Leferd

Good basketball game. ePropage to the OKC Four. Heat v Spurs rematch. I'm going with San Antonio for sentimental reasons.

There actually was one a couple years ago that failed to reach its funding goal. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blackchickenstudios/ars-magica-video-game?ref=discovery Don't know too much about the setting, but from what I gather, it could beappealing to me -Darklands-esque. I'd like to play a cRPG grounded in a quasi-historical setting with a heavy emphasis in religion and witchcraft.

Meh. I missed the game. ... Whoops, made several sentence and contextual errors on my earlier post. That's what happens I start posting from my phone...

Welcome to Magical Volo's world! Where stuff just happens in a vacuum! Here's a little breakdown for you, free-gratis: San Antonio was able to have their way on OKC in games one and two because Ibaka was able to deny the paint. San Antonio relies on penetration by their small and wings (i.e. Parker and Ginobili) to score or drive and kick. They also use their outstanding perimeter ball movement to force the defense to make constant rotations with the goal if exploiting a missed assignment to get easy buckets. Ibaka though, is such a freak athlete they he's able to recover fast enough as a help defender and as shot blocking threat that he was able to effectively shut down anything in the paint. Through some magical healing potion from The Congo, Ibaka came back and was unexpectedly super effective doing what he normally does on the defensive end and disrupted the Spurs offense. For game five, Pop took out Splitter and gave his minutes to Bonner and Diaw who, because of their outside shooting prowess, were able to spread the floor as Stretch 4's and 5's, forcing Ibaka away from the paint, thereby creating space and neutralizing Ibaka's paint presence. It's not as simple as the home team always wins or because one team makes their shots or not. Good coaches make adjustments to put their players in a position that maximizes their advantages, while trying to minimize the impact of their opponents' key players. Now, unless Scotty Brooks is able to counter Pop's adjustments, OKC is doomed. Best bet is to have Derek Fisher blow in Matt Bonnet's ear, forcing a scrum and ejections, thereby forcing more minutes for Splitter and Baynes.

Spurs played smaller and spread the floor, forcing Ibaka out of the paint for good portions of the game. Because of this spacing, they were also better able to use HORNS and especially Elevator Doors to get their shooters open threes. Their smaller lineup also sped the pace of the game, thereby favoring the Spurs. San Antonio also used a shorter 7-man rotation until the 4th quarter when the deficit approached blowout levels. Adjustments.

Spurs take Game Five 117-89. Looks to me like Pop made all the necessary adjustments.

Clippers to go to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion. Meanwhile medical researchers are documenting a sudden epidemic in acute sialorrhea (otherwise known as incessant drooling) amongst a small subset of the American population that coincidently includes those who own NBA franchises.

I am really looking forward to my Reading Rainbow magnet and t-shirt reward. Although I am tempted by the tote bag as well. I'd totally rock that.

Paul George.

Reading Rainbow is an instant back. http://youtu.be/WfGhfI_NwcA

Things are getting interesting in this series. Ibaka is definitely having a major impact.

Cervantes, Miguel de. DON QUIXOTE, -Tilting at Windmills. It's an analogous literary reference.

Spoken like a true East India Company man hawking your wares.

Go India. http://youtu.be/aZDYsSOngik

My understanding was that it's MR. Chris Avellone, and MCA was alluding to the actual real MCA aka Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys.

Ok. Blended teabags are receiving far too much disproportionate amount of attention in this thread.

Milk and cookies. Specifically, Oreos and Almond mil. Can't say I've had that specific combo before, but then again up until a few weeks ago, I've never had apples with peanut butter.

Salud. Though like Picard, I don't know if I can trust a man who champions blended tea from the New World served in *shudders* tea bags for convenience. This is akin to serving pre-ground coffee or frozen orange juice concentrate. I understand yor reservations, Leferd, and you are right to doubt. I cannot presume you would take my truths... I am sorry, awfully presumptious of me, my teachings, as fact without trying the deliciousness, the glory, NEIGH, THE SPLENDOR of Bigelow Earl Grey tea for thyself. I do not doubt that the old country has teas to not only rival, but maybe even surpass what the fine folks in Fairfield, Connecticut put together for our refined drinking pleasure. However, us colonists can only strive to duplicate the sublime, fragrant, splendiforous bouquet of true Earl Grey flavour known... NEIGH, FAMOUS, throughout the old world. Here is the url. They may be new world, but the attention to quality is nothing short of the highest the old world has to offer. Lols. It's finally come out! Keyrock is a West India Company man!

Salud. Though like Picard, I don't know if I can trust a man who champions blended tea from the New World served in *shudders* tea bags for convenience. This is akin to serving pre-ground coffee or frozen orange juice concentrate.

I am pretty dismissive about tea from or about the East Indian subcontinent (and am grouping Ceylon/Sri Lanka) whose tea drinking traditions include mixing spices, herbs, milk, and sugar into a "chai" tea. *edit* although to be fair, I actually do enjoy chai, especially when it's offered by my in-laws and at Indian food establishments. But generally speaking, the finest East Indian tea leaves can't compare to the higher grade Chinese or even Indonesian teas.

In hindsight, I realize I shouldn't trust a man who likes his tea replicated and blended with all sorts of rubbish.

Ceylon tea? Bwahahahahhahah! You know, there is a reason why people add (milk/mint/sugar/etc.) with their "chai" teas right?? Earl Grey? Completely agree. I had my doubts first time I tried it, but then again Captain Picard surely knows what he's talking about...bah!

Pu-erh is my favorite. It's a hand selected Chinese tea that's left to age for years and has a rich, fermented taste profile. If you go to a fine tea shop in Chinatown, be sure to to ask the shopkeeper to open up a cannister for you to examine. You can immediately tell the difference. I take this tea as is -no milk, sugar, or lemon squeezes. But for lower quality, or everyday tea, then I'll mix it up.

Well if you want to count World Series trophies, the A's have won 9, third most behind the Yankees and Cardinals. Counting wins over the last thre seasons, no team has won more than the A's. Unfortunately, Billy Beane famously said "My s***t doesn't work in the playoffs." The A's are a small market franchise and are always at or very near the bottom of MLB's payroll list. This year, they are the highest they've ever been since Beane took over as GM, at 4th from the bottom. They can't afford to sign stars in their primes and are essentially a rag-tag team of garbage heap platoon hitters, young starting pitchers, and under valued middle relievers. The A's are built to get into the playoffs, but don't have the top tier talent to carry them over to win the whole thing. Basically due to their payroll limitations, they are forced to roll the dice when they get to the playoffs and hope they get hot/lucky in October.

Tampa Bay just avoided a sweep by Oakland with two outs in the 13th, but it's about time for the rest of the baseball to realize that the A's are the best team in baseball and have been over the last 3 year span.