unclevlad

Gavin Weir. Remember the name. Kid's 12. Pitches for the team that came out of South Dakota. Compared to Chris Sale...which is pretty good. His stats coming into today: That's from Yardbarker. 100 K's. 5 walks. *1* hit. All he did today was ANOTHER no-hitter with 14 K's...and this is Little League, 6 inning games. 1 walk or he'd have another perfect game...he had one earlier. He threw 5 2/3 no-hit innings earlier in the LLWS, but had to come out for pitch count reasons. 8 starts, 8 wipeout performances. He might be done. Pitch rules...he had to throw 83 pitches to get through, and that requires, IIRC, 4 days' rest. The final game is scheduled for Sunday; he can't pitch again until Monday. But it was a 1-0 game, and puts the team into the bracket's championship game...the loser has to play the winner of the losers' bracket. Those games are a much bigger deal in Little League because of the pitch count issues.

First attack is an NND Blast. To supplement, there's some Ranged DCs and maneuvers. Second attack is the same NND, but this one does BODY...and I'm thinking, gets No Range. Same defenses apply. Question is: would the Ranged DCs, which have the weapon element Blasts, and the maneuvers count? The Range Mods from the maneuvers wouldn't, obviously, but the OCV, DCV, and any extra DCs from them. I can obviously build the Does BODY at range and the issue doesn't apply, but I like this combo, IF the martial maneuvers carry over. And, of course, 3 point CSLs are another route to consider.

You DARN SURE SHOULD believe it's a factor. It very frequently is, IMO. It's a pattern you can spot many times; the prior connection runs particularly deep and can readily carry unreasonable weight. It also suggests Lock's career may not last very long; if he can't beat out Bridgewater, he's at serious risk of not getting another contract at all, or at best, latching on as a 3rd string emergency QB. And it doesn't help that I saw one preseason starting-QB ranking list that had Lock as the presumed starter. He was rated #31. They have someone starting at QB; that does not mean they have "a starting QB." When it comes to the starters...I think the preseason game time means virtually nothing. It's important for the last roster picks, sure, but the work in practice is more important.

Take care of yourself, Tjack. Can't blame ya. I cannot offhand construct ANY excuse for leaving the person in the car for that long. I agree that, come on, ANY adult should understand the risks. Make it a caregiver, and it qualifies in my book as aggravating circumstances. I can see the 2nd degree charge, as we have no reason to believe there was premeditation...but this is as egregious as I think it could get without the premeditation. The max sentence is life, and I would support that without a second thought. Grail: here's a link. https://www.wnct.com/on-your-side/crime-tracker/greensboro-woman-charged-with-murder-in-connection-to-death-of-person-with-cerebral-palsy-left-in-hot-car-for-around-five-hours/ Cripes...all you'd think it would take is the experience of getting into your car after work, when it wasn't in the sun, on a hot day. Even if you've got a sunscreen on the windshield. The car is BLOODY HOT! 5 minutes and you're sweating...long drive, take a break middle of the day? Yeah, 5, 10 minutes tops, and the sweat starts. EDIT: HELL...would you leave a patient in an open, public place (I presume it was a parking lot) for 5 hours??? That in itself feels like it'd be grounds to yank the caregiver license, even if nothing bad happens.

The only time I ever had a really bad experience was, I was feeling a bit under the weather, getting ready to go to work. That, of course, didn't help. I took a Sudafed...the original stuff, tells ya how long ago this was, cuz you could still get it OTC...and had my usual, decently stout morning coffee. I could see sounds til mid-afternoon....... It was not fun. How much of this was idiosyncratic to me, I'm not sure, but Sudafed is synthetic adrenaline, basically, so that and caffeine getting together to breakdance in my brain isn't that surprising....

Afghanistan IS the Kobiyashi Maru. Could it have been handled better? Probably, yeah. But it was never going to work out.

Digital TV, that is. We had some big time lightning, and lost power for ~ 45 minutes...fortunately, as the oven was pre-heating, NOT when everything was in and cooking. TCL TV came back up, seemed to be just fine for a bit, but then...I dunno, it's died. 3rd digital TV to do so for me, in not allll that long a period of time. Tried lots of things, nothing works. May have to see if I've got a spare monitor with an HDMI port. I know I've got the monitors; not sure about the HDMI. Sound's not an issue, it's piped through my receiver. And I may price a monitor if I do have to replace it, altho the better monitors in 40-43" sizes are, I think, substantially MORE than the TVs... EDIT: yeah, one of my spare monitors works just fine....it's only about 20" tho, so it's not a permanent solution. EDIT 2: forget replacing a 43" TV with a 43" monitor, pretty much. Unless the TV's something like a Sony where the brand premium is particularly high. Oh well.

I remember Jolt, but only had a can or two I think. Didn't care for it. But hey, hyper-caffeinated coffee is A Very Big Thing in some circles...we're talking anything from 3 to 10x normal caffeine levels. And the names often *celebrate* the insanity. And energy drinks, and even 5 Hour Energy. Jolt's on par with Monster Energy and Rockstar...and lower than 5 Hour Energy. So sheer caffeine levels now are...pretty meaningless.

I think I had some Henry's; my VERY vague memory is, it was ok but overpriced. But we're talking 30 years ago or more. Soft drink history is often very interesting, a combination of shifting tastes, marketing, and in recent years the squeeze play that there are for almost all intents and purposes only 3 cartels that fundamentally own the mainstream soft drink universe...Keurig Dr Pepper, Pepsi, and Coke. RC is owned by KDP, and it's their only cola (Diet Rite is an RC variant)...but for whatever reason they don't market it that much. From what I saw, it's still big in the South, tho. Interesting history of RC here: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/76881/tragic-history-rc-cola TL;DR--they became a one-trick pony, and then the pony broke a leg and had to be put down. Diet Rite was their sales...then it got yanked *totally* off the market from cyclamates. Those of a certain age may well recall *that* era; cyclamates were WILDLY popular. It was a major issue in the soft drink, baking, and even restaurant industries...restaurant fake sugar was Sweet n' Low. Diet Rite was RC's big product, tho, so they got blown off store shelves.

LOVED!!!! Hires Root Beer. But it's been buried. IIRC, Dr. Pepper bought them...eventually, the brand changed hands several times. Dr. Pepper also owns A&W...which has a separate tie-in with the fast food joints. The root beer is probably critical to keeping the restaurants afloat...pun intended...whereas Hires had no tie-in. It was just a HECKUVA lot better. Can't *stand* Pepsi. Not sure why; used to like most of the Mountain Dew flavors, altho not all of em...and MD and Pepsi are both sweetness bombs, altho the difference in sugar between Coke and Pepsi isn't very much. The Pepsi profile never did it for me. Not that I do any of em any more. Ditching the empty sugar is the easiest first step to helping yourself out...ditching most of the empty carbs is harder.

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..................... There is nothing quite like hearing that someone you dealt with regularly, has committed suicide. Very, very sad.

That looks like it'd be more than $100. Lobster tail, crab legs, and filet; brie toast?

Yep. D'backs are mathematically eliminated from the division now. 83 losses; Giants have 79 wins, which'd just be a tie, but the Dodgers have 78. And they play each other 3 times, so one or both must reach 80. Backbreaking loss last night...that was clear in the D'backs broadcasters' voices. Gallen starts and throws 7 shutout innings...in Coors Field. Bullpen gives up 2 in the 8th to tie, and a 3-run shot in the 9th to walk it off. They've been playing better...not great, but better...but that one hurt.

What you're asking for is perfect knowledge, when that's simply not possible. What CAN be known, and checked trivially, is the person's vaccination status. I don't buy the wedge in the door point. That's just scare tactics, IMO. This is NOT, NOT, NOT!!! a normal situation, and saying "oh this is setting a precedent for later" when that later is hoped to be something resembling normal, is simply alarmist. I've seen more and more reports across the worst-hit areas that ICUs are at or over capacity. This isn't a general policy for everywhere; it's a policy for disaster areas. And we've never such an enormous rejection of rationality by personal choice. I honestly think NO ONE would have predicted such a massive refusal even as late as 2019, so this is completely unprecedented.

Oh, heck no. A bad recovery time wouldn't be multiple attack only...it'd be Full Phase, if not Extra Segment or Phase. And fine...each one taken individually is small. But start looking at the total size. It won't *stay* small. This kind of explosion never does.

But Reduced by Range IMO rolls off TOO sharply, and for minimal cost savings. It's -2 DCs at 30 feet, for example, for only -1/4. And that -1/4 is very likely less than normal, as there will be other limitations. But figure if you're talking a 2d6 RKA bow...2 DCs is 1/3 of its attack power, and you're less than a full move away from the opponent. I don't think this is a path the system wants to travel at all. It's a hassle for marginal benefits...the point about the coarse, discrete damage is valid, and another point is the coarse resolution on advantages and limitations. How many of these feel like a lot less than a -1/4 limit? And the math on limitations down-values the 2nd, 3rd, 4th limits, particularly on small powers. The differences will be very small. And systems that go into this much detail, generally *don't* have extensive options in so many other areas. Just for weapons, we've got AP and Reduced Pen and Reduced by Range...even if I think it's too much, it's there. And that's before getting into Beam, Limited Range, No Range, focus, etc. etc. etc. The weapons and armor are preset in those systems...but not, by and large, in Hero. Weapons and armor developed for a few reasons: 1. Production considerations...how fast could they be produced, how costly were they? 2. Training required. These are huge factors for the peasant levies. 3. What *worked*? This was a big race, particularly between armor and weapons. Chain mail is very good against swords, but poor against arrows. Note that this captures issues that haven't been mentioned, such as recovery times. That heavy axe is very hard to get back into line. 4. How is this gonna balance against the spellslinger, staying in Fantasy Hero? 5. Where else does this apply....cuz it darn sure doesn't seem to apply to Champions. Went down this rabbit hole in 1E. There's no bottom to it, IMO.

Because smoking and obesity-related diseases have never flooded the system to create the problem. Not broadly, anyway. It's not hard to make the argument for addressing them...but in other ways, like saying smokers pay more for the their health or life insurance. Another factor tho, is the causative factors are too complex. I lived in LA in the 60s and early 70s...the air was so intensely bad that it was like smoking a pack a day, IIRC. Second stage smog alerts...ALL outdoor school activities were shut down when these happened. It *was* terrible; the smog was so bad that we couldn't see the San Gabriel Mountains from my school's fields. We're talking maybe 5 miles away. Diabetes is avoidable, sure, but the common diet is *loaded* with sugar and empty carbs. How much of a role does poverty play? 70% ground beef is a WHOLE lot cheaper than 90%. The decision to be vaccinated or not is, in the vast majority of cases at this point, a pure choice. Access points? Widely available. Cost? It's free. Time? I don't buy this one, for the most part. It simply does not take long, and there are plenty of venues which can be blended in with normal activities. I can see that there might be isolated cases...but they're very likely to be VERY, VERY rare by comparison. Cases where it's been medically advised not to get vaccinated...ok, but that information should be in the medical records. This is NOT a choice the facilities want to make, I'm absolutely sure of that. But there are 2 aspects. First is the sheer number of cases; second is the *length* of the cases, because there is no good treatment. Many of the conditions you mention lead to hospital stays...but not long ICU stays. They *don't* want to do this; they *have to* do it because the resources are finite. The bed space DOES NOT EXIST *because* that very large percentage of them are tied up by unvaccinated Covid cases. These policies are being considered for the same reason that mask mandates and stay-at-home orders were put in place; it is a public health EMERGENCY in these places. And this is an unpalatable fix...sure...but what alternative is there? So as such, I don't care if there are minor flaws.

From what I'm seeing...well, I've said I'm not gonna bother with anything streaming. I remember liking SOME of the What If... series, not that I can remember seeing a lot of them. I do think they weaken the credibility of the entire comic universe, but probably not as bad as insanely over-the-top finger snaps, or bringing in the Celestials, or retcon after retcon after retcon. (OK, DC was more guilty of that.) All of it says, nothing the characters do matter. Everything is writers' whim. While that's true...don't rip the curtain into shreds, then incinerate it. We know the curtain is there, but it's *good* to leave it.

Is that the case? At this point...and for, heck, over a year now...I was under the impression that the ICU problem was because of Covid patients. They've been dwarfing ICU cases from *all other* sources by a wide margin. And as I read the story? I think the intent is to say that non-vax Covids are the LOWEST priority for the ICU beds.

Third day in a row that US daily deaths have exceeded 1000. The 7-day average of new cases is the highest since the start of February; the 7-day average of new deaths, since mid-April. In 6 weeks, we've lost all the ground we gained in 5 months.

Everyone is reporting that there are talks ongoing between the Big 10, Pac 12, and ACC...translation: everyone meaningful NOT in the realigned SEC, really...about some form of coordination. Not combining into a single, unwieldy conference, but some kind of looser alliance. Details are non-existent, and yes, everything IS that vague at this point. THe key point would seem to be to ensure a counterweight to the SEC should the NCAA collapse...or even sooner, for football. The SEC went from the 800 pound gorilla to King Kong

Which had the secondary effect that Topps is remaining private rather than going public via a SPAC deal. That deal collapsed hours after the announcement. The new deal looks like it's creating a massive, monolithic licensed-apparel firm. Fanatics swooped in on NBA and NFL cards too, plus *extensive* merchandising licensing at the college and pro levels...which means, even if Fanatics is paying larger percentages to the stakeholders (for the pros, both teams and players' associations), they're probably expecting to see significant, synergistic growth. Combo follow-up... The CNBC article points out that MLB has a stake in Fanatics. Article in the WSJ says, MLB never said *anything* to Topps. The deal's been in the works for several months, but no one talked to Topps or gave them a chance to develop a competing proposal. Translation: MLB is aiming for nearly complete vertical integration on all promotional products. 70-year partnerships be damned. Profit isn't the golden rule, it's the only rule.

Oh man...... Now I'll never get a Hanso sword.... https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/19/entertainment/sonny-chiba-death-trnd/index.html

The teachers apparently are a bit reticent to press charges, in the interest of trying to maintain reasonable relationships with the parents. I can understand that. This is probably going to get worse before it gets better. Story on CNN today about parents pulling kids out of, IIRC, Cobb County (Georgia) schools because of inadequate mask requirements, and therefore in their view, unsafe environments. Some were clear-cut...asthma cases, one of the kids was a leukemia survivor and thus immunocompromised. And the school district in Texas where the board added masks as part of the dress code. I can...somewhat...understand the assertion that not wearing a mask is a matter of personal choice...but it is reckless, in my mind, to put *kids* at risk. And shows, at least to me, callous selfishness. But the pattern's cast in carbonite now. There's no indication whatsoever that it'll change willingly. That's why we're seeing more and more governmental and corporate vaccination requirements. Carrot won't work? Fine, break out the stick. Surprise, surprise....Abbott appealed straight to the Texas Supreme Court to rule on local school districts passing their own mask mandates. The Court refused to intervene. This isn't a win for the districts; it did not affirm their right to make the mandates. Abbott is being forced to go through the normal appeals process, through lower courts. MUCH slower process. It may also push more districts to pass their own mandates.

I agree that it's mostly an infiltration/espionage edge, not a combat one...altho if power armor's a big deal, that would be an exception. But there's definitely cases where it could be huge, in the espionage context. It'd take something additional; even a moderate amount of teleport would be huge, or Desolid for tunneling purposes. So as a hero's power? Not so great. For a villain? Could be pretty darn sweet. Whether you build this as an Invis power with Always On, or as a phys complication, is gonna depend on whether the character understands how to take advantage of it, and has the means to do so. I'd actually lean to Invis to Sight Group, No Fringe, Inorganic optics only (value??), 0 END, Persistent, Always On. I wouldn't be overly pedantic on what the inorganic limitation is worth; this is 52 active points, and it's rather specialized. Even if you call it a -1 limitation, the power is costing 21 points.