First Half Mercifully Ends

The first half of the Cubs’ season draws to an end today in Pittsburgh, thus leading us to wonder: It’s only the fucking All-Star break?!

Starlin Castro has managed to play well enough at a thin enough position that he could be starting the All-Star game, and Aramis Ramirez has gotten serious buzz as a potential injury replacement at third base.  Who would’ve known this team was good enough to maybe have two All-Stars? (Three if you count Quade.)

Meanwhile, heaven and earth had to be moved to get Andrew McCutchen onto the All-Star team despite being second in WAR in the National League, and the Pirates are seriously pushing Milwaukee and St. Louis for the NL Central title (AKA Tallest Midget Award).  Searching for logic in anything surrounding the All-Star game is basically the equivalent of a snipe hunt.

But first things first, the Cubs play a game today and will start Ramon Ortiz again (sad trombone).  The biggest suspense probably involves who will be in the booth with Len today.  On Friday, Todd Hollandsworth did his best to give Len an early break by Never. Shutting. Up. Ever.  He may still be talking about the game. On Saturday, Dave Campbell joined Len, and from what I heard, it was a refreshing change.

I could probably look up who will be there today, but that takes all the fun out of it.

Here is Cuey’s lineup:

Reedz RF
Cassie SS
Rodrigo 3B
Bake 1B
Sote C
Lon CF
Adolfo LF
Barn 2B
Moaney P

We’ll see what happens.


213 thoughts on “First Half Mercifully Ends”

  1. Jeff Baker hitting cleanup is the sign of a wonderful season. (dying laughing)

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  2. [quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]Jeff Baker hitting cleanup is the sign of a wonderful season. (dying laughing)[/quote]
    He does pound LHP, so I don’t have a big problem with it.

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  3. I’m cool with the righty-loading today. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things (dying laughing)

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  4. [quote name=Berselius]He does pound LHP, so I don’t have a big problem with it.[/quote]Oh, I agree. I just think it says a lot about the roster Hendry built.

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  5. [quote name=Rice Cube]I’m cool with the righty-loading today. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things (dying laughing)[/quote]Oh, yeah. RHB pound Maholm.

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  6. Optimistically, with a new GM and a FO dedicated to using advanced metrics in conjunction with scouting, how long would it take to unfuck this org, including the ML roster? I think 3 years, tops.

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  7. [quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]Optimistically, with a new GM and a FO dedicated to using advanced metrics in conjunction with scouting, how long would it take to unfuck this org, including the ML roster? I think 3 years, tops.[/quote]
    Agreed. It helps that the Cubs have more financial resources than most teams, however unwisely they’ve used them.

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  10. [quote name=Berselius]And reportedly Rodrigo turned down the invitation[/quote]
    He’d prefer to go fishing.

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  11. Honestly, I’d prefer to go fishing too. Waiting that long to pick a guy who deserves it, then having to mess with his travel plans to satisfy the “last man picked” invitation is a bit unreasonable.

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  12. [quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]Optimistically, with a new GM and a FO dedicated to using advanced metrics in conjunction with scouting, how long would it take to unfuck this org, including the ML roster? I think 3 years, tops.[/quote]I’m a little more pessimistic than you are. I think it’s at least 5 years. I’m not even against trading Starlin Castro for the right package. He’s going to be good, but he’s going to be expensive as fuck when the Cubs are any good.

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  13. I should say that it will take at least that long if the Cubs don’t have a spending spree like they did after 2006. If that happens they could contend next season. If they want to put themselves in a position to contend year in and year out for a long time it’s at least 5 years. The farm system has no impact talent at all. It’s going to take several years to turn that around.

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  14. Can they spend their way to contention next season outside of trying to snag Fielder, Jose Reyes and maybe CC Sabathia? The 2012 free agent list looks kinda meh.

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  20. [quote name=Rice Cube]Can they spend their way to contention next season outside of trying to snag Fielder, Jose Reyes and maybe CC Sabathia? The 2012 free agent list looks kinda meh.[/quote]They could if they wanted to spend enough money. Keep in mind the 2006 team lost 96 games and they turned it around. there’s enough available that they could easily do it.

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  21. [quote name=Xoomwaffle]Damn, that was a good game, in spite of the refs[/quote]
    Apparently the Brazil women’s team could teach Italian footballers a thing or two about flopping (dying laughing)

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  24. I like what I’ve heard with Soup in the booth this weekend. I’d love it if he replaced Brenly.

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  28. [quote name=Berselius]Apparently the Brazil women’s team could teach Italian footballers a thing or two about flopping (dying laughing)[/quote]Well, just Marta. She’s probably the best female footballer int he world right now, but her penchant for simulation is a bit off-putting.

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  29. [quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]Well, just Marta. She’s probably the best female footballer int he world right now, but her penchant for simulation is a bit off-putting.[/quote]

    i think your forgetting erica’s yellow card winning performance in the last minutes

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  31. [quote name=WaLi]Ouch @ that nut buster[/quote]
    Ump got hit in the nads eh? Serves him right for not knowing balls from strikes. And now he has no balls (dying laughing)

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  32. [quote name=Berselius]I like what I’ve heard with Soup in the booth this weekend. I’d love it if he replaced Brenly.[/quote]He’s been doing it all weekend? I might have listened to the Cubs broadcast if I knew that. I figured it was Brenly.

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  34. [quote name=mb21]He’s been doing it all weekend? I might have listened to the Cubs broadcast if I knew that. I figured it was Brenly.[/quote]
    (dying laughing). rtfa

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  35. [quote name=dylanj]i think your forgetting erica’s yellow card winning performance in the last minutes[/quote]Poetic justice for Carli not being sent off for the egregious handball. Seriously, USWNT played negative football the entire match. It’s the height of disingenuity to complain about diving when you’ve got 10 players behind the ball after an OG for 80% of the match. Full credit to USWNT for earning a win, but to suggest our tactics were somehow more honorable than Brazil’s is simply wrong.

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  36. [quote name=mb21]He’s been doing it all weekend? I might have listened to the Cubs broadcast if I knew that. I figured it was Brenly.[/quote]
    (dying laughing), after Adam and I mentioned it on twitter the response was “yes, and Brenly in the dugout”. I love Soup but not at that price (dying laughing)

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  38. [quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]Brenly managing this Cubs team would be an utter disaster.[/quote]
    Who would be his Byung-Hyun Kim?

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  39. Hmmm…Pujols still has a chance for another .300, 30 HR/100 RBI season if he continues piling up the hits. BA up to .281 now.

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  42. [quote name=Rice Cube]Who would be his Byung-Hyun Kim?[/quote]
    He could just have the Cubs sign BK (dying laughing)

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  43. [quote name=GW](dying laughing). rtfa[/quote](dying laughing) I did read that and it didn’t even register with me. I’m an idiot.

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  45. MO mentioned calculating that PFF from the BTB link earlier today for the Cubs lineup. Here it is:

    NAME TEAM PFF
    Kosuke Fukudome CHN 127.9
    Darwin Barney CHN 109.1
    Starlin Castro CHN 105.5
    Aramis Ramirez CHN 92.1
    Carlos Pena CHN 106.0
    Marlon Byrd CHN 105.5
    Alfonso Soriano CHN 97.4
    Geovany Soto CHN 105.7
    Average for the most common Cubs lineup 105.7

    Reed Johnson CHN 99.2
    Koyie Hill CHN 76.8
    Jeff Baker CHN 86.0
    Blake DeWitt CHN 87.2
    Tyler Colvin CHN 75.4
    Tony Campana CHN 80.0

    Methinks this is kind of useless and not really telling us what that guy thinks it does.

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  46. I couldn’t get the exact same numbers that guy did. Maybe he also included caught stealing. I don’t know. I took the OUTS from Baseball Prospectus then added DP and subtracted ROE.

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  47. [quote name=mb21]MO mentioned calculating that PFF from the BTB link earlier today for the Cubs lineup. Here it is:

    NAME TEAM PFF
    Kosuke Fukudome CHN 127.9
    Darwin Barney CHN 109.1
    Starlin Castro CHN 105.5
    Aramis Ramirez CHN 92.1
    Carlos Pena CHN 106.0
    Marlon Byrd CHN 105.5
    Alfonso Soriano CHN 97.4
    Geovany Soto CHN 105.7
    Average for the most common Cubs lineup 105.7

    Reed Johnson CHN 99.2
    Koyie Hill CHN 76.8
    Jeff Baker CHN 86.0
    Blake DeWitt CHN 87.2
    Tyler Colvin CHN 75.4
    Tony Campana CHN 80.0

    Methinks this is kind of useless and not really telling us what that guy thinks it does.[/quote]Any measure that’s down on HIll, Colvin, and Campana can’t be all bad.

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  49. [quote name=ACT]Any measure that’s down on HIll, Colvin, and Campana can’t be all bad.[/quote]Maybe, but it has the Cubs lineup being exactly the same as Soto. Basically, this stat says that the Cubs lineup is the equivalent of 8 Geovany Soto’s. Soto is having a bad year, but he’s still far more patient than all but maybe two hitters in the lineup.

    What this is really measuring is contact hitters who make a lot of outs or have low OBPs.

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  50. starling peralta with a good start for peoria. man, the peoria roster is barren now that Szururu is gone

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  51. Red Sox are apparently interested in Garza. Too bad they depleted their system in the Adrian Gonzalez deal.

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  52. [quote name=ACT]Red Sox are apparently interested in Garza. Too bad they depleted their system in the Adrian Gonzalez deal.[/quote]
    Since they have a surplus of first basemen they should give us Kevin Youkilis. Then we can flip him for Nolasco.

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  54. [quote name=Rice Cube]http://marlonbyrd.mlblogs.com/2011/07/10/710-fire-family/

    Byrd wins.[/quote]I just read that too. Awesome.

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  56. Heh, Byrd’s blog mentioned a player named Marwin Gonzalez in Iowa. The Cubs should promote him just so they can have a Marlon, a Darwin, a Marwin, and a Starlin on their roster.

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  59. [quote name=ACT]Not that those aren’t good rosters, but an all-star game without Pujols just feels weird.[/quote]
    He didn’t really deserve it this year. Which is also weird.

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  61. Probably meaningless but this from BP:

    The Cubs are willing to trade right-hander Carlos Zambrano, third baseman Aramis Ramirez, right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, infielders Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt, and outfielder Reed Johnson, but they plan to hang on to starters Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza and relievers Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall. The Cubs also have no plans to rebuild and are instead looking to trade for veterans who are signed beyond this season…

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  62. [quote name=Berselius]Real Ale Devil’s Backbone ——–> my belly[/quote]
    I love that beer.

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  67. [quote name=mb21]I couldn’t get the exact same numbers that guy did. Maybe he also included caught stealing. I don’t know. I took the OUTS from Baseball Prospectus then added DP and subtracted ROE.[/quote]

    is that maybe the Cubs’ two most effective hitters are their two worst in terms of PFF. Aramis Ramirez is at 91 and Starlin Castro is at 95. Alfonso Soriano is also at 95.

    The Cubs as a team have a 97.6 PFF, which is 3rd-worst in MLB. Only the Blue Jays and White Sox are worse.

    His numbers seemed to make more sense from what we think about the Cubs.

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  68. Just looked at your profile.

    You style yourself a comedian and performer.

    Good for you. Doesn’t come across well here.

    by Al Yellon on Jul 9, 2011 3:35 PM CDT up reply

    (dying laughing)

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  69. I looked only at the starting lineup. I imagine the team average is what I would have gotten. I wasn’t interested in including Campana and Hill and all those guys.

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  70. I get 104.3 for the team, but I used a plate appearance cutoff and took pitchers out. That guy must not have done that, which makes no sense.

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  72. [quote name=Mish](dying laughing)[/quote]
    Just looked at your profile.

    You style yourself a Hindu cartoon faget.

    Good for you. Doesn’t come across well here.

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  73. I have no clue what that guy is doing to calculate outs. None.

    Starlin Castro has 400 plate appearances, 117 hits, 16 walks, 1 HBP, 13 double plays and if you wanted to count stolen bases for some odd reason he has 1 CS.

    I’m almost positive he’s at least double counting double plays. I know he said he counted them as two outs, but I think he’s actually counting them as 3. When you calculate the outs given the information above, it includes 1 out for a double play so you add 13 to the total if you want to count it as 2.

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  75. Got it for Castro. He’s including caught stolen bases, which makes no sense. Castro has a 90% success rate on stolen bases. If you’re going to count CS, you have to consider successful stolen bases.

    Oh well.

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  76. [quote name=Jame Gumb]Just looked at your profile.

    You style yourself a Hindu cartoon faget.

    Good for you. Doesn’t come across well here.[/quote]

    I think I will ban you. You clearly don’t belong here. Goodbye.

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  77. [quote name=mb21]Got it for Castro. He’s including caught stolen bases, which makes no sense. Castro has a 90% success rate on stolen bases. If you’re going to count CS, you have to consider successful stolen bases.

    Oh well.[/quote]
    Don’t know why you’d count those. How does that impact the pitcher while you are at the plate?

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  78. [quote name=Mish]Probably meaningless but this from BP:[/quote]
    How is trading one of your top SP, starting 3B, starting RF and 3 of your bench players that start routinely NOT rebuilding? Sure, it’s not a complete rebuild but it’s not exactly just trading off a few fringe starters that could act as good bench guys.

    I realize trading Soriano is almost impossible but he and Soto should be on that list. especially soto since the team should be able to get something decent for him.

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  79. [quote name=JMan]How is trading one of your top SP, starting 3B, starting RF and 3 of your bench players that start routinely NOT rebuilding? Sure, it’s not a complete rebuild but it’s not exactly just trading off a few fringe starters that could act as good bench guys.

    I realize trading Soriano is almost impossible but he and Soto should be on that list. especially soto since the team should be able to get something decent for him.[/quote]I think it’s not rebuilding insofar as what they want in return; the blip says they want veterans that are controlled, which I guess would be more of a “retooling” if you want to be pedantic. I just don’t like the plan at all.

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  80. Ya, the semantics of the thing are throwing people off. My interpretation like many of you would be to trade players for controlled MLB proven talent. Garza types, instead of low level, high ceiling prospects.

    And in reality, we probably don’t have players in the high minors to fill spots left vacant from a “fire sale.” Whether it makes us happy or not, the fans aren’t going to trot out to the park to see Bryan Lahair, Luis Montanez, Scott Moore, and Tony Campana (dying laughing). There’s still money to be made off attendance this year.

    If you think attendance is bad now, what would it it be like if those^ players were the everyday players for the final 70+ games?

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  81. I don’t agree with the idea (I’d rather start from scratch), but I’d at least take a wait and see approach to see exactly what kind of talent Hendry would bring back. But getting veterans would seem to indicate that Hendry has a bit more time than I would have hoped.

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  82. [quote name=jtsunami]Ya, the semantics of the thing are throwing people off. My interpretation like many of you would be to trade players for controlled MLB proven talent. Garza types, instead of low level, high ceiling prospects.

    And in reality, we probably don’t have players in the high minors to fill spots left vacant from a “fire sale.” Whether it makes us happy or not, the fans aren’t going to trot out to the park to see Bryan Lahair, Luis Montanez, Scott Moore, and Tony Campana (dying laughing). There’s still money to be made off attendance this year.

    If you think attendance is bad now, what would it it be like if those^ players were the everyday players for the final 70+ games?[/quote]
    Well some fans can’t wait to watch Bryan LaHair. But right most fans are smart enough not to go watch that group of FAIL.

    I’m fine with a retooling but they have to be perfect in whom they acquire but Hendy has no other options because he won’t be around if he goes for high-ceiling prospects.

    Does this mean they try to use some of the vets to get a guy like BJ Upton? or go to Cincy and try to get Yonder Alonso? It’ll be interesting to see which names come up in the rumor mill. Which teams are going to part with good players that are already in the majors or are close?

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  83. Well, if that’s what they are going to do, then I’m all for them going out and getting James Shields (Upton too). Forget emulating the Red Sox, just buy the Rays! You might be able to with the cash coming off the books. (dying laughing)

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  84. [quote name=Mish]But getting veterans would seem to indicate that Hendry has a bit more time than I would have hoped.[/quote]Or Ricketts has informed him that he wants to at least be competitive next year with the 2013 being the goal for contention. Getting prospects for Soto, Marmol, Byrd, etc. might help in long run. But it also might not. Controlled players, while not impact players, are less risky and help this team towards a goal to contend in the near future.

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  86. with our player development its probably better to sign & trade for known veteran players. We could trade for the best prospects in baseball and after 1 year they would all be RP & backup catchers

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  87. Paul Hoilman with another HR. Adding to his reputation of being a 3 outcome hitter right now (dying laughing).

    11/19 hits went for extra bases. Of 73 ABs, only 21 were outs on balls put in play. 33 Ks, 8 singles, 24 walks, 11 XBH.

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  90. There are no exciting position players at Peoria. And pitching isn’t going to be all that special when Kirk finally goes to Daytona (which should have happened a month ago).

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  93. [quote name=Mish]Well, if that’s what they are going to do, then I’m all for them going out and getting James Shields (Upton too). Forget emulating the Red Sox, just buy the Rays! You might be able to with the cash coming off the books. (dying laughing)[/quote]
    If we buy the Rays, not only will we get good young players, but our fan attendance will increase by 3!

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  94. A Crawford-Szczur-Ha outfield would be fun to watch at Daytona. They would cover a LOT of ground out there.

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  95. [quote name=jtsunami]The biggest thing I fear is that they think Darwin Barney is a long-term solution.[/quote]
    There’s nothing worse than someone asking you if you’re tired.

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  96. [quote name=WaLi]If we buy the Rays, not only will we get good young players, but our fan attendance will increase by 3!

    /SDSJM
    [/quote]Just completing your thought.

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  98. [quote name=Mish]Just completing your thought.[/quote]
    Thanks, I was going to put that but couldn’t remember what asshat said it.

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  99. B, just got notification that ADWD shipped. Need to hurry up through AFFC first. Luckily I have a trip planned overseas this week so the long plane ride should give me plenty of time to catch up. ASOS ended in amazing fashion. A little frustrated with AFFC so far because it hasn’t picked up yet where ASOS left off.

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  100. [quote name=WaLi]B, just got notification that ADWD shipped. Need to hurry up through AFFC first. Luckily I have a trip planned overseas this week so the long plane ride should give me plenty of time to catch up. ASOS ended in amazing fashion. A little frustrated with AFFC so far because it hasn’t picked up yet where ASOS left off.[/quote]
    speak english faget

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  101. [quote name=dylanj]speak english faget[/quote]Sorry (dying laughing)
    ADWD = A dance with dragons
    AFFC = A feast for crows
    ASOS = a storm of swords

    All are part of ASOFAI = A song of fire and ice series of books.

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  102. [quote name=WaLi]Sorry (dying laughing)
    ADWD = A dance with dragons
    AFFC = A feast for crows
    ASOS = a storm of swords

    All are part of ASOFAI = A song of fire and ice series of books.[/quote]WTF? GTFO.

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  103. [quote name=WaLi]B, just got notification that ADWD shipped. Need to hurry up through AFFC first. Luckily I have a trip planned overseas this week so the long plane ride should give me plenty of time to catch up. ASOS ended in amazing fashion. A little frustrated with AFFC so far because it hasn’t picked up yet where ASOS left off.[/quote]
    It’s a much slower paced book, especially after the insane pace of the second half of Storm of Swords. It mostly focuses on taking a step back and picking up all the pieces that have been knocked down in the first three books, and presumably sets up the last three. It also suffers from the fact that three of the best POVs aren’t in it at all (as you’ve probably figured out by now). Book four got too big so the author decided to split the story by geography.

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  108. [quote name=Rice Cube]That’s heavy, Doc.[/quote]
    Why is everything so heavy in the future? Is there something wrong with the Earth’s gravitational pull?

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  109. One of the major problems encountered in time travel is not that of becoming your own father or mother. There is no problem in becoming your own father or mother that a broad-minded and well-adjusted family can’t cope with. There is no problem with changing the course of history—the course of history does not change because it all fits together like a jigsaw. All the important changes have happened before the things they were supposed to change and it all sorts itself out in the end.

    The major problem is simply one of grammar, and the main work to consult in this matter is Dr. Dan Streetmentioner’s Time Traveler’s Handbook of 1001 Tense Formations. It will tell you, for instance, how to describe something that was about to happen to you in the past before you avoided it by time-jumping forward two days in order to avoid it. The event will be descibed differently according to whether you are talking about it from the standpoint of your own natural time, from a time in the further future, or a time in the further past and is futher complicated by the possibility of conducting conversations while you are actually traveling from one time to another with the intention of becoming your own mother or father.

    /hitch-hiker’d

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  110. [quote name=WaLi]One of the major problems encountered in time travel is not that of becoming your own father or mother. There is no problem in becoming your own father or mother that a broad-minded and well-adjusted family can’t cope with. There is no problem with changing the course of history—the course of history does not change because it all fits together like a jigsaw. All the important changes have happened before the things they were supposed to change and it all sorts itself out in the end.

    The major problem is simply one of grammar, and the main work to consult in this matter is Dr. Dan Streetmentioner’s Time Traveler’s Handbook of 1001 Tense Formations. It will tell you, for instance, how to describe something that was about to happen to you in the past before you avoided it by time-jumping forward two days in order to avoid it. The event will be descibed differently according to whether you are talking about it from the standpoint of your own natural time, from a time in the further future, or a time in the further past and is futher complicated by the possibility of conducting conversations while you are actually traveling from one time to another with the intention of becoming your own mother or father.

    /hitch-hiker’d[/quote]
    +42 answer-to-life’d

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  111. I apparently didn’t make a necessary change when we switched servers so it’s going to be a little goofy for awhile. Sorry.

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  112. [quote name=mb21]I apparently didn’t make a necessary change when we switched servers so it’s going to be a little goofy for awhile. Sorry.[/quote]

    (no dinner, if you’re not into the abstract)

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  113. One free custom gif to the next person who walks up to Alvin in the Wrigley bleachers and punches him in the face.

    Two gifs to the next person who kicks him in the nuts.

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  114. [quote name=Jame Gumb]One free custom gif to the next person who walks up to Alvin in the Wrigley bleachers and punches him in the face.

    Two gifs to the next person who kicks him in the nuts.[/quote]
    What’d he do? I won’t be in Wrigley bleachers until the 20th and I’ll try to oblige then.

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  115. [quote name=Rice Cube]What’d he do? I won’t be in Wrigley bleachers until the 20th and I’ll try to oblige then.[/quote]
    Nothing new. I’ll need picture or video proof before I start on the gif(s).

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  116. [quote name=Jame Gumb]Nothing new. I’ll need picture or video proof before I start on the gif(s).[/quote]
    Might get arrested so that will probably be on the news at some point. Maybe you can turn the clip into a SenorGif.

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  117. [quote name=Rice Cube]Might get arrested so that will probably be on the news at some point. Maybe you can turn the clip into a SenorGif.[/quote]
    Sure thing. Have fun!

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  119. [quote name=dylanj]well i just started Boardwalk Empire anyone here watched it?[/quote]Excellent. oog watched it last year when it aired, but I only got through the pilot episode until a few months ago. Loved it. If Dexter doesn’t start out really good this year I’ll start watching that instead.

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  120. [quote name=dylanj]well i just started Boardwalk Empire anyone here watched it?[/quote]I liked Boardwalk a lot. Really good acting, especially from Buscemi.

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  121. [quote name=dylanj]well i just started Boardwalk Empire anyone here watched it?[/quote]I saw a few episodes. I had to stop because I loved it too much.

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  124. [quote name=WaLi]Uhh… why is he swinging around a stirpper pole?[/quote]
    You ask a question for which I have no good answer.

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  125. [quote name=WaLi]Uhh… why is he swinging around a stirpper pole?[/quote]
    To arouse you.

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  126. [quote name=Jame Gumb]To arouse you.[/quote]Well it worked.

    Especially his stats, I forget how dominating he was.

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  134. [quote name=ACT]http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6756841
    Predictably, some commenters are savaging Aramis for keeping his commitment to his family. Damn him, doesn’t he know baseball is more important than stuff?[/quote]
    I’m not savaging Aramis, or anyone, that decides to do family stuff during the break, especially if it was pre-planned, but what can sport franchises do to make it more enticing to the players? The Pro-Bowl has the same issues. I guess it is only an exhibition game, so why would the players want to go, but I would be honored to be asked to be invited if I was a player.

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  136. [quote name=Aisle424]

    We have a new policy at the OV shop.[/quote]That hasn’t been our policy all along?

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  137. I can’t look at Buscemi without thinking about the scene in Billy Madison where he crosses off Billy’s name then puts on lipstick and lays down.

    That and when he is Crazy Eyes in Mr. Deeds. Gum balls and oreos… nice combo!

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  138. [quote name=ACT]http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6756841
    Predictably, some commenters are savaging Aramis for being a lazy Latin. Damn him, doesn’t he know baseball is more important than being lazy?[/quote].

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  139. [quote name=WaLi]I’m not savaging Aramis, or anyone, that decides to do family stuff during the break, especially if it was pre-planned, but what can sport franchises do to make it more enticing to the players? The Pro-Bowl has the same issues. I guess it is only an exhibition game, so why would the players want to go, but I would be honored to be asked to be invited if I was a player.[/quote]
    Wow that first sentence was very Al-like with all those commas.

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  140. Regarding all-star games, does anyone follow hockey? This year the East vs West approach was replaced by a player draft, conducted by the All-Star players themselves, to determine the rosters for each team. The captains for each team now select players from a combined pool of both fan balloting and the NHL Hockey Operations Department. There was also a skills competition that was pretty neat.

    I thought it was done very well and added an extra night of entertainment for the draft. I don’t know how something like this would work for the MLB since there is a clearly definited NL vs AL (and since the game decides WS home field for some reason), but it would be neat if MLB changed it up. It seemed like the players really enjoyed it too.

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  142. [quote name=WaLi]I thought it was done very well and added an extra night of entertainment for the draft. I don’t know how something like this would work for the MLB since there is a clearly definited NL vs AL (and since the game decides WS home field for some reason), but it would be neat if MLB changed it up. It seemed like the players really enjoyed it too.[/quote]Can’t do that when the winner decides the outcome of home field advantage for the WS (dying laughing)

    What a joke.

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  144. [quote name=WaLi]Regarding all-star games, does anyone follow hockey? This year the East vs West approach was replaced by a player draft, conducted by the All-Star players themselves, to determine the rosters for each team. The captains for each team now select players from a combined pool of both fan balloting and the NHL Hockey Operations Department. There was also a skills competition that was pretty neat.

    I thought it was done very well and added an extra night of entertainment for the draft. I don’t know how something like this would work for the MLB since there is a clearly definited NL vs AL (and since the game decides WS home field for some reason), but it would be neat if MLB changed it up. It seemed like the players really enjoyed it too.[/quote]
    I think the player ballot already sort of amounts to a player draft so this idea might not work very well. I actually think the roster should be trimmed down to 30 or even 25, and built with winning the game in mind so that one starter goes 4 innings, then relieved by a 3 inning starter, then relief by committee. Play the starting position players until you need a pinch-runner or a defensive replacement, or the manager just wants to pinch-hit. Then the homefield advantage thing won’t matter because you’re playing a real baseball game to win.

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  145. [quote name=jtsunami]Can’t do that when the winner decides the outcome of home field advantage for the WS (dying laughing)

    What a joke.[/quote]When that happened I went from apathy to the All star game to loathing.

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  146. [quote name=Rice Cube]I think the player ballot already sort of amounts to a player draft so this idea might not work very well. I actually think the roster should be trimmed down to 30 or even 25, and built with winning the game in mind so that one starter goes 4 innings, then relieved by a 3 inning starter, then relief by committee. Play the starting position players until you need a pinch-runner or a defensive replacement, or the manager just wants to pinch-hit. Then the homefield advantage thing won’t matter because you’re playing a real baseball game to win.[/quote]Nobody wants their starters to get hurt for a BS marketing spectacle. They used to take it seriously, back in the day. Wasn’t it Ted Williams who played every inning for like 7 years? Len mentioned that yesterday.

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  147. [quote name=WaLi]Regarding all-star games, does anyone follow hockey? This year the East vs West approach was replaced by a player draft, conducted by the All-Star players themselves, to determine the rosters for each team. The captains for each team now select players from a combined pool of both fan balloting and the NHL Hockey Operations Department. There was also a skills competition that was pretty neat.

    I thought it was done very well and added an extra night of entertainment for the draft. I don’t know how something like this would work for the MLB since there is a clearly definited NL vs AL (and since the game decides WS home field for some reason), but it would be neat if MLB changed it up. It seemed like the players really enjoyed it too.[/quote]
    It seems like the NHL changes up their All-Star format every year. US vs. World (maybe it was North America vs. World), East/West, the fantasy draft idea, etc.

    I loved the fantasy draft. I thought that was very unique and the players did seem to get a kick out of it. Selig would need to drop the bizarre World Series ramifications nonsense to do something like that, but I could actually see that happen.

    Not that it will happen, but it’s pretty clear the players in general could give a damn about the All-Star game as it is now.

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  148. Also, the All-Stars were selected and then there were captains named and they chose the teams from the pool of All-Stars, not from the general NHL player pool.

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  149. [quote name=Aisle424]Also, the All-Stars were selected and then there were captains named and they chose the teams from the pool of All-Stars, not from the general NHL player pool.[/quote]
    Right. The players were voted in by fans and from the NHL. I forget how the captains were determined. I don’t remember any glaring issues with players not being in there that deserved to be. There were also special rules to how the drafting had to occur (goalie must be drafted by so and so round, so many defensemen by this round, etc.)

    The NHL does seem to change the format often, but for the better. It is for the fans, not for home-ice advantage (dying laughing)

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  150. [quote name=josh]Nobody wants their starters to get hurt for a BS marketing spectacle. They used to take it seriously, back in the day. Wasn’t it Ted Williams who played every inning for like 7 years? Len mentioned that yesterday.[/quote]
    They’d have to throw in monetary incentives or move the ASG to the end of the season or something. As an exhibition it doesn’t have much meaning other than as just another baseball game to cure my boredom.

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  151. [quote name=WaLi]
    The NHL does seem to change the format often, but for the better. It is for the fans, not for home-ice advantage (dying laughing)[/quote]
    Exactly. But baseball gets bogged down in the tradition and “that’s not how it used to be the good old days” bullshit. every other sport has managed to modernize and figure out that fans today are different from the fans in the 50’s or 20’s or whatever. Baseball just doesn’t ever want to evolve.

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  152. [quote name=mb21]That hasn’t been our policy all along?[/quote]
    We used to accept Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, and underwear money.

    We voted while you were fucking around on the server and decided to not accept underwear money anymore. We will, however, accept butt pennies from our OV Club Members.

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  153. [quote name=WaLi]Regarding all-star games, does anyone follow hockey? This year the East vs West approach was replaced by a player draft, conducted by the All-Star players themselves, to determine the rosters for each team. The captains for each team now select players from a combined pool of both fan balloting and the NHL Hockey Operations Department. There was also a skills competition that was pretty neat.

    I thought it was done very well and added an extra night of entertainment for the draft. I don’t know how something like this would work for the MLB since there is a clearly definited NL vs AL (and since the game decides WS home field for some reason), but it would be neat if MLB changed it up. It seemed like the players really enjoyed it too.[/quote]
    I would love to see this done for the HR derby. The leading HR hitter in each league would get to select 4-5 players for his team of hitters. Could be anyone, not just All-Stars.

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  154. If baseball is all about what it used to be, we need to go back to underhand tossing pitchers, no gloves, no walks, no home runs and so on. What an exciting game.

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  155. [quote name=mb21]If baseball is all about what it used to be, we need to go back to underhand tossing pitchers, no gloves, no walks, no home runs, no blacks and so on. What an exciting game.[/quote]
    .

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  156. [quote name=Xoomwaffle]I would love to see this done for the HR derby. The leading HR hitter in each league would get to select 4-5 players for his team of hitters. Could be anyone, not just All-Stars.[/quote]
    I thought that’s what happened this year?

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  157. [quote name=Rice Cube]They’d have to throw in monetary incentives or move the ASG to the end of the season or something. As an exhibition it doesn’t have much meaning other than as just another baseball game to cure my boredom.[/quote]I think you do get a bonus if you get voted into the ASG, though it probably depends on the individual contract.

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  158. [quote name=Aisle424]We used to accept Paypal, Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, and underwear money.

    We voted while you were fucking around on the server and decided to not accept underwear money anymore. We will, however, accept butt pennies from our OV Club Members.[/quote]
    If you get enough ass pennies into circulation, you’ll have an advantage over everyone.

    http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=60669&title=ass-pennies

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  159. [quote name=josh]I think you do get a bonus if you get voted into the ASG, though it probably depends on the individual contract.[/quote]
    I think the bonus is kinda piddly and the winning team gets a winner’s stipend and the losing team gets additional chump change and that’s it. If you want the best players to want to come out you have to ante up. But some of these All-Stars have so much money that they probably wouldn’t even care.

    Also…

    http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2011/07/11/Media/MLB-ratings.aspx

    Not sure where the Cubs rank here, but I’m going to guess they’re in the middle of the pack (#15-20 out of 30)

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  162. The AL has a vacuum cleaner at every infield position. Better hope for a bunch of fly balls then.

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  163. [quote name=Rice Cube]The AL has a vacuum cleaner at every infield position. Better hope for a bunch of fly balls then.[/quote]I hope they are cordless.

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  165. [quote name=Rice Cube]The AL has a vacuum cleaner at every infield position. Better hope for a bunch of fly balls then.[/quote]For what it’s worth, neither Cabrera nor Cano has impressive defensive stats (DRS, UZR, etc.)

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  168. [quote name=Jame Gumb]http://reason.com/archives/2007/07/02/our-militarized-police-departm[/quote]
    Escalation…although you gotta think that giving the police equivalent weaponry to what certain criminals have is reasonable for their protection. You’d also assume they would have training for said weapons. I don’t really know how bad street warfare is but you can’t have your peace officers protecting and serving when they’re armed with peashooters and the other guys have big boy guns.

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  170. [quote name=Jame Gumb]http://reason.com/archives/2007/07/02/our-militarized-police-departm[/quote]
    Someone reads my twitter feed. I’ve followed Balko closely on this subject for years and he’s great.

    RC, while I understand your POV, I don’t think it’s an accurate portrayal of reality. Most criminals are not armed to the teeth. In fact, the biggest problem with militarization is that when you guys boys toys, they play with them. That’s why you see flash bangs and assault rifles being used to go after households with children/pets in it and parents doing nothing wrong (or at most, smoking weed, which really isn’t wrong in a meaningful moral way).

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  177. Mish and I usually agree on this stuff, but I’m not sure I agree with him here. I agree they shouldn’t be focusing on people smoking weed, but that’s a legal issue and one I completely agree with Mish on. Overall though, I’m not nearly as upset about this kind of thing as some are.

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  178. [quote name=Mish]Someone reads my twitter feed. I’ve followed Balko closely on this subject for years and he’s great.

    RC, while I understand your POV, I don’t think it’s an accurate portrayal of reality. Most criminals are not armed to the teeth. In fact, the biggest problem with militarization is that when you guys boys toys, they play with them. That’s why you see flash bangs and assault rifles being used to go after households with children/pets in it and parents doing nothing wrong (or at most, smoking weed, which really isn’t wrong in a meaningful moral way).[/quote]
    I agree with you here. I guess this would also fall under “excessive force”?

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  179. [quote name=mb21]Mish and I usually agree on this stuff, but I’m not sure I agree with him here. I agree they shouldn’t be focusing on people smoking weed, but that’s a legal issue and one I completely agree with Mish on. Overall though, I’m not nearly as upset about this kind of thing as some are.[/quote]
    I read about this shit everyday, and it’s not just drugs though. There is a big disconnect between the level of force required vs that used; but like I said, I read Radley and other similiarly-focused blogs like this all the time and there seriously is warfare being waged here. A lot of it is spilloff from the MIC and guns/weapons produced that exceed the demand from the military itself, so it gets sold to state governments. I’ll avoid the politicalness and further discussion but if I started posting stories about inappropriate use of SWAT force we would probably have 2-3 of these every week. At least.

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  181. ^^^ I forgot to add that my possible overexposure to this issue might make me think its a bigger deal than most, but criminal justice reform is one of my pet interests.*

    *Yeah, I’m just awesome like that.

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  182. [quote name=Mish]^^^ I forgot to add that my possible overexposure to this issue might make me think its a bigger deal than most, but criminal justice reform is one of my pet interests.*

    *Yeah, I’m just awesome like that.[/quote]
    stop doing drugs and you wont have to worry.

    a clean life is a godly life

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  183. [quote name=Mish]^^^ I forgot to add that my possible overexposure to this issue might make me think its a bigger deal than most, but turtle dicks are my pet interests.*

    *Yeah, I’m just awesome like that.[/quote].

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  186. [quote name=Mish]I read about this shit everyday, and it’s not just drugs though. There is a big disconnect between the level of force required vs that used; but like I said, I read Radley and other similiarly-focused blogs like this all the time and there seriously is warfare being waged here. A lot of it is spilloff from the MIC and guns/weapons produced that exceed the demand from the military itself, so it gets sold to state governments. I’ll avoid the politicalness and further discussion but if I started posting stories about inappropriate use of SWAT force we would probably have 2-3 of these every week. At least.[/quote]I’ll bet you could too, but that’s because you’re deciding which ones are unnecessary. This is an issue where I’ll defer to the officers. Like it or not, their safety is their first priority and that is going to mean excessive force to ensure that safety. Take that way and you aren’t going to have any officers willing to do anything risky.

    It’s not a matter of how many are excessive, but what the cost would be without it. I don’t know what it would be, but I’d bet if we legalized drugs more than half the situations would be eliminated.

    Give me a police uniform and I’m not even going to pull a car over without a swat team behind me. I realize it may lead to some issues, but I’ll get home each night. (dying laughing)

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  187. Mish lazily used ^ instead of the quote box and it backfired when I posted turtle dicks before he could finish.

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  189. [quote name=Mish]Works even better because I said “pet”.[/quote]
    It’s almost like you really do suck turtle dicks.

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  192. [quote name=mb21]I’ll bet you could too, but that’s because you’re deciding which ones are unnecessary. This is an issue where I’ll defer to the officers. Like it or not, their safety is their first priority and that is going to mean excessive force to ensure that safety. Take that way and you aren’t going to have any officers willing to do anything risky.

    It’s not a matter of how many are excessive, but what the cost would be without it. I don’t know what it would be, but I’d bet if we legalized drugs more than half the situations would be eliminated.

    Give me a police uniform and I’m not even going to pull a car over without a swat team behind me. I realize it may lead to some issues, but I’ll get home each night. (dying laughing)[/quote]
    Sure, I get that. I view the role of the State to be first about protecting the rights of its citizens, so that’s why I take a hardline against it. A lot of these issues would be non-existant if people knocked, or called, or double checked addresses. If they were at least getting the right people, I’d be a little less PO’d, but I think the countless number of wrong raids is what drives me up a wall.

    90% of cops are fine and don’t do this, so I don’t want to say I apply this image to all of law enforcement. But I also think it’s the logical conclusion when you wage “war” on poverty and drugs. The lingo becomes self-fulfilling prophecy.

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  197. If they were at least getting the right people, I’d be a little less PO’d, but I think the countless number of wrong raids is what drives me up a wall.

    I agree with that, but I think most of those can be corrected with some type of change to the system.

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  198. [quote name=mb21]I agree with that, but I think most of those can be corrected with some type of change to the system.[/quote]
    Like knocking on the door first?

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  199. [quote name=GW]Like knocking on the door first?[/quote]That would be awesome. Give the criminals time to get armed. I like it. It’s a real life video game.

    What percentage of the time do they get the right house and/or people? It’s not going to be 100% no matter what. What’s an acceptable number?

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  200. [quote name=GW]Like knocking on the door first?[/quote]
    Do they have body armor that is painted to make them look like Jehovah’s Witnesses? Although they might still get shot that way.

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  201. [quote name=mb21]That would be awesome. Give the criminals time to get armed. I like it. It’s a real life video game.

    What percentage of the time do they get the right house and/or people? It’s not going to be 100% no matter what. What’s an acceptable number?[/quote]
    If TV has taught me anything, they’re not going to get armed so much as they are going to frantically flush away all the evidence.

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  202. [quote name=Berselius]If TV has taught me anything, they’re not going to get armed so much as they are going to frantically flush away all the evidence.[/quote]
    Which is now a sound that allows police to barge in on homes, per the SC.

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  203. If they legalized, no one would want to pay the taxes (becuase damn the man) and they’d still have a black market. On the other hand, why don’t more people grow their own tobacco? Have you see the price of cigarettes lately? I quit 3 years ago and they’ve tripled in price.

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  204. [quote name=Berselius]If TV has taught me anything, they’re not going to get armed so much as they are going to frantically flush away all the evidence.[/quote]TV matches up with reality quite well. (dying laughing)

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  205. [quote name=mb21]That would be awesome. Give the criminals time to get armed. I like it. It’s a real life video game.

    What percentage of the time do they get the right house and/or people? It’s not going to be 100% no matter what. What’s an acceptable number?[/quote]
    My guess is that you would get less resistance. No one wants to go up against a squadron armed to the teeth with semi-autos and bullet-proof vests unless you are unaware of them and think it’s a home-invasion.

    I suspect flushing is the real reason they don’t, and my bias is that I could give two shits about what an adult wants to put into his body.

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  206. I suspect flushing is the real reason they don’t, and my bias is that I could give two shits about what an adult wants to put into his body.

    I don’t either, but as long as we’re not talking about a 5% success rate in going to the right home and/or people then I just don’t care.

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  208. The home run derby would be more fun if they loosened the bat restrictions. If the players want to use corked or aluminum bats, why not?

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  209. [quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]home run derby game thread?[/quote](dying laughing) I was waiting for the game thread. Sorry, I was busy thinking about cats.

    Also mb, I am logged into my profile at home but I can’t comment with it 🙁 Server issues?

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