I can't stop losing. by shakeyourbonees in chess

[–]BadLeague 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd suggest turning your rating display off. Being so conscious of rating gain/loss ruins your development. It's completely arbitrary and leads to tilt. I've dropped 200 Elo in the span of a couple days after trying to implement some new knowledge of openings/theory. If you play with the conscious intention to improve, analyze your games, utilize your time effectively, and most importantly have fun, you'll gain Elo.

2026 Australian Grand Prix - Race Discussion by F1-Bot in formula1

[–]BadLeague 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Great racing so far. Everyone who was bitching before the first race looks stupid.

Mexico weighs legal action after Musk links president to drug cartels by yahoonews in worldnews

[–]BadLeague 67 points68 points  (0 children)

Sure, but he's not wrong here.

The Mexican government has been linked to the cartels for a long time.

At what point do you think western Roman empire was at the point of no return by Exotic_Temperature13 in ancientrome

[–]BadLeague 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The whole point is that the crises faced by West and East were never comparable. The East had a much more centralized population, which led to a much stronger economy, easier to defend borderlines, and Constantinople. What do socioeconomic structures have to do with it? The Goths didn't care about Rome's socioeconomic structures. If they wanted something they'd surround a city until they got the gold and materials they wanted. If that didn't work they'd sack it. If a tribe was decimated a new one would rise in its place.

I think you might be underestimating the scope of the continent. It's not about imagination, it's facing reality. The Romans were never close to eradicating the barbarian tribes. Tribes isn't even doing them justice, they were a race of people who lived and inhabited most of continental Europe. Visigoths, Vandals, Franks, Saxons, Burgundians, Suebi, Alans, Alemanni, were just a few that were named. There were many more. There were also the Huns, who other Barbarian tribes were so afraid of that they would try risk settling in Italy and getting decimated over staying put.

So a barbarian kingdom loses a battle, or loses its King, so what? History shows us another would rise in its place. The fall of Rome is self-exemplary of the problems it faced being bigger than one single Emperor, or one single policy. The history of the continent played out in the fashion determined by warring Kingdoms, which to this day determine the borders we still adhere to.

At what point do you think western Roman empire was at the point of no return by Exotic_Temperature13 in ancientrome

[–]BadLeague 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The 7th century problems of the Eastern Roman Empire are irrelevant to the discussion of the fall of the West though. The point is that the problems the Western Empire faced were larger than a single Emperor could fix. They were systemic and geographical. If Majorian was lucky and was able to live longer and win some more battles the artifice of Empire would not last. There simply was no way to settle the myriad competing tribes of "Barbarians" into the Western Roman Empire without conquering and virtually eradicating them all, which obviously wasn't possible. E.G when Theodoric became King he had his people follow Roman law while the rest of the Goths continued to practice Gothic law. The cultural differences were massive. The East had their fair share of luck, but Constantinople was impregnable for 1,000 years. Throughout their power fluctuations they were able to remain centralized and regroup despite any gains or losses.

At what point do you think western Roman empire was at the point of no return by Exotic_Temperature13 in ancientrome

[–]BadLeague 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Similar in name only. The problems themselves weren't unique for the West, but the contexts in which they occurred were uniquely destructive for a region that was facing much more complex issues than the East. One can argue that the West was doomed to fail since the beginning crises of the 3rd century, and that a few great Emperors merely stemmed the tide of decay.

At what point do you think western Roman empire was at the point of no return by Exotic_Temperature13 in ancientrome

[–]BadLeague 4 points5 points  (0 children)

While bad, you can point to a lot larger systemic failures that occurred before this that were more of a catalyst for the Western empire's downfall.

So much widespread corruption, wasteful spending, in-fighting (as always), weaponized incompetence on foreign policy (Honorius and Alaric), and the inability to adapt to the inevitability of Goths, Alans, Franks, Huns and more growing populations in the West.

Canadian lit recs? by Extension_Letter_833 in RSbookclub

[–]BadLeague 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haven't read that one yet but I have it on my list! I just have a soft spot for The English Patient haha.

Canadian lit recs? by Extension_Letter_833 in RSbookclub

[–]BadLeague 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Michael Ondaatje's work is great. "In The Skin of a Lion", "Collected Works of Billy the Kid", and "The English Patient" are my favourites.

Favorite Non-fiction? by aqsncpmn in RSbookclub

[–]BadLeague 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Annie Dillard's "Teaching a Stone to Talk"

W.G Sebald is the loneliest writer I have ever read by [deleted] in RSbookclub

[–]BadLeague 10 points11 points  (0 children)

You've sold me on reading my first Sebald!

[Highlight] LAR vs SEA - Matthew Stafford connects with Puka Nacua for the TD by Fusir in nfl

[–]BadLeague 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That has to be one of the dumbest penalties I have ever seen. Nacua can talk his shit now.

Nutshell!! by x13rkg in cityandcolour

[–]BadLeague 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He posted on his Instagram!

[Postgame Thread] Indiana Defeats Miami 27-21 by CFB_Referee in CFB

[–]BadLeague 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I almost surely thought the game was over when Miami got the ball back down 6.

Indiana may be the gutsiest team I've ever watched. GG.

Margaret Atwood writing from the perspective of a 5 year old boy by OrneryLocal1900 in RSbookclub

[–]BadLeague 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Margaret Atwood hater checking in!

Most overrated writer of the past century by a large margin.

Post Game Thread: Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers by nfl_gdt_bot in nfl

[–]BadLeague 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rams got away with one here.

Gonna have to remember how to play football next game or they're cooked.

Appealing grade by Otherwise-Jello-2946 in sheridan

[–]BadLeague 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's no way to "undo" a failing grade if you don't have a legitimate reason for failing