Balta1701

Also from the Cheney thread: QUOTE(YASNY @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 10:40 AM) This thread needs to die. QUOTE(mreye @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 11:23 AM) Somebody call Cheney.

QUOTE(mreye @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 11:23 AM) Somebody call Cheney.

QUOTE(Wong & Owens @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 11:29 AM) But, in the case of the Honda hybrid Civic, the mph difference isn't 15-20, it's more like 5-10. Even at 15-20 mph, look at the numbers: An average driver puts 15000 miles on his car every year. The hybrid costs about $3000 more than the regular one. Using $2.25/gal as the gas price, you only save $375 a year on gas(using 30 mpg for the regular, and 45 mpg for the hybrid). You'd have to keep that car for 8 years to make up the difference in price, and that doesn't count the battery replacement on the hybrid, which is very expensive. The batteries have a 10 year warranty on every hybrid I've ever seen marketed. Edit: oh, and btw...$2.25 a gallon would be by far the cheapest gas around here.

If he were healthy last year he'd at least have stolen 80, and might have even pushed 100.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 10:41 AM) Think more like 70 sb's and 123 runs. But yes, different players. Baines could give you .309 .361 25 hrs and 100 RBIS The question is, what do I need on my team? If I have Frank Thomas already hitting 3rd, but no one hitting in front of him, maybe I take Rock, because it'll make my team a lot better. But if I have Pods leading off and a Konerko to hit 3rd but no other big bats, maybe I take Baines to give PK some protection and drive in more runs.

Lieberman has only an 11 point lead, and is under 50%, in the Conn. Dem. Primary against challenger Ned Lamont. Given Lamont's name recognition is probably 10% right now, that's a lot of trouble for Joementum.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 10:33 AM) Heres a question, would you rather have Harold Baines in his prime, or Rock Raines in his prime? As my first base coach? Hmm....

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 10:14 AM) Yeah I went back and saw that too just now. It however does not excuse my braincramp in just referring to yards as a metric measurement. Very true. I was debating whether or not to point that out.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:57 AM) Ah-ha. I'm like NASA, I get English and metrics confused at inappropriate times. Actually, I'm not sure it's your fault, the Washington Post reported 30 yards and the NY Times reported 30 feet when this first started last weekend.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:51 AM) Well when you first base coach has 808 career stolen bases with 6 consecutive years of over 70 SB's, I would think having him at first base would be a benefit. How often does Raines get to put a steal or hit & run sign on himself? He can at least try to coach guys away from games on how to actually read a pitcher, but that doesn't tell me much about what he's doing in the game.

How much difference does a 1st base coach actually make?

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:37 AM) Thome Intent on Silencing Doubters No real news, but he's saying a lot of things I like to hear and is expecting to get a lot of at-bats at ST to shake off the rust. From the moment the rumor of us getting this guy came up, I loved the idea. We're paying like $6 million a year for this guy. I really think we're going to like having this guy. He was just deadly with the Phillies every year except 05.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:33 AM) And many hybrids, including Honda's, actually perform better in acceleration than their regular counterparts. They are quicker. And, you get a federal tax brak for buying one (some states also have rebates additionally). So its not just the environmental reasoning - its fuel effciency, financial and performance as well. I believe those federal tax breaks keep coming this close to dying, however, so don't bank your entire purchase on that.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:32 AM) On the surface, that certainly makes sense, until you realize what his primary job responsibility is and why we have a Vice President. Should we be worried that it would take the Vice President of the US almost a day to collect himself and be able to comment? What would he do if Bush died suddenly and he had to take charge? Given the responsibilities of the Vice President, honestly, we really shouldn't care at all that he needed a day. Based on the constitution, it's not exactly the most important job unless Bush were to suddenly be unfit. In that unlikely case, then hopefully the VP would be able to collect himself, or the cabinet would be forced to judge the VP also incapable of performing the duties of the office.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:29 AM) Yeah, I'd say that this warrants some serious investigation. I'm not ususally one to hold bias against a country like this, but in this case, I think its prudent. UAE, at best, can't get itself secured, and at worst, may be complicit in terror. A UAE government-run company managing 6 of our ports? Bad idea. One clarification, Balta - the thread title is misleading. The port isn't being bought - its management organization is being bought. The physical place still belongs to the US or private interests, as far as I can tell. Just a small thing, but worth noting. If one of the Moderators thinks that's important they can change it.

QUOTE(Wong & Owens @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:27 AM) Who the f*** thought this was a good idea?! Supposedly, this is the makeup of the committee that did the "Approval", whatever was involved in it: Here's the page of the committee that approved it. Key part:

QUOTE(Wong & Owens @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:22 AM) Don't do that, unless you're doing it 100% for environmental reasons. Dude, have ya ever hung around the Filibuster? Seriously though, yes there is a significant increase in the cost for the Hybrid system on the order of a couple thousand dollars, however, as gas prices keep going up, the impact of that additional 15-20 mpg (depending on how and where it's driven) is getting closer and closer to being cost-effective. Also out here in CA you get to drive in the carpool lanes without carpooling.

So, I'm not sure if this is the worst thing in human history, but it sure doesn't look too good on the surface. (Linked even to Fox News to make the Republicans happy) According to the letter itself: – The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. – The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia. – According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system. – After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden’s bank accounts.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 09:11 AM) ^^^^^^^^ And in general, Hondas are very, very reliable. Solid cars. If the Fiancee keeps her job long enough for us to be able to afford to pay the wedding and the down payment on a car, sometime early next spring I'll either be going out and buying a Prius, an Insight, or a Civic Hybrid, depending on the deals people shoot me/model redesigns, etc.

Go for the Hybrid!

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 05:33 AM) People obviously forget that 1-6 record in the tournament in his last 6 years. Some of us haven't. Then again, that's significantly better than Mike Davis's tourney record the last 2 years, and probably including this year too.

QUOTE(Harry&JimmyRocked @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 12:54 AM) did you guys catch this part about strange injuries? 3. Diamondbacks outfield prospect Chris Young breaks his hand jumping up and down off boxes during an agility workout -- meaning he won't be quite as agile for most of spring training. We did that exercise every wednesday morning when I was on the swim team in H.S.

QUOTE(Cuck the Fubs @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 08:31 AM) I think the beginning of the end was that collision he had with Mark Bellhorn in August 2002. Edit: The collision along with the beaning he got in April 2003 are what caused his decline IMO Are you sure that this cute new testing policy didnt' have something to do with it?

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 08:49 AM) I guess it was also their fault that when the CIA had a fix on his location and was ready to pull the trigger they were told no by Clinton Administration lawyers. And it was the Clinton Administration's fault that the Bush Administration ignored people who were screaming in 2001 that something was about to happen. Look, we've been over this a dozen times already. Should the Clintons have done more? Yes, in hindsight absolutely. Whether or not the Republicans would have let him with the wag the dog things running around, in hindsight Clinton 100% absolutely should have done more. Should Bush have done more? 100% absolutely. The Clintons didn't target Bin Laden in 99-00 when they had the chance, the Bush administration ignored the final reports about the Cole bombing which were available in Feb. 01 and showed Al Qaeda did it beyond any doubt. The Clintons didn't make enough of an effort to go into Afghanistan militarily and break up Al Qaeda in 98-00, and the Bush Administration did nothing in response to reports of Al Qaeda cells in the U.S. in 2001. And so on and so on and so on. Both administrations dropped the ball, and it led to 9/11. Had either done their job the right way, it might have been avoided, or it might not have. Had both done their job, it's fairly likely IMO that it would have been.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 17, 2006 -> 07:38 AM) Using some golden oldie examples, when Nixon gave his Checker's speech, most Republicans were satisfied and wish Bob and Carl would STFU. I think you're a bit mistaken there. The Checkers speech was given in 1952. Watergate was in 1972. Bob was 9 years old and Carl was 8.