EvilMonkey

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Aug 1, 2008 -> 08:05 PM) I gotta go with whoever said they hate Javy earlier in this thread. He is still having a good outing overall, but he comes out and gives up runs immediately after he gets the comfortable lead. Drives you nuts. All our pitchers do this, not just Javy.

It is SOOOOO nice to see the Royals screw up against US instead of always handing games to the Twins or Tigers.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 1, 2008 -> 07:05 PM) So, if I then point out that in Europe, one of the reasons these sorts of things were done years ago in Europe is that energy was vastly more expensive there due to the fact that higher taxes were placed on energy, and those things haven't been done here because energy was much less expensive...does that not suggest that using the government as an instrument to force people to conserve or to develop alternate energy technology through taxed-based disincentives works quite well? You just said it, ENERGy was more expensive. They were not suddenly charged x-millions of dollars because they didn't use 10% renewable energy or something like that. And the energy was higher for everyone. Go ahead, raises taxes here. See how fast it takes for businesses to pick up and go somewhere else. And regardless of of differing views on that, it is still a good thing that you posted. More people should be doing that.

QUOTE (knightni @ Aug 1, 2008 -> 03:26 PM) I would think that Minnesota would block us. 'blocking' us means that they would have to be willing to pick them up as well. You always have to be prepared for the releasing team to call your bluff and just let you have them.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 1, 2008 -> 06:30 PM) I think passing laws mandating things like you can't waste light from lampposts or you face fines appears to have been effective negative punishment as well. But here's the kicker...if positive reinforcement were all it took, then why haven't businesses interested in cutting their own energy demands made some of the obvious changes years ago? Things like factories installing heat recovery systems which are all over the place in Europe but hardly exist here in the U.S., or improving the efficiency of their own appliances, etc.? The reward should be saving money on energy costs. Because now the 'punishment' part of that is coming in from market factors (high costs). Saving money IS the reward, but like someoil exploration, it just wasn't worth it, for a while. now it is worth it, and a few, like what you posted, are showing the way.

It's amazing what positive reenforcement (awards)can accomplish, instead of negative punishment (taxes).

Both ideas suck. Solutions are more complicated and multi-faceted than just a check or a tax holiday.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Aug 1, 2008 -> 02:48 PM) It seems fair to write what pigs we've elected and showing that it doesn't matter which side of the aisle they caucus. This is both a Dem and GOP issue. If this was an article on philanthropy and only Dems were mentioned, conservatives would be screaming that there was bias and they should have been mentioned. No, because this was a story about 1 man f***ing up, almost literally. Not the Democratic party, not politicians, but just John 'Two Americas" Edwards. No need to mention McCain, Newt or Obama. Now if it was a news story about how all politicians are twofaced, then go ahead.

QUOTE (Gregory Pratt @ Aug 1, 2008 -> 08:45 AM) No one's posted a good, comprehensive account yet of what's going on, so let me direct you here. Sure, take a Democratic scandal and make sure to get in all the Republicans you can name in the article, including McCain, and then show how great Obama is at the end. A wonderful way to twist this into something positive for Obama, when it has nothing to do with Obama. Or McCain.

With Gomez bunting and running so fast, why are the Sox not pitching him inside, or a fastball to the thigh area?

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Jul 31, 2008 -> 02:16 PM) you upgrade 1B and possibly downgrade CF Griff is slower than me, but I imagine he can judge a ball better than Swisher Sweet. Can't be any worse than macoviack But is he faster than Paulie?

Someone should have started the post off saying that the Twins got Griffey Jr for a few pieces they didn't really need, and see how many people would be proclaiming them the next Central division champs.

ELDER PORN!!!! http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e2e_1217217579 (SFW)

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 30, 2008 -> 05:59 PM) hypothetical: if decriminalized, how much would % of users go up? And how many people only doing it because it is 'cool' or 'anti-establishment' will stop? Short term you may have an increase in users, but I think that long term you won't see much of a difference.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 30, 2008 -> 01:15 PM) The bs logic would be since A is bad we should allow all bad things as well. Carefull here Tex. You use this approach on here alot. I have never used it, but can see the value to legalizing it. And taxing it. And regulating it.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 30, 2008 -> 07:46 AM) If you know those are overrated, we know who holds the remote in your household Get back that remote I get the remote with my TV with Tivo upstairs by the computer. Aaaaalllllll mine.

I just can't see how banks continue to give business loans to restaraunts in general. I was driving yesterday and it seemed like every strip mall had at least 2 food places in it. The article is right, eating out is one of the first things that stops when your income drops.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 29, 2008 -> 08:43 PM) Are you saying their program would be worse if they had more money to spend? What it proves is a small group of ourstanding people can do wonders. Scaling that nationwide is all but impossible. If you has a choice of working for $50,000 in Winnetka or $25,000 in Roundout, where would you work? Would you rather your kids have 3 year old Social Studies books, or ten year old? Which kids will learn computers better, those with cast off Windows 98 machines, 1 per classroom, or a bank of new Vista machines 1 per 5 students? I agree, money isn't everything, but nationwide, if half the schools start with $13,300 and the other half start with $7,500, which group will do better? I believe the group with the resources. Another factor in DC is making the students feel like someone cares, in this case, it could be that they were part of a special program. The Hawthorne Effect for psychology afficionados. If you are going to add more money, you also need to make it easier to fire crappy teachers, get rid of tenure and find a way to cut down on the size of the administration and their pay/pensions as well. Especially here in Illinois, the Superintendents pensions are crazy. Based on an average of their 4 highest years pay, most districts give the ones they like huge raises the last 2 or 3 years they work, then when they retire, the pension is picked up by the State, which means by everybody, not just those wealthy taxpayers in Winnetka. The poor taxpayer in Ford Heights (if there actually IS a taxpayer in Ford Heights) is also contributing to the big guy's pension.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 29, 2008 -> 04:33 PM) Money is the issue. When the difference between what school districts spend can be as much as 10X the amount per student, it has to make a difference. When schools are too poor to regularly buy new text books or have computers, there is a difference. When some school districts can spend more money on weight rooms for their football team then others can for their libraries, there is a difference. Just walk through a poor school and walk through a rich school and imagine how you would bridge the difference. Imagine what that DC CHarter school could do with another $1,000 per student. But that charter school slready spends thousands LESS than the regular schools do, and kicks thier asses in all areas. more for less, so it isn't just money. Tex, the charter school there spends $7500 per student. By comparison, the public schools spent $13,330 per pupil, in 2005! http://www.heritage.org/Research/Education/wm727.cfm

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Not that big of a difference between the two of them so far this year. At least not enough for a rent a player.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 29, 2008 -> 02:34 PM) y'all know Alaska will elect someone just like him?! Well, they had elected a governor who has taken on the corruption there, so who knows. Since it looks like she won't get the veep nod, maybe she will take Stevens' seat.

He needs to go. Good.

Most political blogs I am reading seem to think that McCain's pick will be Pawlenty from Minnesota.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jul 29, 2008 -> 08:15 AM) Where will the money come from? The harsh reality is we need a leveling of the system. As noted in the article, parents can move to a neighborhood with better schools, which generally means higher property values and higher housing prices. When we start looking at school funding on a state wide basis, and fund the schools that way, we begin to offer the kinds of services that Winnetka takes for granted and a poor inner city school can only dream. There are pros and cons on both sides, what worries me the most about vouchers and some of these plans is it will take money out of the public system where most of the poor children will be. Their parents will not be able to make up the difference between the voucher and the private school. Also, the whole he believes this because they donate stuff is crap. If, for example, Southsider, Kap, and AlphaDog where offering an endorsement, wouldn't the candidate be a conservative who supports most of what they believe in? Would it then be fair to say that the candidate only supports a given issue because Southsider, Kap, and AlphaDog gave him an endorsement? It's a two way street. Most endorsements are a shared vision or philosophy. They travel in the same circles, attend the same benefits and fundraisers, visit the same churhces. Tex, money isn't the issue. If it was, how could the charter schools in DC with excellent success so far (which the Dems want to stop funding), be doing so with 30% less per student than the DC school system? All the problems that conservatives complain about how government can't run things efficently are shown in public school systems. They are an entrenched boondoggle and are not run well. Keep throwing monmey at it, and you get no results. Sure, money is important, but you have to change the educational heirachy, union dominace and parental involvement. A very tall order. As for funding, I am all for some sort of statewide funding, as basing school money purely on property taxes doesn't seem fair. But if I am still paying the huge amount I am now, and my son's schools start losing things left and right, I am gonna be pissed.