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BillyBadAss

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Everything posted by BillyBadAss

  1. BillyBadAss

    NPR Tiny Desk

  2. BillyBadAss

    NPR Tiny Desk

  3. While I don't doubt that shit heads might use the term in this way, I also don't think "identity politics" is particularly helpful or constructive in most all instances. It tends to focus on differences and division when (I think) we should be focusing on what brings us together, what makes us all part of society and how we share in it. We all come from somewhere, we all have identity shaped by our experiences and environment. Cool. But how does focusing on that help us all progress towards common goals and a better society? TBH, when people start the conversation focusing on their identify, outside of some specific, related circumstances, it generally turns me off.
  4. I did not provide. I should be able to get everything if required, depending on the form of documentation they need.
  5. My taxes are pretty plain-jane, nothing "strange" in general. But I had large deductions under medical expenses this year which decreased my tax bill quite a bit. I filed through turbo tax with no supporting documentation for these deductions. I thought it likely the IRS would request additional info from me. I received my refund today. I realize you can be audited up to 3 years later (more in some instances), but does the issuance of the refund indicate that they were likely satisfied and will not be requiring anything more unless I get selected for random audit or something? Or is the refund issuance completely separate from any review process?
  6. How is this different than offering economy plus, business class, first class options? I agree that regular economy sucks, but they already allow you to pay for more room. And they already allow you to buy booze. Good food, not so much, but there are a lot more constraints there.
  7. Not sure about this. I flew BA on the new 787 "DreamLiner" to London and back in coach. Those seats were tight. Looks like they are the same 31" of pitch as most domestic coach seats.
  8. Question on the TCAD site. My house under 'Improvement Building" shows this line: Type Description Class CD Exterior Wall Year Built SQFT 604 POOL RES CONC * - 5+ 0 1.0 I don't have a pool, and most of my neighbors without pools don't have this line. A neighbor with a pool has an identical line, but his has a year build filled in, whereas mine shows 0. Am I being appraised as if I have a pool?
  9. Well, the discussion wasn't initially about gambling. It was about the potential impact of one player on the game. CDAK's point seems to be that the betting numbers and performance against those numbers are a good proxy to measure this. But I'll take your point that we've gotten off topic and drop it..
  10. The relevant numbers here though would not be the point spread and how they performed against it. It would be what is the actual point differential (average) with KD in vs out. That would most closely measure his impact in this context. i.e. how many more baskets do they score/stop when he plays vs not. If he's only worth +4 over anyone else, it doesn't seem that it would make sense to pay super-stars. You'd be better off have having an overall solid team with depth than having a KD or Lebron. Caveat: I don't know what I'm talking about in any way here, but it just doesn't pass the smell test.
  11. Something doesn't square up here. Durant's 2018-19 stats: PPG 26.1 Rebounds: 6.5 Assists: 5.9 Betting lines aside, you're telling me that if KD misses a game, the score is not affected by more than 4 points? I find that hard to believe.
  12. And I'm always out looking for a female companion...
  13. Shot Caller (on prime) was pretty good.
  14. I don't understand why every industry in the US not associated with healthcare is not lobbying hard for universal, single-payer coverage. It has to be a big drain on every employer to administer and pay for the plans. Someone educate me why this is not the case.
  15. I could argue (not seriously), that the rich will be disproportionately affected by climate change. The rich tend to live in coastal areas (rising sea levels, hurricanes). They have homes in forested areas (wildfires), bla bla bla. It's a stupid argument because it doesn't matter. Just as the opposite is a stupid argument. If some of the worst effects of climate change take shape, we are all affected. The fact that we are arguing over who is affected more is exactly my point. We should be agreeing that climate change is the biggest problem human kind faces, and be looking for world-wide solutions to it; Not trying to slice out groups who are getting more screwed by it than others. What purpose does that serve? It is counter productive. If anything we should be highlighting that "hey, you people in power, it will affect you just as much as everyone else. It's not just a problem for 'other' people".
  16. The poor will be disproportionately affected in that any bad thing that happens is usually magnified by being poor, sure. It still makes no sense to conflate the issues. I think we should be trying to unite around addressing climate change. The science is pretty clear. The implications of doing nothing are pretty clear. The effects are in many cases effectively permanent and non-reversible. We should all be able to be on the same "side" and agree to do something about it. We should not be trying to conflate it with other politically contentious issues.
  17. But it's says climate change has exacerbated racial, social, etc. injustice. That's a stretch for me, and unnecessarily adds political baggage to an issue we should be striving to remove politics from - if the goal is to truly address it. It just doesn't make sense. Climate change as a problem can fully stand on it's own. It affects everyone in the world. It has security, economic, even existential implications. WTF would you try to conflate it with issues of social/racial injustice. It seems asinine.
  18. I read the GND text. I support a good number of the items mentioned in it, but it almost feels like it's trying to turn people off to it rather than get people behind it. For instance: "Whereas climate change, pollution, and environmental destruction have exacerbated systemic racial, regional, social, environmental, and economic injustices (referred to in this preamble as “systemic injustices”) by disproportionately affecting indigenous peoples, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth (referred to in this preamble as “frontline and vulnerable communities”);" Do you need that statement to make the case the climate change is a huge problem and needs to be addressed aggressively? I would be trying to frame it that climate change affects us all, and to a large extent all equally. But that statement frames it in terms of race and injustice which obviously brings baggage into the issue. It just doesn't seem helpful to the cause.
  19. delete - wrong thread
  20. Yeah, that NYT article seemed to say a lot of nothing
  21. I have a Crepe Myrtle and a Vitex (Chaste) tree planted in front of my house. Both trees have gotten too tall for where they are planted close to the house. Wife wants me to trim them shorter. I know a lot of folks top their Crepe Myrtles, but I also read a lot of spots online that recommend against the practice. (I don't know if the Vitex can be topped like a CM). Am I best off removing them completely and replacing with shorter varieties, or is it "ok" to top them off at the height I want?
  22. I assume the volume of air your body would have to heat up would be a big factor as well as any insulation.
  23. To change the subject.. I think the Eureka Timberline 2 is one of the most versatile and perfect tent designs ever. You can dial in the cross ventilation from completely closed to all the way open to the ground and everything in between. Works great in the heat or cold. Simple, tough, stable, weather resistant.. the only downside is weight. If someone made a lightweight version I think it would be a perfect backpacking tent. QED
  24. I'm my experience car camping in Texas, heat is your biggest enemy. To combat it, you want as much mesh on the tent as possible and going down as far to the ground as possible. Think cross breeze across your head. Most Coleman's I've seen are not good in this regard. I've had an REI Basecamp 4 and kingdom 6. I liked the Basecamp a bit better, but for 4 ppl and the current sale the kingdom 6 is pretty good.
  25. Marmot Precip is one of the best, 30% off right now ($70) at REI: https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/894605/marmot-precip-rain-jacket-mens You can find something for cheaper, but it probably won't have pit-zips; and since rain jackets don't really breath I'd view them as essential. If you want something a tad nicer the Patagonia Stretch Rainshadow is also 30% off, but twice as much ($140): https://www.rei.com/product/894312/patagonia-stretch-rainshadow-jacket-mens?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-145262-_-180150-_-NA&avad=180150_c14fcf925
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