1984Echoes

Errr... no.

I don't understand the big love for Montero. Maybe he has some very high end "stuff"... and maybe the Org is trying to get better results from him to match up with his "stuff"... I just don't see the results yet. They seem to hold him in pretty high esteem so... Why (to anybody, not directed specifically at you Tenacious...)? Just curious.

An earthquake in New Jersey? That shouldn't BE...! But yes, we had a 4.8 Earthquake here this morning. Anyone else in the Jersey or NYC area feel it? I'm pretty close to Easton, PA so I only got 15-20 seconds of shake and nothing fell off the shelves or wall so very minor in my area...

Agreed. Further... I don't believe immigration to be THE swing issue of this election. The economy, maybe... but what I believe VASTLY overrides any other issue, as actually THE #1 issue, with respect to how someone MAY have voted one way, but will end up voting DIFFERENTLY specifically based on this one issue... is DOBBS. That's an easy one for me. And I don't need a poll to confirm my bias or my opinion either... it's DOBBS as THE #1 issue that will swing the 2024 election. IMO.

Go for it. You're certainly entitled to your own opinion as is everyone... But I think I would end up putting you in the same box as 1776 which is this: Which I believe to be NOT TRUE. One... it is not being overlooked. Second, one may differ on who's approach is working/ not working, but this is a highly charged issue that everyone is aware of. And I think opinion's are pretty hard-set on this issue. You state people are fluid in this area but I don't believe that. If the %'ages in a poll change, I believe it's less that people are changing their opinions (I believe they are already hard-baked and nearly unchangeable) and much more along the lines of this: So, where you are trying to present your position 1776, and I believe you are signing onto this line of thought ewsieg? And wanna state this: I will say the exact same thing (I believe the MOST RELEVANT point in this whole discussion is a point that I just made above, so please read my response to Dan Gilmore): Differing opinions?

Further... If the WSJ poll is correct and 20% of the population is declaring it the #1 issue for them... Well that coincides nicely with the % of the population that is MAGA and WOULD see that as the #1 issue. Republicans are, what? ~30% of registrations? Dems ~35%? And Indies ~35%? I believe that's the split. So if MAGA is a portion of the Republican party and they are 30% of voters, then MAGA would fall in that 20-25% or so ratio, just on a WAG... Which tells me almost 100% of MAGA is against immigration (because they are) and probably see it as #1, that the WSJ 20% is probably (most likely) 90-100% MAGA, and that, THEREFORE... the REST of the country, OUTSIDE of MAGA (pretty close to zero, or at least as close as I am WAG'ging here...), does NOT see immigration as the #1 issue.

I don't have a subscription to WSJ so I can't verify on my own: But this is what I see, and why I asked that question: You posted THIS headline: "Immigration is the #1 issue confronting voters as per this WSJ national poll taken in February". Bold part mine. So, immigration is THE #1 ISSUE CONFRONTING VOTERS? As per your headline of the WSJ poll? (Emphasis, all caps.. obviously mine). But it is the #1 ISSUE, which you are trying to convey, with your comments and your headline. First off, the poll is February. Why was it just in this morning's paper? It's out of date. Immediately after that, mtutiger posts this: "According to the poll, it's the number one issue for 20% of voters..." In other words, it is NOT the #1 issue for voters. ACCORDING to the VERY POLL that is being referenced. It's the #1 issue for 20% of voters, which is a FAR CRY from it being the #1 issue. Your headline.. apologies for this... but your headline is MISLEADING. It's a LEGITIMATE question. Are you trying to be MISLEADING ON PURPOSE? If it's an oversight... OK, I get that. If it's your opinion, I get that, you stated that just above. But nothing I've said, or posted, or quoted, or asked.. is incorrect.

I get that... But he's creating "headlines" that are very misleading. So I believe it a legitimate question to ask if he is doing that on purpose...

I wouldn't call it "perfectly". There may be pressure in the west against Israel... some deserved, some not. But Hamas is getting their asses whipped. They're on the edge of being completely "snuffed out", as a military force, in Gaza. I would not call that "Everything has gone perfectly".

He most likely WILL end up in the bullpen. But the reasons for putting him in Erie's rotation, FOR NOW, don't change and are the same as what I stated previously (although I could be wrong on these): they're going to work with him as much as possible to develop his pitches, his control, etc... and they will wait until the LAST MOMENT before they send a guy over to the bullpen as a failed starter. And they decided they could best do that in Erie instead of Toledo. Other guys that they waited until it was a "last resort" before flipping a guy from starter to "failed starter/ middle reliever": Alex Faedo, Beau Brieske and Joey Wentz. I think Wilmer Flores got kicked over to the bullpen, this year, while previously starting 58 of 60 games in his minor league career. It's not like noone has ever gone through this exact same process before. It's happened 1,000 times before. You keep a guy in the starting rotation as LONG AS POSSIBLE, before flipping him over. The same thing may very well happen with Madden. And I'm not going to make that a "100% certainty" call because, especially in baseball, things change. Even if it's 99.9% certainty, you never know, maybe he finds a splitter or something else that saves his rotation spot.

The famine crisis in Gaza overrode EVERYTHING. If Israel can quit F'ing around and open up borders to humanitarian aid (along with the U.S.-led Med route/dock area... which should NOT be stopped, even if Israel opens up the aid routes, IMO...). If we can stop the famine crisis, then... Pressure should absolutely make a full swing towards HAMAS to give up ALL their hostages (IMO), and to also just LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS. WTF do they think they are going to accomplish by holding out in Rafah? By holding onto their hostages? Do they actually think they can get a win here? If they refuse to move on their static/ untenable/ immoral position: then I am fully on board with the IDF's mission to take Rafah and eliminate Hamas.

That's a smart take. So... In order to BE smart... I would think that any aid to Egypt has to be couched by the White House as "Temporary Aid for Palestinian Refugees", and not as any kind of "border aid"... We KNOW that the Republicans will try to reframe that as "DAMNED BORDER AID for another country but NOT for us at the Southern Border? WTF?!" But the White House will just have to fight that battle (if we were indeed to send aid to Egypt for that specific reason, that is...). I don't see that currently on any drawing board, not in the House or Senate, nor from the White House that that would be any kind of consideration... I know you're probably just theorizing... I'm just sayin'...

1776... Are you PURPOSELY... SLANTING or PREJUDICING your posts...? It's beginning to seem that way. Bigly.

I was going to post the same thing as I just saw it this morning... I have the USA Today Headline version: In Biden-Netanyahu call, president chastises Israel over failure to protect civilians Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy and Dan Morrison, USA TODAY Updated Thu, April 4, 2024 at 9:50 PM EDT·6 min read WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden issued an ultimatum to Israel that U.S. support in the Gaza war depends on "immediate" steps to protect civilians and aid workers, the White House said Thursday. Within hours of a tense call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government said it would take new measures to increase aid to the devastated coastal enclave, including opening the Erez crossing from Israel into northern Gaza and the Ashdod port, and increasing aid deliveries from Jordan.

I'm watching SNY too... Multi-tasking between watching/ listening to the Mets broadcast, texting my brother about the game, and posting in here. Oh, and work too, but that's obviously not as important as the previous 3... even though I'm working towards our 10Q again...

At least he was honest. Rogers smacked his elbow (not hard) against the ump's facemask as he was making the throw... Ump immediately pointed to the top of his own head "Yeah, it was me...".

Tigers-Cubs World Series: 1907 Cubs win 4 games to (1) tie. 1908 Cubs win 4 games to 1. 1935 Tigers win 4 games to 2. 1945 Tigers win 4 games to 3. Just enough history and definitely close enough geographically and there has been some city-to-city rivalry between the two that... Yes, this should be our natural rival. Hands down. Detroit & Pittsburgh's reasons for rivalry are: (1) sort of close geographically, (2) Both are Rust Belt cities trying to reforge (literally) a different future.

If there's one issue that could override everything else and create a massive wave/ change... It's not the southern border. It's overturning Roe v Wade (HEAVILY in Dems favor). So, yes, that seems to be downplayed for the most part and what is emphasized is ("Oh Biden is a gonna lose 'cause the southern border (not true) and he's a gonna lose 'cause the economy (not true) and he's a gonna lose 'cause the Pro-Palestines peoples hates him (not true IMO. They're mad at him... but I think that changes by November, even before that, IMO...)".

Flush that bond down the toilet and make him PAY UP.

And a thriving democracy that, even under Bibi's corruption and mismanagement is still... Wait for it... A democracy.

I really just don't believe that this one issue is going to: Override EVERYTHING ELSE. Sorry... I just don't see it. (I see mtutiger said exactly the same right after your post... But, just to emphasize...)

This is only because no one is really paying attention to the actual election today, except for RABID MAGA. I mean, not only them... But I think today's polls are unserious. And ONLY when the election date actually comes into scope will people stop mucking around with being mushy and firm up, IMO, recognizing how atrocious another Trump administration would be for this country and quit F'ing around and swing their support fully behind Biden. I also have a healthy dose of fear... I mean, anything could go wrong... But I have true confidence (it may come off as "bravado" but I believe it's closer to "true confidence") that all the factors in this country will come together and be a major repudiation of Trump.

It's interesting that, publication or otherwise: That Israel's Democratic process, somehow becomes "NOT a Democracy", when in fact, it is. Oh... it's not a LIBERAL Democracy anymore.. according to someone. Hey: Poland and Hungary are also no longer "liberal democracies", right? Although... they are STILL a part of NATO and the EU, even despite that. So what are we to do with Israel since they are no longer a "liberal democracy" (even though they are still a DEMOCRACY)? Abandon them?

So where is it?

To create a humanitarian process to deliver food and needed medicines to Gaza. Famine is unacceptable. And Israel's actions play a major part in it. Establish the Mediterranean supply corridor (called for a month ago, including myself) by the US and other countries. I am perfectly fine with forcing Israel's hand on playing their part to start allowing more humanitarian supplies through their border entry points into Gaza. And if Israel needs to use their soldiers to distribute orderly the supplies (to avoid the panic, desperate rushes on earlier supply trucks entering Gaza) then so be it. They'll need to divert military resources in order to maintain orderly distribution. That's a huge risk for them and their soldiers, in the middle of Gaza... but they have to do it. Once the famine conditions are remediated: Israel can open their corridor(s) from Rafah to allow 1 Mill+ civilians to evacuate Rafah and head north. Israel can then proceed to commence the military operation to eliminate Hamas' last battalions in Rafah, and kill Sinwar and other Hamas terrorist leaders who perpetrated the Oct 7th crime against Israel, eliminate Hamas as a military and political entity in Gaza, and not least: search for their remaining hostages held by Hamas terrorists... dead or alive.