u/Slinky_Malingki

So it's no secret that the Orioles seem to have blown their chances during the short window they had after 2023. It's also no secret that some of their top players from 2023 like Adley Rutchsman have been struggling a ton since late 2024, and their contracts are up at the end of the year.

How likely do you guys think it is that the Orioles would be willing to trade players like Rutchsman? He's not terribly expensive, young, and has a very high ceiling. The Rays might be able to unlock what the Orioles couldn't. God knows we need good catchers. A slugging Adley with excellent defensive tools could be just what this lineup needs to help make a push in the future.

Given the fact that 2027 will likely be locked out, and the fact that this year the AL is really weak (IIRC only 5 teams have a positive run differential in the AL,) this will probably be the best year for the Rays to make a run for the penant. A WS is a completely different animal, given how it will likely be just the Dodgers winning the NLCS again. But the ALDS and ALCS will likely all be played against weaker teams, assuming the Rays make it that far.

My point is that this year surprisingly is presenting the Rays with a rare opportunity for a deep playoff run, but it's no secret that the lineup and roster has holes in it. A player like Rutschman could be a massive boon for the Rays at a relatively cheap cost. And if the 2027 season is going to be locked out, that gives the Rays FO more time to work on the farm before 2028.

What do you guys think?

"The rangers are up 5-0 against the American League All Stars" fucking LMAO.

And they're not wrong. The catcher leading the league in votes is Alejandro Kirk. He has played a grand total of just seven games this season. Directly calling out MLB for the voting system. Lot of fun.

Visiting home for a bit and getting these kinds of check ups are stupidly expensive in the US. Need to take the opportunity to get stuff done!

A couple days ago a respected artist in r/comics posted a comic about how she was catcalled and objectified as a child. A mod posted a very long, and unfounded self report about radical feminism in the comments that was prefaced by saying that one could apply for a ban by saying that concepts such as "not all men" or that "radical feminism radicalizes men towards the right" are useful.

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Towards the bottom of their long and rather unhinged rant they say that "Misandry does not exist. Fuck you." They then claim that racism is prejudice + power, which is why you can't be racist towards towards white people. And since we live in a patriarchy, there is no systemic or institutionalized misandry, and so therefore misandry does not exist. And that 100% of the problems faced by men are a direct result of misogyny. In other comments this same mod referenced radical conservative feminist Dworkin, who claimed that all heterosexual sex is rape.

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I replied. Mentioning that those are not the definitions of misandry or racism. Racism is prejudice against race. Misandry is prejudice against men. It is people in power with those prejudices who put said prejudice into the system. There is no such thing as "racism/misandry that only exists in theory," because every race/gender can experience prejudice. That you can't change the actual definitions of words just to suit your own personal views.

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I bring up the systemic bias against men in court. In divorce proceedings and child custody battles. In conviction rates and criminal sentencing. I cited sources. Research papers written by professors with PhDs who are not nobodies. Experts who are well cited in the fields of criminology and sociology. One of them being a feminist female professor from Pennsylvania State. A teacher of the year at San Jose State University. Real research conducted by legal and sociological experts, published in the most prestigious journals of their fields. I cited a source that shows how women are accepted into universities at higher rates than men, regardless of demographic or the quality of their applications.

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I mentioned the hypocrisy of female writers and the objectification of men in the media. (See outlets like Cosmopolitan or Buzzfeed claiming that objectification of women is disgusting, while at the same time releasing articles admiring mens' bulges in the summer and winter Olympics.) In the massive lack of resources for male victims of abuse, or homeless males. The Heard vs Depp case, where numerous feminist organizations and figures supported and continue to support Amber Heard and call Johnny Depp an abuser despite all the evidence to the contrary.

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Instead I got banned.

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Note that I did not mention anything regarding their opening "apply for a ban by saying this." I talked simply about the clear, empirical evidence of misandry in societal systems.

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When I appealed my ban in mod mail they muted me. I DM'd the mod who banned me asking to be unmuted. They did, saying that if I was open to having an educational, good faith discussion, I would be unmuted and allowed to discuss my ban. I agreed to these terms. I am always open to having a genuine, educational discussion. I am always open to discuss the facts and reality. When I explained my position I was told that I was unmuted simply to hear why I was banned, and not to "mansplain." There was no discussion, let alone an educational, good faith discussion. They have absolutely no interest in hearing any facts to the contrary. They only look for confirmation bias. The cognitive dissonance is palpable. Anything a man says is reductively labeled as "mansplaining." Then I was muted.

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I don't really care tbh. I've been an active and contributing member of the r/comics community for years. I have great admiration for the artists there. I fully support every left wing, anti fascist, and pro LGBTQ+ artist and idea there. I'm a straight, cis, asian, nuerodivergent male. I believe in classical feminism; the efforts to create a world where all gender are 100% equal. (Edit: to clarify, I do not believe in the racist or TERF features of early feminism.) That none are above the other. And seeing this kind of hateful, sexist rhetoric from the leaders of a community I admired was just sad. I don't even want to be unbanned anymore.

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Radical feminism is a disease. All people regardless of gender are equal. Radical feminists believe in the myth of the patriarchy, when we actually live in an oligarchy. And they seek to build a world where women are above men. Not equal.

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I'm curious to know if they consider the largest empire in the world a patriarchy, when it was ruled by a woman. Or every other time it was ruled by a woman. A women who had the longest reign in the history of her nation, and ruled with considerable power. Was the Victorian era British Empire a patriarchy?

Edit: I know I ranted a bit. This is mostly a way for me to journal my thoughts in a space where I know I can have a genuine educational discussion. A space where I might actually learn something new, or see new perspectives. Where people might appreciate and understand the garbage that's happening in a community that I once loved and admired for how authentic and sweet it once was.

It seems that Xivu Arath is the final loose end in the story of the Hive. The Guardian has dealt with two of the three Hive gods, along with their progeny. Xivu Arath remains, and she is the one major Hive figure we have never seen, let alone fought. The closest we get is tithing to Eris Morn who cuts Xivu from her throne world.

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I feel like after the cancelled Shattered Cycle there were plans to have the Guardian help reclaim Torabatl for the Cabal by defeating Xivu Arath. And thus the story of the Hive, the oldest and most primal enemy in the game that is not the Witness itself, would finally come to an end.

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Disappointed how we will likely never know.

I pay for F1TV premium. Until this race week I've been able to watch F1 through the F1TV app after "activating" my Apple TV login. Now I can't. Every time I go to the F1TV app or website it says I'm "unsubscribed." The subscription has not run out. In fact I renewed the annual subscription last month.

Now all I can do is go through Apple TV. And half the time that doesn't work. The stream constantly crashes and buffers. There's no way for me to find the other feeds that I could find on F1TV. Not to mention I pay a premium to stream this sport and now I'm seeing TV ads because America can't help but jam every form of marketing possible down your throat at every possible second. I try using VPNs to get outside of the US, outside of the "jurisdiction" of Apple. Still doesn't work.

This is not a rant. I know the rules don't allow it. I'm trying to describe what's happening so that maybe someone here can help. Maybe someone knows a solution. But right now I can't watch the race. It keeps crashing. I couldn't watch qualifying.

Moving there soon, and I really want to play the game more. Looking for local league or team to be a part of.