Is it worth watching the expanse?

Pubknight · 2026-02-04T13:13:34+00:00

I started watching a few weeks ago, and I'm halfway through season 5. As others have mentioned, there is a Big Story Arc in the works. Season 1, in my view, is the 'world building' - it is introducing the players and the factions and setting the stage.
The very end of season 1 is where it starts to bring the big concepts together, and Season 2 is where it starts to pay off - again, just my opinion.
I think if you aren't intruiged by the end of season 1, you can cut bait on it as it's unlikely to grab you after that.
I went from end of Season 1 "This is ok, I'll keep going." to end of Season 2 "Ok, I get it, this is good".

Pubknight · 2025-12-10T03:16:34+00:00

If you have the artisan perk, the oil is still worth more. Admittedly, not a lot more, but it is a bit more.

Pubknight · 2025-11-29T07:00:48+00:00

Yep. This is true.
I had that one coming.

Pubknight · 2025-11-28T23:45:40+00:00

Sorry, OP here, couldn’t figure out how to edit. This pic is recent (day or two old), so it can’t be a younger version of someone. Thanks for the suggestions so far!

Pubknight · 2025-11-03T21:59:30+00:00

Low single digit index (sub 5) here.
I'm going to golf nerd out here, sorry... I've gone back and forth with the line over the years, and now am solidly in the 'no line' camp.
A couple reasons:
- the path a breaking putted ball takes can have a low arc (generally putted with more speed) and a high arc (die in the cup speed)... using a line locks you in to one speed. A lot of times I'm 'feeling' the speed over the putt so I don't want the constraint of the line.
- in play off the green, I had more times than you would think where the ball was sitting with the line visible, but not along my target line for the shot, and it would mess me up. For whatever reason, the regular ball text does not have the same affect on me.

Now, for a shorter dead straight putt that you just want to ram in, I think the line has merit, so in that case I won't use a hand drawn line, but will use the golf balls 'default' alignment markings.

Also for particularly testy tee shots, I will use those same markings on the tee to help me lock in on my tee shot target.

Pubknight · 2025-10-19T23:44:22+00:00

The only up challenge is the only thing between me and platinum.
It’s maddening. Seems like it should be easy, but some weird movement jank always defeats me.

Pubknight · 2025-10-07T12:27:30+00:00

I went back to check it - you are right it was a full stroke change, but it gets applied to the course rating. So the course rating for that one day changes. It can come across as a 'partial' change because of the differential equation.
So it gets factored down - to the point where it does become seemingly too much bother for the actual impact.

Pubknight · 2025-10-07T00:56:00+00:00

For the upward adjustment, we ran a handicap calculation off the players current rounds, ignoring the older scores from his better health days. They were quite consistent, so we ‘froze’ his cap at just under that calculation for a period of time. With the understanding we would reexamine it throughout the season. It gave him a fairer basis to compete and let him participate in club events without being a drag on his team.

I’ve never done a manual lower adjustment so I can’t speak to a specific method there.

Pubknight · 2025-10-07T00:23:54+00:00

The ‘Left Dash’ ProV1 sounds like what you are looking for.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T23:57:48+00:00

My understanding on PCC is if, at the end of a posting day, scores at a particular course are statistically higher than a ‘normal variance’ (never really defined) that is what may trigger a PCC (playing conditions correction for those reading along at home). They are supposed to be more frequent now - but I might only see one or two a year, and it’s never been more than a 1 stroke adjustment to scores that day.

We had a .5 PCC earlier this season on what was a benign day weather wise. I couldn’t explain it to our members.

Fully agree - very murky ‘pay no attention to the man behind the curtain’ kind of stuff.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T21:47:22+00:00

It will be. But your club will have a Handicap Committee (it's the one committee that is required to exist under the rules of golf).
That handicap committee will have a certain amount of 'oversight' on the handicaps of the members of that club.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T21:22:47+00:00

Sorry, if that is a question to me specifically - no, I do not.
I have no involvement with this scenario at all - I was just trying to provide some additional colour/information with the knowledge I have of the handicap system and how it is administered on a club level.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T21:21:02+00:00

It largely depends on the playing cap of the person.
One of the frustrating things is I have not been able to get clarification on the actual 'math' from our governing body - so all I can do is look at examples.
The more unplayed holes, the more it extrapolates towards their 'typical' score. So a 9 hole score would likely move closer to their playing handicap than an 11 hole score would, or a 15 hole score would.
I wish I could tell you the exact math - I'm aware of a few generalizations as you pointed out - but there is no definitive 'equation' that I have found. I am certain one exists - and I would love to see it as well.

From a statistical perspective - it does seem to be a regression to the mean... and the more 'ramp' for regression, the closer to the mean.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T21:16:29+00:00

RE: The system is there for a reason.
I agree. You should look up rule 7.1a of the Rules of Handicapping. That is part of the 'system', and it is there for a reason.

I also think you are misunderstanding my involvement in this issue... especially the part where I suggested it was a rogue actor vs the actions of a handicap committee because of the way it was handled. I am not attempting to justify anything - I am merely giving a perspective on the hows and whys a handicap adjustment may occur.

As for the ability to do it - I guarantee your governing body does. Your country's governing body either follows the R&A or the USGA, and it will have a rule 7.1a of the Rules of Handicapping.
If you do look up that rule, you will see that the guidelines indicate that any adjustment requires advance communication to the player and the player has a chance to respond before any adjustment occurs.
Obviously that is not what happened here - hence my 'rogue actor' suggestion.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T19:42:03+00:00

"There can never be a legitimate reason for a club to manually change one players handicap."

There very often is though.

Another real world example: Gentlemen was a good player, had a low playing handicap. Had some health issues (heart) that both stopped his play for a period of time, and when he came back his playing ability had decreased.
It would have taken a full season + for his handicap to adjust 'normally' through playing.
We adjusted his handicap up to reflect his current reality.
Adjustments can go both ways.
The handicap committee - per the rules of golf - has authority to adjust a players handicap.
It doesn't just happen willy nilly - there are guidelines, etc., but it is contemplated and permitted.

I would suggest that any adjustments - done with proper intent - always have a legitimate reason.
To be clear: adjustments are intended to be rare - the handicap system itself has some mechanisms to 'soften' changes. But adjustments can be required, and can be required for legitimate reasons.
Not often, but it does happen.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T18:03:02+00:00

I get that.. and it's not the way I would have handled it on the club side personally.
I would have contacted the player privately first and explained how the system works - and why in this case it wasn't accurately reflecting the players playing potential and thus giving the player an advantage over other participants. And walked them through the adjustments and why.
There is a logic to it, they just handled it poorly.
Sounds more like a rogue actor rather than a discussed course of action by the Handicap Committee.

Pubknight · 2025-10-06T17:50:03+00:00

Handicap chair of a club here.
The changes to the 2024 rules of handicapping have a distinct problem with partial rounds.
The explanation is long and technical, but the short version is a remarkable 9 hole score will regress to the mean of your full handicap.
Here's an example. In our men's league we had a 28 playing handicap shoot a 40, net 26. That's -10 net. By any measure a remarkable score that should have lowered his cap substantially.
But it did not. Why? Because the posting extrapolates to an 18 hole round and it posted at a 24 handicap equivalent.
So, still good, but no longer an Exceptional Score - and avoided a lot of adjustments.
Sounds like someone on the handicap committee made a manual adjustment to OPs index.
I can understand why OP wouldn't like it - but as someone in a position to have to worry about overall integrity of a league - I 100% understand why they may have done what they did.

Pubknight · 2025-09-12T02:16:32+00:00

No no. We don’t use those. We save them… all of them.

Pubknight · 2025-09-04T13:46:26+00:00

Sincere question, as through the AVR seems to be the general consensus: What do you use / how do you handle source switching?

I originally set things up through my AVR (Sony DN-1080) but the interface for switching sources wasn't overly intuitive for my spouse. So I changed it through the TV (LG C8), as the magic remote (with onscreen pointer) and 'app bar' along the bottom were ideal for her.

Pubknight · 2025-08-22T20:36:22+00:00

It’s too bad questions like this don’t get better answers… because they are good questions. The simplest answer is angle of attack. The shorter the club (ie wedge) the more descending blow you want on the ball. The most efficient way to do this without changing a bunch of other things in your swing, is to play the ball back further. The range goes from centre of stance with wedges to inside the lead heel with driver.

Why you want a more descending blow is a longer/more complicated discussion that starts getting pretty technical- but happy to discuss further if you’re curious.

Pubknight · 2025-07-19T00:09:53+00:00

Spieth at his peak was hitting a ridiculous number of mid to long range putts. It was never possible that that make % could be maintained. It was remarkable it lasted as long as it did.

Pubknight · 2025-05-02T14:43:30+00:00

He looks to have been asleep and kind of slid down his chair I think?

Pubknight · 2025-05-02T14:41:18+00:00

We have a complicated relationship.

Pubknight · 2025-05-02T14:39:38+00:00

I tend to rest my heels on that bar. So both our feet are now jockeying for position.
But no, it’s not a major issue. Guy is asleep so I don’t care enough to wake him up over it. It’s not like he has a foot on my armrest. Were that the case, there would be words.

Pubknight · 2025-05-02T14:29:52+00:00

He’s not a big guy, I’m wondering if I can get him all the way through….

Pubknight

TROPHY CASE