EvilMonkey

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 3, 2005 -> 12:27 PM) Wait I thought everyone said throw him under the bus and/or trade him??? :headshake He is 21 years old. People need to learn the Jon Garland lesson, that some pitchers just take time. Brandon might not *get* it for years, but when he does, he is going to be special. And if we have dealt him, we will regret it, there is no doubt in my mind of that. That all depends on who we would have dealt him for, and whether or not we won the WS. Win the World Series and I don't care if we become the Royals for a few years!

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 3, 2005 -> 12:57 PM) Not that what he said was a metophor for the leadership of the UN being worthless or anything... You seem to forget, ss2k, that what Republican/conservatives say is always taken literally, while what Democrat/liberals say is ALWAYS full of nuanced multiple meanings, sure to be misinterpreted by any and all Republican/conservatives.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 09:06 PM) It's been alleged repeatedly in several different places where he served that he harassed underlings. Key points in that story, and She wouldn't make things up, would she?

Some background on appointments. http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story...p-9036590c.html Envoy positions can be rewards Some fund-raisers reap posts abroad By ROB CHRISTENSEN, Staff Writer Mark Erwin spent his 50th birthday watching the movie "Four Weddings and a Funeral" with Bill Clinton in the White House. Jeanette Hyde helped "discover" Al Gore. Bonnie McElveen-Hunter wanted to make Elizabeth Dole president. Although they took different routes into big-time politics, those three North Carolinians had two things in common -- they became major political fund-raisers and were rewarded with appointments as U.S. ambassadors. When he named Raleigh lawyer Jim Cain as U.S. ambassador to Denmark last month, President Bush was following a deeply ingrained American tradition of repaying political backers by dispatching them to foreign capitals to head U.S. embassies. Cain, former president of the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team, is the sixth political fund-raiser from North Carolina to be named an ambassador in a little more than a decade. His Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Monday. Six politically connected North Carolinians have been named as U.S. ambassadors in a little more than a decade. * Jim Cain, Raleigh lawyer. Nominated by President Bush to be ambassador to Denmark. Awaiting U.S. Senate confirmation. * Mark Erwin, Charlotte developer and investor. Ambassador to Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros islands in the Indian Ocean, 1999-2001. Appointed by President Clinton. * Jeanette Hyde, Raleigh civic leader. Ambassador to Barbados and the eastern Caribbean nations of Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada, 1994-98. Appointed by President Clinton. * Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Greensboro publishing executive. Ambassador to Finland, 2001-03. Appointed by President Bush. * Phil Phillips, retired High Point business executive. Ambassador to Barbados and the eastern Caribbean nations of Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada, 2002-03. Appointed by President Bush. * Aldona Wos, Greensboro physician. Ambassador to Estonia in eastern Europe, 2004-present. Appointed by President Bush. Bush has named four: Cain; McElveen-Hunter, a Greensboro business executive who served as ambassador to Finland; Phil Phillips, a retired High Point business executive who served as ambassador to Barbados; and Aldona Wos, a Greensboro physician who is ambassador to Estonia. Clinton tapped Hyde, a Raleigh civic leader, to be ambassador to Barbados and several nearby islands. And he chose Erwin, a Charlotte business executive, as ambassador to the Indian Ocean island nations of Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros. The appointment of so many political fund-raisers is troubling to professional diplomats who say those appointees often have little training in diplomacy and don't know the language or the culture of the countries where they serve. Many have never even been there. Risks and benefits Professional diplomats say that situation is particularly risky at a time of the 24-hour news cycle, where a misstatement can instantly reverberate around the world. "Would a major corporation such as Microsoft or IBM appoint an inexperienced junior person to run their European operations?" asked Tom Switzer, spokesman for the American Foreign Service Association and a retired diplomat with 31 years of experience. "It's preposterous." Others argue that political appointees are most often highly accomplished people who bring new talents and energy to an embassy and provide the political voice of the administration. "There are good ones who are political appointees, and there are bad ones," said McElveen-Hunter, CEO of Pace Communications, which publishes corporate magazines. "There are good foreign service officers, and there are bad service officers. You bring unique talents to the table that are not traditionally part of an embassy team." Road to an embassy In the three decades before World War II, about two-thirds of U.S. ambassadors were political appointees, according to the State Department. Among them was Josephus Daniels, a former publisher of The News & Observer and a major player in Democratic politics. Daniels was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as ambassador to Mexico in 1933. In recent decades, roughly two-thirds of ambassadorships have gone to professional diplomats and one-third to political supporters, according to the foreign service association. Bush and Clinton have been about average in their number of political appointments. "Both parties are playing this game," Switzer said. "They are equal-opportunity offenders." In theory, appointing political donors is against the law. The Foreign Service Act of 1980 says "contributions to political campaigns should not be a factor in the appointment of an individual as chief of mission." But the link is long-standing. "After President Bush was first elected, I spent six months answering the question: 'What country are you going to?' " said former state Rep. David Miner of Cary, a major fund-raiser for Bush in 2000. Cain put together a $2.35 million fund-raiser last summer in Raleigh for Bush's re-election campaign. Wos raised at least $200,000 for Bush. Phillips gave $250,000 to the first Bush election effort, while McElveen-Hunter gave more than $100,000 in 2000. It was no different under Clinton; Hyde and Erwin raised significant sums for the Democratic ticket. Steven Weiss, spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based nonprofit research group that tracks money in politics, said the practice comes "pretty close" to big donors buying ambassadorships. But being a major fund-raiser is no guarantee of a diplomatic post. And political donors don't always get the countries they want. The ambassadors take different roads to their posts. Hyde was part of a group of power brokers who in 1987 spotted Al Gore, then a 39-year-old U.S. senator from Tennessee, and began boosting him for the White House. Erwin was a Clinton golfing buddy. Others developed relationships during campaigns. McElveen-Hunter became involved in politics as finance chairwoman for Elizabeth Dole's 2000 presidential run. When Dole dropped out, McElveen-Hunter was recruited by the Bush campaign. She headed Bush's efforts to raise money from women, in a campaign called "W is for Women" that reportedly raised $1 million. During a White House visit in 2001 to discuss tax policy, McElveen-Hunter was stopped by the president. "As I was leaving, he pulled me over and took my hand," she recalled. " 'Bonnie, would you serve your country as ambassador?' There was a pregnant pause. It was not something I anticipated." McElveen-Hunter said it was not easy leaving her business for a two-year stint in Helsinki. For most political appointees, the diplomatic job is a pay cut from their real job, and they sometimes dip into their own money to pay for extra social events or decorating. Many opportunities Some ambassadors use their post to see the world, Erwin said, but most are conscientious and work hard on issues. Erwin concentrated on trade. McElveen-Hunter promoted business opportunities for women. Hyde focused on stopping drug smuggling. "My husband thought we'd have to learn to identify the pickle fork and the marmalade spoon, but the issues are far more critical," said McElveen-Hunter, who now serves as the Bush-appointed chairwoman of the American Red Cross. But there are perks. Cain will move into Rydhave, the ambassador's 36-room residence in Copenhagen, overlooking the narrow strait of Oresund. McElveen-Hunter got the Finnish equivalent of a knighthood. Erwin, Phillips and Hyde served on beautiful islands. They had bulletproof cars and drivers at their beck and call. "It's a powerful position," Hyde said. "An ambassador is the president's personal representative abroad. He is the face of America." Miner, the former Bush fund-raiser, said there is a mixture of reasons why people want to be ambassadors. Most want to serve their country. And many are looking to cap their careers. "These are men and women who have been extremely successful," Miner said. "They have accomplished all they can in their careers. Now they are looking for an adventure. Being ambassador is sexy."

QUOTE(KipWellsFan @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 06:54 AM) George W. Bush, tough on big business! how about anal rape your wife and get appointed to FDA Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hager key words, former wife, and alleged. Remember those.

QUOTE(winodj @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 11:05 AM) If he had provided documentation three months ago, Bolton would have already been confirmed. Instead, our President stonewalled and installed someone in the position who couldn't even win an up or down vote in committee. And just what 'documents' does the Senate want? What documents does the Senate deem 'highly relevant to the Bolton nomination'? Memos that show he yelled at employees? Proof that he was 'mean'? Enough on this already. This is a guy that will fight tooth and nail for the interests of the United States, not some limp-wristed weenie that wants everyone to like him. I don't care if the world hates him, as long as he gets the job done. I heard Teddy 'Chappaquiddick' Kennedy on the radio yesterday crying about how Bolton was 'abusing to his subordinates, and used his position to get what he wanted'. Hello kettle, meet the pot! You don't think Teddie yells at his aides? You don't think Teddie uses his influence to get what he wants? Just another case of do what I say, not what I do. Interesting quote, from Gay Today, of all places. "The Senate's role in the confirmation process is to advise and consent. The framers of the Constitution never saw the process as a means in which to derail qualified nominees based on prejudice. Furthermore, Senator Inhofe does not seem to understand that there isn't a Constitutional right to place a hold on nominations." Now, this was from back in 1997, when Clinton used a recess appointment to appoint an openly gay James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg, and a few religious folks got their panties in a bunch. But it sure sounds like it could apply to today.

QUOTE(KipWellsFan @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 06:51 AM) Alright, then Bush also thought it was a good idea to rush into Iraq Rush? How many years has he been shooting at our jets patrolling the no-fly zone? We should have bombed him back to the Ottoman Empire long before this for all that crap. And c'mon, the whole f***ing WORLD knew we were going to invade, we had been practically warning him for months!

QUOTE(KipWellsFan @ Aug 2, 2005 -> 07:28 AM) Wow I'd never seen this video before. http://movies.crooksandliars.com/UNbelievable.mov ... there is no reason for anyone outside the United States to like this appointment.... YOU ARE RIGHT! They are not SUPPOSED to like it, just deal with it.

QUOTE(winodj @ Aug 1, 2005 -> 09:36 PM) There are times when its warranted. This is not one of those times. In your opinion. Apparently Georgie thinks it is.

I have a diamond shaped, Old Style comemmerative sign for Old Comisky park, celebrating its anniversary in 1992. It was given to beer distributors, bars, etc, but not sold. It has pictures of old Sox players, baseball cards, programs, etc in the middle, but around the outside, it lists the names of every player that ever played for the Sox up to that point, along with the years that they played. For the current guys (current in 1992) it listed them as 1990 - current. The frame is pretty cheap, but I just like it for its uniqueness. I have it hanging in my office at work, where my Cub fan designer can see it every day!

QUOTE(LowerCaseRepublican @ Jul 30, 2005 -> 07:42 PM) This is just one of the many usages of "corporate welfare" and I'm surprised the wider topic of corporate welfare hasn't come up in campaigns much (alright not really surprised since these same companies bankroll our damn candidates). Often times much more than $480,000 goes to these companies (usually it is in the millions) -- all at taxpayer expense. But I'm sure that the Washington Times and Michelle "Corellation Does Not Equal Causation -- a swipe at her book on WWII Internment" Malkin are doing this in the interest of ending corporate welfare and not just to be a partisan hack C'mon, LCR, this is different than the standard 'corporate welfare'. The group was given the money for an express purpose, then that GROUP turned around and gave it to Air America. If you had donated money to United Way, and it turns out that a director from United Way 'donated' some of the money to fund Focus on the Family, I think you would be a little pissed. Yes, in THIS case, the donor was the government, but the same principle applies. If Air America needed a loan that badly, why couldn't they go to John Kerry? He's loaded (or at least his WIFE is). Or any of the other millionaire liberals that are out there. (And yes, I know there are millionaires on both sides). Oh, off topic, congrats on your second article.

Like the bastard has a choice! I hope he stars in some amature porno productions while in prison. "Just Desserts, starring James Allen Nichols as the Prison b****! See him scream! See him Squirm! See him take Tyrone, AND his 4 buddies, in the rear for hours and hours!"

http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050...81354-1414r.htm

QUOTE(farmteam @ Jul 30, 2005 -> 01:46 PM) See, I have the worst luck when it comes to pulling autographs/game jersey cards, etc. That's one of the few autograph cards I have ever pulled. I have pulled only one auto card in all my collecting time. An 05 Topps David DeJesus from the Royals. That's it.

Whoa! Double reply! Haven't had that happen for a while! Hey, more pub for Moby!

So, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? How f***ing shallow and devoid of principles. LIke him or hate him, make up your techno-warped mind.

So, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? How f***ing shallow and devoid of principles. LIke him or hate him, make up your techno-warped mind.

Just a thought, if our Constitution is supposed to be a 'living document' that can bend and adapt with the ever changing times, why can't our rights be as well? Tex, I understand what you are saying, but one one hand you criticize Bush and co. about being so 'black and white', but then on the other, you appear to be on some issues as well. yeah, maybe the terrorists HAVE won a bit. People also used to be able to leave their car doors unlocked. If I did that now, I would be needing a new radio tomorrow, assuming my car would still be there in the morning. Oh no, the crooks have won! I have to lock my door! We need to do SOMETHING. I'm not sure what checking random backpacksis gonna do, except maybe move the bombs to a different hiding place, but it is a start. Do YOU have a different suggestion? I haven't heard it yet.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...NStory/National Back off Muslims, imam warns Ottawa By COLIN FREEZE Monday, July 25, 2005 Updated at 5:15 AM EDT From Monday's Globe and Mail A controversial Toronto imam warned Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan at a closed-door meeting to stop "terrorizing" Canadian Muslims. "If you try to cross the line I can't guarantee what is going to happen. Our young people, we can't control," Aly Hindy, the head of Scarborough's Salaheddin Islamic Centre, recalls telling the minister at the May meeting she held in Toronto with dozens of Muslim leaders. The meeting was part of an effort by Ms. McLellan to reach out to Canadian Muslims amid complaints that the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service are engaging in racial profiling. The minister and her officials have been meeting community leaders to explain they are not targeting Muslims generally, only individuals with possible terrorist links. By many accounts, the meetings have been positive and are contributing to a thaw in relations between Muslims and security agents, even if the exchange in May was a little heated. Mr. Hindy, who has long complained that CSIS is spying on him, his family and his mosque, told Ms. McLellan that a young Muslim woman complained to him she was roughed up by Canadian spies while her husband was away at prayers. This allegation could spur reprisals because "our women are the most valuable thing to us" and "for a Muslim, honour is more important than his life," Mr. Hindy said in a recent interview. He made the point to the minister. Several people who attended shrugged off the imam's remarks, but some Muslims and government agents later approached Mr. Hindy asking him to explain himself. "The police came to me and said, 'This is a kind of threat,' and I said yes," he said. "But it's for the good of this country. "And they said, 'Do you know some of the names of those people you expect to cause some problems?' And I said, 'You just open the telephone directory.' " While government investigators probing the woman's complaint told Mr. Hindy they have not found evidence of wrongdoing, he isn't giving the spy service the benefit of the doubt. "We believe CSIS should stop terrorizing us," he says in a flyer he is circulating to mosques. "CSIS is powerless. CSIS has no authority over you. If CSIS agents come to your door, do not open [it] for them." Toronto's Coalition of Muslim Organizations arranged the meeting, and said about 100 Muslim leaders attended. While COMO president Adam Esse noted that, "some people, when they talk, they get a little heated," he said the ministerial visit was "a sign of respect" and was worthwhile overall. "If you talk, you remove a lot of misconceptions, a lot of misunderstandings." A spokesman for Ms. McLellan agreed. "We feel it was constructive, positive," Alex Swann said. Even Mr. Hindy said that despite his differences with security agencies "the Deputy Prime Minister, she was very understanding." In the wake of the London bombings, Ms. McLellan has said that Canadians must become "psychologically prepared" for such an attack. She has also suggested such strikes are not related to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, in which Britain is a strong partner. Mr. Hindy believes the war in Iraq has caused young Muslims to want to fight against the United States and Britain. "I always say the No. 1 recruiter of al-Qaeda is George W. Bush," he said. The imam said six or seven young men have approached him to discuss "fighting overseas" in place such as Iraq and Afghanistan. He said he told them "people fighting in Iraq, they don't need more people." Instead, Canadian Muslims can wage non-violent jihads (holy struggles) at home. "You have a very good chance to serve Islam here," he said he told them. So, basically he tells Canada to back off, or else! He just threatened Canada. Then he lies and says "that their women are the most valuable thing to us". What? Huh? Then he makes up false charges of harrassment ala Al Sharpton. All this, from the religion of peace. As for the 6 or 7 young men who approached him about 'fighting overseas', they should be deported or in jail, immediately. Or would that somehow be profiling?

How about they are dying because you LIVE IN A f***ING DESERT!!! all props to Sam Kinnison. Seriously, you live in a desert, you have no food, yet you keep having children. If they won't help themselves, why should I? Yes, it sounds cold, and it is, but it still is a valid question. Geography - note: Niger is landlocked and one of the hottest countries in the world Its northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture. Sounds like an ideal place to raise a family. Here is a little tidbit about all the starving childen: The birthrate is 6.75 children per woman. I would have a hard time feeding 7 kids. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ng.html

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 23, 2005 -> 05:47 AM) Dane Cook Daniel Tosh Steven Lynch Denis Leary Zach Galifianakis Dave Chappelle Greg Fitzsimmons Lewis Black Nick Di Paolo Richard Jeni Jimmy Pardo Frank Caliendo Mitch Hedberg* * I threw him in there even though he's dead. I gave you 12 who are better, I'm sure there's more that I can't think of right now but this was just off the top of my head. Jim Gaffigan, and the jalapeno-on-a-stick guy.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2090-1706608,00.html Knife law farce as boy buys weapons Marc Horne A SUNDAY TIMES investigation has revealed the lack of regulation that allows knife crime to flourish in the west of Scotland. A 15-year-old boy was illegally sold more than 20 dangerous weapons in shops — including several high street chains — with no attempt made to check his identity. Calum Duke, a schoolboy from Glasgow working undercover, was able to buy a potentially lethal haul of blades including kitchen knives, daggers, dirks, hunting knives, craft knives and even an axe. In some cases, shopkeepers offered to wrap the weapons, warning that he could find himself in trouble with the police if he was found with them in his possession. The findings follow a warning by police this week that the west of Scotland is in the grip of a “knife pandemic”. The number of murders involving a blade in the Strathclyde area is three times higher than anywhere else in Britain. Every week for the past six months, there have been 25 serious assaults with a knife and 13 of the 30 murders in the west of Scotland this year were committed with a blade. The level of knife crime in Glasgow is similar to that in the most violent eastern European cities. The worst offenders are male and between 15 and 25. The Offensive Weapons Act 1996 makes it an offence for shopkeepers to sell a knife to anyone under the age of 16. New legislation, to be introduced later this year, will raise the age limit from 16 to 18. However, opposition politicians last night demanded tougher penalties for shopkeepers who are flouting the law by selling dangerous weapons to minors. “It is intolerable that a minority of shopkeepers are putting their commercial interests above public safety,” said Stewart Stevenson, a justice spokesman for the Scottish National party. “The full force of the law should be applied to those wholly irresponsible shopkeepers who choose to break the law by selling knives to those under the age of 16.” Paul Martin, the MSP for Glasgow Springburn, said those responsible should be prevented from trading. “Powers are needed to allow shops that are shown to sell knives to under-16s to be shut down. We should also look at the possibility of introducing life bans to traders who refuse to implement the law,” he said. “Some might claim that their livelihoods were being taken from them but, by selling knives to youngsters, they are putting actual lives a risk.” Of 45 shops visited by Duke in west central Scotland and Edinburgh, one in four was prepared to sell him a knife. They included British Home Stores (Bhs), the Co-op and Internacionale. The Bhs store in Glasgow’s St Enoch Centre had signs on display warning: “It is an offence to sell knives to people under 16 years of age”, but Duke was still able to buy a set of six steak knives without being challenged. Similar warning notices were on display at the Co-op store in the Paisley Centre, where he was able to buy a cooking knife with a six-inch blade. (more at link) (edit) oops, should have said Scotland, not England

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05204/542520.stm Lt. gov. crashed Marine's funeral, kin say Saturday, July 23, 2005 By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau The family of a Marine who was killed in Iraq is furious with Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll for showing up uninvited at his funeral this week, handing out her business card and then saying "our government" is against the war. Catherine Baker Knoll Rhonda Goodrich of Indiana, Pa., said yesterday that a funeral was held Tuesday at a church in Carnegie for her brother-in-law, Staff Sgt. Joseph Goodrich, 32. She said he "died bravely and courageously in Iraq on July 10, serving his country." In a phone interview, Goodrich said the funeral service was packed with people "who wanted to tell his family how Joe had impacted their lives." Then, suddenly, "one uninvited guest made an appearance, Catherine Baker Knoll." She sat down next to a Goodrich family member and, during the distribution of communion, said, "Who are you?" Then she handed the family member one of her business cards, which Goodrich said she still has. "Knoll felt this was an appropriate time to campaign and impose her will on us," Goodrich said. "I am amazed and disgusted Knoll finds a Marine funeral a prime place to campaign." Goodrich said she is positive that Knoll was not invited to the funeral, which was jammed with Marines in dress uniform and police officers, because the fallen Marine had been a policeman in McKeesport and Indiana County. "Our family deserves an apology," Rhonda Goodrich said. "Here you have a soldier who was killed -- dying for his country -- in a church full of grieving family members and she shows up uninvited. It made a mockery of Joey's death." What really upset the family, Goodrich said, is that Knoll said, 'I want you to know our government is against this war,' " Goodrich said. She said she is going to seek an answer from Gov. Ed Rendell's administration if it opposes the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Knoll was traveling yesterday, away from the Capitol, and couldn't be reached. But an aide said she "extends condolences to all families who have lost loved ones" serving in the military. Without having talked to her, the aide, who asked not to be named, said, "The family members of fallen soldiers are in our hearts and prayers. Our prayers go out to their loved ones in their hour of grief." Asked to comment on Goodrich's complaints about Knoll's conduct at the funeral, the aide said that "would be inappropriate."

If Paulie had any nuts he would have ran into the catcher like Hunter did to our guy last year. He must not have wanted to score that bad.