entertainment goes, they aren't that expensive.

Ya know, I never had the pleasure of visiting Mabel's. The Blind Pig also had live music, but never went there either. Were never any acts there that I was interested in. I saw a few acts at Nature's Table, before they tore it down. I heard that Material Issue played a frat party while I was there and Ellison couldn't have been a bigger dick. At the time I didn't have the bad view of frats that I grew to have later on, otherwise I would have liked him even more. I was back in Champaign a few weeks ago for work and took a spin around campus. I hardly even recognized the place, and it's only been 9 years. Not sure if Mabels or Blind Pig still exist. Best rock concert I've ever seen was down there, Midnight Oil at Assembly Hall in 1990. Absolutely incredible.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, of course, but what is this based on??? No potential at all? Before managing his very first game? s***, I'd have to say he has nothing but potential at this stage in his managerial career. He got some glowing reviews from managers he coached for and unless I've missed a lot, I haven't heard a negative word from any players he coached. Those people would probably have a bit more insight into his managing future than anyone here has. I can understand thinking the Sox may have been able to get better, but saying he can never be a good manager is a bit unfair.

One of my favorite albums in college was International Pop Overthrow by Material Issue. Great CD. They had another one later that was pretty good, but the name escapes me now. I need to get my hands on a copy of IPO again. Too bad Jim (?) Ellison offed himself.

Maggs is being shopped, if he in fact is, because he is due to make more money than he is arguably worth. Same goes for Konerko and Koch. He will be traded for value only, not as part of a salary dump. Flash isn't being brought back because he wants more than he's worth. Colon was offered a very fair contract. What you are seeing is going on everywhere. The Red Sox were willing to give Ramirez away for nothing because...he's going to make too much money. If the people come to the park, payroll will likely go up. We can't expect a team in the lower third in attendance to be in the upper third in payroll.

Well, perhaps you should just say that you can't go then. I sympathize with you for your economic woes. Believe me, I have my own, but going to a baseball game is pretty cheap when compared to other sports and it can certainly be done, as CW showed. Baseball games can be affordable. I'm sorry you can't afford to go, but that really isn't the White Sox's fault.

You are right about their early stuff. But that is what I find truly amazing. They were singing Can't Buy Me Love in 1964 and Helter Skelter in 1968. It's hard to believe it's the same band! Hell, it took REM about 10 years to go from making great music to music for vaginas. Also, when I hear oldies on the radio and hear that they were out when some Beatles songs were out, I'm stunned. The pervert and the Jackson 5 were singing ABC the same time the Beatles were singing While My Guitar Gently Weeps. I find it amazing. If by overhyped you mean that teenage girls shouldn't be feinting at the site of them, you're right. But still, they broke up 33 years ago and they're still one of the most popular bands.

I have a few... 1. People who drive in parking lots like there's no lines on the pavement to guide traffic. It's like a demolition derby to these people! I've nearly been in several wrecks caused by people who think that since they are off the streets and in a parking lot that they can drive willy-nilly through several rows of unused parking spaces. 2. Children singing. Now don't get me wrong, I love children, but why must people put their singing on albums? Those Kid-Bop commercials where they have pre-pubescent children singing pop hits is like nails on a chalkboard for me. 3. When people say "I could care less". That means you care somewhat. Stop it. 4. Musical numbers in TV shows or movies. My eyes impulsively roll back into my head. That's all for now. I'm sure I'll remember a few more later.

I think I've read in several places that Paul wrote Two Of Us about he and Linda and their weekend drives, not about Paul and John. I read Jim Derogaitis's review in the Sun-Times and he generally panned it. He's an asswipe to be sure, to take it FWIW. The bit that shocked me most was this... But in the end, "Let It Be" stands as the Beatles' least satisfying if not downright lousiest album (there is little good to be said about tunes such as "Dig a Pony" or "Two of Us"), and "Let It Be ... Naked" does nothing to redeem its reputation, or to warrant buying the disc again if you already own it. I think Two Of Us is one of their best songs and to diss it that way is really a surprise. But then again, what this guy likes and dislikes is a mystery to me. http://www.suntimes.com/output/entertainme...-beatles18.html

Who's Amber Boch? If she's cute, I'll take one!

LOL Actually, if my lunchbreak weren't over in a few minutes, that would be kind of interesting.

I graduated from UIUC in January of 1995. I can say that it was the best 4.5 years of my life. I was there for engineering and no matter how difficult the work was, I never ever once wished to be someplace else. It's a great place to be and a great education.

Do I sense a marriage proposal coming on???

They've got a lot of people to pay and only so much money to pay them with. If they can get good return for a guy that is set to make over 1/5th of their projected payroll, they'd have to listen, IMO. That is just the climate of baseball today. Hell, if ARod or Manny Ramirez can be shopped, surely Magglio can be.

Strikethree.com is an excellent site. Columns by BaseballHead are a must read.

Are you kidding? I'd love to see him get whiplash watching homers disappear onto Waveland! Sorry...my irrational hatred of Keith Foulke is coming out again.

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean by "the neat I-am-the-immaculate-center-of-the-universe; f***-em-all philosophy". I guess I don't know who you mean and how someone is showing that philosophy. Not being a smartass, just confused.

I don't understand your question. Please clarify?