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Aqua Buddha

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Everything posted by Aqua Buddha

  1. I can say that AOL in Dallas in the mid to late 90's was the glory days for "dating."
  2. He was warned: Liquor sales soared during the pandemic as Americans flush with cash splashed out on booze, making cocktails at home and drinking more frequently. Now drinkers are cutting back, plowing through bottles they accrued in recent years and trading down to cheaper brands. Sales volumes of U.S. whiskey—including bourbon, Tennessee and rye—dropped 1.2% in 2023, marking the first fall since 2002, according to industry tracker IWSR. That drop steepened last year, with volumes down 4% in the first nine months of 2024. Tariffs threaten to pose additional challenges. A deal between the U.S. and the European Union that paused proposed 50% tariffs on imports of American whiskey into Europe—a response to steel tariffs levied by the first Trump administration—is set to expire at the end of March. President-elect Donald Trump has also said he plans to slap new tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, which could raise packaging costs and spur retaliatory tariffs. Distillers fear that tariffs will hurt exports and that American whiskey that can’t be sold abroad will find its way back home, adding to an existing glut. “The one thing that has everyone here scared to death is tariffs,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. https://www.wsj.com/business/americas-bourbon-boom-is-over-now-the-hangover-is-here-3e9961d7
  3. Leave this here, I guess:
  4. We all knew he'd be back in Highland Park banging rich divorcees but we just thought it would be with SMU....
  5. ESPN had a good story about his contract. They can basically cut him without owing any money at this point. The Pelicans wrote multiple escape clauses into the five-year, $197 million extension Williamson signed after missing the 2021-22 season. New Orleans paid Williamson as a franchise player but included language that protected the franchise if Williamson missed more than 22 games in the 2022-23 or 2023-24 season. He missed 53 in 2022-23, meaning Williamson's salaries in the remaining three seasons ($38.9 million in 2025-26, $41.5 million in 2026-27 and $44.2 million in 2027-28) are non-guaranteed. "It is one the best contracts in the NBA," an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. "But looking back, it is hard to argue that any team would have guaranteed Zion $197 million without conditions in the extension." There are mechanisms for the non-guaranteed seasons to become fully or partially protected if Williamson satisfies weigh-in criteria set by New Orleans -- there are seven such dates during the season, with Williamson needing a combined weight and body fat percentage below 295 -- and plays in a certain number of games in the previous season. He would have to meet these criteria in the prior season for his contract to become partially or fully protected in the next season: 20% if Williamson satisfies the weigh-in criteria 40% if he plays in 41 games 20% if he plays in 51 games 20% if he plays in 61 games For example, if Williamson played in 61 games this season and meets the weigh-in criteria, his $38.9 million salary in 2025-26 would be guaranteed. The remaining two seasons, however, would remain non-guaranteed. Sources told ESPN that Williamson is on track to reach the weight benchmarks, however, he has already missed 26 games this season, making it impossible for him to hit the 61-game mark. Once the weight clause criteria is met, the guaranteed portion for next season increases from $0 to $7.8 million. The non-guaranteed portion of his salary becomes guaranteed if Williamson is on the roster after 5 p.m. ET on July 15. But missing the benchmarks doesn't reduce Williamson's salary -- just the amount that is guaranteed. To receive any financial benefit, New Orleans would have to take the unprecedented step of waiving Williamson. However, the Pelicans do not consider releasing Williamson to create financial flexibility to be a feasible option, according to sources with knowledge of the franchise's thinking. The small-market Pelicans know they never have been considered an attractive destination for free agents, so they don't believe slicing payroll by releasing Williamson would be a realistic path to improving the roster. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43174061/new-orleans-pelicans-move-zion-williamson
  6. Colin knows. I've done this move before.
  7. Maybe the newly minted fire prevention efforts can tell us now in advance what other cities and areas are at risk. They seem to know everything after the fact,
  8. I don't know the details but it's somewhat easier to get a visa through Portugal, which then applies to the rest of the EU. We knew some people that were looking into that but he got German citizenship only because his mother was born there way back when. It's something they do but it only links to the mother and I don't know why.
  9. Article about Spain: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/europe-travel/americans-are-flocking-to-spain-despite-end-of-golden-visas/ar-BB1rdtxI There were roughly 41,000 Americans living in Spain in June, a 39% increase from three years ago and double the number from 2014.
  10. This is why I like this board. While there might be boards with more total people, this board has SME's that know their shit. Other boards have firefighting "experts" who just weeks ago were drone "experts" convinced that every light going into Newark was an alien.
  11. 54. Not bad.
  12. Ford writing the eulogy delivered by his son was really cool.
  13. Joe Biden is older than all of the former presidents and vice presidents. Trump is older than all of them except Biden.
  14. Who is going to help with the six inches? I kid, I kid....
  15. 30+ lead changes. It felt like if they played 10 times, they'd be 5-5. They'll play next Thursday, too. If they meet in the Finals, OKC will presumably have Chet and Caruso, though.
  16. One of the most re-watchable movies out there and if you've ever worked in a restaurant, it's almost a documentary. Ton of people in it, too.
  17. He's either wrong or lying. (Not that it matters. He'll just keep at it.) There is plenty of water in CA: https://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain
  18. I see what you did there..... They were engaged 20 years ago so maybe not everyone knows or remembers. She predated Scarlett Johansson. Quite the resume, really.
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