Balta1701

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Mar 7, 2006 -> 06:18 AM) I think they said the same thing when the Bulls got the #2 overall and #4 overall pick in 2001. Lets not count our chickens before they hatch, there have been plenty of lottery picks that have gone bust. Let's just run this down... 2nd pick in 1 draft in exchange for Elton Brand 2 picks in 2 drafts, along with players, in exchange for Eddy Curry. Well, at least I like our chances.

QUOTE(robinventura23 @ Mar 7, 2006 -> 10:34 AM) TUCSON, Ariz. -- Prior to Tuesday's spring training game vs. Oakland, the Chicago LHP Rusty Tucker was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte; LHP Chad Bentz, LHP Corwin Malone, LHP Stephen Randolph Well, that's 4 down.

If there was a plane hijacked in this country, and it approached an urban center, even heading towards an airport...I wouldn't be totally shocked if it faced the same fate if it made even the slightest incorrect move. If it was considered just a hijacking, the Israelis have proven repeatedly that just shooting down the plane is the wrong strategy...if you're trained and prepared for it, there are ways to win in that situation, even if some percentage of the hostages don't survive. A finite survival percentage is usually better than a 0% survival. But of course, you have to judge based on the circumstances, and Russia doesn't have the Mossad.

-Jack Buck, after Game 6, 1991.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 04:02 PM) When I saw this headline, I thought "Why does Ozzie need his wrist to manage?" There's a real obvious Timo joke sitting right there....but if I make it I might wind up banned. So I'll just say it exists and let your minds work.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 04:01 PM) Balta, there are people who don't want to pay for this set of repairs. Exactly my point. So if the Corps goes and says "We don't need further repairs", then there's likely to be even less money available for the repairs which do need to be done. Combine that with 20 more years of wetland erosion and time for people to forget Katrina and move back into N.O., and you've got yourself set up in the exact same potential mess you had last year.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 02:47 PM) id say Balta is arguing and cuckthefubs is confused because balta is basicly arguing against himself lol Formidable opponent...

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 03:36 PM) I wouldn't say that. Just about anybody matches up well against Yankees pitching and I'm sure that the Sox would've hit them VERY hard in the ALCS. On the other hand, Anaheim's (or LA's or wherever they claim residence now) pitching was rock-solid last season. If Colon hadn't gone down, the Sox very well may have not made it to the WS. Colon couldn't have won them 3 more games. And the Sox lost Ervin Santana's start in place of Colon, IIRC.

Yes, I also understand them shooting only for a level 3 right now, and just trying to do a patchwork job just so there's something in place in case a storm comes within a hundred miles or so. But if they're using sub-standard materials, and then denying that they're doing so, then that removes the impetus for further improvement in subsequent storm seasons. If the Corps says everything was fixed right this time, there will be people who won't want to pay for the second set of repairs.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 02:26 PM) Smallball! OZZIEBALL!!!

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 01:55 PM) Bentz in. Hopefully this won't be as painful as Saturday.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 01:50 PM) Sweeney crushed a HR to right. 3-1 Sox. Woo-Hoo! Power from Sweeney!

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 01:43 PM) It doesn't hurt your district because someone else gets more. It only hurts your district if services you need aren't being provided to pay for a 'bridge to nowhere'. But that's exactly the point...if money doesn't flow back to my district, or state, or whatever...then I wind up having my tax dollars go to pay for some other district's pork project, while either money is being taken out of my district because my tax dollars are funding the million dollar bus stop or money is coming out of my district because I'm not getting whatever government funds coming back that I could. If there is any pork at all by anyone, then it does hurt my district, because my district has to pay some portion of those funds. So the only way for my district to get a fair deal out of that is to do exactly the same thing...have my Congressperson bring back some money for us to use.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 01:37 PM) Although porkbarrel spending is inevitable, I think if we elected officials who cared less about that and more about responsible government, we'd solve the problem faster. But see, that's the real rub. If I decide I'm going to vote for a candidate who cares about responsible government, and I can convince my entire district to do so...then all I'm doing under the current situation is hurting my own district. Why? Because the pork that he doesn't bring home is going to wind up going to some other district who's representative isnt' as honest as mine. And in fact, the more districts who elect people just to be "responsible", the better it is for the districts that want billion dollar bridge projects, because they wind up having less competition for the dollars. In other words, if I vote for a "responsible" government, I'm voting against my own self-interest, which is something that only works if the entire country does the same.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 01:11 PM) I'm not really counting them out. But what did they do to upgrade their pathetic offense of a year ago? Adding in Castillo won't hurt, getting back Torii Hunter won't hurt, and another year on the backs of Mauer and Morneau won't hurt. None of those guarantee to be enough. But if all goes well, it could very well be enough. They were only 53 runs behind us, for example. The keys are obviously Mauer and Morneau.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 01:06 PM) No no no no no, please God, no. Not for either party, not ever. Why is it we think that presidents are too partisan, but will somehow use a line item veto to strip out all pork, rather than just the other party's pork? That would at least lead to some sort of a reduction in total pork, would it not?

So this is one of those things I would file as under "not good". I would understand it pretty well if the Corps of Engineers said that "We're trying to put the best system in place we can before the hurricane season this year and we're going to hope for the best" and at least was admitting that they were under too much time pressure to totall rebuild the things. But the fact that they seem to be unwilling to acknowledge that they're cutting corners, while the NSF is saying they are...is very troublesome, because that might mean that they'll say "we're done" after they finish this first stage of reconstruction and either they or the politicians might decide not to put additional funds into finishing the upgrading and strengtheining of the levees. And why the heck are we still only planning for a low-level category 3? If another storm follows the route into New Orleans at any point in the next few years, the remnants of that city will probably wind up under water again. But if the Corps is, as the NSF team says, cutting any corners to get done and saying that they're not just trying for a temporary fix, then it's possible that we could repeat Katrina in 20 years...no storms hit for a decade or so, people move back in thinking that it's finally safe now, then a storm does strike, and all those corners the corps cut years before suddenly come back and cause further collapses.

David Wells has dropped his request to be traded from the bosox, and says this will likely be his last season.

Well, this is probably one way of annoying MR. Selig. Supposedly the sign has come down after Selig complained.

Guillen pulls a Mark Buehrle, turns a multi-month injury into a fairly short rehab.

Kirk Reuter has retired.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 11:28 AM) Huh? No. I'm saying that the Knicks will have a 1st-rond pcik next year, but it will likely be tied to the Bulls, and our pick will be tied to the Knicks. Yes, but given that the Bulls are about to get the Knicks top-5 pick this year, I think the possibilities of the Bulls having a lower pick than the Knicks next year are incredibly remote, as I think the Knicks project to having their names come up in the top 5 of the draft both in 06 and 07. In other words...the Knicks are giving us 2 top 5 picks in exchange for Eddy Curry and a pick hopefully in the 20's next year. I'll take that deal.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Mar 6, 2006 -> 09:54 AM) If he doesnt make the Rangers 25 man staff, it means the White Sox will have the opportunity to purchase him back for 25k. I believe he also has to stay on the Rangers 25 man for the whole year, IIRC.

Link

So Josh Marshall has lately been following a story which looks like the first effort in a new policy of violating military regulations by having uniformed military officers make appearances at Republican Campaign events.