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Starfleet Command

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Posts posted by Starfleet Command

  1. I don't get the purpose of banning shifts.  Shifting is valuable on the margins, but banning shifts is hardly going to change the way the game is played.  This seems to be more driven by some players just not liking the concept all-together than a suitable fix for generating more non-HR offense.

    To move away from TTO baseball, MLB will need to do something much more drastic.  Maybe deaden the bats so the number of HRs collapses while also substantially juicing BABIP through shrinking the distance between the bases or reducing the number of fielders.  Maybe pass a rule that each OF must be within 10 ft of the fence until the hitter has made contact with the ball lol.

  2. First game I got to to watch in its entirety this season and I was really impressed with Ardoin. Great blocking skills and already fairly adept at framing.  He’s quite the technician back there.   Lot of Vols fans bitching on Twitter regarding one particular call that Ardoin framed beautifully. 

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  3. 11 minutes ago, RomaVicta said:

    I'm leaning more towards filling the skies over Ukraine with NATO planes including ours. 

    Tell all Russian soldiers that we will not engage anyone moving towards the Russian border. Unarmed troop transports will not be attacked intentionally. Everything else is fair game.

    When the Russians are gone, move NATO troops into western Ukraine. Take Ukraine into NATO. They earned it.

    I hate Biden but I’m glad he won. Trump would be stupid enough to seriously consider a no-fly zone. 

  4. As much optimism there seems to be on social media, this war is beginning to remind me of Syria where the West has no realistic chance of victory and our further intervention will only serve to escalate the conflict resulting in further destruction of the country. 
     

    In the final analysis, imo, the only chance the West had of keeping Russia out of Kiev was to have Kiev tread a much more delicate and neutral path towards Russia following 2014. They simply bit off more than they could chew and we encouraged it at every step along the way. 

  5. 50 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

    That would be a neat trick. He's losing by over 50 points. 

    I was listening to the Michael Berry show the other day and was surprised how anti-Abbott he has become and said he was supporting Huffines. I’m guessing neither Huffines nor any other of the challengers can get past Abbott’s name recognition and institutional support in the state. Lot of machine politics in this state on both sides. 

  6. What happens in Ukraine is about 100000% more important to Russia than to us.  If the US escalates then Russia will escalate in ways and take risks that we simply won't be prepared to match.  You can't even give them the option to escalate as it's a no win situation for us. 

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  7. 1 minute ago, RomaVicta said:

    If Ukraine fights well enough that it looks like available NATO forces could join the fight for a decisive victory, do we do it?

    Admittedly, almost all my knowledge of the situation comes from the last five pages of this thread. It the rapid response NATO army backed by NATO, including US, airpower could immediately tip the scale, I now consider that a real option.

    I was fervently opposed to American involvement a few days ago, but now I'm not so sure. A humiliating defeat of Putin would prove they no longer field the Red Army and are the most flimsy of paper tigers.

    From what I'm seeing of Russian fighting, I'm not sure that army would stand up at all against a western force.

    Nukes? I don't see why MAD isn't still in effect. Putin himself would surely not survive the retaliation.

    I haven't thought this through thoroughly, but my position of direct confrontation is rapidly changing. This begins to look like a fairly swiftly won war that would have favorable impact on our own interests and those of all democratic nations.

    I'm pleased and surprised with the actions and collaboration of the NATO nations. This could be a great moment for boosting appreciation of what our republics are really all about. 

    Viva Ukraine!

    lol no are you fucking crazy?  

    • Haha 1
  8. 20 hours ago, BehoId, The Underminer! said:

    Lol. Putin went in to stop the genocide of Russians in those two eastern districts and to end the Nazification of Ukraine.  A lot to negotiate with there.  

    I agree protecting the two breakaway republics is a major component of his motivations, but the de-Nazification crap is just bullshit used to justify Russia's much broader engagement in Ukraine.  

  9. It's still unclear, imo, if Putin is seeking regime change in Ukraine.  That would seem to be highly irrational.  They could leave the regime intact and this could instead be a mafia-like way of sending a message to Ukraine and other Eastern European states that seeking admission to NATO is a very, very bad idea.  That seems more or less rational from Russia's perspective.  Imagine if Canada or Mexico sought entry into a military alliance with Russia or China in which, if attacked, Russia/China would be obligated to respond.   Do you think the US wouldn't resort to shock-and-awe tactics to avoid that outcome?  

  10. 29 minutes ago, RomaVicta said:

    My friend, sanctions almost never work. They certainly won't have impact to halt an invasion in real time. Multi-billionaires can wait out a temporary or even permanent cash flow problem.

    Already I've read about the West having "the spine," and your notion of rubber meeting the road. Others have already leapt to comparing this potential conflict with fucking WWII. A-fucking-gain! Hell, we didn't even enter that war because of Hitler; we got attacked and then Germany declared war on the US. It wasn't a moral jihad to save the Jews although I'm glad we did so.

    I hate this kind of language in a war policy discussion. It's a time for pragmatism not schoolyard sentiment about standing up to bullies. 

    What is in the best long term interest of the United States?

    Proving (yet again) that we're tough doesn't answer that question sufficiently. What interest is served in ordering Americans other than me to bleed for? What amount of money will I prioritize over other concerns to engage in a war?

    I'm all for arming and helping Ukraine. I'm all for arming and equipping any voluteers who want to go fight there. I'm all for bleeding the Soviet Union Russia white.

    I'm not all in on doing whatever it takes to save Ukraine. It's a lovely sentiment that I suppress in myself. Every problem does not have a favorable solution. Frankly, I'm relieved that Ukraine was not part of the NATO over-expansion. 

    I've seen the profoundly idiotic process of America going to war followed by a general realization that it was a bad idea too many times already. What the hell were the Marines doing in Lebanon with orders not to shoot? What the hell are we doing invading Iraq? 

    For just once, I'd like to see us spend just a little more time talking reality about conflict instead of yielding to emotion.

    A note: I'm no pacifist. I'm fine with smashing anyone or any country posing a physical threat to the US. I just don't like to see war carried out for entertainment purposes or to make the boys at home feel better about their manhood as they watch on TV.

     

     

    Emotion is used to drum up support for a war and sometimes c

    Part of me thinks that the reason the US has emboldened Ukraine and refused to accept Russia's one non-negotiable ask (Ukraine never to be permitted entry to NATO) is that the US wanted Russia to do what it's doing now.  Separating Russia from Western Europe economically could be very good for US hydrocarbon producers in the long-run.  

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  11. 2 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

    It was more that he left and didn't allow them to counter offer.  He basically said, "I don't care what you're willing to pay me, I want to go to Austin and get the fuck out of Lubbock."  This confirmed all Tech's deep seeded feelings about being a little brother, inferior school, in a shitty town.  While ever increasing the jealousy of what we have in Austin.


    I think this is on the mark. I have some family that went to Tech and they go out of their way to brag nonstop about what an awesome town Lubbock is and how nice and friendly the people are compared to the rude, obnoxious people who inhabit the crime infested hellscapes of Dallas, Houston, SA, and especially Austin. 

  12. It's hilarious seeing Tech fans to a man claiming that they're not upset that Beard left, it's just the way he left that's so upsetting.  lol like come on you can admit that his leaving period is at least partially responsible this nonstop hysteria and obsession.  It's also hilarious to see them trot out message board grown rumors about Beard being a liar, a conman, a criminal, etc., etc., etc., all of which Tech was apparently totally unaware of until it became public that he was leaving lmao.  Grow the fuck up.

  13. 16 minutes ago, 'stache said:

    I guess he gets a pass since he’s had so much success, but pretty much any other coach would be crucified for passing up points to end the first half.

    I think he legit is an offensive genius, much more so than frauds like McVay and Shanahan.  Still, he's far from elite as a game manager and that has caught up with him more than once.

  14. On 9/17/2021 at 8:52 AM, atomheartbevo said:

    Foundation drops next week.  

    I listened to the audio book recently and was struck by how weird this trilogy is. Not particularly well written, but driven by this oddball, bastardized vulgar Marxism (the insuperable “Seldon Plan”).   Had no idea that Asimov was a commie. 

  15. What’s funny about this show is that high school kids today are boring, sexless, straight edge prudes compared to their peers from the 90s or even 00s.  This show is an anachronism shot to look cutting edge.
     

    I also don’t understand the fascination with Zendaya. I think she’s boring as an actress and her looks are oversold.  

     

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  16. On 12/14/2021 at 11:08 PM, shadow_operative said:

    simon rex? wow. 

    also, i tried to watch the florida project and checked out half way through. crazy boring. do not understand the hype. from what i've seen it's like this new-ish trend in movies- write them and film them so that it's "realistic"- ie, instead of the standard hollywood formula, it's made to be as inane and mundane and non-miraculous as some regular day in life. i don't find that appealing at all.

    lmao 

  17. Meyer may be past his prime but him flaming out in Jacksonville is not, imo, that persuasive of evidence.  Having success in Jacksonville vs at a big time P5 job like Texas require substantially different skills and Meyer was just not a good fit for the NFL.  To look at it the other way, would anyone really be that excited if somehow we hired Kliff given the success he's had with the Cardinals?  

  18. I wish the Astros would have signed Gausman over the deal they made with JV, although there's a sporting chance JV performs at a very high level for one season (and thus exercises his option to get a new deal).  I'm glad the Mariners settled on Ray over the other options as he seems the clearest regression candidate of the big SP FAs this off-season.  

     

    It will be intersting to see if the Rangers land Kershaw and at what price.  Gausman, Kershaw, and Rodon are the three guys I saw as the closest alternatives to JV.

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