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Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

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Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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The Cooking and Libations Thread

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  • #16
    Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

    Don't worry, soup, we've got you covered.

    Before I get to my guacamole recipe, let's start with three essential know-how-to-use-a-knife tutorials.
    1) How to chop an onion:
    http://startcooking.com/blog/64/How-...nd-Chop-Onions
    2) How to chop a pepper (ANY pepper, not just bell peppers):
    http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how...egetables4.htm
    3) How to cut an avocado:
    http://www.elise.com/recipes/archive...an_avocado.php


    The World's Greatest Guacamole

    1 bag - blue corn chips
    4 just-ripe avocados
    1 handfull of mini heirloom tomatoes, chopped.
    1/2 medium white onion, chopped
    1 fresh, large jalapeno pepper, chopped (only include the seeds if you like it REALLY spicy, otherwise remove the seeds before chopping the outer portion)
    1/2 cup fresh cilantro (MUST be fresh), chopped
    Rock sea salt to taste
    Fresh ground black pepper to taste
    1 tablespoon Chipotle flavored tobasco sauce.
    And this is the absolute KEY ingredient: fresh squezzed citrus (about the juice of one orange or so) - NOT lime or store bought lemon.

    OK, that last one is variable, but essential to turning this from decent guacamole to AMAZING. Probably the best thing to use is tree-ripened fresh-picked lemon, which has an orange-like sweetness and very little of the bitterness you taste with the hard "picked green" lemons you buy at the supermarket. There are several trees in my neighborhood, so that's not that hard for me to get. If you're at the store, however, you need to work with what's in the produce section. I recommend tangerines, tangelos, a fancy orange like valencia oranges, or cumquats. Yes, that's a funny name until you taste one and are instantly transported to paradise.

    Steps:

    1) chop the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and fresh cilantro and throw together into a large bowl.
    2) thinly slice/chop the avocado in the skin and scoop the chunks into the bowl - DO NOT mush the avocado into a paste the way they do elsewhere, keep it sized at about 1/4" chunks.
    3) add the salt, black pepper, chipotle sauce
    4) cut your chosen citrus in half and squeeze the juice out directly into the bowl (look out for seeds)
    5) Stir well without bruising it too badly.
    6) Eat!
    Last edited by Los Angeles; 08-12-2008, 12:05 AM.
    “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

    “If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” - Catherine Aird

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

      Anyone got any simple and quick vegetarian recipes? I'm looking to cut down on meat consumption and I don't how, other than four nights of pasta...

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

        Originally posted by LoneGranger33 View Post
        Anyone got any simple and quick vegetarian recipes? I'm looking to cut down on meat consumption and I don't how, other than four nights of pasta...
        My ex is vegetarian and I would cook for her all the time.

        I'll hook you up with some ideas over the next few days.

        But for starters, stop eating the pasta or you're going to put on wieght faster than Sally Struthers after All in the Family.

        At the very least, replace most of the pasta with french fry cut zucchini and squash. Just rub a little olive oil on them and toast them lightly in the broiler. Use the same sauce and cheese that you would use with pasta and you won't miss a beat. Same meal, better nutrition, fewer empty calories.
        “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

        “If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” - Catherine Aird

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

          Don't worry about my weight, it's never been a problem. Wrestled all four years of high school, never missed a weigh-in. Still only about 150, but that's with a lot of exercise - hell, I could use a couple pounds. I look forward to the good stuff you got in the next couple days though, thanks. (I'm not really eating pasta four days a week, it's just that I don't know what else to make yet)

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

            First of all, buy this book:

            http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Coo...78/ref=ed_oe_h

            It's food like your grandma would make if she were getting paid to make food, and it's all vegetarian. Almost everything I make for thanksgiving comes from there. and at $30, it's a bargain!
            “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

            “If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” - Catherine Aird

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

              I am no chef due to laziness, but cooking has always intrigued me. I downloaded a bunch of recipes but I have yet to make any. Mostly due to the not wanting to spend a lot of money on all the ingredients.

              My go to meal is Mac and Cheese with Hot dogs or a Peanut Butter and honey sandwich.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                Originally posted by LoneGranger33 View Post
                Anyone got any simple and quick vegetarian recipes? I'm looking to cut down on meat consumption and I don't how, other than four nights of pasta...
                Hard to go wrong with a rattatouille. I have no recipe, I just throw in what I feel like throwing in. To serve one person I'd say something like this:

                4 tomatoes, chopped with the stems removed
                1 medium squash, halved and sliced, ends and stems removed
                1 medium zuchini, halved and sliced, ends and stems removed
                1 small eggplant

                combine in a pot with desired quantities of dried oregano, basil, tyme, (basically italian seasoning if you have that around), some minced garlic, freshly ground pepper.

                Cover, simmer, and stir occasionally until the tomato cooks down and cooks the veggies in the tomato juice. Usually takes 25-30 minutes. You'll have to experiment with your own mix of spices. When it's done, top it with some parmesan cheese and enjoy.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                  If I had extra money one of the first things I would do is to hire a full time chef to cook healthy and very tasty meals for me. That is what I think it the most difficult thing is to find good tasting healthy meals. (Or LA if you wanted to move back to Indy, I could just hire you)

                  Sure I can do a turkey sandwish on whole wheat with a salad/vegatable/fruit thing as well as anyone but that gets boring

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                    Originally posted by LoneGranger33 View Post
                    Anyone got any simple and quick vegetarian recipes? I'm looking to cut down on meat consumption and I don't how, other than four nights of pasta...
                    My Vegetarian Gal-Friend simply, for the most part, replaced chicken and beef with Portabello Mushrooms.

                    Fajitas? Use Portabellos...
                    Pasta add-ins? Portabellos...
                    Pizza Toppings? yup...

                    Granted she loves them so much she could just eat one as a "Steak" if I cook it on the grill with a little butter, garlic, salt and pepper but I digress... Fungus is not for everyone.

                    Grilled Veggies are nice all around... Yellow Squash, Zuchinni, Eggplant, Asparagus, Onions, and Peppers.

                    For the most part, I'd avoid most "Meat Substitutes" like Boca Bugers, Chikken, and the like. Although... there ARE a few good ones when used sparingly. (they are too expensive and they are not that good)

                    Black Bean Burgers, homemade or storebought, are a nice twist and sometimes even I get an urge for them. Tofu is nice in small amounts (Think hot and sour soup). I'm sure that you will hear alot about replacing your protein/stick to your ribs factor... for that most use beans, nuts, potatos, and mushrooms. When I eat Veggie I usually eat Pasta, Fajitas (Any and All mexican food really) , Pizza, and other types of unhealthy food so I dont' get the benefit. I mean they make Veggie Baked Beans, I can make my own Stuffing/Dressing, Mashed Potatos, rolls, Deviled Eggs (Depending on your Level of Veggie). I can eat like its like Easter every day! BUT...

                    To be fair I could never give up the sweet, sweet taste of Bacon, Ham, Sausage, or BBQ. I wont even pretend.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                      I forgot one of the most important parts of my ratatouille meal from above. You're supposed to serve it over a bed of cooked rice, but that's optional and it tastes great either way.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                        Originally posted by LoneGranger33 View Post
                        Anyone got any simple and quick vegetarian recipes? I'm looking to cut down on meat consumption and I don't how, other than four nights of pasta...
                        Real quick? Do you have a rice cooker? Get one. Wash the rice about four good rinses before cooking. Sift the rice in the cooker bowl with your fingers as faucet water pours over it. Dump the water slowly. When it finally runs off kind of clear, instead of milky, you're good. Otherwise you end up with a large lump of starch. The water should cover the rice about a half inch to an inch. To be more accurate, get the rice spread evenly in the cooker bowl. Put your hand flat on top of the rice. The water should come to your knuckle line. Cook. With rice cooker on hand, you have a steady supply.....so:

                        Bed of rice. Can of red beans or kidney beans, or black beans heated, on top of the rice. Just dump it on (with juice). Chopped onions on top. Bread and butter. We're not talking haute cuisine here. Just good and good fuel.

                        Fried rice. Can of oriental veggies....comes in various mixes. Throw in frying pan....add sesame oil. Not too much; it's potent. And expensive, for that matter. Buy the big can. Get the vegetables fried a bit. Pour in some soy sauce. Add rice. Stir. Taste. More oil or sauce or rice as needed. I like to crack an egg or two in, stir once or twice, not more, and cover, let it steam a bit...low heat 'til the eggs are cooked. Leftover veggies from the fridge can go in, too...corn, green beans.

                        Refried bean tostadas are easy to make. Does that even need explaining? If you've seen one at Taco Bell, you pretty much know instinctively how to make one. Crispy flat tortilla. Heated refried spread on top. (Low to med heat for the refrieds; stir often. The ones out of a can, eh?) Cheddar or not. Lettuce. Onion or not. Diced tomatoes. Sour cream. Nummy. The same mix in a microwaved flour tortilla makes a quick burrito.

                        Emeril has nothing to fear from me. But all 3 above are tasty/filling/quick.


                        [~]) ... Cheers! Go Pacers!

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                          Heat skillet with margarine or butter. Slice potato and leave the skin on. Put it in the skillet. Add seasoning salt and pepper. Brown, but don't overcook. Add onions if you want.

                          Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

                          That's what I just had.

                          -Bball
                          Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                          ------

                          "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                          -John Wooden

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                            Originally posted by kester99 View Post
                            Refried bean tostadas are easy to make. Does that even need explaining? If you've seen one at Taco Bell, you pretty much know instinctively how to make one. Crispy flat tortilla. Heated refried spread on top. (Low to med heat for the refrieds; stir often. The ones out of a can, eh?) Cheddar or not. Lettuce. Onion or not. Diced tomatoes. Sour cream. Nummy. The same mix in a microwaved flour tortilla makes a quick burrito.

                            Emeril has nothing to fear from me. But all 3 above are tasty/filling/quick.
                            Very nice K9... I would also recommend using cabbage drizzled with fresh lemon juice and going with sliced and halved tomatoes. A little sour cream and a little diced green onion is a must. When it comes to flavor Cabbage with a SMALL touch of Lemon trumps Lettuce everytime. IMO.

                            And Since were on Mexican Food... I'll add Fried Tacos to the mix.

                            I don't really know what they are called elsewhere but my family has been making them for as long as I can remember. Unhealthy as all getout but wonderful. They work best when you make your own Tortillas and you can fill them while uncooked.. (but any kind with do) Take said tortilla, fill with either Refried beans, Creamy Smashed Potatos, OR a nice mexican chihuahua cheese and seal the edges leaving a pouch of flavorful goodness near the center. Think wonton or ravioli here. NOT taquito!

                            Fry said Pouch and garnish with above citrus cabbage, tomato slices, green onion sticks, and sour cream. A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful unhealthy vegetarian dish.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                              Originally posted by Unclebuck View Post
                              If I had extra money one of the first things I would do is to hire a full time chef to cook healthy and very tasty meals for me. That is what I think it the most difficult thing is to find good tasting healthy meals. (Or LA if you wanted to move back to Indy, I could just hire you)

                              Sure I can do a turkey sandwish on whole wheat with a salad/vegatable/fruit thing as well as anyone but that gets boring
                              You better get working ... I'm expensive.
                              “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

                              “If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning.” - Catherine Aird

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: The Cooking and Libations Thread

                                Originally posted by Bball View Post
                                Heat skillet with margarine or butter. Slice potato and leave the skin on. Put it in the skillet. Add seasoning salt and pepper. Brown, but don't overcook. Add onions if you want.

                                Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

                                That's what I just had.

                                -Bball

                                Does this work with Potatoes with large sprouts on them? I found some potatoes in the bottom of our pantry that I had forgotten were in there the other day. Rather large sprouts....lol

                                Comment

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