Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[THE_WIZARD_]

That is a big problem all over the country. There is a Ref shortage in almost all sports. Refs are getting tired of the abuse and leaving in droves. Not only is it not worth the bullshit, many times it is not safe.

The shit I saw at AAU basketball games...

Very true. All over the country at the high school level in football specifically...huge shortage. I do work for the Nebraska Schools Activities Association evaluating football crews...there are crews doing up to 6 varsity contests a week...two each on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays...schools are having to move game times and days to work around these crews...the pay has never been great but it's something that gets in your blood and you enjoy being close to the game...and now the pay has more than doubled in the last few years...has made little difference in numbers...as CGVT pointed out the abuse is to the point where it's not worth the time, sacrifice and compensation. Some schools have better controls in place than others...those schools have less trouble getting crews...but AD's that do not provide a safe and sportmanship environment are scrambling. I've always wondered what makes grown adults so vicious regarding high school athletics...

[Mike]

Funny this topic should come up. I just spent part of my morning emailing our Little League officers regarding conduct of the opposing coach in our game last night (of 6-8 year-olds!) Dude complained about every single close call that didn't go his way and he was dead WRONG on all but 1 of them which occurred in the last inning when the game was essentially over. The umpire was probably 12-13 years-old and finished the game in tears. The guy was even jawing at our parents. Our 3rd base coach said he was dropping F-bombs in their dugout in the last inning. Just a complete asshole. Oh, and we boat-raced their first place asses!

[THE_WIZARD_]

idiots. Prolly Trumpers.

[Da Geezer]

Very true. All over the country at the high school level in football specifically...huge shortage. I do work for the Nebraska Schools Activities Association evaluating football crews...there are crews doing up to 6 varsity contests a week...two each on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays...schools are having to move game times and days to work around these crews...the pay has never been great but it's something that gets in your blood and you enjoy being close to the game...and now the pay has more than doubled in the last few years...has made little difference in numbers...as CGVT pointed out the abuse is to the point where it's not worth the time, sacrifice and compensation. Some schools have better controls in place than others...those schools have less trouble getting crews...but AD's that do not provide a safe and sportmanship environment are scrambling. I've always wondered what makes grown adults so vicious regarding high school athletics...

I have no frame of reference. About how much does a ref get for a HS football game? Two per night for three nights seems an awful lot.

[Dr. Strangelove]

The guy at the center of the massive Mississippi welfare fraud scandal is flipping. Prob not good news for Brett Favre or ex-WWF legend Ted DiBiase

Ex-MDHS Head John Davis Pleading Guilty to State, Fed Charges (mississippifreepress.org)

Former State Official's Plea Deal Could Mean Trouble for Brett Favre (frontofficesports.com)

[THE_WIZARD_]

The rate around here is $150 per man per game. Yes 6 games in 3 days is a lot. Between prep, driving, the game etc one game can tie up 4-6 hours of your time.

[froot loops]

I get that people get caught up in the moment in high stakes high school basketball game, emotions can get the best of you. But I've seen some crazy fans yelling at refs in AAU leagues. Don't they realize the score doesn't really matter? The clue is 20 minute running clocks, it's mostly about getting reps.

[Mike]

CGVT,

Have you been able to determine if our current levels of immigration are: A) Good or B) Bad?

And if it is B (Bad) what are your proposed fixes?

[CGVT]

Not really sure how to fix it, but I know having some jackass polititian that had his state's immigration problem solved during Clinton's administartaion (wet foot/dry foot policy) spend a shit load of his state's money to trick a load of migrants into boarding a plane and shipping them off to Martha's Vineyard to own the Libs isn't the solution.

[CGVT]

I get that people get caught up in the moment in high stakes high school basketball game, emotions can get the best of you. But I've seen some crazy fans yelling at refs in AAU leagues. Don't they realize the score doesn't really matter? The clue is 20 minute running clocks, it's mostly about getting reps.

No, no, no! It's all about getting the 'chip and that dimestore ring!

[Mike]

Not really sure how to fix it, but I know having some jackass polititian that had his state's immigration problem solved during Clinton's administartaion (wet foot/dry foot policy) spend a shit load of his state's money to trick a load of migrants into boarding a plane and shipping them off to Martha's Vineyard to own the Libs isn't the solution.

So no proposed solutions. Got it. Do you think the current state of affairs is even a problem or are you happy with it?

And the two chartered planes cost $615K. The state of Florida allocated $12M in their budget for the exact purpose of relocating migrants.

[CGVT]

Stupid stunt. Last I looked Florida doesn't have an immigration problem, but you know, OWN THE LIBS!

It was artificially low during COVID. It has jumped up partially because of the low unemployment rate. Supply and demand.

Could probably start by going after the people that hire them to bring down the demand and maybe pay enough so that citizens will do the shitty jobs that they do, but then Wiz wouldn't have to pay more for his discount wings, Geezer would have to mow his own fucking lawn, and middle America couldn't get anyone to put a new roof on it's houses.

[Mike]

It shined a light on a huge problem. I'd personally like to thank the media for their complete freak-out and tons of free publicity for Desantis.

Do you view historically high illegal immigration as a good thing or bad thing? You still haven't answered the most basic question of the entire debate on this issue. You instead blame everyone except the people in charge who have created this mess. Am I to infer that you think it is "bad" then?

McDonald's in Traverse City is still offering $21/hour to start. How much pay is enough for shitty jobs?

[CGVT]

It shined a light on a huge problem. I'd personally like to thank the media for their complete freak-out and tons of free publicity for Desantis.

Do you view historically high illegal immigration as a good thing or bad thing? You still haven't answered the most basic question of the entire debate on this issue. You instead blame everyone except the people in charge who have created this mess. Am I to infer that you think it is "bad" then?

McDonald's in Traverse City is still offering $21/hour to start. How much pay is enough for shitty jobs?

I think high immigration is a necessity seeing as white people have quit fucking and should be a more simple process.

Yep, 21 bucks an hour but not enough hrs to get benefits. (BTW, it's time for universal health care)

You can't hire a contractor right now. They pay pretty well, don't they? Not enough workers. We need immigrants.

What does a member of a roofing crew make? Apparently not enough for white folks, because I haven't seen a white man on a roof for about 10 years
What does the pickle farmer pay to harvest cucumbers in the thumb these days? Strawberry and other fruit pickers, hotel maids, house keepers?

[Jeff Buchanan]

Ukraine: In ISW's update last night, the analysts were careful to characterize the entirety of Putin's latest moves to increase conscription and reminders to the west that Russia has nukes and could use them if threatened as no change. This update in response to the MSM's nuclear crisis characterization of Putin's moves along with an overly pessimistic view of Russia's situation.

The conflict remains a stalemate. Most Russians still support Putin and his objectives in Ukraine. It's going to go on and Putin has the resources to make that so. My take is that, baring some kind of unexpected turn of events, Putin will try to outlast the west and there's a good chance he can do that physically destroying Ukraine in the process and ultimately governing the ruble that remains.

In our typical expectations for conclusive endpoints and our impatience, taking the long view is not our likely path in this conflict. It is, however, Putin's.