Desipio Message Board

If you took away all the terrible arguments, bland postings, echo chamber commenters, bits stolen from others, tirades about appropriate and inappropriate comments, and record-keeping of the Cubs' record when he wears a particular hat or pair of underwear, Al's blog wouldn't be so bad.

Quote from: Gil Gunderson on March 21, 2009, 06:13:32 PM

Quote from: IrishYeti on March 21, 2009, 03:27:52 PM

Quote from: Gil Gunderson on March 21, 2009, 12:54:20 PM

Quote from: JD on March 20, 2009, 08:06:10 PM

Quote from: Gil Gunderson on March 20, 2009, 05:43:33 PM
OMG Sarah Palin is totally outraged about President Obama's gaffe:

Quote"I was shocked to learn of the comment made by President Obama about Special Olympics," Governor Palin said.  "This was a degrading remark about our world's most precious and unique people, coming from the most powerful position in the world.

    "These athletes overcome more challenges, discrimination and adversity than most of us ever will.  By the way, these athletes can outperform many of us and we should be proud of them.  I hope President Obama's comments do not reflect how he truly feels about the special needs community."

Wait a minute:

QuoteGov. Sarah Palin is refusing to accept over 30 percent of the federal economic stimulus money being offered to Alaska, including dollars for schools, energy assistance and social services.

The biggest single chunk of money that Palin is turning down is about $170 million for education, including money that would go for programs to help economically disadvantaged and special needs students. Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau said she is "shocked and very disappointed" that Palin would reject the schools money. She said it could be used for job preservation, teacher training, and helping kids who need it.

http://www.adn.com/palin/story/729504.html

QuotePalin said she's sure that her decision on the education money will draw the most heat, and that she wouldn't be surprised if the Legislature tries to change it. "It is a matter of discussing with our lawmakers if the expansion there is something we're willing to pick up the tab for when the federal dollars dry up, when they no longer flow into Alaska," Palin said.

So she doesn't want to take money to fund programs that they might not be able to pay for later?  She's so two-faced.  Putting her whole state's interest ahead of a select group of people. 

Just let that whole hypocrisy thing fly right by, didn't ya?

I fully see the "hypocrisy" that one could take from that. However, the article and quote says "which includes." That can be $20 million or it could be $20 dollars. I realize the latter is not what it is, but I think the point is understood. Basically, the article (and none that I found as I read through about 7 articles about this) doesn't say how much was for that. It just says it was in there. I think I've been pretty open-minded about things lately (probably expressed more in the SBox) and I think it's kind of horseshit for the line that every news source uses "including money that would go for programs to help economically disadvantaged and special needs students" without telling us how much is in there for that, because that is significant. On one hand, she is essentially vilified (sic??) for rejecting this money based off of the wording... And on the other hand, they could actually tell us how much ED and SNS money is in there so we can actually make an informed opinion on if she is doing the right or wrong thing.

I suppose that is what we get from the media. The story that seems to fit how they want it to portray someone or something. I know it's a subtle wording that probably wasn't intended to make her look bad (I'm hoping) but nonetheless, it is what it is, and we, as observers, are left with "Palin is bad."

For anyone: Don't make the argument about how people like Rush and FoxNews do this, too. I know that. It's all horseshit.

As far as Barry's comment, who gives a shit? It was moderately funny. I know the president is supposed to be better than that and know better, but to me, it kind of makes him seem a little more likeable and common. Everyone says stupid shit they shouldn't have all the time. I think I know firsthand.

I think I was having a visceral reaction to her quick politicization of the issue.  After reading some local blogs in Alaska (spanning both ends of the political spectrum) and after hearing about her new robo-polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, I really believe that Sarah Palin is exploiting everything that she can for 2012.

The irony of it is that she has burned her star out too quickly by doing this. Too much of a lightning rod. If she can just go back to being a governor and worry less about the national scene, the better off everyone is.

I have no idea who gives her advice...

Soo...

Obama tries to make a self-deprecating joke that offended another special-interest constituency. Big deal.  It's not a good thing to say, but it's hardly evidence that he holds the disabled up to ridicule as a practice. He tried to be funny, and it fell flat and it offended people. In 1984, Reagan was conducting a sound check before recording a radio ad and riffed, "I've signed legislation outlawing Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." That was incredibly stupid, it was not funny, and it carried far more serious consequences. Somehow, we escaped nuclear war, and even though people would like to suggest otherwise, if Reagan was determined to bomb the USSR, the Kremlin would have been turned to glass.

At any rate, talk is cheap, especially when it's not written by a team of speechwriters (or when it's not at least carefully considered). I don't think anyone will be advising the President to go on the Tonight Show, Late Night, the Daily Show or the View any time soon.

As for Palin's reaction, I am sure of a few things:

a) More than a couple reporters called her looking for reaction;
b) She almost assuredly did not see the exchange and just reacted to him making a bad Special Olympics joke;
c) She might be a little defensive about her son who has Down's Syndrome.

There's no need to react to that, and play some stupid victimization card. It's irritating, much more so since it's not even a secret that she wants to run in 2012.

As for the "hypocrisy" of the issue, I don't quite see it. It's not a small point that states are going to have to figure out how to continue some programs the stimulus money would fund after the stimulus money runs out. The fact she made a decision and an official in Alaska disagrees with her decision doesn't make it a poor decision any more than if Obama makes a decision and an AP reporter gets a quote from John Boehner decrying the move.

All of these bullshit issues: Obama making an ill-advised off-the-cuff remark (again, if any of you has not made one, you're simply a mute), the AIG bonuses, etc. take our eye off the biggest news of the week. The Fed is going to monetize the debt. Your George Washingtons, Abraham Lincolns, Alexander Hamiltons, Andrew Jacksons, Ulysses Grants, and Benjamin Franklins are looser than anything you'll find on Pre's Eastern European Bachelor Party.  Already, you're seeing an increase in commodity prices. Inflation is no fun, and inflation coupled with a stifling recession is downright frightening.

Meanwhile, statewide, we winked and smiled at the side issues of the day for the past 10 years? 25 years? and look where we're at: the tax increases and fee increases Quinn is proposing has me seriously wondering how I'll be able to make it the next few years.  Good thing we're going to pick up the tab for the Olympics, though.

Quote from: Andre Dawson's Creek on March 17, 2009, 01:12:36 PM
How hard is it to type a fucking coherent sentence?  I'll never understand the need to skip letter in an effort to save 8 seconds.  If your time is that fucking important, don't write it.

This.

The wife and I are going to take time out of our busy couple of weeks to vote early for Chuck Gitles -- and not for dogcatcher either. We have to go to Village Hall to do so. Voting for butthead is easier, and more fun.

Quote from: Slakee on February 27, 2009, 05:26:03 PM

Quote from: Jon on February 27, 2009, 05:24:27 PM

Quote from: Oleg on February 27, 2009, 04:56:36 PM

Quote from: Slakee on February 27, 2009, 04:38:01 PM
Let's see if I can MikeC this one:

http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2009/02/john-bolton-cpac-benefits-nuking-chicago

The neocons want to nuke Chicago! We're fucked!

Needs more words.

Too coherent.

Tell ya the truth, I'm glad I failed.

I will say Jonathan Stein came close on this one though...

Bar Rafaeli and Erin Andrews are no Rally Carp.

Quote from: ~Apex on February 25, 2009, 09:59:33 PM

Quote from: Brownie on February 25, 2009, 05:31:05 PM
I think they came back to Drummond, who had to emphasize that his hat was a Minnesota Gophers hat, not a Redskins hat. Great stuff though

A few related videos might be something Forklift would be interested in.

I'm sure that Mike D. and Apex would surely urge Forklift to watch these videos to their conclusion.

Not much other football played during the 1987 calendar year was worth a damn however.

Watching Walter Payton get knocked down harder than shit, get up before his tackler does and look back at the dude on the way to the huddle... almost as good as boobs.

Watching Jimbo Covert literally[/i ]manhandle a coked-up LT is awfully close as well.

Quote from: JD on February 25, 2009, 08:34:48 PM

Quote from: MAD on February 25, 2009, 05:43:29 PM

Quote from: Simmer on February 25, 2009, 05:35:07 PM

Quote from: Slakee on February 24, 2009, 02:29:16 PM

Quote from: Kermit, B. on February 24, 2009, 02:17:10 PM

Quote from: MAD on February 24, 2009, 12:42:24 PM

QuoteBCB is NOT a message board. It isn't a talk radio call-in show. The headline at the top of the page reads "A Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005", and that's the most concise way I can describe this site. BCB itself is a blog, one which has built a community feel to it over the last 4 years. And unlike some blogs that talk at you, BCB offers FanPosts and FanShots where you can drive the conversation.

Delusional self-importance, thy name is Al Yellon.

All this time I have ripped on Al for being a self-important doucheface--which he is--but seriously.  How can any self-respecting "fan" stand to spend their time at a place where this schoolmarm is constantly  telling them how to express themsleves?  As bad as Al is, his legions--for actually sitting though his 13,000 word finger-wagging lecture and subsequently agreeing to his cockamanie new rules--need to be naturally selected out of the gene pool.

Dolan is right.  Thank God those idiots are over there instead of over here, ruining this place.  If this place is going to get ruined, at least it's going to be by someone who thinks for himself.  Like TDubbs.

They already drove JD away.

If JD is anywhere but here, I want to be there.

There's a little bit of JD in all of us, dontchathink?

There has been at one time or another.  Usually when you're asleep.

I'm still around.  Just waitin' for baseball to get goin'.  Once the season starts, we're gonna go back to gripin' about the cubs, right?

I'd gripe about the Cubs, but they stayed alive and trail the Dodgers 3-1. Lilly's pitching Game 5, right?

I think they came back to Drummond, who had to emphasize that his hat was a Minnesota Gophers hat, not a Redskins hat. Great stuff though

A few related videos might be something Forklift would be interested in.

I'm sure that Mike D. and Apex would surely urge Forklift to watch these videos to their conclusion.

Not much other football played during the 1987 calendar year was worth a damn however.

Joe Biden likes where this thread started...

Quote
"This is a monumental project, but it's doable...It's about getting the money out in 18 months, to literally dropkick us out of this recession."

Well, with all due respect to old Joe, I think Barack has the wrong guy as his "Recovery Czar."  The right guy was just what Washington needed back on January 3, 1987.

By the way, all those that mocked me for suggesting that the Cubs would beat the Dodgers back in October, who's laughing now?

While we discuss marijuana legalization, smoking ordinances, plumbing codes, alcohol controls and other things that help push us towards a nanny-state rest assured that the beloved political apparatus that many of our President's foot soldiers helped put into place are right now debating a much-needed ban on aluminum bats within the city.

I might be wrong, and please correct me if I am (I know Tank will have no problem doing so), but my feeling is that where those stand on the War on Drugs has little correlation with party affiliation.

I don't smoke cigarettes but I think it's a little outlandish to ban smoking in restaurants and bars owned by private individuals. I think it's a lot outlandish to ban smoking in outdoor areas, like stadia. I don't see how pot should be any different.

Then again, I think people should pay for their own health care. Thus, other people's decisions to smoke shouldn't cost me money.

Quote from: Andy on February 23, 2009, 09:44:50 AM
I can't wait until Topps sues them for all four dollars of their profit for using one of their cards on the cover without permission.

Wait a second, look at the Sandberg card. That's 1983 Topps, right?

OK. Time to stop arguing about religion and science, and instead build yourself your own BAILOUT!