Catwhoshatinthehat

What are the odds it's Harrison Ford?
Doesn't seem like any cars were involved which is good.
 

It seems like player opt outs became more common in the last few years and I think this happened because the CBA was due to be renegotiated and players knew the salary cap would be rising while they stood to make more in future years.  

If Griffin leaves that only leaves Jordan out of the Clipper big 3 and I'll call that karma after he backed out of his handshake deal with Dallas two years back.  

It seems like player opt outs became more common in the last few years and I think this happened because the CBA was due to be renegotiated and players knew the salary cap would be rising while they stood to make more in future years.  

My general bucket list is pretty sparse - finish a marathon, sky dive, see the Northern Lights and see a Super Bowl in person but those are the type of things you list thinking you've got the time to check them off.  I remember years ago a buddy telling me about someone in their 40's who got a terminal prognosis after going in to the doctor due to back pain.  The next day she and her husband cleared out the accounts they could and took off on a trip all over the world.  Given a terminal prognosis I'd do the same thing and see as much of the world as I could with my wife before my time is up.

The right max players are going to be few and far between, particularly when you have your PG and SF.  That leaves SG (hopefully George) then PF and C.  If the right SF came along maybe they go with a smaller line up but that SF would need to be able to play PF and/or defend opposing PF's because Ingram is a long ways off from that.  At C Cousins could be a UFA but then you have to decide if he's a max contract player.  Skill wise and production yes he is and he has matured over the last few years but his attitude and maturity levels at times are concerning when you're talking about a long term guaranteed contract.  To me the first step is the team winning ~35 games this upcoming season, Ball/Ingram/Randle (if he's here) making progress and the franchise being appealing to incoming FA's.  As we've seen in recent years cap room and the Lakers franchise haven't been enough to draw the big names.  That said I do think that Magic at the helm will make the team more appealing and I think Luke and the players/organization buying into what he wants to do is also a step in the right direction.  Either way right now things look a lot better than they have the previous 4 years.  

The Lakers traded Russell and committed to Ball when they drafted him.  I realize Westbrook is a stud and a year or two ago I would have loved for the Lakers to have a shot at him but in drafting Ball I think the Lakers need to commit to him for a few years and not throw a max contract at another PG.  If they signed Westbrook and let's say they also end up with George is that going to get them over the hump or put them near GS?  I don't think so and that's why I think they need to stick with the youth movement while building around those guys with the FA's they bring in.  Westbrook, James and Jordan all have player options for season after next but considering how opting out could get them more money from their current team I wouldn't be surprised if they do.  After seeing Jordan backtrack on his handshake agreement with Cuban I have no desire to see him play for the Lakers.  Call me old fashioned but if you give someone your word you shouldn't back out like that and now word is LAC are putting feelers out there to see what interest there is in Jordan.  He'll be 30 next year if he opts out and I'm sure some team with overpay for him, I just hope it isn't the Lakers.  

I don't agree that they need to sign as many max players as possible rather they need to sign the right players.  We saw what happened last year when they had money to spend, struck out on the big names then made poor signings based on the rationale that if they didn't spend a certain % of the cap space they would get fined.  Better to get fined and pay the league one year then make the wrong long term commitments.  If they hand out more than one max player contract it needs to be for the right player at the right position who is the right age.  To me George fits all of those and there's no guarantee how things will play out with him.  If he isn't the guy or one of the guys they don't need to sign max players just because they have the money.

Not lost in the madness it's just that most don't care when a turd gets traded.  Overrated, me first attitude and his only hope for a title rested on him being paired with at least one other player who was option A on the team.  

Not lost in the madness it's just that most don't care when a turd gets traded.  Overrated, me first attitude and his only hope for a title rested on him being paired with at least one other player who was option A on the team.  

Of course they would because if they didn't they'd be killed.  Proverbial gun to your head you're going to choose your own life over someone else's as well.  People in this country aren't in the same life or death situation but they choose self preservation all the time and too many have no problem screwing over others for far less than their lives.  
Moral of this story regardless of whether or not the kid did took down the sign or stole it is to stay the **** out of North Korea.

The medical staff would call it dehydration.
Other posters covered my first few thoughts when I read the thread title - of course he is followed by now one of the few guys they could trade before the deadline may not be able to be moved.  Hopefully it's a short DL stint.  

I think he sucks at lying because of his ego.  Whenever ha makes a claim (usually via tweet) he gets called out on it and instead of moving on or letting it go he doubles down like an asshole.  Other politicians as you noted are much more well versed at this game and when they get called out on it they try to distance themselves from it, generally don't blast it on a social media and just don't talk about it.  Instead the leader of the free world is in twitter wars with people and seems to have no problem tweeting the first thing that comes to mind any time there's some kind of attack overseas, i.e. claiming it's terrorism which makes it fact in his world.  

At a quick glance this paragraph stuck out to me:
"The court’s decision in Honeycutt v. United States pertained specifically to the use of criminal asset forfeiture in federal proceedings. But some legal experts see it as the latest sign that the court, which has reliably upheld forfeiture statutes in the past, may now be turning a skeptical eye toward the practice after decades of explosive growth and increased attention on abuses, specifically in civil asset forfeitures."
As the saying goes give them an inch they take a mile.  Unfortunately that mentality has been applied to a lot of things by the federal, state and local governments.  Hopefully the SCOTUS can at least rectify this one because it's ridiculous.    

At a quick glance this paragraph stuck out to me:
"The court’s decision in Honeycutt v. United States pertained specifically to the use of criminal asset forfeiture in federal proceedings. But some legal experts see it as the latest sign that the court, which has reliably upheld forfeiture statutes in the past, may now be turning a skeptical eye toward the practice after decades of explosive growth and increased attention on abuses, specifically in civil asset forfeitures."
As the saying goes give them an inch they take a mile.  Unfortunately that mentality has been applied to a lot of things by the federal, state and local governments.  Hopefully the SCOTUS can at least rectify this one because it's ridiculous.    

I think he sucks at lying because of his ego.  Whenever ha makes a claim (usually via tweet) he gets called out on it and instead of moving on or letting it go he doubles down like an asshole.  Other politicians as you noted are much more well versed at this game and when they get called out on it they try to distance themselves from it, generally don't blast it on a social media and just don't talk about it.  Instead the leader of the free world is in twitter wars with people and seems to have no problem tweeting the first thing that comes to mind any time there's some kind of attack overseas, i.e. claiming it's terrorism which makes it fact in his world.  

I don't give him a pass I just didn't have high expectations for him this year.  I know Chuck was big on him after last year and my thought was as optimistic as Chuck was (think he said 25 HR's a possibility) I thought that was highly unlikely.  Not because I doubt Chuck or want to be a naysayer but because there's footage of him from last year, teams/pitchers would make adjustments and it would come down to how he adjusts or even if he can.  All I know is last night Victor and Mark were both pointing out how he didn't look comfortable at first, how on the throws over he wasn't positioned well and they weren't surprised after Meyer kept throwing over how it backfired and led to an error.  Hopefully he makes adjustments going forward.    

I don't give him a pass I just didn't have high expectations for him this year.  I know Chuck was big on him after last year and my thought was as optimistic as Chuck was (think he said 25 HR's a possibility) I thought that was highly unlikely.  Not because I doubt Chuck or want to be a naysayer but because there's footage of him from last year, teams/pitchers would make adjustments and it would come down to how he adjusts or even if he can.  All I know is last night Victor and Mark were both pointing out how he didn't look comfortable at first, how on the throws over he wasn't positioned well and they weren't surprised after Meyer kept throwing over how it backfired and led to an error.  Hopefully he makes adjustments going forward.    

I don't give him a pass I just didn't have high expectations for him this year.  I know Chuck was big on him after last year and my thought was as optimistic as Chuck was (think he said 25 HR's a possibility) I thought that was highly unlikely.  Not because I doubt Chuck or want to be a naysayer but because there's footage of him from last year, teams/pitchers would make adjustments and it would come down to how he adjusts or even if he can.  All I know is last night Victor and Mark were both pointing out how he didn't look comfortable at first, how on the throws over he wasn't positioned well and they weren't surprised after Meyer kept throwing over how it backfired and led to an error.  Hopefully he makes adjustments going forward.    

You're not opposed to raising taxes on businesses and/or individuals to fund healthcare for others. Call it a whatever you'd like but in the end someone else is paying for it. Many people get more out of the system than they put in and "solutions" like this only further erode the middle class. They also make the state less appealing to many individuals and businesses. The tax more solution is bullshit yet it's the go to move of the left. More gas taxes that will get misused, more taxes imposed on cities to pay for pensions that are unsustainable and the list goes on. 

You're not opposed to raising taxes on businesses and/or individuals to fund healthcare for others. Call it a whatever you'd like but in the end someone else is paying for it. Many people get more out of the system than they put in and "solutions" like this only further erode the middle class. They also make the state less appealing to many individuals and businesses. The tax more solution is bullshit yet it's the go to move of the left. More gas taxes that will get misused, more taxes imposed on cities to pay for pensions that are unsustainable and the list goes on. 

You're not opposed to raising taxes on businesses and/or individuals to fund healthcare for others. Call it a whatever you'd like but in the end someone else is paying for it. Many people get more out of the system than they put in and "solutions" like this only further erode the middle class. They also make the state less appealing to many individuals and businesses. The tax more solution is bullshit yet it's the go to move of the left. More gas taxes that will get misused, more taxes imposed on cities to pay for pensions that are unsustainable and the list goes on. 

"Most employer provided insurance isn't that great" and you think the state is going to do a better job because of it's successful track record of maintaining the states infrastructure when we already paid some of the highest taxes in the country before the new gas tax?  Because of it's success in dealing with the cost of illegal immigration which have increased 800% in less than 25 years?  I could go on and on but at the end of the day California much like the feds has shown little or no fiscal responsibility and if you give the people in Sacramento any more power while making citizens more dependent on the state it's only going to speed up the states demise.   
I'd have to see the exact details of the plan but I know my employer who pays 100% of our benefits spends far less than 15% of 941 wages on a great plan.  I know everyone isn't in the same boat as I've had jobs with less employer provided benefits but that's part of my compensation package and something I work for.  If you aren't happy with your benefits look for a new job or do something to increase your earning potential so you can get better benefits don't expect politicians and other taxpayers to do it for you.  

"Most employer provided insurance isn't that great" and you think the state is going to do a better job because of it's successful track record of maintaining the states infrastructure when we already paid some of the highest taxes in the country before the new gas tax?  Because of it's success in dealing with the cost of illegal immigration which have increased 800% in less than 25 years?  I could go on and on but at the end of the day California much like the feds has shown little or no fiscal responsibility and if you give the people in Sacramento any more power while making citizens more dependent on the state it's only going to speed up the states demise.   
I'd have to see the exact details of the plan but I know my employer who pays 100% of our benefits spends far less than 15% of 941 wages on a great plan.  I know everyone isn't in the same boat as I've had jobs with less employer provided benefits but that's part of my compensation package and something I work for.  If you aren't happy with your benefits look for a new job or do something to increase your earning potential so you can get better benefits don't expect politicians and other taxpayers to do it for you.  

"Most employer provided insurance isn't that great" and you think the state is going to do a better job because of it's successful track record of maintaining the states infrastructure when we already paid some of the highest taxes in the country before the new gas tax?  Because of it's success in dealing with the cost of illegal immigration which have increased 800% in less than 25 years?  I could go on and on but at the end of the day California much like the feds has shown little or no fiscal responsibility and if you give the people in Sacramento any more power while making citizens more dependent on the state it's only going to speed up the states demise.   
I'd have to see the exact details of the plan but I know my employer who pays 100% of our benefits spends far less than 15% of 941 wages on a great plan.  I know everyone isn't in the same boat as I've had jobs with less employer provided benefits but that's part of my compensation package and something I work for.  If you aren't happy with your benefits look for a new job or do something to increase your earning potential so you can get better benefits don't expect politicians and other taxpayers to do it for you.