random off-topic thread

[Newman]

General Patraeus on with Wolf Blitzer, CNN this Sunday morning.

160,000 there now. Gates wants the troop level down to 100,000 by July.

Troop timetable. Q: What if all American troops were withdrawn in a year?

General David Patreaus tapdances the answer. It depends on what's happening on the ground. Need the gains to be maintained. Don't want to jeopardize that.

My Q: why are we there still, 6 years in??

555,789 Iraqi security forces says Wolf. Q: why can't they defend their own country.

DP: well, they are, more and more...

SHIFTING THE BURDEN is the CNN crawl line on this portion of the interview.

My Q: how long have we been "shifting the burden?" When will it be shifted? Why does it take 6 years to shift the burden? David, is this a civil war? Bush won't admit to it.

Wolf Blitzer: problems include corruption and sectarian bias...when will they take charge completely, DP?

DP: can't say for sure. Lots of challenges to overcome. 9 of 18 provinces have gone over to Iraqi control...(huh, then who has control of the others??)?

Wolf: permanent American military bases in Iraq??

DP: long paragraphs of answer, that doesn't answer the question. I'm not on board with permanent...but for a period of years...can't say how many...(I'm hearing STAY THE COURSE, perpetual war for perpetual profit)...minimize the number of irreconcilables...

COMMERCIAL BREAK

[Newman]

political compromise?

Wolf Blitzer: the surge? political reconciliation? Maliki govt?

DP: just starting to see some...pension rights to Baathists? Iraqi flag law got passed. Kurds are happier. De-baathification law was passed. Hasn't been signed yet or enacted though. that's a step forward. Budget is being debated now, which will redistribute oil wealth.

Wolf: Iran? Are they providing weapons for this problem area?

DP: We're not sure. We're watching this. No conclusive evidence.

EYE ON IRAN is the CNN crawl for this segment. Stir up the fear, corporate CNN. We're in Iraq because we fear Iran? Sell that, CNN, and DP.

Wolf: Your future?

DP: Patraeus and Crocker. We're trying to achieve our objectives here in Iraq.

END. What are our objectives? Never heard it. Victory. What is victory? Nation building? Killing all terrorists and making sure no new ones are born? Or made? And this is going to be done how? By borrowing money from Communist China indefinitely? By privitizing the army, letting Halliburton take over and proceed with war for profit?

Color me skeptical. Not hearing how we win. Not hearing how the necessary political compromises will happen. Why should they share oil wealth? Who's getting that oil wealth right now? Is this a civil war? Why should it stop? What side will win the war? Which side are we supporting?

Ted Kennedy endorses Barack Obama.

[bedir than average]

Ted Kennedy endorses Barack Obama.

Can we get a link on that?

[John Cocktoston]

Originally Posted by Newman

Isn't THAT the family squabble, JC? Do we have a good owner? I say NO. You say Tomato.

I think ownership should be judged on the merits, Newman. I think they've had a pretty good off-season thus far. I think the odds of them ever doing anything that would satisfy you are so infinitesimal that they're not even worth acknowledging.

Originally Posted by Newman

Were you thrilled that Monfort could only find a way to sign Holliday to a 2 YEAR contract? I wanted him to be a lifetime Rockie. Matt is the heart and sole of the team. WE are sure of only 2 more years?

And he still might be, Newman. I think that contract was a good first step and left the door wide open for further discussions. It also provides some cost certainty and buys them a little good-will, for whatever that's worth.

Would I love to see Matt retire as a Rockie? Yes, absolutely. Would I love to see the team work out a contract with him that makes sense? Definitely. Would I give him 7 years and $140 million? Not on your life. But that's real world context and I get that you're not really interested in that. You want to say, "if they don't sign him (no matter what) they're stupid and cheap". And that's your right, but it doesn't make you right.

Originally Posted by Newman

Granted Helton's contract crippled us as a team for years. Maybe Monfort shouldn't have given him money that he didn't have? Why doesn't he take a page from George W. Bush's playbook and just borrow money from Communist China or Saudi Arabia, and use that borrowed money to pay for Holliday? Let Monfort's grandchildren pay it back! We have an owner who can't afford to play in a rich man's game. Sure we lucked into the World Series once. What a great 21 game SURGE. Who can forget it? It was like a dream. Who plans on that happening again. My name is Newman, not Pollyanna.

Ahhh???? Okay.

Originally Posted by Newman

I agree with Heltonfan. Yorvit???

I don't disagree on this one, but it would be fun to go back and check the threads at the time to see who was screaming like Chicken Little that the Monforts were going to lose their "clutch hitting catcher" and "team leader" to the Mets because they were too cheap to pay "market rate".

Originally Posted by Newman

Affeldt is gone. Who's our lefty specialist that we worry about now whenever he takes the bump??

I'll alert the media...

[indianadrew]

Originally Posted by Newman

Ted Kennedy endorses Barack Obama.

ted kennedy is a disgrace, in my opinion. vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident, who knows what else. i dont really put much stock in other peoples "endorsements". i like to think for myself.

[indianadrew]

Originally Posted by bedir than average

Can we get a link on that?

Kennedy to endorse Obama, officials say - Yahoo! News


AP Politics | IndyStar.com
there ya go

[indianadrew]

My name is Newman, not Pollyanna.

newman what the hell are you talking about?

[Jack Dobb]

This FBI agent says that Hussein wanted the world to believe he had huge stockpiles of WMDs (presumably "the world" includes our intelligence assets?), that he was interested in obtaining all WMDs that he could get his hands on, and that he was interested in pursuing the "secret war."

Agent: Hussein was surprised U.S. invaded - CNN.com

Nah, there was no threat in Iraq before we invaded. None.

Now, you don't have to believe this guy if you don't want to believe him, but he's certainly more qualified to comment on Saddam's mindset than any of us.

[Newman]

And why is that? Because he was an FBI agent? So was J Edgar Hoover and HE was a cross dresser. You can find CIA agents who think differently and all sorts of other experts who think otherwise.

Saddam was not a threat and he was contained. The war wasn't worth it. The occupation certainly is not worth it. And there's no end in sight for the occupation under the Repub plan. How are we paying for our foreign occupation of another country? By borrowing money from Communist China! And you wonder why our economy is in the toilet?

Drew, I have no idea what my pollyanna comment referred to, lol. I went back one page, couldn't spot it, so I gave up.

As to Ted Kennedy, sure he had Chappequiddick. Who's going to defend that? No one. Should he just kill himself? No. He's done a lot of good since then. His endorsement of Obama can't hurt. Obama needs to be able to show he can get white endorsements and votes.

JC, I actually agreed pretty much with your last response about me. I'm not sure we disagree that much. I simply would like to see Monfort add on to a club incrementally, year after year, rather than stand pat. I wish he had deeper pockets. It's so annoying to hear him plead poverty when you know he made a bundle last year from the playoffs and WS.

I would just like to see you criticize Monfort once, just to show that you are fair and balanced, and not just THE official apologist for the Monfort Administration

[John Cocktoston]

Originally Posted by Newman

JC, I actually agreed pretty much with your last response about me. I'm not sure we disagree that much. I simply would like to see Monfort add on to a club incrementally, year after year, rather than stand pat. I wish he had deeper pockets. It's so annoying to hear him plead poverty when you know he made a bundle last year from the playoffs and WS.

I would just like to see you criticize Monfort once, just to show that you are fair and balanced, and not just THE official apologist for the Monfort Administration

But don't you think that's what he's doing over the last couple years? Improving the club incrementally?

Last winter, they added $13 million in team payroll. This winter, they've added approximately $16 million depending upon what happens in arbitration. In the last 12 months, they've signed Francis, Cook and Tulowitzki to long-term deals. They locked Holliday in through arbitration. They've also added Jiminez, Morales and Corpas from their minor league system and added Hirsh, Taveras and Buccholz through a shrewd trade. Now they're talking to Atkins and Hawpe about long-term contracts as well. Throw in whatever they get this year from home grown talent like Stewart, Spilborghs, Smith, Iannetta and Weathers and I think there's a lot to like about the Rockies in 2008 and 2009.

When the loss of Jeremy Affeldt and the signing of Kip Wells to be a 5th starter/swing man is among your biggest concerns, that's not a bad off-season.

As for second base, I think giving Kaz a 3 year, $15 million contract would have made this a bad off-season almost in and of itself. Believe me, you would have heard me criticize that move. The Torrealba deal I can live with, but I don't love that one either. I actually think the competition for the second base job is going to be a lot of fun to watch this spring- between Nix, Baker, Stewart, Quintanilla and Giles there is enough there to expect someone to step up and take that job.

[BigRapidsJackass]

I'll repeat what I said before: the Rox did the big things right this off-season (locking up Cook, Tulo, and to a lesser extent Holliday, committing to pay the other arb-eligible guys what it takes to keep them in the fold, and letting the overpriced Kaz Mat walk); they kind of messed up on the little things (bringing in guys like Kip Wells and keeping Torrealba when that money would've been better committed to one impact player).

But overall JC is right: when the biggest thing I have to complain about is signing Kip Wells (to what is, in today's market, a perfectly reasonable deal), then the Rox must be doing something right.

[By the way, the best-case scenario is that Morales nails down the 5th starter job, allowing Wells to go to the pen. I saw a comment shortly after they signed him in which Kip expressed some interest in working in relief -- obviously, he sees the writing on the wall, and as he gets into his mid-30s that's where his future lies. If we make the standard adjustment from starter to reliever, we'd shave about .80 runs of his projected component ERA. In other words, we'd have two Taylor Buchholz types in the pen, and there's worse things than that (Jose Mesa, anyone?)]

EDIT: I looked back at HF's projections spreadsheet. I see he's added an expected role (relief vs. starter) for each pitcher ... that helps a bit with understanding value. Wells is, right now, projected as a reliever with a 4.23 ERC; Buchholz comes out at 3.78. Didn't know Buchholz had that good of a projection as a reliever. So I think 3+ million bucks for maybe 80-100 IP of Kip is an overpay, but not a horrible one. BTW, HF, did you use a standard .70 runs for the starter-to-reliever adjustment?

[Heltonfan]

BTW, HF, did you use a standard .70 runs for the starter-to-reliever adjustment?

.80.

[indianadrew]

Originally Posted by Newman

Sure we lucked into the World Series once. What a great 21 game SURGE. Who can forget it? It was like a dream. Who plans on that happening again. My name is Newman, not Pollyanna.

I agree with Heltonfan. Yorvit???

Affeldt is gone. Who's our lefty specialist that we worry about now whenever he takes the bump??.

this is a portion of the post where you said "my name is newman, not pollyanna"


i am still wondering what the heck you were talking about.

it looks like edwards is out.

obama or hillary? i would vote for obama. i just hope he is on the ticket.
i dont really like any of the republicans (other that ron paul, who stands no chance).


looks like rudy is out and endorses mccain. could it be mccain/rudy v obama/edwards?

[BigRapidsJackass]

McCain/Rudy would be a fine ticket.

Obama? Please, if you win, steer clear of Edwards.

As for Newman/Pollyanna:

The novel's success brought the term "pollyanna" (along with the adjective "pollyannaish" and the noun "Pollyannaism") into the language to describe someone who is cheerfully optimistic and who always maintains a generous attitude toward the motives of other people. It also became, by extension – and contrary to the spirit of the book – a derogatory term for a naïve optimist who always expects people to act decently, despite strong evidence to the contrary.

Actually, that's a pretty nice contrast. Seinfeld's Newman is kind of the opposite of Pollyanna. I never caught that before.

[John Cocktoston]

Originally Posted by Newman

I would just like to see you criticize Monfort once, just to show that you are fair and balanced, and not just THE official apologist for the Monfort Administration

Alright, Newman, here you go: this signing makes little sense to me for all of the reasons articulated below. At least it's a minor league deal, though...


The Rockies are close to signing Scott Podsednik to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Podsednik wouldn't be a bad fifth outfielder, but this isn't a good fit at all. If the Rockies carry him, it would be at Cory Sullivan's expense, and they need Sullivan as a backup center fielder. Ryan Spilborghs is stretched there and Podsednik would be beyond stretched, so the Rockies would be in a major bind if Willy Taveras got hurt again. There's also the concern that he'd be used in situations in which Spilborghs would be a far superior option. The Rockies hurt themselves last year by picking Steve Finley over Spilborghs early on and they don't need to go there again.
Jan. 30 - 12:30 am et
Source: Rocky Mountain News