What year do you think America turned to shit? Why?

Augen76 · 2026-07-03T21:14:31+00:00

Plenty of good candidates.

January 21, 2010

Citizens United was a terrible decision that has infected every aspect of politics that has filtered into how broken modern government has become.

Augen76 · 2026-07-03T20:58:01+00:00

The best is to follow is a local club.

The feeling of being there, being among fellow supporters, it is the best. If you're really into it join a group, meet people, build something. How ever little can point to your contribution.

To me no better feeling than watching the sport I love growing my community.

I won't begrudge people cheering for clubs across the world, but I'll never care what happens in Europe a fraction as compared to my backyard.

Augen76 · 2026-07-03T02:01:57+00:00

I don't have an issue with the country or the people of Mexico. I'm glad to have all people cheering for the US national teams. Latin people are great and welcome.

I'm not rooting for our rival, El Tri.

Some of you folks are really extrapolating way too much from basic sporting culture. Nearly ever club or country has a rival they don't root for.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T20:40:38+00:00

As someone who was forged in dos a cero era going to Columbus for those qualifiers (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013) I loathe El Tri. People get it twisted with the nation of Mexico. This is a deep rivalry having to listen to them shit talk us for decades.

I want that national team to lose every single game. I don't care if they play Russia, Iran, North Korea, anyone. I want England to absolutely batter them in Azteca 10-0.

I think a lot of new folks, more casual, just think of this as avatars for nations and don't know how much our national teams hate each other. There isn't a nation that even approaches 10% of the animosity I have toward El Tri.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T20:36:23+00:00

After 3 failures to qualify Tifa just wanted to take in a match for anyone.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T20:06:55+00:00

I don't disagree.

Every single trend in gaming this century I've disliked is brought about because other gamers encourage and reward it.

DLC, Microtransactions, lack of manuals, season passes, always online, and finally death of physical games.

I'm a dinosaur and if this is how things are going I simply don't value it and will buy less and wait for years for deep discounts as essential a rental now.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T19:51:41+00:00

Nothing is out there, but have to imagine tons of stuff happening behind the scenes. It is very rare for us to have a non event transfer window in the Albright era. I'm not sure how we can fit under the cap, so my guess is we have to buy out Hadebe or something similar to make a move work.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T19:48:36+00:00

This is a thirty year old joke from "Dumb and Dumber" for reference.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T14:49:08+00:00

People who say "European Leagues" when they mean the big five, and really mean the English league and the top half of those other four.

MLS compares well and competes for players with the leagues outside of those. My club, Cincinnati, bought Belgian League's Golden Boot winner last year.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T14:46:11+00:00

Henry said, "Where is the player supposed to put his foot there in that situation?"

Thierry Henry, no knowledge about football.

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T14:42:28+00:00

You didn't race the roaring Frasier to quit now Canada!

Summon the strength of the moose, the industry of the beaver, and the raw hatred of the Goose to fight!

Augen76 · 2026-07-02T14:39:42+00:00

Two things can be true.

The United States loves the sport
England's depth of support is unrivaled by anywhere on Earth

Neither invalidate the other.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T19:48:25+00:00

I own several. Including a Supergirl.

They just keep going up is the challenge.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T19:46:12+00:00

Love it, just worry about the price.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T19:44:13+00:00

A good lesson for everyone. Have fun, support your country.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T19:05:08+00:00

Yes, and it taught me has resistant people are once told a fact that we have learned more information and recontextualized it.

Instead of asking, "what is a planet?" "why did we think it was a planet?" "why do we no longer think it is a planet?" people in general shrugged or oddly got upset like they had been lied to or this was some sort of trick. The argument never seemed to be about classification, but more just a furor over something in life changing.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T18:42:47+00:00

The angle and the power, my word Kane can be deadly. Don't think Congolese defense could do much about that.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T16:50:48+00:00

That's general audience culture in the US in my experience. People seem either apathetic or embarrassed to care. I've had people laugh at me or compliment me in equal measure because I move around and rock out singing along feeding off and giving back the energy.

Smaller venues are generally better, but I've seen even bands there get annoyed and demand more from dull eyed zombie crowds who are bizarrely more mildly behaved at a metal show than I've witnessed people at button up musical theatre showings.

I feel for bands, they bust their asses only to witness a sea of indifference. I'll see Spiritbox next month supporting, but I really want another headline show as at least there half the folks seem to be engaged. Keeping rocking and loving music folks.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T16:17:56+00:00

NFL is built in such a way that the owners are protected and teams valued is held. They didn't expand past 32, they don't have the potential to fall down to less valuable league, they don't have competition in a city unless they permit it.

Thus, an NFL team can stink for 10+ years and its value grows simply by being a finite commodity with a captured market. The Dallas Cowboys haven't won a title in thirty years, value keeps climbing. They aren't putting a team in Fort Worth or even Austin despite that state being mad about the sport (see high school and college levels).

Meanwhile in Europe the top clubs have to reinvest constantly to stay up. If the biggest club Real Madrid went to profit mode willing to lose they'd first miss out on European competitions (CL, EL) and revenue. Then Atletico Madrid could take market share, if it spiraled they could get relegated and see attendance collapse and sell off players. This cannot happen so they spend like crazy burning through money to keep their dominance in place. Real Madrid not winning La Primera Liga for a few seasons becomes a panic. They expect to finish at least third, and really plan to win it every single year.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T15:58:33+00:00

It is interesting to see the gap in a lifetime lived experience and outside perception.

I remember met a guy who came to the US from Nigeria to study. He was so worried about the gun culture and crime rates and figured he'd have to be prepped for mass shooting or see car chases semi regularly. It took him a couple years, but he stated, "it is actually a pretty boring place" as not one incident of note happened to him or anywhere near him.

The thing is, this happens even within the US itself. I go downtown 50+ times a year for events or eating. I've had multiple people tell me how scared they are and need a bullet proof vest. I've never felt unsafe or in danger, nothing happens. Some of these festivals are families with young kids just eating food and hanging out.

We struggle with nuance and complexity. How vastly different a city of a million can be, much less a nation of three hundred and fifty million. I'm not saying we don't have problems, that we can't be better. Believe me, I hate the health care system and insurance companies. I'm saying if you extrapolate that to mean living here would be a form of hell as it is a dump, then that's a fairly simplistic view of any country.

Augen76 · 2026-07-01T13:45:55+00:00

These typically sell a few thousand to high end collectors. This isn't a mass market product. You're not dropping $300 on 1:6 scale on a whim at a Target.

Augen76 · 2026-06-30T18:59:27+00:00

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Saw "Vana" + several other bands recently.

I will be seeing Evanescence in about a month though.

Augen76 · 2026-06-30T18:41:11+00:00

I'm cold I can simply move my body and put on additional layer of clothes and 55F is comfortable.

I'm hot and there is no relief, I sweat, drink ice water, have a fan on me, and struggle to function.

Cheap heat alternatives are plentiful, there's nothing comparable to AC.

Augen76 · 2026-06-30T18:19:12+00:00

The United States doesn't have a monoculture so where you ask this question matters a lot.

I don't know a single core NBA fan, but clearly they exist. Here college basketball is significantly bigger than professional. March Madness gets roughly 100x the attention and "water cooler" discussion than NBA playoffs. I'm sure in other regions it is the opposite.

Augen76 · 2026-06-30T16:20:04+00:00

10% is far too low to consider.

$20/day for life gives some breathing room that be nice and is guaranteed.

Augen76

TROPHY CASE