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Snake Diggity

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Posts posted by Snake Diggity

  1. 1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

    A key component would be how is the situation handled when someone WANTS to stay out of Medicare for All. Will they be given a tax break or refund if they pursue health coverage on their own, or through their employer? I'm not asking you for the answer but I'm curious if this is optional or the only method for coverage.

    Personally I don't think that I've ever had insurance coverage through my employers that is worse than Medicare. Why should I switch to have worse coverage?

    You couldn’t be allowed to opt out, it wouldn’t work.  There would be supplemental plans from private insurers.  And I’m sure cash pay concierge doctors would become more popular.

  2. There’s no democratic leader and there’s no platform.  Biden’s entire term consistently featured Trump’s message in the headlines.  The Dems will have no such equivalent during Trump’s term.

    • Drool 1
  3. 58 minutes ago, horn4life said:

    A note of folks wondering what is going to happen in 2025 economically.  Remember how excited some folks were, and how Trump's electicion created the biggest bump in Stock market history!  And how Trump's policies created more jobs than any President Ever!  And Republicans are concerned about the debt!

     

    It's honestly amazing to me that none of the above are remotely factually correct, but you can hear these falsehoods repeatedly.  You will hear the same extolling of falsehoods this go round.  Except the reality is that the GOP has increased deficits by more than the Dems, every single time they have control of all three houses of Government.  For example the massive "Trump Bump" for the Market.  The Biden bump in November 2016 was about 10%, Trumps 6% mark is what is knows as smaller.  Employment must have been good right?  Well if you take the 6 month prior to Trump's inauguration and use that average, you look forward and find that after 2-1/2 years in office Trump is about 1.5 million behind the jobs creation number he inherited.  But... it was the greatest economy ever we were told ad nauseam.  And the Deficit was exploded do to the inability of the GOP to make any offsets for their endless reduction in revenue via tax cuts to save the rich more money.  So we borrowed a shit ton, and THAT my firieds was the begiing of the inflation that Biden supposedly created all by himself after inheriting the shitty ass Trump Economy.

    Trump will have inherited the two strongest economies ever inherited by an incoming President.  I fully expect Trump will hand of an economy similr to each one handed off by a Republican since Ronald reagan, he will hand off an economy much, much weaker with an increase in e=deficit spending far beyond the prior administration.

    Basically I expect historically accurate patterns to be the same.  I also expect a record number of folks believing the exact opposite from what is factually accurate. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

    That’s one big bummer about the election is the next President is inheriting significant economic tailwinds:

    -Continued flow of capital and other benefits from post-pandemic stimulus (BBB, CHIPS).

    -Advancements in AI and associated technology creating productivity improvements.

    -The greatest transfer of wealth in history increasing velocity of money as Boomers retire and die.

    Barring a nuclear power starting a war or the emergence of another pandemic, it will be hard for Trump to fuck up the economy.  If he does it will probably be due to civil unrest due to wealth inequality, although even that probably won’t happen during his term.

  4. 5 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

    we need more immigrants !!!!!

     

    Won’t make a lick of difference.  Trump could do an interview and call out most of his voters INDIVIDUALLY BY NAME and say “FUCK YOU”, and they’d still vote for him.

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  5. My investments are on cruise control.  And other than not quitting or getting fired I don’t have much control over my active income.  So the only lever I have to pull is reducing expenses.  I’ve totally taken my foot off the gas in terms of spending/saving.  So my main financial goals for 2025 are to dramatically reduce the amount I spend on restaurants, Amazon, and entertainment; not just to save more but to also reduce the amount we’d need to save.

    I was on a super early retirement track and I’m very financially secure at this point, but now I’m resigned to working until my kids are out of the house.  So the good news is I’m going to be pretty fucking rich by my standards and it’s not really a matter of buckling down, it’s more just waiting for time to pass.  But the bad news is I have ~10 more years of the grind ahead of me.

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  6. 46 minutes ago, The Dog said:

    image.thumb.png.4148ffdd3f930942007da5c2d891b190.png

    MAGA has surprised me many times, but cheering as the richest man on earth dances around the stage with their billionaire candidate was a new low.

    Those dumb motherfuckers gave it all away just because the people whose interests are most diametrically opposed to their own told them they’d re-suppress the people they used to get to freely punch down on.

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  7. 10 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

    Holy shit seeing all these names and remembering who our manager is makes me curl up in the fetal position at the thought of another season of 162 different lineup combinations. 

    I don’t think it’s really Espada that’s behind that.  I think between analytics around injury prevention (scheduling rest days for regulars) and platoon splits, the manager is just following the data he’s given.

    But I think Houston will end up adding one “everyday” OF then maybe one platoon guy, which would give them 8 everyday players and 1 platoon (Meyers and a guy who hits RHP).

  8. 46 minutes ago, Dnaguy said:

    This doesn’t really solve our RF problem but I guess we stick Chas there? Parades and Dubon just float around the very position either giving that person a day off or having them DH?

    If the Astros signed Bregman, Paredes would become the everyday LF.  Chas would also play every day, CF against RHP and RF against LHP.  Meyers would play CF against LHP.  They’d still need to find a CF/RF to play against RHP, as if they did nothing, that spot would be a spring competition between Trammell, Hummel, Dezenzo, Whitcomb, Leon, Melton, and Corona.  That wouldn’t be the end of the world since that player would slot into the 7 or 8 hole and would only play 70% of the games (only against RHP).  Trammell, Dezenzo, and Hummel all would project to be roughly league average in that role with upside for more (especially Dezenzo).

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  9. 1 hour ago, Murfdogg21 said:

    If Bregman is the latest Boras client who missed on a long contract and takes a one year prove it deal with a player option for second year, why not do it with the Astros? Just pride, not wanting to let your old team know they were right? Is it worse than taking the same deal with Detroit or Toronto? Can Paredes play OF?

    Paredes would be totally fine in LF.

  10. I do all our laundry.  It fucking sucks how much of my life is devoted to the shit but my wife (who also works full time) does all the cooking and dishes and blowjobs so I can’t really bitch.  I am very disciplined about ensuring all laundry is washed, dried, folded, and put away on the same day each week (I work from home).  I have 2 kids (6 and 9).  I separate hot and cold, and it’s usually just 2 loads unless the maids come in which case it’s 3-4 loads with one being mostly sheets and towels.  I bought the largest capacity washer and dryer that would fit in our laundry room; that’s a tip I would pass on to any man who has this chore.  Stuff the shit in there, if something’s not getting clean you can always wash it again next week, and it’ll still be more efficient because 99% of my family’s clothes aren’t even dirty, they’ve just been worn once so they go in the hamper.

    My kids are pretty good about putting their shit in their hamper.  And they will put away their clothes if I ask them to, although they don’t do it as neatly as I do which pisses me off, so I usually don’t ask them to.  I hang my wife’s clothes in her closet for her but I set my wife’s folded clothes on our dresser and she will leave them there for weeks which annoys the shit out of me.

    I really don’t mind the washing and drying, it’s the fucking folding and putting away that is the time suck.  I’ve debated just going to a method of just dumping everybody’s clothes in their drawers unsorted and unfolded but my ocd can’t handle that.  My current plan is that when my kids turn 10 or 12 they will have to start folding and putting away their own clothes but I know it’s going to be a battle and I’m not looking forward to that.

    I have heard laundry services have improved to be more affordable and convenient but haven’t actually looked into it; if I could have someone come pick up all my laundry each week and return it the next day washed dried and folded for <$150/mo, I’d probably pay it.

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  11. 3 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

     

    Left Fielders

    Mark Canha (36)
    Dylan Carlson (26)
    David Dahl (31)
    Adam Duvall (36)
    Nick Gordon (27)
    Robbie Grossman (35)
    Austin Hays (29)
    Teoscar Hernandez (32) – declined qualifying offer
    Ramon Laureano (30)
    Manuel Margot (30)
    Nick Martini (35)
    Whit Merrifield (36)
    Tommy Pham (37)
    Jurickson Profar (32)
    Eddie Rosario (33)
    Alex Verdugo (29)
    Jesse Winker (31)

     

    Center Fielders

    Harrison Bader (31)
    Garrett Hampson (30)
    Aaron Hicks (35)
    Travis Jankowski (34)
    Manuel Margot (30)
    Kevin Pillar (36)
    Michael A. Taylor (34)

     

    Right Fielders

    Dylan Carlson (26)
    Adam Duvall (36)
    Adam Frazier (33)
    Ben Gamel (33)
    Avisail Garcia (34)
    Randal Grichuk (33)
    Teoscar Hernandez (32) – declined qualifying offer
    Jason Heyward (35)
    Connor Joe (32)
    Bryce Johnson (29)
    Ramon Laureano (30)
    Manuel Margot (30)
    Whit Merrifield (36)
    David Peralta (37)
    Tommy Pham (37)
    Amed Rosario (29)
    Eddie Rosario (33)
    Anthony Santander (30) – declined qualifying offer
    Gavin Sheets (29)

    As it stands Dezenzo/Trammell project to combo with Meyers/Dubon to produce 2 roughly league average hitters with plus defense in 2 OF spots, with McCormick in the other spot.

    Almost none of those remaining guys projects to be a meaningful upgrade over what Houston already has.

    Santander and Hernandez are clear upgrades but are going to be overpaid and cost draft picks.  Profar is interesting but will carry a similar upside/downside profile to Dezenzo.

    Winker and Verdugo are probably significantly better than Dezenzo/Trammell, but both carry attitude concerns and may not be looking to be paid like the part time players they’d be on the Astros.  
     

    Heyward is the guy who seems like a true fit for this roster, if he’s willing to come on board for a 1 year 7 figure deal.

    I still think Houston should be gunning to trade for either Brandon Lowe or Wilyer Abreu, with Lamont Wade, Mike Yastrzemski, Seth Brown, and Alek Thomas as secondary options.  Brandon Lowe would essentially replace Tucker’s offense and deepen the lineup such that they’d be on par with just about any other team assuming McCormick returns to his 2022-2023 form. 

  12. If Houston adds one OF who hits RHP well, here’s how their lineups project:

     

    Vs RHP:

    2B Altuve wRC+ 123

    3B Paredes 110

    DH Alvarez 167

    C Diaz 127 

    1B Walker 112

    OF TBD 110+

    CF McCormick 96

    OF Dezenzo/Trammell/etc. TBD

    SS Pena 88 

    Singleton is a good hitter against RHP and could PH for Dezenzo or Pena if they came up against a righty at a critical moment.  Dezenzo and Melton both have potential to be plus plus against RHP so there’s upside there.
     

    Vs LHP:

    2B Altuve 149

    SS Pena 132

    DH Alvarez 166

    3B Paredes 136

    RF McCormick 142

    1B Walker 112

    C Diaz 103

    CF Meyers 114

    LF Dubon 111

    That could be the best lineup in the league against LHP.

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  13. 18 hours ago, Dutchrudder said:

    I mean, I thought Singleton wouldn't make the 40 because you now have Walker/Caratini/Diaz for depth there. They don't really need him, and I'm not even sure how they get all their best bats in the lineup right now. What's the best batting order now? Something like this? This would be 7 guys with over a .700 OPS in the lineup. If they can get another OF worth a shit at the plate, it would be close to Death Star Lineup levels. 

    1. Altuve 2b
    2. Paredes 3b
    3. Yordan LF/DH
    4. Walker 1b
    5. Diaz C
    6. Pena SS
    7. Caratini DH
    8. Chas RF
    9. Meyers CF

    Dubon to fill in. 

    Singleton still has real value as the 13th position player whose primary role is pinch hitting for a player who hits poorly against RHP in key situations (of course he can also backup DH and 1B).  As it stands, Pena and at least one OF project to struggle against RHP; having Singleton available to pinch hit for those guys if they come up against a RHP at a critical point in the game is as good of a use of the 13th spot as any.  13th men usually get <200 pa in a season, whether as a 3rd catcher, 5th OF, 6th IF, pinch runner, or bench bat.

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  14. 24 minutes ago, Dutchrudder said:

    Really? I thought Singleton would be gone first, since Grae is a good defensive guy. He's great for relieving Altuve, whose defense is slowly degrading. I hope it's much further down the timeline, but at some point we may have an issue of needing the DH spot for Altuve and Yordan at the same time. 

    I was really surprised they kept Cooper Hummel over Kessinger.

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  15. 5 hours ago, LCHorn said:

    I don’t think I want Verdugo at the major league minimum.  Pretty much every teammate he’s played with has leaked to the press that he’s lazy and bad in the clubhouse.  

    Interesting that both decent LHH OF left on the free agent market have attitude problems (Verdugo and Winker).

    Heyward wouldn’t be a terrible add, especially if Houston thinks Dezenzo and/or Melton will be ready early in the season.

    Ideal semi-realistic add right now is Brandon Lowe or Wilyer Abreu.  Seth Brown would be somebody nobody is talking about who Houston might target.

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  16. 21 hours ago, runthebone said:

    Pederson can't play OF.  He makes prime Chazzzz look like a victim of famine.

    He’s not going to be a good defensive player by any stretch.  He only plays 110 games a year, and 50-60 of those will be in LF at Daikin.  He isn’t Jon Singleton out there.  He can DH another 10-20 games.  And for the 30-50 games where he would be a meaningful defensive liability, Houston would have an elite defensive OF in Meyers available as a defensive replacement.  That’s worthwhile to have one of the 10 best hitters in baseball against RHP, assuming his salary demands are in line with that value.

  17. 5 minutes ago, ckhorn said:

    There is not much left for the OF in the FA market. Maybe sign Winkler and/or Sheets platoon the outfield spots. Shouldn't cost much or any draft capital. Sheets has some talent and Winkler been a pretty good OBP in the past.

     

     

    Meyers and Dubon are plenty good against LHP.  McCormick is great if he can find his 2022-2023 form.  One of their young guys (or Trammell) can likely be serviceable against RHP.  So all they likely need is an affordable corner OF who hits RHP well.  Winker, Verdugo, Polanco, Pederson, Heyward, Canha, McCutcheon, Turner, or Martinez all could fit the bill.  Just gotta pick the right guy.

    • Hook 'Em 1
  18. It’s worth noting that Houston’s 2 highest ceiling prospects likely to graduate in 2025 (Jacob Melton and Zach Dezenzo) are best suited for OF.  I think they will make a move to bring in an OF before the season starts but it would not surprise me if those prospects were factored heavily into how Houston has handled the offseason roster construction and if one of those 2 guys finished in the top 5 for 2025 AL ROY voting.

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  19. 5 hours ago, Macklemore said:

    Tim Púrpura was putrid. Dana is worse than him. Dana was sold as the guy who locked up the Braves talent to long term deals. He is striking out badly on guys who aren’t from 3rd world hellholes. Fuck Crane and his arbitrary 6 year cap on deals and he can stick his $20 tall boys and shove it.

    Serious question: do you have Down Syndrome?

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  20. Jose Altuve is the one athlete who still stirs my emotions the same way my sports heroes did when I was a kid.  The combination of his personality, size, production, clutch performances, and that he’s an Astro for life are unmatched.  Hell, the way he handled the sign stealing stuff was so high character, taking responsibility, shielding his teammates, and continuing to perform, just made me root for him even harder.  He’s the one guy I would really be affected by if he went and played for another team or got caught up in some scummy/criminal activity.  I literally love Jose Altuve.

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  21. I’m in this boat.  Combination of a lot of things.  Paralysis by analysis because of too many options.  Lack of time to watch TV or go to the movies because of kids.  Large budget films/shows racing to the lowest common denominator.  Better alternatives like YouTube that require much less time investment.

    On the other hand, we are in the golden age of entertainment.  I’ve gone to the movies 2-3 times per year over the last 5 or so years and I enjoy it every time.  There are still good movies getting made.  And I’ve made myself invest in a few shows (Masters of the Air, Franklin) over the last couple of years that were worth it.

    There are literally hundreds of shows and movies I see on streaming services and think “that looks interesting”, but then I just move on.  I have a recurring fantasy of havin a decade or so catching back up on all these shows and films once I’m too old to do shit else.

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