I’m reading multiple comments about Smart flopping, but I thought both fouls were assessed correctly. In the first foul, Harden raised his elbow and used it to push Smart off. In the second, Harden tried to run through him. Even if Smart overacted to the contact, I still think those were offensive fouls. Guess we’ll…

Not at all. My point is no-calls happen, and until someone comes up with a viable solution that doesn’t ruin the flow of games, all we can hope for is that no one side is getting a significant advantage from the numbers of no-calls. Until the NBA reports on incorrect or missed calls for the entire game, one indicator…

Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s really a good solution. All we can hope for is that the refs are consistent and call them evenly. In the Warriors-Cavs game, I noticed the Cavs got 19 personal fouls and the Warriors 18, so it was pretty even. Also, the Cavs shot 25 free throws and the Warriors 17, so the Cavs were…

There was a foul, but I get the sense that refs often ignore it when it didn’t “look” like it affected the play. (Obviously there’s an effect, but Lebron played right through the contact and barely reacted until after the play.) It’s probably a good thing in the long view because if refs call every violations, players…

I remember an IT project where the project manager “suggested” the team work on Thanksgiving and black Friday because he’s Canadian and doesn’t celebrate it. The worst part of it was that he made the suggestion on the team conference call and not in person because he took the entire Thanksgiving week off.

I’m fortunate in that I’m in decent financial shape despite a limited income. I have very simple “needs” and not many “wants”. So my goal isn’t about how to acquire more wealth as much as streamlining my spendings. Just reevaluate my spending habits and figure out how to get more “utility” for the money. This may even…

I consider what’s my biggest single draw from my checking during the year (typically home and auto insurance), compare it with the minimum balance to avoid fees, and take the higher of the two plus a couple hundred. It’s easy to transfer money between accounts nowadays so I can replenish the balance within days…

It’s hard to watch. This isn’t an injury like a broken bone or a twisted knee or ankle that usually has a good prognosis; to collapse suddenly brings a lot more ambiguity about the seriousness of the issue. All I know is that if I saw a teammate and friend collapse like that, I would not be able to focus on the…

Washington Post had an article that elaborated on the button thing. It wasn’t an unusual feature when the building was built and it was in place even before Lauer got that office. Supposedly, it allows the exec to close the door for private meetings and ensures a safe place during an emergency. What’s notable is that…

Doesn’t it all comes down to trust? With fiat currency, it’s a matter of trusting the backing government to stand by and properly manage the money supply, but it’s not 100% safe either. (Look at Venezuela and other places with hyperinflation. With bitcoin and other cryptocurrency, it appears to me it comes down to the…

This makes me sad. I’ll always remember her as Ayukawa Madoka in Kimagure Orange Road. I was only eight when I first watched it, and have always loved that series and her character.

Are autonomous vehicles programmed to use the horn in such a situation? Backing out of the way is a possible response, but it’s not always the best as that might put the car into the way of other traffic unexpectedly. I was recently in the reverse position where as I was backing out of a parking spot, a pedestrian…

I think the rule that everyone ignores is the speed limit. I’m not saying we have to stay exactly under the stated limit at all time, but I’ve had animated discussions with friends who argue that it’s fine to go 15mph over in the city and 30-40 mph over on the highway. My position is that I drive the same way at the…

I envy your commute if you’ve never had some accident or construction throw a wrench in your commute time. For a year I had a commute that’s 55 miles each way but takes 120-150 minutes to drive due to traffic. I take that 30 minutes of variability into account but there were times when it is much longer. The worst…

I rarely remember my dreams, but the last three that I do remember all involved taking a very stressful written test. I’m not sure I want to remember any more dreams if that’s the kind of weird stuff I’m getting.

Speaking of Altuve, I really, really hope he gets the MVP. He deserves so much more recognition than he does and getting the MVP will be a step towards righting that wrong. Judge had a great season with eye-popping stats and is easily the ROTY, but in my gut, I want Altuve to get MVP. If Ichiro-like hitting with more…

As someone who has never hit a homerun in any context other than in video games, I can honestly say that my reaction and celebration would probably be even more outlandish than Culberson’s if I ever hit one.

I’ve seen plenty of pro tennis players give up on the occasional point and I confess I’ve played matches with less than my best effort, too.

I have a few comments: 1. As a UC Santa Cruz grad, I’m very familiar with the place (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk). 2. For the cup toss, the odds wouldn’t be 10% because players would never aim for the edge cups and there’s also the chance of bouncing out of bound. 3. Just because the basket is not standard doesn’t mean…

Geez. Every time a devastating injury like this happens —one that’s so visually obvious and visceral— it just leaves me feeling empty and shellshocked. Let’s hope it’s a relatively clean break with no lasting damage so he can return full-strength.