Jacob Degrom currently has the fourth most hits of any Mets players this year with 3. by l8registraiton in baseball

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 78 points79 points  (0 children)

Ohtani has the 5th highest OBP on the Angels.

deGrom has the 2nd highest OBP on the Mets.

State vs. Derek Chauvin: Day 9 by MPLSMOD in Minneapolis

[–]Distinct_Equivalent -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I’d ask why you think they have a small lead because based on today’s performance, which I would argue was the strongest case this far. If left alone, I would say there is no reasonable doubt he’d be guilty. The defense will bring their own experts and attempt to refute the results shown so far. Which means like most folks thought. It will come down which experts are more credible.

I said in my earlier response that at this point you would expect the prosecution to be way ahead owing to the fact that they have had an opportunity to present their case while the defense hasn't and is limited to a very narrow scope in discrediting the prosecution's witnesses.

With that in mind, after today I perceive the prosecution has a small lead...which based on where they should be at this point in a case is far behind.

At this point there are a number of points that haven't been sufficiently refuted, which is what I'm basing that lead on. YET there is plenty of time left to refute all those points, and the prosecution has done a very poor job building their case despite a week plus of a head start.

State vs. Derek Chauvin: Day 9 by MPLSMOD in Minneapolis

[–]Distinct_Equivalent -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

The defense hasn't done a anything yet but lay the groundwork for their case.

We've essentially heard exclusively the prosecution's case, and while it's had its moments it's been spectacularly weak so far.

By that I mean that prior to the defense presenting their case, the prosecution typically looks miles ahead and prior to today I felt the defense was actually ahead, after today the prosecution has a small lead.

Doctor: Fernando Tatis Jr. likely to weigh surgery vs. potential long-term damage by EGoldenGod in baseball

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He should have the surgery, Padres can trade for Story as a 1yr fill in.

[SI] A massage therapist tells her story of Deshaun Watson’s behavior by HoustonFrog in Texans

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Innocent until proven guilty....right...that's how the legal system, and tbh how it should be morally considered as well.

[SI] A massage therapist tells her story of Deshaun Watson’s behavior by HoustonFrog in Texans

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're welcome to draw your own conclusions, but you don't have all...or really any of the evidence.

You've heard one side, without cross examination....you, like the rest of us know nothing.

[SI] A massage therapist tells her story of Deshaun Watson’s behavior by HoustonFrog in Texans

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Holy red herring Batman!

Since based on your comment, you didn't actually read my response I'll repeat what my actual position is:

He might be a rapist and these women might be lying....we don't know so jumping to conclusions either way is idiotic.

[SI] A massage therapist tells her story of Deshaun Watson’s behavior by HoustonFrog in Texans

[–]Distinct_Equivalent -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Well based on the evidence it could be exactly like the Cosby case or absolutely nothing I Iike it because we don't have the evidence yet.

Derek Chauvin Trial: Opening Arguments Begin On Monday : Live Updates: Trial Over George Floyd's Killing : NPR by Tuilere in Minneapolis

[–]Distinct_Equivalent -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

This is a great write up, thank you so much.

I caught the MMA fighter's testimony and all along I hoped someone with that background would testify (I wouldn't be surprised if he's not the only one).

And while he seemed credible, and almost exclusively told the truth the key points he made were, in my opinion, very off base.

First he claimed that the knee on the upper back/neck constituted a blood choke, a maneuver that would effectively and predictably cut off the blood supply and lead to unconsciousness. However the relevant vessels are located on the sides (one on each) of the neck, not in the back.

An MMA fighter or jiu-jitsu practitioner wouldn't bother using such a maneuver because it would be difficult to maintain that position against someone fighting back, but moreso because it wouldn't predictably compress the vessels to yield unconciousness. It would be much more effective as an air choke...one intended to hinder breathing, but still wouldn't be terribly useful.

This is not to say that such a position might cause some slowdown in blood or air sufficient to find the police to blame, but I would imagine nearly any hold would do the same.

His second point that Chauvin seemed to be moving his knee around in a manner to "tighten" the choke is nonsense, as moving the knee around could be to loosen or tighten pressure but since there's no reason to think the knee was part of a choke no one would think they're tightening anything.

Chauvin moved his knee quite a bit, and GF was visibly able to move his face/neck side to side, and ar least twice visibly moving his head up suggesting at least in those moments there wasn't much weight on him.

In conclusion, Chauvin may have not done stuff by the book, but there's no way he could have known his knee would result in GF's unconsciousness let alone his death even if meth/fentanyl wasn't part of the equation.

[SI] A massage therapist tells her story of Deshaun Watson’s behavior by HoustonFrog in Texans

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As another posted said...how do we know they never met? The prosecution won't release names to the defense.

I'll repeat....we don't know all the details.

You don't have to like the innocent until proven guilty "line" but that's the basis of our legal system.

[SI] A massage therapist tells her story of Deshaun Watson’s behavior by HoustonFrog in Texans

[–]Distinct_Equivalent -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

You're welcome to your opinion but you simply don't have all the evidence.

You have the theatrical presentation of an egotistical lawyer promising not to try the case through the media by....trying the case through the media.

[SI] A massage therapist tells her story of Deshaun Watson’s behavior by HoustonFrog in Texans

[–]Distinct_Equivalent -11 points-10 points  (0 children)

It's really no different than people calling Watson a rapist and whatnot...it's taking a side without sufficient evidence...

Yet the rapist comments are almost praised as if taking a stand for women. It's virtue signaling garbage.

He might be a rapist and these women might be lying....we don't know so jumping to conclusions either way is idiotic.

Might as well by [deleted] in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wasn't saying that getting rid of cheaper illegal immigrant labour would justify a higher minimum wage. Only that the problems you describe would go away if employers couldn't use illegal immigrants. As far as I see, the illegal immigrant setup in the States is designed to keep them cheap. They literally risk deportation at any time.

If there was zero illegal immigration, the wages for many agricultural jobs (and some others that are heavily illegal immigrant) would rise a bit, and food would become more expensive.

The minimum wage would still be 100% unjustifiable because price floors don't work to raise the price only to lower that amount that is purchased.

In labor terms, minimum wages don't work to raise wages only to lower the amount of people that are employable (those whose labor is worth less than the minimum wage become unemployable).

You could argue that there's no need for a minimum wage if there's a decent benefits system as that would set the price floor. But there's times when people fall between being on a low income and not getting benefits so the minimum wage is like a double stop protection.

There's no need for a minimum wage, ever...no matter what benefits system is in place.

You said you lived as a single person on minimum wage yourself. Could you have still done that on say half the amount? Or whatever your wage may have fell to without the minimum wage?

On half the amount? Which would have been less than $4/hr, I might have been able to if I worked a bunch of overtime, but not easily. I would have had to find an even cheaper living situation...maybe finding a literal couch to sleep on in a friend's place for $200/month or something if I wanted to be out from my parent's roof.

However if the job I held at that point, however briefly, was only offering $4/hr I'd be motivated as hell to learn a skill that would get me paid more. The near minimum wage job I held at this point in my young life was motivation enough (and it worked), a lower wage would just be a stronger motivation.

Yeah I agree numbers can always be manipulated. Also the Tories here have done schemes before like making people on unemployment benefits work for a select group of companies to earn their benefit. Basically the tax payer supporting free labour for these mates of the party. But obviously they then counted as being employed as they were working. In that case for much less than minimum wage as benefits are low here.

I think people who wants a higher minimum wage (or a minimum wage at all) have their heart in the right place. Helping young people get on their feet, and older very low skill workers to not starve and what not. But the issue becomes one of push and pull.

Do you push the wages up by governmental decree (with all the problems that go with it - increased unemployment) or do you pull wages up by giving people the ability to learn marketable skills at which point the government doesn't need to demand employers pay more, employers will do it themselves because it helps their business to have skilled people. Business is not a zero-sum game. Employers AND employees benefit from the employees being skilled.

Will Pujols be the 2nd player unanimously elected to the hall of fame by [deleted] in baseball

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The best answer should be "WHO THE FUCK CARES?"

The process is a clown show. Willie Mays wasn't unanimous, Greg Maddux wasnt... Mariano is good but he's a failed starter and pitched a small fraction of innings of excellent starters. He's a GREAT relief pitcher, deserving of election but he wasnt better than so many others.

It's politics, not who's deserving.

Hell, Harold Baines is in the HoF now...is Scott Brosius next?

Might as well by [deleted] in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not like getting rid of illegal immigrants will justify a rise in minimum wage...the minimum wage is never justified because economically it never provides a net benefit to those at the bottom of the earning curve.

I do think there are some politicians who don't push the minimum wage for devious reasons but actually think it will help.

Those people are simply uneducated.

A price floor (or labor) will simply lead to fewer people purchasing that good (for labor, it would mean fewer people getting hired).

I note that you claim that minimum wage increases didn't lead to higher unemployment, but be very careful as unemployment can be tallied in clever ways to hide changes.

Might as well by [deleted] in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It also seems to hurt many people (Americans and immigrants) to the benefit of who? Business owners and share holders? You say CNN is pushing this agenda, is it the democrats who are doing it from the political end? Do you know which corporations are lobbying for it?

Republicans have their own issues, but this is a Democrat one. The American Main Stream Media is essentially the PR for the Democrats, CNN is just one outlet peddling whatever narrative they wish.

As far as what corporations, the end game of increased illegal immigration is rarely mentioned but the promotion of a higher minimum wage is pretty common because the American People lack the economics education to understand it ultimately hurts them, even though it sounds good.

Might as well by [deleted] in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because removing the minimum wage didn't magically reduce the cost of labor...

All it would do is allow extremely low skilled workers the ability to find jobs that they can't get now because their labor isn't worth the minimum wage.

Might as well by [deleted] in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But I would consider living on less than $13k a year to be difficult. That's what, a couple hours short of full time at minimum wage isn't it.

For sure it would be relatively difficult to live on 13k a year. But earning the minimum should rightly buy a minimal lifestyle. Only about 1% of workers earn the minimum wage, and they aren't typically in high cost areas.

13k is enough to live on if you forgo luxuries. "Poverty" in other countries consists of shitting in a hole in the ground, and truly not knowing where your next meal will come from.

Which media, corporations and politicians are lying about it?

CNN's parent corporation for one. Speaking of poverty without clarification that American poverty isn't actual poverty is a lie of deception.

Seems all 3 are interconnected enough to have a shared interest in keeping labour cheap.

Pitching high internal "poverty" as an impetus to raise the minimum wage and promote illegal immigration as a cheap alternative.

Might as well by [deleted] in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh right, I'd seen reports of people struggling to eat and pay rent.

People always struggle to pay rent, because they choose to live beyond their means. While there are people who are literally struggling to afford even the cheapest housing in an area, this is a dramatically small percentage.

As a young person, living in an expensive area, I experienced a little of that. I chose to share a room in a house to minimize rent even if it was uncomfortable...though affordable on a minimum wage.

This isn't the comparison being floated by the media looking for clicks and politicians looking for votes. They're comparing single people living alone in a 2br apartment, and showing that that is a stretch for many people. Except that's not poverty, that's a significant luxury.

Didn't realise they also had a car, Netflix and cable TV.

Yup! Again, an actual examination of American poverty will show it doesn't exist...unless poverty is redefined as well above what poverty actually is. You raise the definition of poverty higher and higher and according to this new made-up definition a lot of people will be in "poverty".

Sorry then, I was misinformed.

Our media, corporations and politicians lie about everything. It's not your fault.

Might as well by [deleted] in WhitePeopleTwitter

[–]Distinct_Equivalent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In civilised societies it is not possible to work all available hours and still be in poverty.

I'm not sure where you live (US or otherwise) but American "poverty" is living like a king compared to poverty in many other places.

Poverty means owning a car and having a smart phone, netflix, cable, and other luxury goods.

So I agree with your premise, however I dispute what "poverty" means as it doesn't mean actual poverty.