unclevlad

So Trump was/is Sith? I mean, he has one absolute: himself.

Got to disagree. At least some progressives live in their own black and white world. Different set of standards, sure, but can be equally intolerant and equally fantastic.

Republicans are a minority only in overall numbers...but they're a majority in more locales. At least as important is they're more consistent with their message; the Democrats haven't been so, in a LONG time.

Trump's "ideology" was never conservative, it was pro-Trump. Still, it's disappointing, albeit not entirely surprising, that it's still been a year, and they can't separate even this much from Trump. It's also a troubling sign for the mid-term elections. Can't read too much into it, as it's just 1 state, but still a concern.

NYT says his lawyers will appeal. Who are they kidding? The verdicts were by default because he completely refused to cooperate. I wouldn't think any appeals court would even listen; the ONLY thing he's doing is stalling. A thought here...I'm kinda wondering if his lawyers might find themselves in hot water for this. No, they maybe can't be blamed for an uncooperative client, but if it is, as I kinda think, a completely frivolous appeal...then they might be accountable.

But not due to their brilliance...closer to say, despite their limitations. Manning averaged less than 6 yards/attempt in the 2015 playoffs, and less than 180 yards passing per game. And that Denver defense was one of the best ever. Elway had better numbers overall, but IIRC he got some surprise big plays in that run. And he had Terrell Davis, who had an AWESOME year. (Football Reference says Davis was the NFL leader in Approximate Value...pretty much the equivalent of baseball's WAR.)

Yuck. A neck injury on a meaningless play with the game totally decided. Bites any time, but it always feels so much worse when nothing is on the line. On youth football, this is from an article in a Baltimore sports mag from last year: Forbes reports a similar number...could well be the same original source. These are from 2020...the Forbes story *predates* the start of the pandemic, so that's not an issue. (Yeah, I know, Life Before Covid is beoming more and more vague every month.) I have no doubt it's the injury issues, pricipally concussions and the related problems. Concussions and CTE dominate the airwaves. There are occasional deaths, too; these don't often get much more than local coverage, especially at the high school level. And it's not a large number, but still. And there are more serious injuries...not even head/neck related. By "serious" I mean affecting quality of life long-term. A really bad bone break like Alex Smith's; a hit that ruptures a spleen. And almost no other sport has these risks. Some *do* have risks...gymnastics and diving lead to situations where the athlete takes a seriously bad fall. Baseball is mostly safe...but getting hit by a pitch, or a pitcher hit by a batted ball, can lead to severe injury. But the numbers are a LOT lower. Soccer's being looked it; concussion from repeated headers is a growing concern. Especially, I suspect, in youth soccer. Anyway...... Yeah, Dallas showed they didn't show up. Denver showed that, indeed, their choice to give up on the season was justified. And much tho some of you don't want to hear this? Pats are showing that wishing Brady well *was* a good move. Their rebuild is coming along. Granted that their schedule's been favorable, but wins over the Chargers and Browns are respectable enough. Brady winning the SB doesn't counter that; they didn't have the tools last year even with him. And speaking of Brady...another weak game by the Bucs. Not time to panic yet, but I do remember Elway's last year, and Peyton's. The roll-off during the season was notable.

Sometimes analysts deserve to be relegated. Greg Olsen, on the Cowboys-Falcons game. 28-3 Boys; they block a punt for another 6. 34-3 as the first half is coming to a close. Atlanta has 12 men on the field on the XP; Dallas elects to go for 2. Olsen goes, "they're really keeping their feet on the gas pedal, they're going for the kill shot!" What? Like there's any real difference between 31, 32, or 33? Like there's any real drama left??? Might as well practice your 2 point conversion. Another instance of the most common major faults: --every play is dramatic and important!!! play it up!!!! --diarrhea of the mouth..."I am analyst so I must analyze!" Shut up sometimes!!!! Olsen, I'm pretty sure, is relatively new to the job but even seasoned analysts blow this one. (Aikman!)

That's a sharp spice mix there! I find I don't like cayenne...I find its bitterness overwhelming. And I'm not a big fan of heat just for heat's sake...my favorite chile powders are chipotle (smoked jalapeno, yummy) and ancho (dried poblano...earthy).

Hey Logan, take some solace. In Austin...Kansas, the woeful, awful, perennial cellar dweller and Bottom 10 favorite... Kansas 57, Texas 56. Texas was a 31 point favorite. Record is now 4-6, and on a 5 game conference losing streak. They must win at West Virginia and versus Kansas State to even be bowl-eligible, and they will probably be underdogs in both games. https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-week-11-winners-and-losers-things-are-bleak-in-austin-after-texas-loses-to-kansas-043841234.html Sarkisian's first season may well be his last, but doing so would force Texas to eat some substantial guarantees. This being Texas, tho? They might just do that. This is not a forgivable loss. And gee, ya think maybe the SEC wants to reconsider accepting them?

You aren't unique there. Been wondering about his popularity off and on...just found this: https://morningconsult.com/2021/11/09/aaron-rodgers-vaccination-state-farm/ And it looks like I'm stuck with it as the late game. ARGH!!!! I refuse. I absolutely REFUSE to watch Rodgers during the regular season. Playoffs...I'll get back to you. Maybe there'll be some college basketball on.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

WHO OPENED THAT TOMB UP???????

MMmmmm...chile powder, garlic, salt, cumin, perhaps oregano? How close am I? I might have to double check if there's any pie pumpkins left around. They don't last. Butternut makes for a fairly good alternative, but you don't get near the amount of seeds. Oh, and if you peel your butternut...it's practical to do this...either use gloves or be prepared to wash your hands *a couple times* to get them really clean. Alternately, I like doing that part before my shower...takes a while to cook in any case, right? You need to grip the raw, moist, alkaline flesh, and it doesn't remove that easily. BTW: even more true with chiles, even nominally mild ones. Capsaicin is VERY NASTY stuff if it gets into contact with sensitive skin, and hellish if you rub it into your eyes.

On the 30 pounds of pumpkin...I do like watching a pro work, to be sure. Most of those look quite interesting. If you wanna try them? Don't discard those seeds. The stringy gunk is fairly easy to separate off just under running water..that, I discard. But the seeds themselves...drain well, then toss with olive oil, salt, and seasonings...garlic and pepper (black, chile, sweet paprika), or pumpkin pie spice. Toast in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Single layer in the pan please, and you'll probably want to mix them to get more even cooking. You should see the color change. Take out, let cool, and enjoy. I usually use a sugar pumpkin which isn't terribly big; I get maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup. They don't last.

Not that I'd want to see it, but this feels like grounds for getting banned. I've seen some awful-looking combinations but this, if real, would be a complete abomination.

Their boiler burst. When is a win a loss? Look up this game. Apparently there were numerous comments during the game that the team is broken, or gave up. And then there was this... SO done. Oklahoma will end up with a decent bowl game IF they win out...no given there. You can forget the playoffs. But they seriously expect to compete in the SEC with this run defense?

OK, forget that. Down 42-35. At HALFTIME. To an FCS team that's 4-5 in FCS. When you're at home and favored by more than 30. Dan Mullen's time as Florida coach has one more half left, IMO. Defense has given up 360. Samford's punted once. Samford's got 3 kick returns for almost 140 yards, so special teams isn't exactly sterling. Just saw this too: https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/florida-football/kirk-herbstreit-burns-dan-mullen-florida-on-college-gameday/ Sure looks like Herbstreit might be right. Against a massively outclassed opponent, at least on paper and in the eyes of Vegas, this is an utter debacle. The Aggies actually forced Alabama to punt on their first possession, and moved the ball enough to kick a FG. 3-0, 10 minutes into the game!!! Then the whole house collapsed. Bama...7 straight touchdowns. Aggies...5 punts and a fumble. 49-3 at half, and my 60's looking pretty good....unlike Logan's Gators.... EDIT: drat. 59-3 final. Bama showed mercy in the second half.

Case study there in How to Live Under the Radar. Initial misdirection. Avoided some of the ways to slip up (like parents' names). Might not work now; public records tracking is more likely to uncover holes that lead to the cover stories unraveling. Got to admire someone who can pull it off, tho.

I mean, God forbid that people ignore Gruden, right?

So Chuckie got spanked and now he's foaming at the mouth (again). He's suing Goodell and the league for the release of the emails, claiming intentional, malicious defamation, based apparently only on the point that no one else's were. I wouldn't be too surprised if this gets tossed out rather quickly, but I'm no lawyer. Nor am I impartial. I'd say that filing a suit like this is burning every bridge to come back he might've had, but the emails were major overkill in that regard already.

https://harpers.org/archive/2021/09/the-third-force-stupidity-and-transcendence/ This link just worked for me. Dean, your link somehow is cut short, that's why it doesn't work. Good read. STRONGLY recommended. One brief quote: Yeah. Seriously, people. Highly recommended.

Their line is that bad, huh? Haven't seen em all year, at least that I can recall. But hey, at least Cam's vaccinated..... Another schizo game tonight. Miami had the 30th ranked defense...and they totally throttled the Ravens tonight. Even the TD was helped by 2 personal fouls..one was a defender being stupid and totally deserved, the other was...ehhh....I didn't see it, nor did Aikman or Rereira. Ravens were rushed and disorganized and basically hapless more often than not. Ugly game too. In other words, archetypal TNF debacle. Puts the AFC North into complete confusion...6-3, 5-3, 5-4, 5-4. Break out the ouija board to pick the winner....

https://www.therams.com/team/depth-chart Kupp is fine; Woods isn't a prime #2, tho. And what it comes down to is whether you believe OBJ can be the Pro Bowler...or just another prima donna. The guy with maybe the most recognized, most replayed catch in the last 20 years, or the surly whiner who doesn't put out the effort regularly. A LOT of this could be wishful thinking, there's no doubt of that.

Born a Rams fan but we left LA many, many....many moons ago. As in.....OMG...it'll be 50 years ago next summer. Gods, that makes me feel old... I agree that I wouldn't want him; I don't trust him. Yeah, people say "no one's ever called him a bad teammate" but let's face it, they're publicists for the NFL to too great a degree. That *can't* be taken at face value, at least by me. Upside, tho, he should be cheap. Pretty sure the Browns still have to pay the contracted amount. So OBJ shouldn't have that much leverage here, not with the Rams. Hear ya, silk, about him getting rewarded...but this isn't the first time. Or even close. The players...at least those considered stars...have virtually all the leverage. In the NFL; in the NBA, they have ALL the leverage. But he was gonna get paid regardless; he wasn't terminated for cause, a la Henry Ruggs, so his salary guarantee still holds even when he gets cut. This is it. This year, it's absolutely do or die both for the Rams and OBJ. OBJ has to be a solid contributor; the Rams are win the SB or it's a bad year. I'm not sure if I'm into revulsion mode with the Rams, the way I tend to be with the Dodgers, in trying so blatantly to buy a title. OBJ might well be a Godsend because he should be cheap for them; the Browns had to pay $4.2M once he cleared waivers. But, still...the Dodgers made a mockery of the MLB "salary cap" and the Rams feel like they're doing the same thing. That doesn't sit real well with me.