lostfan

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 21, 2008 -> 12:25 AM) So, what you are saying is that if the computer flags a message or something that goes through it, you'd need to get a warrent first before you can look into that message? Eh, makes sense to me. Not exactly (I don't know anything about code words and I think that just comes from movies, lol) but something like that yeah. Let's say you're under investigation by the FBI for being involved with foreign terrorist activity, the FBI has to go to the court and justify why they want to conduct electronic surveillance on you. If there is a legit reason they will be approved and they can monitor your communications (phone, e-mail, etc). If not, they can't do it and it's a violation of intelligence oversight laws. My whole issue with the thing is the bypassing of the need to get a warrant. As long as the Constitution is being followed I'm cool with it.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 21, 2008 -> 12:18 AM) I believe when the GOP asked Ryan about it, and he said there is nothing embarrassing in them. I guess he was hoping that the court still wouldn't have open up the papers (which they shouldn't have in the first place, considering both Jack and Jeri did not want them revealed to protect their son), and thus it would look like the GOP wasn't trying to cover anything up. He played his cards wrong there. The whole thing ended up backfiring on him. The idea didn't seem to come from the Dems though, that's all I was saying. But they were more happy to use it against him of course.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 21, 2008 -> 12:12 AM) Lol, I phrased that wrong. Of course I'm against fascism, but if reading messages or listening to phone calls that have repeated use of flagged words that could be a threat to national secruity, I have no problem with those messages/calls being monitored to make sure it isn't some sort of terrorist plot. IMO domestic spying is perfectly acceptable and there is an obvious and legit need for it. But you need to have a warrant, or some type of authorization from the judicial system to do it. We have the Constitution for a reason. That was my main problem with the Bush administration doing it, they were acting like oversight was a complete joke and like they were insulted to have to do it. If it's necessary you will get a warrant, all it is is an extra step in the process.

Actually it was during the GOP primaries that his GOP candidates were pushing to get the records released if I'm not mistaken. And that Hillary Clinton-esque tactic came back to bite them in the ass, because it left it up there in the open for the Dems to use against him.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 11:55 PM) I fail to see why anyone has any problems with the Patriot Act. I could care less if some weirdo intelligence officer knew who I was hanging out with on a Saturday night. As long as it keeps me safe, I have no problem with this so called "invasion of privacy." The last time the federal government had carte blanche like that to collect information on U.S. citizens for no reason other than they want to, it didn't go over so well and it got abused. It led to Reagan issuing Executive Order 12333. Also you sound oddly close to supporting outright fascism. That's a complete 180 of the way conservatives view the federal government (or are supposed to).

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 06:16 PM) I know that that isn't their primary goal, but there is no doubt all islamofascists hate America. I recall you made a post earlier about islamofascists including Hamas, Al-Qaida, Hezbollah, etc., and that they get their funding from different places and they all have different goals and such. That's all fine and dandy, but they all hate america, they are all terrorist organizations, and they are all a threat to national security. I think I was born into the wrong era. I think I would have fit in much better during the 40's. My point in saying that is that you can't just lump them all into the same category, and think you can just identify them easily. You can't. And it's honestly tricky trying to figure out who is a terrorist and who isn't. Oh and there are definitely terrorists at Guantanamo who will and should die, but not everyone at Guantanamo is a terrorist, and under the previous policies they were just left out to dry. The military didn't intentionally take people who they didn't think were terrorists, but that ended up happening anyway. If a person is an honest-to-god terrorist, and we have a case against them, they're not going free no matter what "rights" they have. And "Islamofascist" is something of a misnomer to begin with. That really just describes one type of terrorist. And without getting into "blame America" mode honestly some of our foreign policy has contributed to it, both before and during the Bush adminstration. If certain things were to change, or begin looking more favorable/benevolent, some of those wells of support would start drying up.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 05:43 PM) Lost fan I love the double, a couple more feet and it would have been a key homer. But Hawk and DJ insisted it was a gift triple. It's a big a blunder as the many others we're mentioning. That said, I'm sure he would have stranded at third so it probably doesn't matter. For a player with Anderson's speed all it takes is a base hit to score him from 2nd. If this was the 6th inning it'd be different. Anderson got into scoring position, that is fine by me. Considering Anderson has been outright shafted at least twice on the basepaths by bad calls, and gotten burned trying to take an extra base, I don't blame him for being conservative.

Only Brian Anderson can hit a leadoff double in the 9th against Kerry Wood and then be vilified for not making it a leadoff triple.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 03:09 PM) Gitmo detainee? Terrorist, at least. Definitely a terrorist of some type. You hate America and you don't care who knows it! Since I'm a Democrat, that would of course make you my hero... I'm an intelligence analyst. I used to specifically be a CT analyst around the time the war started but now I don't focus so much on the overseas stuff like I used to. I still follow it, though. But terrorism is still the general focus so it's really my job to know all this, to understand terrorists, their mode of thinking and what they are and are not. There isn't some single monolithic "kill all Americans they are evil and must all die" movement, it just doesn't work like that. This is why I find myself burying my face in my palm when I read what people write on the net sometimes.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 05:14 PM) I think the third base ump rung him up because that pitch was clearly a strike. It really was. Like for real, right down the middle.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 02:29 PM) I haven't really been paying attention, but my first guess would be lawyer. That's a good guess, but no. I'll tell you when I go home for the day

I just saw Danks's picture up on Yahoo sports and I got confused, then forgot we were playing a NL team. lol.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 03:42 PM) he's a very solid player, but he was probably a little overated after his hot start. Please don't get me wrong though, he will contribute at well above average, but the early hype was over the top. His OPS+ now is at 117, that's probably about what he'll average, maybe a touch higher He is basically Jermaine Dye right now with some OBP-SLG tradeoff. And that's not a bad thing.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 01:52 PM) Oh please. I would be absolutelty shocked if any one of the hundreds of people we have contained there don't absolutely despise America and/or haven't funded terrorist organizations, if not actually be a part of one of the many terrorist groups. If it was up to me, I'd probably have them lined up in a striaght line, and shot with one of those bullets that goes straight through, so we dont waste any ammo. I'd also have the lawyers defending these terrorists executed as well for aiding terrorism. lol. This is amusing, but useless. There is no point in continuing. I'm at work and I'm too busy to spot you all the facts and additional knowledge you CLEARLY do not have (I think you should also factor what in what I do for a living, if you haven't figured it out by now, it's not that hard), if you do that on your own I encourage it. But I wouldn't expect it.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 02:46 PM) No, I mean trial before they should be hung or not. And during the trial when it's discovered someone is actually not a terrorist, you should _____ (please fill in the blank) Or do you prefer summary executions?

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 02:42 PM) I'm a reasonable guy, and these people should have their trials and such, but give me a break? lol you BASICALLY JUST SAID YOU AGREED WITH THE COURT'S DECISION, congratulations Also, I guess Anthony Kennedy is a bat-s*** liberal too since this Reagan appointee wrote the majority opinion.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 02:22 PM) Who cares anyway, this crap is all semantics. Instead of discussing the actual issues, we have both sides trying to smear each other. I can agree with you on that. Both comments are completely meaningless when viewed in their proper context but they keep getting brought up over and over and over (especially the Michelle Obama thing, seriously now, nobody's ever brought up the fact that she's said this numerous other times using better wording because they don't want to hear it).

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 02:11 PM) what, he was trying to make a point about how McCain "flip-flopped" his opinion on offshore drilling 8 years ago. And I made a point saying that a few years ago Obama was for the war, and that a few years can change people's views and opinions. To say someone is a flip-flopper or something along those lines because they changed their views over a couse of 5-8 years is ridiculous. People adapt and so do their opinions. Obama was never "for" the war. The quote you're talking about, I assume, was from several years ago when the situation on the ground was COMPLETELY different than it is now so that's just a silly comparison. He said something to the effect of "we have to stay there for a while so Iraq can get back on its feet" which was the practical thing to do (frankly, to a degree, it is now too, and he actually says that but you have to listen closely to hear through the BS campaign rhetoric). His view on the war itself has never changed. On the other hand what he is calling McCain out for just reeks of honest-to-god "flip-flopping" (god I hate that term but it's applicable) because he's arbitrarily changing numerous stances for political convenience. It isn't adapting, he hasn't learned anything new. It's pandering. Call it what it is and don't make excuses for him.

This whole "Executive Privilege" thing is getting annoying. Clearly there is a need for it in order to maintain the integrity of separation of powers but wtf. Abuse of it does the exact opposite.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 11:11 AM) I learned a long time ago not to read his vile crap. In fact, I rarely go the Sun-Times site just to make sure I don't accidently click on his column. QFT. Once, I was a loyal Sun-Times customer. I just can't do it anymore.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 11:01 AM) Because he is the only decent columnist in this City. No... he's not a decent columnist by any metric.

Seriously why do you guys pay any attention to Mariotti? At all?

I love how when someone from the Sox organization is asked a question by the Chicago media about the Cubs, and they give an answer, they are "obsessed with the Cubs." lol.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 20, 2008 -> 09:36 AM) Yeah, I also heard a quote from Obama from around 2002 or something stating that we should stay in Iraq... people's views and ideas sure do change after a while. Every once in a while you should try rational thinking, and it will help prevent you from making posts like this. Seriously, this is a horrible, horrible post on many levels. I'm going to have to assume you're talking about 2004/2005 since the war actually started in 2003, and that's when the country was still basically a big black hole that was headed nowhere.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ Jun 19, 2008 -> 02:57 PM) Yes, not. He may be also f***ing around, but I wouldn't know for sure.