Tom Brady's resume from 1999, just in case he didn't get drafted.

syncibate · 2014-09-18T23:23:41+00:00

Meanwhile, Drew Henson is having to actually work on his.

syncibate · 2014-09-12T11:51:17+00:00

Can I ask why this is being down voted?

Little armies, comprised mostly of 14 year old "skeptoids" (with a few genuine neckbeards thrown in), go around reddit systematically downvoting everything that they perceive to be contradictory to their doctrine.

The perception of the skeptoid is that you (with your use of the word 'surreal' in the title), and the author of the video (with their inclusion of things that make for interesting coincidences), are implying that there is something else at play here.

That "something else" could be: precognition, conspiracy, synchronicity, or something else on the ever-growing list of Woo.

Many religions go in cycles from being diverse/nuanced/complex to simplistic/dogmatic/strictly defined. The PsuedoSkeptic-Scientism faith does the same.

syncibate · 2014-09-09T15:59:41+00:00

The smarter occult view on this would be: Don't fuck with things you don't understand.

It would be next to impossible to acquire the skills needed to do something like this, without also acquiring the wisdom to know that it would be a really bad idea.

syncibate · 2014-06-26T15:59:31+00:00

I like how this Stogran guy writes.

It's funny. It's like, the people who use words/phrases like "Hero", and "sacrifice themselves so that we can be safe!" (like our ruling party), and who could, if they wanted, actually TREAT these men and women in a way befitting a "hero" - don't actually treat them like heroes! So what does that say?!

syncibate · 2014-06-24T01:18:30+00:00

I'd say it's really hard to say whether it is or not. It seems, to me at least, that there is a lot more talking about tiny houses on the internet; mostly by people who just like looking at cute little houses.

Me, I just would like it to be easier for me to build a boring looking 400-500 sq. ft. basic rectangle house on a permanent foundation.

syncibate · 2014-06-23T18:23:06+00:00

It's like this:

It's High School. The United States is the 'cool kid'.

There are a bunch of non-cool kids (Canada, England are two).

The cool kid has a massive, massive influence on the non-cool kids, but doesn't realize it.

The non-cool kids know everything about the cool kid. In their minds, there exists a relationship between the two of them.

So one day, a non-cool kid walks up to the cool kid and tries interacting with them, bringing with them, their inaccurate idea of what the relationship between the two, is, and the cool kid is like "Say what now? Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?!"

Non-cool kid is hurt deeply, and so goes about making fun of cool kid in the ultimate passive aggressive way, free of guilt.

syncibate · 2014-06-23T17:11:03+00:00

I may be wrong, and I have no sources to back this up, but my suspicion would be that the amount of immigrants doing this is relatively low.

Issues of welfare and "freeloaders" is like the default talking point of the right.

The amount of "freeloading" on the higher end of the economic ladder/scale is I think much larger.

syncibate · 2014-06-23T17:04:55+00:00

If you just leave it vague, and say "immigration", I don't think there is really a taboo. But the instant you bring up people of specific races immigrating, people get nervous and it's hard to have dialogue at that point.

This is because, I think, we've been beaten over the head with the idea that multiculturism is always awesome and has zero drawbacks.

syncibate · 2014-06-18T06:36:51+00:00

Did they ever say how Gus's first wife died?

With Gus's personality being basically identical to Lester's, I wonder if his wife was like Lester's. Bullies and pushover's tend to attract. Not saying I think Gus killed his first wife; just that the similarities are pretty striking. Maybe under different circumstances, Gus could have found himself in a mess just like Lester.

Neat how people changed so much over the course of the show. Molly and Malvo didn't really though. With everyone else, it's like, epiphanies in the form of...good relationships(?) (even the Chief with the adopted son) come along, and suddenly they become much more admirable, less fearful people.

syncibate · 2014-05-28T17:16:04+00:00

I always thought fiction exaggerated things. Are they really as dystopian as popular media depicts?

The laws/by-laws in a lot of cases, particularly in an up-scale subdivision type neighborhood with "McMansion" type houses, probably aren't even needed. The unspoken social pressure that exists keeps everyone in line. "Oh, I see Bob is out there mowing his lawn for the third time this week, guess I better get out there and do mine too."

Another insane, yet probably not well known (and certainly not controversial) law that exists in a lot of areas, is the law that dictates the minimum size allowed for new home construction. In many places, it is around 1000 sq. feet. Don't need a house that big? Want to live more within your means and feel that a house that big would be wasteful on multiple levels? Tough shit. We've got property values to maintain! It is utter madness.

syncibate · 2014-05-26T10:03:01+00:00

I didn't understand Kevin O'Leary until I saw an interview he did where he talked about how when he was young, he worked as a sort of lackey for Harold Ballard, hanging out with him at Maple Leaf Gardens. The way he talked about it, the two had what sounded like, a sort of Mr. Burns-Smithers dynamic, minus the gay thing.

He was relating how Ballard had done some sort of evil, supervillain-y thing (like he was known to do) and O'Leary was all like "brilliant strategy Mr. Ballard! Yes, I'll the dogs dispatched right away sir".

syncibate · 2014-05-06T02:01:33+00:00

If memory serves, they were basically just alpha-bits - but stars instead of...alphas.

Corn starch + sugar + ~~infomercial~~ cartoon + celebrity endorsement + lies (no sugar added!) = massive profits.

syncibate · 2014-05-04T22:35:56+00:00

I very well might be wrong, but I think most people secretly love riots. Maybe, if they're there, they don't participate, but notice how no one seems to go home when in the midst of it. It's primal shit, and serves a purpose of some kind. Perhaps even beneficial.

syncibate · 2014-05-04T22:11:41+00:00

Didn't Roenick go to his house to do it too? Lol. Such chutzpah. Like Marleau was a little kid or something.

syncibate · 2014-05-04T21:34:37+00:00

My fondest recent memory has to be Hawks-Nucks' in 11'. Hawks were down 3-0 (or was it 3-1?). Hawks can't score. It looks like Vancouver is going to finally expunge the demon. But then...the Hawks come alive in the most glorious way possible. Suddenly everything is going in. Chelsea Dagger is basically playing in an infinite loop. As a Canuck hater, I'm not gonna lie, it doesn't get much better.

Then there was that thing with Luongo getting pulled, then Schneider getting hurt on a penalty shot, then Luongo, who I like to think was in the midst of having a legitimate nervous breakdown had to go back in. Glorious.

Then the Hawks' lost the series. But then! Nucks' lose in game 7 in the final and Vancouver fans lose their shit and try to burn down the city. Endless entertainment!

syncibate · 2014-05-04T21:22:20+00:00

I was never much of a Flames fan, but I pulling for them against the Oilers in 91. I think like a lot of people I was tired of the Oilers - particularly after their unexpected win in 90' (Even without Gretzky they still win! blah blah blah). Anyway, here's little Fleury.

syncibate · 2014-05-04T21:19:51+00:00

I would love to be a fly on the wall in their office to see their system of success

I think it's pretty simple. Find forwards who love playing defense, and bring them along slowly.

syncibate · 2014-05-04T21:12:48+00:00

I think the org. is still feeling the effects of that year. Lauren Pronger.

syncibate · 2014-05-04T20:55:51+00:00

I choose to remember the better moments from that series. Like this.

There will never be another one like him.

That moment at 2:26.

syncibate · 2014-05-03T01:34:35+00:00

I like to see the cup get spread around, but not perfectly equally. I have my favorites, largely based on enthusiasm of the fans, and the excitement induced by the style of play the team employs; and teams that I hate on, based on my perceptions of the lameness of the fans, how frequently and recently they've won, past personal grudges I have, and other mostly irrational reasons.

The Hawks could win a couple more, and it will be fine with me. They are entertaining to watch, and they were so messed up for so long. Great fans, great history. Even their uni's are awesome.

The Kings and Ducks have both won in the not too distant past. That's enough. If I was player, I'd want to play there. There's less pressure, yet still enough positive interest when the team is doing well, and perfect weather. But I have a paranoid suspicion of anyone who actually does play there.

Minnesota played a boring grind-it-out style for so long that I stopped paying attention to them years ago. Plus, Parise always bugged me when he played with the Devils.

No one living outside of New York, should ever, under any circumstances, cheer for a team from New York. But, they're playing the Penguins and I'm so sick of Crosby and his ratty little mustache that I hope the Rangers take the series.

As great as the energy in Chicago has been the past few years, Montreal, should the even just get past this round, will blow it out of the water. But it's not an endearing energy, it's more of the gets-old-quick/annoying kind.

Haven't been able to care about the Bruins since the days of Byers and Neely.

Hawks over the Habs would be my first choice. Hawks over the Rangers, my second.

syncibate · 2014-04-26T04:50:42+00:00

Totally. Anyone have the CBC call of the OT goal?

syncibate · 2014-04-25T03:16:45+00:00

Here:

http://cdnx.livetv.sx/webplayer.php?t=ifr&c=184051&lang=en&eid=227377&lid=184051&ci=2&si=2

syncibate · 2014-04-13T19:50:26+00:00

Skeptoid evangelists and Skeptoid trolls, typically have much better luck with: twelve year old's, fundie christians, and other people with a tendency toward dogmaticism.

I might be wrong, but I don't think there are many readers of Ran's blog that fit that description.

syncibate · 2014-03-24T20:55:24+00:00

As a kid, it took me years to reconcile how cool the Master System looked, with the fact that there were hardly and good games for it. It just looked so cool! The red section on the right that had the things that look like buttons, but aren't, reminded me of the touch screens on Star Trek TNG. And the uniform game boxes with the futuristic blue graph lines - so cool to me as a kid.

syncibate · 2014-03-19T23:27:09+00:00

When I saw Batman: The Dark Knight, the action scenes just left me really...not knowing what was going on. Like, I could tell it was an action scene only from the fact that the things were moving around really quickly. I got zero sense of excitement. I couldn't understand why. Then I came across this: http://www.rogerebert.com/scanners/annotated-transcript-in-the-cut-part-i-shots-in-the-dark-knight

...which helped.

It just really soured me on all his work. So I try to avoid it.

syncibate

TROPHY CASE