Alvarez

Halvorsen and Branem:

Updates: The Japanese held on to defeat Brazil, 5-3. Another W.B.C. upset from the Netherlands, as they shutout the Korean team, 5-0. Games today [and early in the morning tomorrow] include Cuba @ Brazil, China @ Japan, and the Netherlands @ Chinese Taipei.

In the spirit of my new discovery... I tried for hours today to combine two of my favorite skins, and came up with THIS beast! I used Wile E. Coyote's Waffen SS skin, and an assault model from a Croatian conversion pack. Presto-change-o, we have a respectable-looking Bosnian SS soldier! I didn't make the skin or the model. All I did was combine them, recolor the hat to be more "fez"-like, and removed this weird shiny effect that was on it: Here are reference photos, for the curious [and those who think this looks ridiculous]:

Booher: Sabeur: Gothe:

Yeah I <3 how the season starts with rivalries nowadays. I think we can BOTH agree, however, that the Yanks / Sox rivalry is TIRED AND ANNOYING. Everyone knows L.A. / S.F. goes back MUCH further, and spans two coasts!

GO DODGERS baby! I DGAF what people say: "You can't buy rings"... The previous owners were fielding EMBARRASSING teams with linty pocket change. I'm glad L.A. has the highest payroll in baseball, it sure beats bankruptcy. Frank McCourt and his whore ex-wife can rot in hell. /rant I don't live in L.A. anymore, so my only live option is minor league baseball. The league I watch is great, though. Gotta love seeing the young guns do their thing, just trying to make a meal ticket. Still, I picked up MLB.tv for the Dodgers games called by Vin Scully. LEGEND.

Betcha didn't know... There was a BOSNIAN Muslim SS division! So one of the drawbacks [benefits?] of my mental disorder [or whatever you call it] is that I obsessively study WWII history. I am constantly finding nooks and crannies of the war that I never knew existed. For instance, the SS Handschar Division... A group of mostly Bosnian Muslim volunteers, and the first non-Germanic Schutzstaffel division! I wanted to share with you guys some random intel on this very peculiar unit. Bosnian SS volunteers pray during their training. So, most of us equate the SS with Hitler's vision of a "true Aryan" [blonde hair, blue eyes, tall as fuck]. However, little known fact: The Croatians [including Muslims] were declared "Aryans of either Gothic or Iranian descent" by the Third Reich. In fact, they were not alone: Many foreign SS divisions were created in Muslim countries, especially during the height of conflict in Africa. Apparently, Heinrich Himmler had an obsession with Islam [good for him ]. He was impressed with the exploits of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian infantry during the Great War, and sought to revive the old Bosnian regiments into one SS Division. Himmler believed that Muslims would make perfect SS soldiers because Islam "[promised] them heaven if they [were] killed in action". Because of this, the vast majority of Handschar volunteers were Bosnian Muslims. Because of concerns that an all-Muslim unit would provoke a Bosniak independence movement, Croatian Catholics were recruited as officers, and German SS commanders were assigned to maintain order. The insignia of the SS Handschar. The cutlass represents the mostly Muslim numbers of the division. This would have been worn in the place of the SS "lightning bolts", however Handschar members were also known to wear the "Death's Head" insignia. The initial purpose of the SS Handschar was to root out Partisans in the German-settled area of Syrmia [remember Hitler's thing about "living space"]. They went toe-to-toe with their own neighbors from 1943-45, when the Red Army advanced on the Balkans. It is one of few Waffen SS divisions to fight on two fronts during the war. As was common with SS units, the Handschar were also accused of their share of war crimes. Nearly 40 members were sent to Yugoslavia for trial. Of those who did not commit suicide, all were found guilty. Ten were executed, and the majority received jail time. Well, that's all I have for you, but I really wanted to share this tasty little morsel of intel while it was fresh on my mind! <3

Japan lost a LOT of guys from those championship rosters. However, that "Warrior Spirit" comes out of everyone on the World stage... We'll see what comes of their current roster. The U.S. roster is stacked, stacked, STACKED. Looking forward to next week when North American teams go at it.

Pfc. D. Alvarez Europa Universalis Complete? <3

Clayton Kershaw unfortunately declined to participate... On the same day that he casually fanned 7 in 3 innings of work. Imagine a U.S. staff anchored by the big lefty. *drools* In other news, the W.B.C. starts this weekend! Today, actually, with Chinese Taipei taking on Australia in the Pool B opener. If you have MLB network, it should be aired there. Unfortunately I don't. :[

Any early news on these rotations in Spring Training? I know these games and stats mean next to nothing, but I love talking baseball no matter what time of year. Here's the Dodgers' hurlers so far, in case anyone is getting the itch like I am: Kershaw: 2.0IP 4H 2R 2ER 0HR 0BB 3K (9.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP) Billingsley: 2.0IP 5H 2R 2ER 1HR 0BB 1K (9.00 ERA, 2.50 WHIP) Greinke: 2.0IP 1H 0R 0ER 0HR 0BB 2K (0 ERA, 0.50 WHIP) Ryu: 1.0IP 1H 0R 0ER 0HR 0BB 1K (0 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) Capuano*: 2.0IP 3H 4R 4ER 2HR 1HBP 1BB 2K (18.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP LOL) Matt Magill: 1.1IP 1H 0R 0ER 0HR 0BB 3K (0 ERA, 0.75 WHIP) ^ REMEMBER this name when someone in LA goes down! ^ * = On the trading block along with Aaron Harang, and Ted Lilly.

Hell on Wheels is epic. Common is both one of my favorite artists AND actors.

It would behoove you to be more respectful. I never said anything of the sort, only that I refused to take some guy's hunting rifles on trumped-up charges. I lost my career over it. That's how strongly I feel. Do I think the government is overstepping its bounds more than ever now? Yes. Do I think they're gonna come steal my shit without a legal case? Course not. So whatever it is that got you wound up, you need to go back and re-read it. Ask yourself if it was worth chastising two members over, or if perhaps there's another way to approach how you disagree with someone on the Political Forum.

I am former U.S.F.S. Law Enforcement, and refused similar orders regarding firearms owned by a medical marijuana provider. The prosecutor asserted that the man's firearms were being used to commit the felonies for which the man was charged. ALL drug charges, nothing violent. I'm sorry, but a Remington 700 doesn't make the guy a cartel kingpin. More and more Law Enforcement are refusing to carry out such orders. I don't recommend it as a career. Sorry, Hall. <3

If you own it on PC, the Mac version is free.

Wondering if anyone A.) has this game B.) has a Mac? It hasn't been made cross-platform yet, so I'm a little shit-outta-luck. Would love to get some games going! I've got an extra copy just for YOU if you've got a Mac!

Taking into account the ballpark in which they'll be pitching... Dodgers any day. Dodger Stadium is the prototypical "pitcher's park", and with a 1-2 punch like Kershaw and Greinke... It's hard to see anyone scoring too many runs in a short series vs. L.A. Josh Beckett showed why he was one of the National League's best, and appears to be MUCH more comfortable now that he's outta Boston. The one big question mark is Hyun-Jin Ryu, and how his electrifying stuff translates to the MLB. Still, having him and Chad Billingsley at #4-5 is a REALLY good fucking rotation. Toronto is probably equal talent-wise, but the AL East is simply a tougher division [with hitters' parks]. EDIT: The Angels are also stacked like a MOFO with a GREAT pitcher's park. The AL West, however, is TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH.

Kim Jong-Un just sent a "Message of Solidarity" to Bashar Al-Assad in Syria... Making Assad look bad. Nobody wants to touch N.K. with a 10-foot pole, not even him.

You really got the greatest job in the world man. How? He's fucking a tree Hur hurr hurrrr.

LOL you're right. Prado has been a target of Arizona's for a while now, they're looking to lock him up before he hits FA. Considering how the FA markets have moved along over the last couple years, it might serve him better to go ahead and re-sign. The one thing about Atlanta's prospects is that they seem to ALWAYS be high-risk, high-reward. Only in Rafael Furcal did you ever know EXACTLY what you were gonna get. The way they draft pitching, its hit or miss for sure. Still, I put more stock in Atlanta's farm than Arizona's at this point. A forgotten piece in this deal: Chris Johnson. He's the piece that allowed the Braves to split with Prado, since Chipper Jones is no longer anchoring the hot corner. I'm not sure what his production will look like outside of Houston / Arizona, but I find it hard to believe that he's worth more than Martin Prado, especially at Turner Field. All that being said, if the D'Backs got trade-raped, I should be happy as a Dodgers fan.

Article Here Usually when two brothers are in the MLB, one of them is clearly better than the other. In the case of the Uptons, however... Christ, Atlanta has the best outfield in the NL right now. After Juston nixed the trade to Seattle, I didn't figure he'd be willing to go anywhere. Do you think Atlanta paid too high a price?

Crossing a "creek" in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana. Worst. Bridge. Ever.

Having grown up in Central Los Angeles, I know first hand what it's like to be defenseless while criminals are in an arms race. Where I grew up, MS-13 had JUST established itself. Today, Mara Salvatrucha is one of the biggest gangs in North America, covering 48 states, including provinces of Mexico and Canada. How did they do it? Arms race. I watched my neighbor bleed out when I was 8 years old thanks to those thugs. If it were up to me, RESPONSIBLE citizens would be armed just as heavily. Anyone who knows anything about the LAPD should understand why citizens can't rely on them. It's up to US. Now, on the flipside... I live in Montana. Everyone and their grandmother has at LEAST a hunting rifle. There are no gangs worth mentioning, and the police are ON POINT. So where does that leave gun laws? I say leave it up to the states. This country should be a Union of 50 Sovereign States. We should answer to OURSELVES, not Washington.

Constant recruitment binds in the pub.

Trailer park... Tin box, nasty carpets. So yeah I go shoes on. Only place I don't walk with shoes is on the prayer rug.