Tim McG

Grand slam by Adrian Gonzalez! Go Padres!!!! 5-4, Pads...bottom of the 5th.

A few comments: 1) I have a hard time imagining how several million toys would fail to raise alarms in a situation with random inspections. 2) I don't see a reason to feel sorry for Mattel or step up to their defense. I haven't been following the story closely enough to recall the particulars, but even if they didn't know about the lead levels, they should have been aware that this kind of thing could happen. Guy I see. So if it "seems unlikely" then it can't possibly happen. Interesting. Is that how it is? Applying your logic, Watergate never happened because it "seems unlikely." Amazing.

Because corporations are faceless entities hell bent for profit....not responsibility. You are smarter than you appear. Or maybe just more aware than others on this BBS.

Damn, GoodSpeak, it took you long enough to figure it out! I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt....and the space to make it right. Seriously, I still hold out hope that Dan will, one day, actually catch the big giant clue I'm sending him. We can only hope.

Because corporations are faceless entities hell bent for profit....not responsibility.

You are being sarcastic? Guy Uh. No. I am being obvious. The American people were the ones who demanded inexpensive toys (and other goods)... the manufacturers complied. Guy Yeah, but not to get poisoned. Of course not. I was only objecting to GoodSpeak's specific claim that Americans had inexpensive Chinese products somehow "forced upon them". Guy You're not a father of small children are you...figures. Tell me, Guy....where the hell else do you go to buy children's toys but from a trusted manufacturer. One who you expect to take precautions in making sure kids aren't hurt or poisoned. Mattel [and others] wantonly abused that trust and forced upon us lead tainted Chinese toys. And all in the name of money. Filthy profit in favor of protecting kids. Force the Chinese to make toys beyond their production capabilities and reap the profit from the low wages. And your problem what that is, uh...what again? The Chinese complied with lead paint because they had no time to check for errors or misuse. The ability to make a huge profit was at stake, or worse, Mattel [and others] would pull the business and give it to somebody else. Why would a profit making Chinese company want to destroy their own business, Guy? I fail to see the objection here. Mattel was more interested in making money than protecting children. And that disgusts me to the very bottom of my Soul. What evidence do you have to prove any of this? Controlling a factory, especially a contract manufacturer, is not an easy thing, even when you do random inspections, as most companies do--I'm speaking from experience at my own company. It seems highly unlikely to me that a company like Mattel, which pioneered factory inspections in its industry in order to ensure decent wages and working conditions for its workers, would try to cut corners on materials just to make a buck. But, of course, Mattel is just a big, evil corporation--no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt. Evidence? The recall [because they were forced to, not because they chose to...big giant difference] of millions of already sold toys. That is plenty enough proof, Vibes. Corporate America cares only for profit....they could give a rat's ass who dies as a result. Prove me wrong.

You are being sarcastic? Guy Uh. No. I am being obvious. The American people were the ones who demanded inexpensive toys (and other goods)... the manufacturers complied. Guy Yeah, but not to get poisoned. Of course not. I was only objecting to GoodSpeak's specific claim that Americans had inexpensive Chinese products somehow "forced upon them". Guy You're not a father of small children are you...figures. Tell me, Guy....where the hell else do you go to buy children's toys but from a trusted manufacturer. One who you expect to take precautions in making sure kids aren't hurt or poisoned. Mattel [and others] wantonly abused that trust and forced upon us lead tainted Chinese toys. And all in the name of money. Filthy profit in favor of protecting kids. Force the Chinese to make toys beyond their production capabilities and reap the profit from the low wages. And your problem what that is, uh...what again? The Chinese used lead paint because they had no time to check for errors or misuse. The ability to make a huge profit was at stake, or worse, Mattel [and others] would pull the business and give it to somebody else [Are there other Asian countries who could take the business? C'mom, Guy....open your eyes]. Why would a profit making Chinese company want to destroy their own business, Guy? I fail to see the objection here. Mattel was more interested in making money than protecting children. And that disgusts me to the very bottom of my Soul.

You are being sarcastic? Guy Uh. No. I am being obvious.

Uh-huh. You mean to tell me you have absoluely no control over your own behavior....? So I manipulate you, is that it? Give it a rest, Dan. I am not your anger manager and I am sure as hell not responsible for your abusive posts, OK?

Oh and thhbbbtttt

Idiot of the day? Hope Solo. U.S. goalie Hope Solo gets the boot at Women's World Cup By STEPHEN WADE, AP Sports Writer September 29, 2007 SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- The Women's World Cup is taking on some edge for the United States, just as the Americans are getting ready to say goodbye. U.S. coach Greg Ryan tossed goalkeeper Hope Solo off the team for Sunday's third-place game against Norway. His decision, which has the support of the remaining 20 players, came after he benched Solo for Thursday's semifinal in which Brazil routed the U.S. 4-0. Solo lashed out in an interview, saying Ryan made the "wrong decision" in dropping her in favor of veteran Briana Scurry against the quick and creative Brazilians. The 36-year-old Scurry will face Norway on Sunday in a game that precedes the championship between defending champion Germany and Brazil. Ryan said Solo would not even attend the Norway game. The U.S. practiced Saturday without her, and officials said she remained in China, meaning she probably will return home with the team. "We have moved forward with 20 players who have stood by each other, who have battled for each other," Ryan said. "And when the hard times came -- and the Brazil game was a hard time -- they stood strong." Solo hadn't allowed a goal for almost 300 minutes when she was benched. Ryan chose the smaller, quicker Scurry, who led the U.S. to its last World Cup title in 1999 and held off Brazil in the 2004 Olympic final. Captain Kristine Lilly and star striker Abby Wambach said Solo apologized at a team meeting. On her myspace page, Solo wrote that she didn't intend to criticize Scurry. She maintained, however, that Ryan's decision was wrong. "This is our chance to get back on the field and show our country and our fans how we can play soccer," Lilly said. "That's really what's important for this group right now." Sunil Gulati, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, tried to find something positive in this ruckus. "The fact that people care about this ... the fact that people care about the decision on goalkeepers, that we got drubbed in one game -- that's all good," Gulati said. Wambach, who has four goals in the World Cup, called the dispute "uncharted territory" for the U.S. women, who were unbeaten in their first four games in an otherwise low-key tournament: a tie with North Korea, and wins over Sweden, Nigeria and England. "It just goes to show you have to be professional all the time and you have to watch what you say," Wambach said. Ryan said he made the decision to drop Solo after meeting with team leaders. "The circumstance that happened and her going public has affected the whole group," said Lilly, the 36-year-old striker who is playing in a record fifth World Cup. "And having her with us would still be a distraction." Ryan and Wambach said Solo may still have a future with the U.S. team, but Ryan has suggested there is depth at goalkeeper, with young players coming up. "Everybody has a potential to have a future with this team," Ryan said. "I think what's got to occur is reconciliation and that is a very slow process." In her interview after Thursday's loss, Solo said of her benching: "It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. ... You have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past." The Americans were beaten 3-0 by Germany four years ago in the semifinals, but rallied to win Olympic gold. Wambach hopes for a repeat. "I made it a point the other night to watch the other team celebrate," she said. "Only time will tell, but I know those memories of Brazil, those goals are etched in every single one of our minds." The United States was unbeaten in 51 straight games before the Brazil loss, but the lopsided defeat and the last-minute goalkeeping decision have left Ryan's future unclear. Gulati said Ryan's contract was up at the end of the year. He did not say if Ryan would coach the team at next year's Beijing Olympics. "In all events like this ... we do a pretty quick analysis of what's happened -- what's gone well, what's not gone well," Gulati said. "That will happen even more quickly in this case," he added. "We'll analyze this situation after tomorrow (Sunday). We've already starting analyzing it."

Exactly. How so horribly typical of coporate America: Make all you can when you can....apologize to the customer through a blame game with the Chinese....or anyone else they can find: Consumer demmand vs lack of supply. US toy manufacturers forced this on the American people by demanding far too many items be made at a cheap, cheaper, cheapest Chinese labor rate to make untold of millions of dollars off of the unaware buyer and their innocent children. Bastards.

Right now: On deck: In the hole:

Go Pads!!! Go Rockies!!!

And the Met collapse is complete! Phils in first place with a magic number of 2!!!! They're tied, Dan. If the Pads lose on Sunday, it's all over [excepting a possible tie in the NL West or a WC tie with the Pads and the Mets] unless the upstart Nats win again.....could happen. The the Wildcard would be a tangle of playoffs.

Ah, perhaps I should try "Barry Bonds is a damn nigger" and see if that comes up with any hits. I'll say it flat out: I don't know of any racist comments about Barry Bonds anywhere, though I will admit that I have not gone and done any searches on the Klan's BBS. What I do know is that certain people, lining up these facts: Bonds isn't much liked by a lot of people Bonds "set" the season and career home run records Bonds is black and have come to the conclusion that criticism of Bonds is, in some undetermined proportion, driven by racial animus. I say bull shit. Whether the race card is played with a broad stroke or the phrase "shades of", its simple an effort to deflect the legitimate criticism and factual basis for a belief that he cheated. I have neither the time nor energy to get pulled into your extreme anti-Bonds obsession, so sermonize and rant all you want. I really doubt that you are omniscient and know all the facts. If he is guilty, then the judicial system and nature will have their day with him. So friggin' what if he did use steroids? How does that affect your well-being and why the supreme level of anger? And don't you dare insinuate that I am playing the race card. You don't know me at all to start launching personal attacks. You have your view and I'll have mine, capiche? Let's leave it at that. So, because I believe that Bonds cheated to achieve the record, I have a "supreme level of anger"? And somehow my belief affects "my wellbeing"? Try to understand something: Any hatred that has come out in this thread is directed at the nonsensical delusions spouted by Goodspeak. I don't suffer fools gladly, so when fools post things that have no basis in reality, things that are disputed by every other member who has posted in this thread, yeah, a little anger rises to the surface. Oh bullshit, Dan. Believe it? Hell, you've already convicted him and without a shred of court admissible evidence. Your anger comes from the fact I called you on it and you don't like that. Admit it. And the only thing you got in return is spit and vinegar....then you blame me? Wow. Tell me, Dan....do I control you somehow? Are you my puppet on a string? Take responsibility for your own spew, Dan....nobody forced you to run off at the mouth with obscenity laced tirade after over-the-top vulgarism. YOU made that choice. I didn't force you to do anything that wasn't already a part of your belligerence toward any poster here with the guts to blow your arguments clean out of the water....then stand up to your vitriol. Don't fob that "well, he made me do it" shit off onto me, Danny. You said it and you own it. Amazing arrogance.

Jill Shalvis Jill Nicolini J. Jill

Yer killin' me, Van Basten.

Just ask Barry Bonds.

GO Pad's!!!!

Like the Angels are somehow this new found baseball juggernaut. They'll choke on it....you watch.

Tell me....how does this Weekly Pool thing work?

Love yer avatar, Noj

Scott Simpson Tom Scott Jill Scott

GO Pad's!!!!