Lidig8r

I am late to the show on this, but I have a very good friend up here in Dallas. She is a very reputable and well-established not only appraiser by private jeweler. (She got one of my brothers an engagement ring for his fiance and did the same for my son). She is a no bullshit, experienced professional. Let me know if you want her contact information.

Stay strong my friend. I believe that your Sammie is part of that Warrior Angel Army trying to send us signs that they are ok and want us to live life to the fullest. It is incredible hard at times... I get that. But, we must hold on to our hearts, our souls... the very best parts of us that have not been ripped away. My Morgan, your Sammie, and others whom I know who have been taken are the greatest supporters of our souls. Live Large. Live Strong. Dare MIghty Things. There is no other way.

Well hell Brisket... I don't want to believe the Visigoths are at the gates. It doesn't have to be that way. Perhaps it is time to weep for the republic.

Gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen pretending to be ladies... let me pose a serious question. Is objectivity in politics dead? By way of example, in seemingly every thread in this section, the argument quickly devolves into a "Trump is an idoit and so are all of the Trumpkins! You are mouth breathers!" Contrarily, we read, "You are a pansy liberal, Hillary supporter who is naive and you are have socialistic views!" Unfortunately, I believe we our political parties have become simply pawns for the special interest groups who fund them and the Repubs are going to the right, Dems are going to the left, there is a vast number of people caught in the middle who are equally repulsed by both extremes. And we have nowhere to go. The system is rigged to make a Centrist Party almost an impossibilities as so called "leaders" in both parties do not lead but are mere mouthpieces for those who fund their campaigns. Am I the only one who would enjoy coming on here to read some intelligent political discourse only to be turned away again and again by the personal attacks and lack of insight. Gentleman and Ladies, many of us graduated from the University of Texas! Our motto, "What starts here changes the world!" What happened to that ideal. What happened to the Ronald Reagans and Tip O"Neils, who in public, spoke of the other with respect and epitomized the term, "the loyal opposition" but who in private, probably went after it tooth and nail. Are we truly that far gone? I would love to read about and join in an intelligent discussion on trade with China, withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal, North Korea, and domestic issues without the inane and ridiculous personal attacks. Is it truly so impossible to discuss with an open mind and intelligence, issues even though we may disagree with them without wallowing in the mud of simple mindedness and despair. Find me a person of intelligence who speaks of vision, who inspires us to chase our own passions and visions, who will act with their courage of their convictions. I don't care if that person is red or blue... I would embrace that person.

With regard to foundations, charitable causes and the like, it comes down to one question ... Is it the Power of the Message ... or the Image of the Messenger? The Power of the Message? Or, the Image of the Messenger? Nowhere is this more apparent than the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Jim Valvano became the face of strength, courage and hope in March of 1993 when in a 9 minute speech, he turned an industry upside down. He died 6 weeks later. But to date, the V Foundation has awarded over $200 million in cancer research grants. With most "celebrities" who give... Power of the Message? Or the Image of the Messenger?

Sometimes boys, life just seems too overwhelming. No joy. The path appears to be gone. You know for a fact you will never recover something that was ripped away, and perhaps the very best part of you was taken as well. The room is as dark as a tomb. Here is hoping for a candle tomorrow.

Bob Netolicky (played for both teams in the same game) Dirk Bird Louie Dampier Billy Keller

Young guy in the shades was an asshat. Fat guy, beard, polyester Eagles shirt... strike 1, 2 and 3. I'd play golf with those women any time though. Put some beers in them and let their stories fly. It would be greatness.

Are there any private equity firms in the house willing to communicate somewhat confidentially? After receiving a lot of support input, I recently released this article. http://dadsjourneywithed.blogspot.com/2018/04/evading-corporate-practice-of-medicine.html There are a number of independent treatment centers who are strongly supporting this and are pushing to get a state's attorney general involved. I spoke with my own PE sources but am looking for more opinions. Thanks Surlyites!

Some of you know that my 23 year old daughter died in October 2016 after fighting eating disorders for 7 years. This past week, I was going through an old box and found the last Christmas card she wrote to me. It ends like this: "You gave me the best present I could ask for - a second chance at life. We've gone through so much together, good and bad, happy and sad, and we're still closer than ever. I'm so proud to be your daughter and so grateful that we're practically twins! Always remember that I love to the moon and back. I love you daddy. Your knucklehead Morgan." Hole in the Heart that will never be filled. Hug your kids Gentlemen. Hug your kids.

I just checked anonymously for grins. The last post in Nasty's was March 29. The last post in Varsity was March 27. The last post in Basketball was March 29. The last post in Other Sports was April 5. The last post in OC was March 30. The last post in RC Didn't offer was March 29. Longhorn Dude and BlueGrey Sky06 are naively trying to keep Football alive. Gentlemen... she's on life support. Time to pull the plug to complete Mr. Morgan's pyrrhic victory.

Give me Johnny Moore and Jim Krivacs at guards, Ron Baxter and the only white man ever named Tyrone, Tyrone Branyan at forward and LaSalle Thompson at center.

Hope Solo?

Denny Crain

Grief can be so debilitating. It manifests itself in so many different ways. I hope you Surly-ites find peace, love and joy on Easter. http://dadsjourneywithed.blogspot.com/2018/03/grief-easter-hope-and-death.html

I know this thread got some traction on that Website that is not to be named, some of our brethren got some sound advice and help, so, I am reprising it here with my first post. To update, Mrs. Lid the Sequel and I are divorced, she is in another relationship, my daughter did not survive and I am and forever will be on a completely different life/soul path. I hope the thread brings peace to some on here: And so: Having read the "I'm an alcoholic" thread with great interest, and in order not to improperly $#@! on that very informative and substantive (especially for the Shag) thread, I thought I'd see if there is any interest in this topic.So, let me start.5 years ago, I married an alcoholic. I knew at the time that she was an alcoholic. A little over 2 years before our marriage (the second for both of us), she had entered Starlight Rehab for 30 days. In fact, I was on the verge of ending things when she announced she is going. I waited for 2 years to see if indeed, she had turned a corner and was keeping the demon at bay. On the surface, it appeared so. Maybe I should have been more observant.In the few months prior to our wedding, she lost a significant amount of weight (as in 140 lb to about 110lb). She said it was natural nervousness and excitement. We carried forward.Marriage went relatively smoothly for a few months but then, I began to sense that things appeared to be "off." Working late, excuses for seemingly innocuous events not happening. And, I began to question. Finally, she was unceremoniously let go by her long time employer and she came clean... she had been drinking for awhile. She pledged to go back to AA (which she had mostly gotten away from) and swore she would recover.I started to attend Al-Anon and eventually came to understand "The Three Cs."I didn't Cause it.I can't Control it.I can't Cure it.Of course, understanding the Three Cs and embracing them fully are two different topics. I read vociferously on the topic... books, internet articles. All in the hopes of understanding. And, all in the hope of finding .. peace? At the same time, I was struggling to save the life of my daughter. (we are now in year 4+ of her severe eating disorder... a number of doctors have stated that they are amazed she is alive still and that her case is the most severe they have ever seen).Apparently, the stress and pressure of the eating disorder, a marriage going sidewise, and her own lost soul, began to escalate the pressure. She just lost her 4th job in 5 years. Each time, the excuses, finger pointing and blame were placed elsewhere. Our relationship spiraled... again, the finger pointing and blame game, the long, babbling excuses, the lying to me, her family, her friends, her sponsor.... were all attempts to deflect from the heart of her issues. I began to see her much more clearly. The self-absorption... the ego, the self importance, the blame game, the finger pointing, the excuses.. all symptoms of that insidious demon, alcohol and the control it had on her life.And, eventually, you reach a point, perhaps my own "moment of clarity," wherein I was able to finally and with great conviction embrace the reality that "I can't Cure or Control it".. and never will be able to. And I can no longer live like this.Now, granted, I am not a saint as well. I will argue like the attorney I am, do not let a lot of people in, am not easy to give trust. My own flaws are legion.But, self-preservation and saving the life of my daughter predominate and must. We will separate in June and then eventually divorce. That is a certainty. And, I am fully at peace with that decision.As for marrying or entering into a relationship with an alcoholic? Would I do it again? Because of my past experience, no, not a chance. And yet, I see the strength, fortitude and wisdom from some posters on the other thread (you know who you are). And for those people, relationships would in all likelihood be sound and fulfilling. And yet, even still, if asked, if counseled, I would say, "do your research, read, attend Al-Anon, talk to other spouses who have been afflicted... use your instincts, pray on it... communicate." If you have a strong nature, a trusting soul, are well read on the topic, are independent and a belief that past events do not dictate future conduct, then embrace the relationship and glory in the bond that can be formed. If not... you have a very difficult decision to make.I hope others may get something from this posting... and urge you to post your own thoughts if you are in, or have been in this situation.For the TL/DR crowd... 1). Alcoholism is a demon, a destroyer of lives;2). Being the Spouse of an alcoholic can be the most challenging thing you ever do;3). Profit?

Gentlemen.. we have a given problem to solve (not yet at 50 posts so no pron), and we must undertake a bold solution. YES.. certainly there is always a risk that we shall initially fail, that we may not achieve success quickly or easily, but if we do NOT undertake a bold solution, it is a certainty that we shall not succeed. Give me 50 posts.. or give me Kevin morgan.

Me and my beloved daughter. Flippin' off life, Flippin' off eating disorders, Flippin' off Kevin Morgan, Flippin' off the 3 douchebags who negged me on that tongue in cheek baseball thread, Flippin' off ou and aggy.

Sweet blue Baylor Bear on a cross. I never said it was a 'Dying industry," nor a "dying fucking industry." Nor did I address the revenue stream. I was addressing appeal and popularity. And what.. attendance has dropped 6 straight years? In fact, in 2017, attendance dropped to a level not seen since 2002. Baseball, going down to the little leagues is seeing a drop in participation in some places, a significant drop. And if you want to talk revenue, how much of the increase is due to smart business decisions, particularly by Bob Bowman, its media rights, both television and digital and cross-pollination of shared media rights. Now the hardcore baseball wonks, like you and most in this thread, are going to keep saying, "things are fine, things are fine, you're a idoit." But, MLBPA filed grievance against 4 teams last year for alleged lack of revenue sharing and there has been labor peace for a number of years... how long will that last? So, once again as a mere casual fan with an uninformed opinion, I was merely pointing out some options. And strange... the Baseball Commish who was on during the Rangers - Astros game just said that he wanted to make opening day more of a "Holiday" with all teams participating. A point I was ipso facto making. hmmmm. There are numbers and then there are numbers... and numbers can be skewed and manipulated to pretty much support any argument.

No.

How wonderfully colorful and yet, parochial at the same time. The adults are having a discussion here. Now, just sit quietly at the kiddie table. If you cannot, then there is this website called, "shaggytexas." Some aggy named Kevin Morgan took it over. Persons of your ilk are much more likely to do well there. Mkkay?

Mommy blogger on Huff Post? Nah, I found that after the fact and in fact, I mentioned "dubious origins." Of course in baseball, a team can very well be out of contention by mid June and yet, they have all of June, July, August and September (almost the length of the NFL season) to just wander aimlessly. (Yes, yes, I know it is a chance to bring up developing players and see what life is left in aging veterans) but for the casual fan, the cost, time and expense of going out to see a losing team repeatedly lose is a beating. Baseball is supposed to be, in part, an escape from the misery of everyday life. Oh and I agree about the NFL. The CTE issue is not going away and the league's inability to find a resolution to the "kneelers at the flag" alienated a lot of fans. The Visigoths are not at the gates yet but... there is discontent in the wind.

Yes, I am a moron. That is relatively irrelevant. Of course, when you play 162 games instead of 81, there is much more a chance of added revenue. And Beau, I noticed you omitted the numbers from the NFL. So, the posts so far represent the myopic of the hardcore baseball fans believing that nothing is wrong, (key in Kevin Bacon in Animal House saying, "All is well.") while baseball erodes at the edges faster than panties on a porn star. Oh.. here are some articles that agree with my uninformed belief that baseball is facing the iceberg: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-hanby-hudgens/the-decline-of-baseball-a_b_9630782.html https://howtheyplay.com/team-sports/Baseball-A-Changing-Landscape http://time.com/money/3772690/baseball-losing-fan-interest/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/baseballs-trouble-with-the-youth-curve--and-what-that-means-for-the-game/2015/04/05/2da36dca-d7e8-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html?utm_term=.644ade43e7f0 Now, some of the sources may be of dubious origin, but the casual fan is becoming more and more "casual," and forward thinking leadership is needed. In the meantime, I will go fuck myself, pay myself tree fiddy, and I will hang up and listen.

Just a plain, Longhorn polo shirt in true burnt orange. No logos on the front. No stripes, no candy ass crap. This is close but needs to be darker.

In terms of popularity and appeal, there is little dispute that major league baseball ranks a distant third to the NFL and NBA. Now, not being much of a baseball fan, there are some obvious fixes that appeal to a casual fan like me which could draw many more casual fans to the game. There are four obvious major dates during baseball season ... Opening Day, Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. First, as to Opening Day, make it uniform every year, that is, the first Sunday in April, the day before the NCAA college basketball championship game is played. All games played in the US. All games played that day starting on the east coast and rolling to the Left Coast. The night before, teams can host a Welcome Back to Baseball Gala, fireworks at the parks, black tie event for the monied people, a larger gala for the great unwashed at the park. Then, on those 4 major dates, you have a designated rival to play on every occasion with home venues alternating. For example, Yankees and BoSox play at Fenway Opening Day, Yankee Stadium Memorial Day, etc. Rangers-Astros, Cubs-Cardinals, etc. Not only would this make Opening day and each holiday during the season more significant, it would elevate the rivalries that much more. As is, it is all over the board. For example, on Opening day in 2014 the Rangers played .... the Phillies. Really? One of the biggest days of the season and you are playing a team with whom you have no history. Really? Oh, and home team in the World Series depends on the All Star game? Really? Dumb. How about this ... if the two teams played head to head during the season, the team with the winning record is the home team. If they did not play, the team with the better record in inter-league play is the home team. If that is the same, the team with the better record is the home team. So many smaller things that could be done but these are the major things that may attract the very casual fan like me. Thoughts?