The Life Changing Magic of a New Grill ← FREE KRAUT!

The Life Changing Magic of a New Grill 396

I’ve just spent the last 2 weeks practicing The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  One of my big goals after selling my business was to get my house organized.  After seeing the book on the bestseller list for months, I checked it out and I’ll admit, I’m a full convert to her method.  It has been very freeing to be utterly ruthless in what I’m getting rid of.  I first made an appointment with the White Elephant Sale to pick up my boxes and my initial estimate was 15-20 boxes.  I quickly blew right by that number and had to increase my pickup to 40-50 boxes.  I also have gotten my empty box securing system down to an art form.  Don’t bother with anywhere but Berkeley Bowl, 9:30-10 am is the sweet spot, and the original location is better than Berkeley Bowl West.

If any of you need Christmas lights or binder clips, look no further.  For some reason I have an ungodly amount of both.

I guess what I’m saying is that Billy needs to go full KonMari on our bullpen.   He needs to grasp each player by the shoulders, look deep into his eyes, and ask the question “Does this pitcher spark joy in my heart?”  If the answer is no, they must be boxed up and removed by the White Elephant van.

396 thoughts on “The Life Changing Magic of a New Grill

  1. Future Ed Jul 11,2015 11:42 am

    i gotta do that. I am paralyzed by cleaning.

    there are unpacke boxes from moving in in 2005. then all the kid stuff. My biggest problem is doing it when there is no one home to tell me not to throw that away

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  2. FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 11,2015 2:01 pm

    We are about 70% way through a massive purge of accumulated kid debris. It is cathartic. Also exhausting.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • batgirl Jul 11,2015 3:19 pm || Up

      Oh my God, so exhausting. I just did 3 hours whittling my “personal momentos” boxes from 3 down to 1. I got a TON of laughs out of it. But now I’m starving, have a migraine, and will sit out the couch for the rest of the day.

      Why did I keep some of this stuff? Eighth grade typing tests? Credit card statements from high school? (Why did I shop at Contempo Casuals so much?)

      • Future Ed Jul 11,2015 6:20 pm || Up

        I remember that place. girl I went out with could not go a week without entering that store. Like almost everyone in high school

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • AV Jul 11,2015 6:44 pm || Up

        i did a lot of this when i got a shredder a few years back. pretty sure some of my statements were from banks that went down during the S&L crisis. the shredder is still with me. it does spark joy in my heart. every time i put something in it. wrrrrrrr!!!

        we accumulate so much though. mrs AV’s business is basically an influx machine with a hose connected to our house. when we moved in, it was a 3 bedroom with a closed-in back porch. now we have a 2 bedroom with 2 huge walk-in closets. except you can’t walk in and you have to stand at the door on tiptoes and crane your neck to see if you can find what you’re looking for behind those piles over by that wall. i mean, i think it’s a wall. could just be a stack of boxes.

        we’re not hoarders. we’re just planning to have a rad estate sale when we die.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • AV Jul 16,2015 5:49 pm || Up
          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
          • Future Ed Jul 16,2015 6:17 pm || Up

            nice

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
            • AV Jul 19,2015 10:07 am || Up

              ruh-roh! (29:40 through 30:10)

              *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  3. 5Aces Jul 11,2015 4:33 pm

    I am doing some of the same and you and FSU are dead on. We took SO MANY pictures! And what amazes me is school things for 3 kids. I remember my mom kept my report cards, but back then you had 1 each year that they kept filling out. Now you get a new copy like every 6-8 weeks. So that, for 3 kids, and 13 yrs each, we will have over a hundred pieces of paper just for cards.

    I have yet to try and get to the level of that book. But it feels so good to go through drawers of stuff we moved with us and never touched again. Of course the sad part is piles of Mrs Aces stuff that I box up and send over to her. But it is all for the best.

    Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  4. FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 11,2015 5:06 pm

    New grill, new reminder: Tailgate party Saturday August 1st! Come one come all. It’s the most sincere Asphalt Patch anywhere; the Great Pumpkin will surely visit this time. Don’t miss him!

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • ptbnl Jul 12,2015 1:16 am || Up

      Just a reminder from someone who has to get to SFO that night, BART is shut all weekend.

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • Future Ed Jul 12,2015 7:45 am || Up

      i will try. am leaving town that week. DOn’t know which day

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Soaker Jul 12,2015 3:44 pm || Up

      I’ve attended 16 A’s games this year: 10 in spring training, 4 in Minneapolis, 2 in San Diego and 0 at the Coliseum. So I do need to make a trip down there and will keep this in mind over the next couple weeks.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 12,2015 4:51 pm || Up

        That’d be great, hope you can make it!

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • Soaker Jul 13,2015 6:41 pm || Up

          What are you doing about game tickets for your gang? I’ll join in on that; you have the e-mail address.

          What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
          • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 13,2015 11:15 pm || Up

            Email sent.

            I have a handful of other tix available in my vicinity if anyone else wants in, lemme know.

            "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
            • sslinger Jul 14,2015 11:44 am || Up

              We have not bought tickets for the game, so if you have extras we’ll take a pair.

              • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 14,2015 12:41 pm || Up

                Got it, consider your tickets secured.

                "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • sslinger Jul 13,2015 4:59 pm || Up

      I think we’ll be there. It’ll be ms. s’ first trip to the Coli all year (only my 2nd), though we’ll be seeing them in Dodger Stadium the week before.

      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 13,2015 5:59 pm || Up

        Hooray!

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • ptbnl Jul 14,2015 11:19 am || Up

      Depending on what we work out for getting to SFO that night, I may make it to the tailgate but not the game!

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 14,2015 12:42 pm || Up

        I hope that can work out, wouldn’t be the same without your keg.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • ptbnl Jul 14,2015 1:06 pm || Up

          Fixed :-)

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
          • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 14,2015 2:01 pm || Up

            I would also have accepted “dessert treats.”

            "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
            • ptbnl Jul 14,2015 2:20 pm || Up

              You certainly would.

              If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 22,2015 8:06 am || Up

      Another tailgate plug: Bryan and Ralph and their legions of fans will have grills burning bright. Poppy and the Witch will be there too. Should be a barn burner. You should be there too.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  5. AV Jul 11,2015 8:36 pm

    i don’t want to get into the horrible design, but here’s the thing, majestic. if that’s your view, you’re going to san francisco.

    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Future Ed Jul 11,2015 9:00 pm || Up

      for raiding, obviously.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • AV Jul 12,2015 4:30 pm || Up

        huh. i thought raiding was when you move to carson, call it LA, and share with san diego.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 5:20 pm || Up

      Maybe people will wear this ironically? Like the shirt with the three wolves? Because man is it ugly.

  6. Jennifer Jul 11,2015 11:30 pm

    Speaking of life changing. Holy shit. Two of the greatest nights of my life so far. Tomorrow they play for THREE HOURS. No songs have yet to be repeated and yesterday they played one album beginning to end. I cried.

    • Soaker Jul 12,2015 9:27 am || Up

      Short essay by Bob Crawford on his trip to Fare Thee Well with Joe Kwon last week. I don’t see a Dead cover in your set lists from last night or Friday but maybe you get one tonight.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • Jennifer Jul 12,2015 9:35 am || Up

        The do “The Race Is On”, which the Dead covered. Last year they had Bob Weir play with them.

        • Soaker Jul 12,2015 9:46 am || Up

          I did see that one but I meant a Garcia/Hunter composition (probably). Everybody has a “Friend of the Devil” cover somewhere in their catalogue.

          What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
          • Jennifer Jul 12,2015 11:05 am || Up

            This trip also marks the end of the road of for me and the hitchhiker. Pun intended. Now I remember why I travel alone: I hate people.

            • Jennifer Jul 14,2015 9:42 am || Up

              The more I was around him, the more I realized he doesn’t respect me or my property. He also wears the same stupid fucking Seattle Seahawks jersey every day. Literally. Every single day I’ve been with him. It’s number 12 and says “FAN” on the back. Yuck.

              And he has cankles.

              • 5Aces Jul 14,2015 9:53 am || Up

                So you were surprised the hitchhiker didnt have a larger wardrobe? How many suitcases did he have when you met him?

                Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
                • Jennifer Jul 14,2015 11:06 am || Up

                  No, it’s because it’s a stupid shirt.

                • Jennifer Jul 14,2015 1:09 pm || Up

                  He also stepped on his rube of Pringles in the back floorboard of my Jeep. Stepped on the chips, then covered it up with the floor mat.

                • 5Aces Jul 14,2015 5:17 pm || Up

                  Oh yeah, that’s damn near an executable offense. Especially Pringles. You could slice a vein with those broken pieces.

                  Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  7. Future Ed Jul 12,2015 7:51 am

    Bassett–Nashville
    otero–oakland

    Or is otero only going to cleveland? Bassett be called back when his turn come up I think in the SF series the weekend of the 24-26. or hahn can be activated. Is this the time for scribbles to be worried?

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  8. batgirl Jul 12,2015 8:09 am

    Hey Upgrade: how hard would it be to swap out the radio in my car? I watched a youtube video for Honda Civics, and there seem to be just three simple plug in connections, plus a bunch of screws for the molded dashboard cover piece. What I’m most worried about is getting off the dashboard cover piece easily, but then not being able to get it back on properly. I don’t want it to turn into a giant headache.

    • Future Ed Jul 12,2015 8:13 am || Up

      i am terrible at those things. A friend and I did it for my accord car. we ended up with a few extra screws, but it seemed to hold for the next 4 years

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 12,2015 9:51 am || Up

      Your worry is well-placed, the plastic connectors for dashboard interior pieces can be hard to locate and easily broken off. Just keep checking for hidden screws, and be gentle. But if you’re methodical about it, once the swap is done the dash pieces should snap back on pretty well.

      The stereo part should be straight-forward if you’re just swapping in a new version of the same component. If it’s a totally different stereo though there’s no guarantee it’ll snap into the same electrical connectors, or fit in the same dash space, and an ad hoc installation adapter job is a sure dash-killer.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • batgirl Jul 12,2015 5:20 pm || Up

        im going to try it, but not until I’m done with the great purge of 2015. Thanks for the advice!

        • AV Jul 12,2015 5:53 pm || Up

          not till the great purge? not sure if procrastinatin’. or just stalin.

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  9. Future Ed Jul 12,2015 11:09 am

    dude is gonna go broke buying uniforms to have signed

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  10. Future Ed Jul 12,2015 8:11 pm
    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  11. nevermoor Jul 12,2015 8:35 pm

    Man, I’ve really checked out this season (in part b/c no TV).

    Is the ASB soon?

    "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • Soaker Jul 12,2015 8:58 pm || Up

      No Dead originals covered, but the Dead played GDTRFB a lot.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • Jennifer Jul 12,2015 9:30 pm || Up

        They play this song-in-a – song breakdown thing, and they played Friend of the Devil there.

      • Jennifer Jul 12,2015 9:31 pm || Up

        It’s like they asked me, “Hey, what songs would you like to hear?” THEN THEY PLAYED THEM ALL. Some songs I never imagined they would play.

    • 5Aces Jul 13,2015 1:35 pm || Up

      ” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

      Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  12. MikeV Jul 13,2015 10:41 am
    And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

    Thanks, and go As.

    • nevermoor Jul 13,2015 11:12 am || Up

      Well, we may have to throw in Zito instead of simply standing firm…

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 11:21 am || Up

      May as well though, right? It worked for the Cubs last year.

  13. Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 12:17 pm

    Speaking of the Cubs, I’m mostly over the Addison Russell thing (It would be very nice to have him, but the win-now move made some sense in context and we got a reasonable haul for Shark) except that the Billy McKinney throw in is starting to sting quite a bit. He’s hitting .321/.390/.489 between A and AA this season, and he’s now looking like a consensus top 30 prospect. Sickels has moved him from #135 to #28 in his midseason list, and says: “Even this spot may prove too low.”

    • vignette17 Jul 13,2015 5:19 pm || Up

      See, I’m surprised by this one. McKinney seemed to be the classic tweener who couldn’t field in CF and couldn’t hit in COF. I wasn’t a fan of the pick and felt very little remorse in trading him.

  14. Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 2:10 pm

    Keep Crosby away from Ellis’ scooping shoulder.

    • Soaker Jul 13,2015 2:53 pm || Up

      They’ve given up on Wash teaching Semien to play a decent shortstop, so they’re bringing back Phillips to teach Marcus how to be Tony Phillips.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 5:18 pm || Up

        I thought Ladendorf was going to be Tony Phillips.

      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 13,2015 6:01 pm || Up

        One way or another, years from now after he’s retired it’s clear that Marcus Semien cannot be counted upon to make any scoops.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • dmoas Jul 14,2015 3:51 pm || Up

          Fan1: “Why is Semein’s line so long?”

          Fan2: “He can’t seem to get the icecream into the cup. Fuck. They’ve run out of icecream.”

          Fan1: “They just started!”

          • Glorious Mundy Jul 14,2015 4:07 pm || Up

            He has all the tools, but somehow I ended up covered in root beer.

  15. Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 5:15 pm

    Haiti is 40 minutes from knocking Honduras out of the Gold Cup!

    (It’s more exciting than it sounds, and there aren’t any other real sports on.)

    • Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 5:58 pm || Up

      Haiti wins! Yay Haiti!

      Honduras finishes the Gold Cup group with one point, a year after playing in the World Cup. And it will miss the Copa America Centenario, assuming that gets played.

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 13,2015 6:03 pm || Up

      As we’ve entered peak no-sports zone I found myself watching the second half of Mexico vs Guatamala yesterday. It was an odd game in that Guatamala seemed totally unwilling to even try to score, while Mexico seemed totally unable to.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 6:04 pm || Up

        There are lots of teams that go into games like that determined to never even consider attacking, but Guatemala has really raised it to an art form. It’s always funny to watch Mexico bang their heads against them.

      • sslinger Jul 13,2015 7:24 pm || Up

        I hope you saw this article, though I think you’re not a Jenkins fan.

        • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 13,2015 8:58 pm || Up

          Saw and forwarded to my McAdoo-fan family. The W’s really do seem quite high on him.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • elcroata Jul 13,2015 11:01 pm || Up

        Guatamala twice? Am I missing a joke?

        Because survival is insufficient
        • AV Jul 14,2015 11:02 am || Up

          i wouldn’t exactly say FSU’s ortografía for latin american country names is necessarily guatemala. then again, it isn’t exactly guatebuena.

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 14,2015 12:45 pm || Up

          We’re Americans, we expect the rest of the world to adapt to our educational standards.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 4:58 pm || Up

          The main joke is their play. They just lost to freaking Cuba, who will take their place in the quarterfinal matchup against the USA on Saturday. Cuba advances with a goal difference of -7. I love this tournament, but it is mostly shit.

          Last game of the groups coming up, with Mexico needing a win over Trinidad and Tobago to top their group. Winner plays Panama in the knockouts, loser plays Costa Rica. Six of one, half dozen of the other, based on the Central Americans’ form so far in this tournament.

          • AV Jul 16,2015 4:13 pm || Up

            that game was garbage. T&T was clearly aided. BY THE SHEER WILLPOWER OF JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY WATCHING ON TV!!

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
            • Glorious Mundy Jul 16,2015 4:52 pm || Up

              I screamed with joy watching this live.

              It was the last kick of a great game, too. Mexico had gone up 2-0, T&T scored three unanswered in about 10 minutes to shock the crowd, and then Mexico got two in the last 10 minutes, including one about a minute before the goal shown above happened. Wonderful stuff.

              • AV Jul 16,2015 5:24 pm || Up

                also, own goal.

                *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 13,2015 6:43 pm || Up

      Panama-USA now! USA has already clinched the group, so nothing to play for, while Panama might need at least a draw to get through in third, and would like a win to claim second place and avoid (probably) Mexico in the quarters. The last time an already-qualified USA played a Panama needing a result, we broke their hearts in an exceptionally cruel way. Grudge match today for Los Canaleros for sure.

      Fun fact I just learned: Panama’s national anthem is called the “Himno Istmeño” (The “Hymn of the Isthmus”).

  16. Englishmajor Jul 13,2015 6:29 pm

    Apparently we should all move to Section 211 because there are more foul balls up there than anywhere else in the ballpark.

    • Future Ed Jul 13,2015 6:33 pm || Up

      korean style nets are the only thing that would help her

      and bats? I don’t think so.

      I don’t get this as a class.

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • sslinger Jul 13,2015 6:39 pm || Up

        Gimme five, I’m still alive, ain’t no luck, I learned to duck.

        • Soaker Jul 13,2015 6:42 pm || Up

          High Sierra review, please.

          What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
          • sslinger Jul 13,2015 7:39 pm || Up

            Hotter than a huckabuck, and the camping situation leaves a lot to be desired unless you can get in early to pick a good site. That out of the way, a great time and some great music. ALO is rapidly becoming one of my new favorites, and Lebo seems to play with everyone. Nice shows by Cheese, and Umphreys did a great set. It was kind of weird seeing Joe Russo’s Almost Dead while some people were live streaming the final Dead show from Chicago, but they really were good, lots of energy and Russo drives the beat the way neither Bill or Mickey can. Some other highlights: John Butler Trio, Fareed Haque, Jennifer Hartswick (great band, great show), Jeff Austin (former mandolin for Yonder), and Scott Pemberton. Pemberton is a madman, I’d describe his music as Funky Disco Deathmetal, he plays his guitar unstrapped which means he spends a lot of time with it on the ground, on a chair, wherever while he attacks the fretboard in all kinds of crazy ways. Worth seeing if you get a chance.

            • Soaker Jul 13,2015 8:20 pm || Up

              I haven’t been that much into Dead cover bands but I do thoroughly enjoy JRAD. A lot of these bands show up at Crystal Bay over the winter, which I why I asked.

              What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
              • sslinger Jul 13,2015 9:39 pm || Up

                Pemberton plays both south and north tahoe venues 8/20-21. I’m guessing ALO must be up there a fair amount, maybe in conjunction with some combination of Hips/Nicki/Brokedown/New Monsoon.

                • Soaker Jul 13,2015 10:31 pm || Up

                  I don’t usually think much about our live community shows but they’re 10 minutes away so the rec on Pemberton is duly noted, thanks.

                  What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
                • sslinger Jul 13,2015 11:08 pm || Up

                  Andrew in Dad’s LPs (7/30) is part of a large group that we were at HSMF with. I haven’t seen the band but have been wanting to.

      • nevermoor Jul 13,2015 8:58 pm || Up

        It isn’t one. Especially with no class rep who was actually injured (and an injury disclaimer on ticket sales).

        And 211? Give me a break.

        Desperate lawyers are desperate. Duped plaintiff is duped.

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
        • AV Jul 14,2015 11:01 am || Up

          :/

          other news sources report there is no money amount being asked for. just for MLB to implement a protective screen along the foul lines. not sure what the lawyer would get out of that.

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
          • Glorious Mundy Jul 14,2015 11:07 am || Up

            Here’s the complaint. They aren’t asking for damages, but they are asking for attorney’s fees.

            • nevermoor Jul 14,2015 12:26 pm || Up

              This. I bet a LOT of money that this firm somehow suggests their hourly rate is $800 and they’ve had four lawyers working 20 hours/day on it, so fees are seven-figures.

              All bullshit, but that’s the angle (even on cases with actual client damages)

              "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
              • AV Jul 15,2015 12:24 pm || Up

                i liked the world better yesterday. when i thought lawyers were altruistic n’ shit.

                *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
              • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 12:33 pm || Up

                Thing is, this is a weird way to make a cash grab. The complaint, while a pretty interesting read, is not remotely compelling legally. A settlement that just pays off the lawyers is going to be a tough sell to a judge, but it’s hard to conceive of anything they can actually get for the “class” from a settlement. This thing almost reads more as a PR stunt, or a tactical maneuver in a larger war.

                • Englishmajor Jul 15,2015 12:46 pm || Up

                  So a less ambitious Joe Cotchett?

                • nevermoor Jul 15,2015 12:52 pm || Up

                  Nuisance value settlements can keep the lights on. There’s a whole patent troll bar that lives off of 8-10 figure “exposure” claims that they settle for low six-figures because that’s much less than it would cost to defend.

                  "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 1:00 pm || Up

                  Sure, but the crucial differences from patent troll suits are 1) that those aren’t class actions, and 2) the payoff in those settlements is to the plaintiffs (the patent owners), not just the lawyers.

                  My impression (possibly wrong!) is that the CAFA requirement of close judicial scrutiny of a classwide settlement would make it tougher for the lawyers here to get a settlement approved that pays them anything unless they can show some sort of real benefit to the class. I don’t know what that benefit would be, since they are not asking for damages, just changes to ballpark designs that MLB won’t agree to. The “injury” they are claiming here isn’t easily remedied with some cockamamie coupon.

                • nevermoor Jul 15,2015 1:10 pm || Up

                  1) yes.
                  2) sort of. I’m not sure how distinct troll entities are from their lawyers.

                  I’m sure that MLB can offer up some sort of weak-sauce safety improvement for the attorneys to spin as a BIG WIN!!! justifying fees. More likely, though, motions to dismiss are serially granted until this one goes away.

                  "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 1:12 pm || Up

                  Maybe they can agree that Stomper stands in front of the plaintiff whenever a lefty is batting.

          • doctorK Jul 14,2015 11:36 am || Up

            NOTICE ME! NOTICE ME!

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 13,2015 8:57 pm || Up

      Yeah, 211 feels pretty darn safe all things considered. Nets designed to protect the entire 2nd deck would be so grossly obtrusive I might just stop going. Yuck.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • James V. Jul 14,2015 8:11 am || Up

      I’ll copy/paste a comment I wrote elsewhere:

      Honestly, sitting in the second level at the Coliseum is not unsafe at all. The part about broken bats is completely unrealistic, anyway. There may be a higher risk sitting down by the dugouts, but there are simple solutions if you aren’t willing to take that chance: get a seat that isn’t as close. If you are that close, pay attention at all times.

      I’ve been to a couple minor league parks where a low net extends to the ends of the dugouts and, in one case, further along the seats down the foul line, but I don’t know how those nets impact the fans. Probably not much. It could be an option, but a lot of people don’t want their view obstructed in any way and are perfectly willing to take the chance that a ball or bat may come their way.

      I think this lawsuit begins from good intentions as far as safety goes, but when there are reasonable alternatives and dangers are exaggerated based on where this particular fan sits (not to mention the fact she’s been going to games at the Coliseum for nearly 50 years), it begins to fall flat to me. I’d also buy the complaint more if it was made by someone who actually sits near the dugouts at a ballpark with very little foul territory, not the Coliseum.

      • nevermoor Jul 14,2015 9:47 am || Up

        I think this lawsuit begins from good intentions

        I don’t. I think it comes from bog-standard plaintiffs’ lawyers (step 1: read news; step 2: imagine injury; step 3: is there a deep-pocket defendant?; step 4: find class rep)

        "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
        • dmoas Jul 14,2015 3:57 pm || Up

          If it came from the Red Sox fan at Fenway who got hit, then yes, possibly good intentions. Some schmuck in the upper decks who has likely never been within 20 feet of a baseball? Hell fucking no.

          • nevermoor Jul 14,2015 4:02 pm || Up

            Sure. If you get hurt and they aren’t offering to cover what you deserve, that’s what lawsuits are for.

            Trying to turn PI into a class is pretty suspect on a freak incident, but that I kind of get.

            Trying to turn lack of injury into a PI class is just garbage.

            "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
            • dmoas Jul 15,2015 11:08 am || Up

              Yup, I wouldn’t really buy the argument at Fenway either from a legal standpoint given the assumed risk involved and a 100 years of games played there. But it at least as the possibility of good intentions involved.

              • nevermoor Jul 15,2015 11:35 am || Up

                Right. And in a “pure fairness” sense, the Red Sox should be paying her medical bills. No idea if they are, or what the law is there, but it just seems right. And I have no issue with suing for something that seems right where the law is against you.

                Here, though, it’s a whole different can of worms. No injury, remedy is nuts, and I bet the first thing the law firm did was offer to settle for some ungodly amount in “already accrued” fees.

                "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
                • dmoas Jul 15,2015 12:49 pm || Up

                  Definitely. It would be a good PR move for the Red Sox to do that and a horrible one if they didn’t. I’d be very surprised if they didn’t.

        • vignette17 Jul 14,2015 4:02 pm || Up

          Thankfully, I imagine this case seems rather weak. Maybe if they were behind a dugout, but coming from a fan in 211? Just have someone sit there for 20 games and report just how many foul balls are hit there.

          And then this: “constantly ducking and weaving to avoid getting hit by foul balls or shattered bat” is disproved.

  17. Jennifer Jul 14,2015 9:22 am

    So The Avett Brothers are playing at the ASG pre-show.

    Yesterday I woke up with a 2cm laceration on my forehead. I apparently kicked my own ass in the night. I also have a cut below my eyebrow and this morning I woke up with a fever blister. I’m looking rough.

    • 5Aces Jul 14,2015 9:54 am || Up

      Thank god you know an awesome nurse to take care of you.

      Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  18. doctorK Jul 14,2015 5:00 pm

    Great read. FK Pete Rose.

    • sslinger Jul 14,2015 5:26 pm || Up

      Very nice indeed.

    • Thunderbutt Jul 14,2015 6:01 pm || Up

      FK Pete Rose.

      There is always a score.
    • Future Ed Jul 14,2015 6:24 pm || Up

      this make it hard for me to want fosse replaced

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • oblique Jul 14,2015 10:27 pm || Up

      FK Pete Rose.

      • sslinger Jul 15,2015 12:40 am || Up

        You had a nice run tonight. ASVD.

        • ptbnl Jul 15,2015 12:48 am || Up

          A veritable doctorFK.

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
          • Future Ed Jul 15,2015 6:15 am || Up

            i think we know whose turn it wa to feed tendinous inscriptions

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • oblique Jul 15,2015 7:41 am || Up

          Thank you. I was crabby last night, but having had time to gain perspective, FK Pete Rose.

          • nevermoor Jul 15,2015 10:33 am || Up

            Plus, now we can host the WS this year!

            "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • AV Jul 15,2015 12:25 pm || Up

        i’m starting to think you’ll FK anything that moves.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  19. 5Aces Jul 14,2015 7:29 pm

    Why do we bother with the words “in order”. If you strike out the side, by definition you have to do it in order. I mean it is possible they batted out of order, but when is the last time that happened, let alone happened while a pitcher was striking out the side?

    Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
    • Future Ed Jul 14,2015 7:35 pm || Up

      and if you struck the out of order guy out, you don’t point it out

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Soaker Jul 14,2015 7:54 pm || Up

      The common announcer usage of “striking out the side” does not require a three-up, three-down inning. “Scribner gives up two home runs here in the sixth inning, but he does strike out the side”.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • 5Aces Jul 14,2015 8:28 pm || Up

        Even with that though, the outs were still in order. (Sorry, it’s the all star game and I have nothing better to whine about).

        Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
        • Future Ed Jul 14,2015 8:34 pm || Up

          did the fox crew say anything about vote, or did they do the interview over his ab?

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • Soaker Jul 14,2015 8:37 pm || Up

            Vogt maybe wishes they had been doing an interview. They were mostly talking about DeGrom during Vogt’s brief AB, but then Joe Buck did add a couple things about Vogt while the next batter was up.

            What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  20. elcroata Jul 14,2015 11:26 pm

    I don’t know how much you know about Mariano Rajoy or the general propensity of Spanish politicians for speaking foreign languages, but this is just fucking perfect

    Because survival is insufficient
  21. Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 10:55 am

    They seriously wore those stupid hats during the all star game?

    • Englishmajor Jul 15,2015 12:33 pm || Up

      There was a shot of Sonny giggling nervously supposedly after watching Aroldis Chapman, but I think he was actually embarrassed at the TV camera catching him in that awful hat. The A’s ones were some of the worst.

    • batgirl Jul 15,2015 1:03 pm || Up

      Those were awful.

  22. FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 15,2015 12:34 pm

    Food for thought.

    What’s exasperating, though, isn’t just the creeping assumption that sports are as much about smart portfolio management as impressive athletic feats, but the way the present is routinely waved off as prelude to a hypothetical and ever-receding future.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • nevermoor Jul 15,2015 12:54 pm || Up

      Isn’t all business like that though? (honest question, I’ve never really worked in a normal business)

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • dmoas Jul 15,2015 1:22 pm || Up

        It seems to have become that way. It’s now less about the service provided (that actual function of business) and all about how much money they can make for anyone who currently owns stock (not necessarily even the original investors). It’s a pretty ridiculous way to set up an economy.

        • nevermoor Jul 15,2015 1:40 pm || Up

          Maybe I’m too focused on the tech industry, but shouldn’t a business be working on its next product (and the one after) while it sells the current one?

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
          • dmoas Jul 15,2015 2:05 pm || Up

            The function of business being meeting the customer’s needs, yes, they should always be looking to do that whether it’s improving customer service, improving on their existing product lines, or creating the next big product. The next iPhone X doesn’t really improve on the previous one and is simply becoming a constant money grab in the effort to advance stock prices and make money. On some level it’s an improvement, but that’s not really the driving force behind it. There is less a focus on fixing the previous flaws so much as doing enough to get people to shell out money for the next one.

            • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 2:15 pm || Up

              The need to continuously maintain profit growth in order to keep stock prices up can lead to some bad incentives and outcomes. Apple seems like a pretty bad example though. People keep buying new iPhones because they really do improve the device every time, and the device is really freaking awesome. Whatever the driving force behind their production schedules, it’s tough to argue that consumers (who like Apple products) aren’t getting what they want.

              • dmoas Jul 15,2015 2:43 pm || Up

                I’d argue that Apple simple has done what EA has done with Madden, their selling a rabid fan base the idea that it’s both freaking awesome and improved. In reality, the actual changes from year to year/device to device aren’t very significant. It only becomes significant if you go far enough back. I’ve known a few iPhone users who have complained about the bugginess of the phones. Now, obviously all devices have this problem. It’s both the nature of these machines and the result of putting advances in flash over the advances of the functionality. That’s not to say that they’re giving people what they want, but it shows that the problem in business today is that they’re highly focused on *selling* people on the idea that they’re getting what they want whether they are or not, as a means to boost their margins. I focused on Apple because it’s as popular a business/product in the tech industry around. It’s someone who *should* easily be both profitable and hit the market payout without resorting to allowing the product to have issues nor the need to constantly put out modest improvements rather than more significant improves every year. But because of the way our economy works, they can’t.

      • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 1:41 pm || Up

        No. Certainly not at most publicly traded companies. They have to plan for the future, but they can’t do it at the expense of present losses, or even declining present profits, or they will quickly become a takeover target and a magnet for shareholder activism and securities class actions.

        • oblique Jul 15,2015 10:29 pm || Up

          This. And pre-ipo startups are so focused on making the next deal that it takes a concerted effort to not completely forget the long term vision.

    • dmoas Jul 15,2015 12:58 pm || Up

      I’d really like MLB to punish teams not playing for now and dogging multiple seasons similar to teams that throw shit tons of money around to make the playoffs. Primarily taking high draft picks away from both teams giving more high picks to teams willing to play to win in the middle. It’s a pretty simple thing to do (assuming player cooperation). As much as I’m a proponent of lose big if you’re going to lose, I’d still like the team to come into each season trying to bust their asses to put a good team on the field.

      • ptbnl Jul 15,2015 1:02 pm || Up

        Promotion and relegation are great for that.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • dmoas Jul 15,2015 1:25 pm || Up

          I don’t think MLB is a good place for something like that. It doesn’t have the nationalistic/rabid fan following that European Football has which most likely kills fan enthusiasm during off years to the point where it may not come back.

          • AV Jul 15,2015 8:39 pm || Up

            also, laissez-faire competition has no place in the USA.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  23. AV Jul 15,2015 12:34 pm

    trump must be having a field day. what with pier 14 and the tunnel, now the mascot pushing.

    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 12:46 pm || Up

      I was hoping for Q to rip his head off revealing himself to be Eric Byrnes.

    • ptbnl Jul 15,2015 12:53 pm || Up

      Nothing the Waffen-SS couldn’t handle.

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • AV Jul 15,2015 1:05 pm || Up

        OMG. lazy stock-photo sourcing strikes once again!

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 15,2015 1:06 pm || Up

        Oh my god.

  24. ptbnl Jul 15,2015 2:13 pm
    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • nevermoor Jul 15,2015 2:34 pm || Up

      Holy crap. Human ingenuity is a beautiful thing.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • Future Ed Jul 15,2015 8:42 pm || Up

        that’s what I think every time I gossip with clients about what people do in prison to problem solve

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • AV Jul 15,2015 8:56 pm || Up

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  25. batgirl Jul 15,2015 8:43 pm

    Watching Season 1, Episode 1 of Deadwood. WHY DIDN’T YOU PEOPLE TELL ME GERI IS ON HERE??1?

  26. Jennifer Jul 15,2015 8:44 pm

    Anyone want to go to Red Rocks with me next year?

    :)

    • batgirl Jul 15,2015 9:00 pm || Up

      That’s where I went to most of my summer shows as a kid. I still have my Red Rocks rain poncho from when I saw INXS there when I was about 14 and it poured the entire time. I thought they would be electrocuted. I was really hoping my Denver trip would coincide with Morissey’s show there this summer, but I was too early.

      • Jennifer Jul 15,2015 9:10 pm || Up

        I bought a really expensive show poster the first night. Limited edition. It wasn’t supposed to rain, but thank goodness I brought my poncho, poster tube, and poster plastic. I was so worried the poster was going to be ruined that I wrapped my poncho around the tube.

        • batgirl Jul 15,2015 9:31 pm || Up

          Wow you really come prepared!

          • Jennifer Jul 15,2015 9:54 pm || Up

            Veteran concert goer. Trash bag, poncho, poster tube, poster bag, two gallon kitchen bags, three small kitchen bags, portable phone charger, extra batteries for camera, extra camera chip, mints, ibuprofen, Naprosyn, pain pill, sun glasses, 3 hair ties, fruit tic-tacs, chapstick, wallet with cash and credit card.

            Then I forgot my wallet.

            • Soaker Jul 15,2015 11:05 pm || Up

              And the corpse of Poster Nutbag…

              What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
            • batgirl Jul 16,2015 6:23 am || Up

              I just read your list to a friend of mine and the reply was “is she planning on murdering someone and disposing of the body?”

              • Jennifer Jul 16,2015 9:30 am || Up

            • Englishmajor Jul 16,2015 9:57 am || Up

              For a while I was bringing kitchen garbage bags in my A’s bag, to use as impromptu poster bags for those times you get handed a really nice cheer card on the way in, and don’t want to either roll it up in your cupholder or put it under your seat to get covered in someone else’s beer and peanut shells. But eventually I used them all up and forgot to replace them.

            • AV Jul 16,2015 3:37 pm || Up

              ear plugs. /punkshowveteran

              *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
              • 5Aces Jul 17,2015 9:43 am || Up

                Yes, please remember your plugs. Or go buy some.

                /hearinglossspokesperson

                Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
          • Jennifer Jul 15,2015 9:58 pm || Up

            Three hair ties because you never know when a friend around you needs one. I came home with two.

            Too bad I don’t drink, because I had lots of people offer to buy me drinks for friendly things I did. I believe in karma.

            • MikeV Jul 15,2015 10:55 pm || Up

              How friendly…

              And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

              Thanks, and go As.

              • Jennifer Jul 15,2015 10:58 pm || Up

                “I’ll save your seat.”

                “I have an extra hair tie.”

        • ManlyBloke Jul 17,2015 7:12 pm || Up

          I wrapped my poncho around the tube

          TWSS

          You made me forget myself / I thought I was someone else
          • Soaker Jul 17,2015 7:16 pm || Up

            “TWSS” as a first comment makes me suspicious immediately.

            What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
            • Future Ed Jul 17,2015 7:21 pm || Up

              lou reed? is it oldham A?

              I have $5. No I don\'t.
              • AV Jul 17,2015 9:35 pm || Up

                i can’t find a character that looks like a K without a bedangler, but that’s my guess.

                *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • Jennifer Jul 15,2015 9:13 pm || Up

        It wasn’t supposed to rain Friday or Saturday, but it did. Then Sunday was an early start, so we were in the sun all day. And I lost my wallet, so I was dying of thirts. A new friend gave me money for a water, and I made that shit last all day.

  27. ptbnl Jul 16,2015 10:11 am

    So much for the new dawn of English cricket … 337-1 on the first day!

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • Soaker Jul 16,2015 10:39 am || Up

      Ah, so that’s what Evan Scribner is doing now.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 16,2015 11:55 am || Up

      The 1 sounds much more embarrassing than the 337.

    • ptbnl Jul 17,2015 9:59 am || Up

      566-8 declared; 71-4 and folding faster than a cheap deckchair.

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 10:03 am || Up

        Sounds like they need more consistency. Or confidence, maybe.

      • Future Ed Jul 17,2015 1:25 pm || Up

        should’ve waited till 1066, to be dicks

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Future Ed Jul 17,2015 1:26 pm || Up

        essentially saying, hey, even our bowlers are not getting out.

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • Future Ed Jul 18,2015 9:59 am || Up

      they almost got 337 in their first innings!

      I bet they worked really hard!

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • ptbnl Jul 18,2015 12:41 pm || Up

        Australia should have made them follow on.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • Future Ed Jul 19,2015 8:48 am || Up

          or declared without batting

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • Future Ed Jul 19,2015 8:50 am || Up

          I suppose with 500 runs to make up England was swinging for the boundaries, yeah?

          I have $5. No I don\'t.
  28. nowBodhi Jul 16,2015 12:10 pm

    I know you too well, and that’s without even having to consult the surveillance gear I installed in your cable modem. You’re struggling to make it to the end of the workweek. You’re tired, irritable and your last nerve just was seen being rolled into a spliff by Donald Trump and smoked mockingly whilst he ranted about how the foreigners sure are growing lousy ganja these days. So what better pick-me-up could I supply than a PAL DVD — sourced from a 2008 digital rebroadcast — of (what else?!) some utterly smokin’ Jazz-Rock from Finland, recorded this day back in 1972 when the hair was long and the bottoms were bellin’. If you don’t know who Jukka Tolonen is, it’s time we changed all that with forty minutes of face-frying fusion footage from the greatest guitarist in the history of Scandinavia! Blog with us now, and you might just make it to the Finnish line :P

    Never suck on a Blow Pop with the microphone open.
  29. elcroata Jul 16,2015 12:41 pm

    I apologize for the baseball-softball content, but in my defense it is the soccer players doing it

    Because survival is insufficient
  30. Englishmajor Jul 16,2015 3:47 pm

    Jesse Hahn is deadfacing a somewhat extended stay on the DL.

  31. elcroata Jul 17,2015 5:42 am

    A very long read and a SB Nation link, but interesting nonetheless

    Because survival is insufficient
  32. Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 11:17 am

    People are mocking the hell out of this David Brooks column, but I actually think it’s pretty good by his standards. I certainly don’t agree that “excessive realism” is a problem we’re in danger of suffering from when it comes to race in America, but appreciate that he is listening and thoughtfully engaging with the material.

    • Future Ed Jul 17,2015 1:27 pm || Up

      is mb back? when do we talk politics?

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 1:29 pm || Up

        We’ve got to talk about something.

    • nevermoor Jul 17,2015 2:08 pm || Up

      pretty good by his standards

      Maybe. But only due to lowness-of-bar.

      I’m also not sure “thoughtfully engaging” applies. He’s describing the book, complaining about whether he’s allowed to comment, and then dismissing the books core concerns because he’d like to pretend the future is happy. Which is the exact thing TNC is writing about.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 2:13 pm || Up

        He’s at least acknowledging that TNC is an important and powerful writer and that he brings and important perspective that opened Brooks’ eyes. That’s some progress. His ostrich act is quite embarrassing, I agree, and his “is a white guy allowed to have an opinion on this” schtick is tired. But still–progress!

        • nevermoor Jul 18,2015 9:32 pm || Up

          Maybe, I’m cynical enough to think it’s just clickbait for a praise-n-switch because people are getting tired of his act.

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
  33. AV Jul 17,2015 1:33 pm

    confused…

    this morning i read a story that a brazil–argentina game to be played in san francisco on september 5 was canceled due to both countries’ organizers being under investigation for fraud/bribery. apart from it’s just down the street and how did i not know about it, i was all, oh well, it would probably have been the local squad, not messi et international al. it also said that argentina would have to scramble to find another opponent to take advantage of the FIFA date. that’s the bit that stuck with me till now, when i went too check, because if the date is set, and they were thinking SF, maybe i do have a chance too cheer for newly-noninternational tevez. but not only is that article missing, i’m now seeing that on sept 5 brazil is playing a friendly against colombia in florida. so maybe the article was retracted for being all wrong? but i’m also seeing argentina is playing a friendly against mexico on sept 8 in, lol and good luck with that, arlington texas. so it does look like they’re maybe gonna be on tour ’round these parts that weekend.

    preamble over, where does one look for these kinds of tickets? ticketmaster? the venue itself?

    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • ptbnl Jul 17,2015 1:37 pm || Up

      High-ranking confederation officials generally have plenty of tickets to sell.

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • AV Jul 17,2015 1:45 pm || Up

        and me without my rolodex…

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 1:39 pm || Up

      Tickets to…what? Even if they were going to schedule a game between Brazil and Argentina here (please, please, please), it couldn’t be in SF proper. Levi’s is the only option. In which case, finding a 49ers season ticket holder who received an offer to buy would probably be the way to go.

      I don’t think we’ll ever see those two playing a game here outside of the Northeast or maybe Florida. Just not enough folks out here from the southern cone to drive up the price sufficiently.

      Brazil is playing the USA in Foxboro, Mass. on Sept. 8, to add to your preamble.

      • AV Jul 17,2015 1:44 pm || Up

        well, once a game is scheduled and if it’s within 50 miles of me, to that game.

        yep, it looks like lots of friendlies those days. i’m guessing europa qualifiers weekend?

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 1:48 pm || Up

          Yup. Also the CONCACAF World Cup preliminary heats, where the USA has a bye.

      • AV Jul 17,2015 1:50 pm || Up

        even that US-BRA game, i’m not having any luck finding the outlet. i see a ticketmaster hit on google, but when i click on it it’s a gillette stadium listing for everything between taylor swift to revolu-patriots, and nothing about the friendly.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 1:57 pm || Up

          Huh. There’s nothing on the US Soccer website either, even though there is a ticketmaster link there to buy tickets to a game against Peru on Sept. 4. The Globe reported that the game is happening, but who knows.

          I did find some Brazilian news about a Superclasico das Americas on Sept. 5 being canceled due to “prisão de organizadores,” but no mention of where it would have been played. I don’t see anything about a match against Colombia.

          • Glorious Mundy Jul 17,2015 2:06 pm || Up

            The Globe also said that “the Brazilian Football Confederation noted the team will be competing in the United States twice in September, against Argentina and an undetermined foe.” Of course that was a week ago, which is a lifetime in Brazilian soccer corruption time.

          • AV Jul 17,2015 6:23 pm || Up

            whoops, my bad. brazil-colombia at sun life stadium, september 5… 2014.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
          • AV Jul 17,2015 9:58 pm || Up

            oh, it’s about the jinkis. yeah, they need to go away. funny though that the brazilian paper forgets to mention klefer. have to go to colombia or LA to find that out. both of them mention san francisco.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
            • AV Jul 17,2015 10:02 pm || Up

              also, i’m so glad i don’t have kids. i’d have to cancel my ISP. you can’t even look up “scooby jinkies” for a funny photo to add without half the hits being about T&A.

              *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • AV Jul 17,2015 1:54 pm || Up

        did you edit? somehow i missed the sensical info before.

        only clarification, the argentine newspaper i read it in wouldn’t know to distinguish santa clara/san jose from SF.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 11:11 am || Up

      Today’s Chronicle has a blurb about “[a] friendly between Brazil and Argentina planned for San Francisco on Sept. 5” being cancelled. Byline is the AP. It doesn’t make sense that a match that was never announced can be “cancelled,” but whatever.

      • AV Jul 22,2015 11:15 am || Up

        yeah, the slightly reworded repetition in these stories makes me think someone farted in an echo chamber.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 11:29 am || Up

          There is a certain “cheiro de pum” hovering over all of Brazilian futebol at the moment.

          • AV Jul 22,2015 11:38 am || Up

            google image helped me more than google translate on that.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  34. ptbnl Jul 17,2015 4:39 pm

    Front-row seats with my father-in-law tonight, and happily we get Sonny.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • batgirl Jul 18,2015 7:39 am || Up

      That’s the last time FIL gets those seats!

      • ptbnl Jul 18,2015 9:57 pm || Up

        Given how much frailer he is this year than last, possibly :-(

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
  35. AV Jul 18,2015 2:18 pm

    gooool loooolz.

    breakaway. calleri on the right, tevez on the left. calleri wants to give it to tevez as a welcome home gift, but the pass is blocked and ends up slightly behind calleri. he can’t save the play with his left because he’s got none. chips it over the goalie on a righty rabona instead.

    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • AV Jul 20,2015 12:34 am || Up

      ok, i’m a drive this one to the ground. mostly because i just can’t stop watching it (and feel none of you should either). the call on the link above is already seared into my memory — it’s lovely, what with the predictive PxP and pitch-perfect description of every story angle as it develops, and the analyst who can barely muster a “no. ah… no.” but i realize nobody clicked it. so here’s the vine.

      and here‘s maradona’s reaction as he watches the replay from his box. i mean, if you manage to impress diego… and do also, please, notice his daughter, and former wife of baby-daddy el kun agüero, so she’s like no noob to really nice goals, wiping away the tears.

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • Future Ed Jul 20,2015 5:37 am || Up

        i watched it. relax

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • AV Jul 20,2015 9:15 am || Up

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  36. ptbnl Jul 18,2015 4:30 pm

    Coconut Double IPA and a s’mores donut – breakfast of champions.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • MikeV Jul 18,2015 9:48 pm || Up

      Why would someone FK up a perfectly good DIPA with Coconut?

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

      • ptbnl Jul 18,2015 9:56 pm || Up

        It was actually surprisingly good. Lots of lactose too, to make it effectively a Coconut/Milk DIPA. A regular DIPA would have been very bitter alongside the donut.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • MikeV Jul 18,2015 10:54 pm || Up

          I’ll take your word for it :P

          And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

          Thanks, and go As.

          • ptbnl Jul 18,2015 11:44 pm || Up

            I’d obviously rather have the 5 gallons of Pliney the Ed I’ve got on tap in the basement, but as a one-off …

            If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • Dial C for Concupiscence Jul 19,2015 10:45 pm || Up

        Yes, this

    • andeux Jul 20,2015 2:47 pm || Up

      Just had their Morning Time Breakfast Stout. (Though it was afternoon)
      Recommended.

      TINSTAAFK
  37. Future Ed Jul 19,2015 8:43 am
    I have $5. No I don\'t.
    • AV Jul 19,2015 9:37 am || Up

      they’re gonna go pee on the guy.

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  38. Future Ed Jul 19,2015 12:37 pm

    Quadrupal play?

    I have $5. No I don\'t.
  39. Glorious Mundy Jul 20,2015 12:28 pm

    I finally saw some good replays of the penalty that decided Mexico-Costa Rica yesterday. Absolutely horrible. Said it before, and I’ll say it again: non-Mexican referees in this region are not qualified to referee big matches, which means that games in this region involving Mexico are always a travesty waiting to happen.

    • AV Jul 20,2015 12:54 pm || Up

      too bad pedro proenca wasn’t there.

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • MikeV Jul 20,2015 1:54 pm || Up

      what do you mean?

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

      • Glorious Mundy Jul 20,2015 2:29 pm || Up

        Also this was two minutes into stoppage time for a 15 minute overtime period, which is a lot of stoppage time. And, the Mexican attacker had gotten away with a clear red card two-foot scissor job a few minutes earlier.

  40. Glorious Mundy Jul 20,2015 3:35 pm

    We had the fifth best draft according to mlb.com. Notably:

    They got gamer Alabama shortstop Mikey White for $900,000 in the second round…

    You can tell he’s a gamer by his last name.

  41. Glorious Mundy Jul 21,2015 11:00 am

    Props to Prince Fielder for winning a “Heart & Hustle” award. Not easy to do when you are both a non-white guy and a fat guy.

  42. Glorious Mundy Jul 21,2015 11:08 am

    I knew it:

    In the meantime, Zito has enjoyed living in Nashville. “I’m obsessed with it,” he said. He’s making contacts in the music industry and he wants to be a songwriter, not necessarily a performer, when his baseball career ends.

    • James V. Jul 22,2015 7:38 am || Up

      Yeah, I think more than a few of us called that one when the news first broke that he was going there.

    • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 22,2015 8:02 am || Up

      The A’s owe it to music lovers everywhere to get Zito the hell out of Nashville and back to Oakland.

      "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 9:53 am || Up

        Can his songs really be worse than the ones coming out of Nashville now? I say give him a chance.

  43. doctorK Jul 21,2015 1:07 pm
  44. AV Jul 22,2015 11:36 am

    podcast swap meet. i bring,

    —*invisibilia (investigations into behavior’s unseen forces; top notch, very few epps available till the next season gets going)

    —*benajmen walker’s theory of everything (supertopnotch. narrative nonfiction at the intersection of culture and the personal; starting points might be “1984, the year not the book” and “the dislike club.”)

    —*reply all (thoughts on new media)

    —*mystery show (a woman with a gift for getting people to out of nowhere talk about something kinda deep, goes out and solves peoples personal mysteries, such as, “i saw a photo of britney holding my novel and i wonder if she read it / liked it.” only 5 epps so far, but ongoing.)

    —song exploder (musicians explain one of their songs from the ground up)

    —on the grid (hmm, maybe not for everyone. 3 young designers —whatever that means in web terms— on the phone with each other giving their unflinching and deeply personal opinions on things such as skeuomorphism. yes, sometimes it sounds like 3 DFAs talking if DFA knew coding.)

    —the observatory (kinda like the flipside of on the grid, 2 long-standing designers talk from experience and academia, about traditional design issues in the modern world.)

    —memory palace (super short snapshots of historical tidbits)

    —answer me this (from england, the woman from the allusionist and 2 men answer odd sent-in questions in a banter-filled potty-mouthed way)

    wanna trade? i’m looking for two podcast suggestions for any *, the rest are free. what you got?

    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • colin Jul 23,2015 7:17 am || Up

      I can’t work while listening to people talk, so my “podcasts” are exclusively music. Mostly they are wfmu shows. Especially Mudd Up!, which ended in 2013 but there are ~6 years of archives.

      • AV Jul 23,2015 9:16 am || Up

        music, you say? like with the rhythm and the melody and the thing? that might just be crazy enough to work!

        but i know what you’re saying. i too turn off the talking when i’m reading or writing at work. it’s just that i get to do so much of my work while not reading that it gives me a chance to be the learny thinky type i am too tired to be once i get home at night.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
        • colin Jul 23,2015 2:01 pm || Up

          You can find the last episode of my radio show here, complete with awkward stumbling-over-my-words banter and like 10 seconds of dead air when I was running around the library trying to find a cd that wasn’t there.

          • AV Jul 24,2015 12:31 pm || Up

            still haven’t gotten there. i blame (thank) you for leading me by the nose to WFMU, where i found the archive of benjamen’s TMI.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • AV Jul 23,2015 9:19 am || Up

        oh, and i had a decent first exposure yesterday to “everything sounds,” about sound itself, sometimes musically related.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  45. Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 12:07 pm

    What’s in the Daily News
    I’ll tell you what’s in the Daily News
    Story about a team whose prospects the A’s would choose in exchange for a player they can no longer use
    That’s what’s in the Daily News

  46. FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 22,2015 1:14 pm

    @GM: Article would be more useful if it identified or at least speculated about which prospects the A’s were asking for.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 1:23 pm || Up

      Yeah, well if I were a bell I’d go ding dong ding dong ding.

      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 22,2015 1:37 pm || Up

        And Billy Butler would come running, country breakfast bowl in hand.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
      • Englishmajor Jul 22,2015 2:20 pm || Up

        I thought you were going to suggest he sue you, sue you, what can he do you.

    • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 1:39 pm || Up

      This guy is pretty interesting. I imagine he’s on Beane’s list. Word is he might get called up this week.

      • andeux Jul 22,2015 1:46 pm || Up

        We are not getting a prospect that good (#14 on BA’s midseason list) for a couple months of Zobrist.
        Other articles have mentioned Rafael Montero

        TINSTAAFK
        • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 1:56 pm || Up

          For some reason, if you asked me “which organization’s prospects are you most skeptical of” it would be the Mets. They’ve obviously brought up a few great pitchers recently, but I always have the impression that their middling prospects get undue attention. Makes me nervous.

  47. Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 1:24 pm

    Beane is so trading this pick.

  48. Soaker Jul 22,2015 3:34 pm

    I come home from the dentist with a mouth full of novocaine to find that one of the power company’s transformers blew and we could be out of juice for hours. So it’s a good opportunity to test one of my emergency power sources, which is a battery box that can be used to jump start a car but also has a couple AC outlets. Modem + router = 13 watts, let’s see how long they can run on that. We can have some very long duration outages during the winter; one was something like 20 hours, so it’s nice to at least have connectivity.

    What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
    • Soaker Jul 22,2015 6:20 pm || Up

      Still no power after 7 hours. I cannot run a 85 inch 46 inch HDTV on backup power. Looks like it’s Ken and Vince on the Chromebook tonight, if the batteries hold out, with chardonnay (in an ice bucket) and Norco after the dental work. Pray for me. Thanks.

      What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 22,2015 6:24 pm || Up

        Alcohol and opioids may not be the first doctor recommendation, but they’ve always worked for me.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 6:27 pm || Up

          They’ll be especially helpful during the Vince innings.

        • Soaker Jul 22,2015 6:50 pm || Up

          POWER WOOOO!! In the nick of time. Since I am already well down the alcohol and painkillers road, think I’ll stay on that.

          What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
  49. Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 3:53 pm

    Gold cup spoiler:

    Klinsmann’s boys are deep in the scheiße, down 2-0 to Jamaica at the half in the semifinals. Goals on a header directly from a throw in and a free kick given away when the goalkeeper carried the ball out of his own box.

    • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 4:10 pm || Up

      2-1. Jamaican goalkeeper showing why he plays for something called the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

      • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 4:55 pm || Up

        :(

        • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 5:12 pm || Up

          I’m not on board the Fire Jurgen train yet, but I’m standing at the ticket window checking the timetable.

          • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 22,2015 6:29 pm || Up

            He’s gotta get at least one more World Cup shot, not? To this ultra-casual fan the USMNT still feels more threatening under Klinsmann today than it ever did under earlier regimes.

            "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
            • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 7:22 pm || Up

              It does seem that way sometimes. He has managed to get the team ready to go toe-to-toe with big teams, including Mexico, but there have been a lot of really lousy performances against inferior teams, and times where the team looks just plain lost. His player selections have been ideosyncratic at times, and often seem driven by personality conflicts. (Donovan for example, but not just him.) And there has been a nagging suspicion that he runs the team into the ground in training.

              This one was down to a lot of bad luck, but I thought he also mismanaged it a bit.

              • AV Jul 23,2015 9:13 am || Up

                who would be next? is there a qualified US guy somewhere, or import again?

                *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • MikeV Jul 23,2015 9:23 am || Up

                  He’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

                  Gulati has wanted him running US Soccer since like 2006. JK gets at least through 2018 in Russia, then Pep Guardiola takes over :D

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • AV Jul 23,2015 9:29 am || Up

                  apparently pep wanted (still wants?) to run brazil. i’m thinking he’s next in line for spain though.

                  just please don’t look at simeone. my people need him.

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • Glorious Mundy Jul 23,2015 9:40 am || Up

                  That’s the problem. There are some youngish American coaches in MLS who might very well do a great job, but do you want to drop one of them into managing the national team a couple of months before World Cup qualifying starts, not to mention a couple of months before a do-or-die Confeds Cup playoff against Mexico or, gulp, Jamaica? Probably not.

                  I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to bringing in a big name experienced international manager, but there’s no way U.S. Soccer is going to be able/willing to pay what those guys are asking while also paying Klinsmann’s bloated salary. And U.S. Soccer hasn’t really shown much interest in non-American managers since Bora Milutinovic moved on anyway. Klinsmann’s basically an American.

                  So unless they want to go back to Bob Bradley or Bruce Arena wants back in (no chance given what the Galaxy are up to), it’s not happening for a while.

                • AV Jul 24,2015 12:34 pm || Up

                  related thoughts from the guardian.

                  which you can accompany with a pretty song by not the author.

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 6:34 pm || Up

      Meanwhile, the American ref just red carded a Panamanian for nothing at all. Sheeeesh.

      • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 7:27 pm || Up

        Gol de Panama! And in the celebration they get hit with several full cups of beer from the Mexican fans.

        • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 22,2015 7:31 pm || Up

          Beer îf they’re lucky.

          "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
          • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 7:32 pm || Up

            If not, that was a lot of piss.

            • MikeV Jul 22,2015 7:59 pm || Up

              Holy shit this game…

              And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

              Thanks, and go As.

              • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 8:00 pm || Up

                Insane. Geiger lost all control of this match.

                • MikeV Jul 22,2015 8:02 pm || Up

                  With about 10 min to play in the first half.

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 8:07 pm || Up

                  LOL, the Univision announcer said “Goooooooool de Mark Geiger, arbitro de los Estados Unidos!”

                  Ends the half with “Panama uno, el arbitro uno.” When the Univision guys are mocking you that hard for favoring Mexico, something has gone horribly wrong.

                • MikeV Jul 22,2015 8:26 pm || Up

                  Yeah that was great

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • AV Jul 22,2015 8:31 pm || Up

                  wait. was that a penalty?

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 8:33 pm || Up

                  ehhhhhhhhhh

                • Glorious Mundy Jul 22,2015 8:34 pm || Up

                  Vela looked maybe offside too

                • AV Jul 23,2015 9:11 am || Up

                  somewhere else in the mark geiger count, a WC yellow for 2 broken bones.

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • AV Jul 23,2015 9:30 am || Up

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • MikeV Jul 23,2015 9:39 am || Up

                  And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

                  Thanks, and go As.

                • Glorious Mundy Jul 23,2015 9:45 am || Up

                  This is incredible.

                • AV Jul 23,2015 3:39 pm || Up

                  later today, pan american games semifinal… mexico – panama.

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • AV Jul 22,2015 8:28 pm || Up

      holy mother of WTFF.

      come on panama! though i guess as it stands i have to root for the rocksteadyboyz.

      and, because i’m inconsistent like that, go tigres! they’re my last libertadores hope.

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • Glorious Mundy Jul 23,2015 9:47 am || Up

        I’m all in for Jamaica. The sequence of events leading Mexico to the final isn’t really their fault, but their fans have been dicks throughout and this team is too mediocre to be the champs. Plus, I want Concacaf to lose out on the big cash that a U.S.-Mexico confeds playoff would generate.

        • MikeV Jul 23,2015 9:58 am || Up

          Fun fact: Mexico’s last 4 goals have been on an OG and three PKs.

          And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

          Thanks, and go As.

          • Glorious Mundy Jul 23,2015 10:12 am || Up

            I will say one thing for them. Guardado takes great penalties.

          • elcroata Jul 23,2015 10:41 pm || Up

            This tournament is starting to resemble some other sport events in Mexico

            Because survival is insufficient
            • AV Jul 24,2015 12:36 pm || Up

              i my initial reaction was that el chapo’d be the backing funds behind these helped wins. but there’s evidence pointing elsewhere.

              http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/07/gold-cup-ratings-univision-mexico-panama-audience-united-states-jamaica-fox-sports/

              *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
              • Glorious Mundy Jul 24,2015 12:46 pm || Up

                This is one of those situations where the incentives to make sure a) Mexico doesn’t miss a second straight GC final with all of the implications that would have for future ad rates and b) we get a Mexico-USA showdown for the confeds cup that will make mint are so strong that it is hard to dismiss the possibility that intentional shenanigans occurred. I still think it’s more down to just garden variety bad concacaf refereeing (otherwise these guys wouldn’t leave the game changing call for so late in the match both times) but it’s hard to just laugh off the $$$$ angle in this instance.

                • AV Jul 24,2015 12:47 pm || Up

                  yeah, i’m half kidding, half who-knows?

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • Glorious Mundy Jul 24,2015 1:26 pm || Up

                  Diego knows.

                  I love that he has Spanish, Italian, and Castilian versions of his Facebook posts.

                • AV Jul 24,2015 4:05 pm || Up

                  (*and english. castilian is spanish for most intents and purposes, differentiating within spain from, say, catalan. for some reason, in central and north america it’s called spanish while in the cone it’s still called castilian. el salvador is the standout in central, because they also use the 2nd person singular “vos” that argentines use and that elcro likes to make fun of. it’s fallen out of practice elsewhere as archaic, just like thou. the official language of argentina is castellano del río de la plata.)

                  but yeah, literate guy, he…

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
                • elcroata Jul 25,2015 8:34 am || Up

                  Interesting map. I didn’t know that.

                  I like vos. I like frutilla (of course, with “ll” pronounced like French “je”) even more.

                  Because survival is insufficient
                • AV Jul 25,2015 10:27 am || Up

                  yo gusto de vos también!

                  *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  50. FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 23,2015 11:22 am

    Bye bye Kazmir, I will miss your Led Zep music but not your bad stache.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • MikeV Jul 23,2015 11:33 am || Up

      You probably want to see the guy we traded him for, then.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 23,2015 1:17 pm || Up

        Now that’s a man’s stache! Not the bad teenage stache Kaz sports.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  51. Glorious Mundy Jul 23,2015 1:05 pm
    • colin Jul 23,2015 1:59 pm || Up

      Wow! So good.

      Like FSU, I have to apologize to Slick Rickie Henderson before picking Kayne Mack.

  52. FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 23,2015 1:22 pm

    @GM: Awesome! Joetorreous B.I.G. is probably my favorite, with apologies to Slick Rickie Henderson.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
  53. AV Jul 24,2015 8:59 am

    fascinating. footage of the 1906 quake aftermath, plus another 999,991 minutes of historical film made available on youtube by the AP and movietone.

    facepalm. in the face of the momentous, commenters still call each other dumbass and stuff.

    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  54. ptbnl Jul 25,2015 10:34 am

    UEFA World Cup Qualifying Draw

    9 group winners + 4 winners of play-offs between the 8 best 2nd place teams.

    A & G look tough, EC should be happy with I, and England and Scotland in the same group is like the resistable force meeting the moveable object.

    Group A: Netherlands, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg
    Group B: Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra
    Group C: Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino
    Group D: Wales, Austria, Serbia, Republic Of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia
    Group E: Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan
    Group F: England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta
    Group G: Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein
    Group H: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus
    Group I: Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • elcroata Jul 25,2015 11:15 am || Up

      It’s “EC should be happy with me“, man. Even the British, now…

      Because survival is insufficient
      • ptbnl Jul 26,2015 8:21 pm || Up

        EC should be happy with I and I.

        Go Jamaica.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • MikeV Jul 26,2015 7:44 pm || Up

      man, Germany is going to walk into the WC.

      And I have to say: mikev is one of my favorite people on here -slusser.

      Thanks, and go As.

  55. Glorious Mundy Jul 25,2015 1:17 pm

    @ptbnl: Those Spain-Italy and France-Netherlands battles are going to be fun. Thanks screwy FIFA rankings. Meanwhile, Wales has a real shot at this thing.

    The USA got the easiest semifinal group imaginable: Trinidad and Tobago, the winner of St. Vincent & Grenadines vs. Aruba, and the winner of Antigua & Barbuda vs. Guatemala. The Royal Caribbean group.

  56. AV Jul 26,2015 10:13 pm

    pretty sure my thoughts on the kazmir thingy and returns belong in this thread instead.

    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • elcroata Jul 27,2015 5:17 am || Up

      Wow. Just wow.

      Because survival is insufficient
      • Future Ed Jul 27,2015 6:03 pm || Up

        I think you mean, Oh mickey

        I have $5. No I don\'t.
        • AV Jul 27,2015 8:45 pm || Up

          indeed. did you pick up on that yourself? i didn’t. too mesmerized to notice till someone mentioned it.

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
          • Future Ed Jul 27,2015 8:55 pm || Up

            all by myself. I was trying to date it, but I never can with bollywood

            I have $5. No I don\'t.
            • AV Jul 28,2015 8:58 am || Up

              good job.

              *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  57. ptbnl Jul 26,2015 11:26 pm
    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • nevermoor Jul 26,2015 11:34 pm || Up

      It really is great that these stories are becoming national news every time. About the only way this kind of behavior will ever change.

      "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
      • ptbnl Jul 26,2015 11:52 pm || Up

        What’s gob-smacking is how little it has changed even under this (relative) scrutiny. There’s not even a token attempt not to fuck up.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • batgirl Jul 27,2015 7:38 am || Up

          That is exactly what blows my mind.

        • nevermoor Jul 27,2015 9:36 am || Up

          Well, if generations of cops were able to paper over anything with a “and then he got belligerent…” report, I can imagine there’s some serious entitlement/inertia at work.

          "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
    • elcroata Jul 27,2015 5:23 am || Up

      Let me try to play devil’s advocate here for a second. If the crowd was indeed trying to free someone who was under arrest, what would have been the proper action by this officer?

      Because survival is insufficient
      • James V. Jul 27,2015 7:06 am || Up

        This is a completely valid point.

      • colin Jul 27,2015 7:45 am || Up

        The incident that set it off was an arrest for public drunkenness. It’s the sort of offense that is frequently ignored, and that seems like it would have been an especially good call in the particular circumstances.

        • elcroata Jul 27,2015 7:53 am || Up

          I get that and I agree. However, the outrage is not about the arrest itself, it is about the spraying. So, once the arrest was made, was there any other reaction that you would have found more acceptable?

          Because survival is insufficient
        • James V. Jul 27,2015 8:04 am || Up

          Being drunk in public is not a big thing in most cases, but the one arrested was 14 years old. I would arrest a 14 year old who’s acting drunk 100% of the time, or at the very least make damn certain his parents are getting notified immediately while he’s in my custody.

          People trying to interfere with that process risk getting pepper sprayed if they won’t let the officer do his job. Better getting sprayed than shot.

          • nevermoor Jul 27,2015 9:37 am || Up

            Just walk past them people trying to interfere. Not everyone need be subdued.

            "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want"
        • ptbnl Jul 27,2015 8:27 am || Up

          Reportedly.

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • ptbnl Jul 27,2015 8:33 am || Up

        Don’t get into this situation in the first place, and if you do focus all your efforts on de-escalation.

        Both of these would have required a completely different mindset, not just by this one officer but of law enforcement as a whole. And that’s what I’m not seeing in any of these situations – any self-awareness that attitudes and behaviour have to fundamentally change.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • James V. Jul 27,2015 8:52 am || Up

          How do you not get into a situation where people are surrounding your patrol car and, allegedly, trying to get the kid out?

          And, from there, how do you de-escalate it?

          • ptbnl Jul 27,2015 10:07 am || Up

            I think you have to push it further back, and avoid the situation where a white cop is arresting a black child in front of a conference called in response to a white cop executing a black child.

            That would require the recognition by law enforcement that they have *deservedly* lost the trust of the black community, and a genuine determination to recover that trust (although, like recombination in the very early universe, there’s not really a re- there).

            That in turn would have involved all kinds of outreach to the black community, and the establishment of trusted lines of communication between law enforcement and the black community. Once you have that, then you can do things like agreeing on protocols for dealing with various situations (including interactions with minors) to avoid escalation.

            I can’t tell you what that would look like specifically in 2015 Cleveland, but I could imagine for example a protocol whereby any minor is held in the joint custody of the community and the police (and somewhere other than a police cell) until their guardian can be present.

            Sure there are lots of details to be worked out (and that itself is a critical part of the process), and my example might not be the solution in Cleveland’s specific circumstances, but business as usual is no solution at all.

            If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
            • James V. Jul 27,2015 10:23 am || Up

              Fair points here, yes.

            • elcroata Jul 27,2015 11:33 am || Up

              Well argumented

              Because survival is insufficient
            • Future Ed Jul 27,2015 6:13 pm || Up

              but don’t let is be a black a a white one, cos they slam you down to the street top, black po lice showing off for the white cop

              I have $5. No I don\'t.
          • colin Jul 27,2015 10:17 am || Up

            Explain to them that you are dealing with a minor drunk in public, that he’s not actually going to be charged with anything, and that your goal is to just release him into parent’s custody. The “do what I say and don’t question it” attitude is a major part of the tension.

          • AV Jul 27,2015 11:02 am || Up

            i’m gonna continue to harp on the difference in the mentality and expressed language between a community member trying to help his or her fellows and an occupying force sent in to risk life and limb to subdue an out-of-control population. also stated in economic terms.

            and remind that escalation isn’t just something that happens, but an official policy trained into cadets and maintained throughout an officer’s career. likewise, de-escalation doesn’t just happen. it has to become policy and become part of training.

            i would not be surprised if an officer simply showing a different attitude and body language, say, helping a child in trouble rather than perp-walking a juvenile, in cleveland wouldn’t have had much less of a problem with the crowd who saw him.

            *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  58. Englishmajor Jul 27,2015 1:56 pm

    Greg Papa and whatshisname saved up all their “one ball to Billy Burns” jokes over the weekend. What a flagship.

  59. ptbnl Jul 27,2015 2:20 pm
    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • Glorious Mundy Jul 27,2015 2:22 pm || Up

      I don’t want to go into details but I don’t believe a word about him being involved in corruption personally.

      The “personally” is the best.

  60. ptbnl Jul 27,2015 2:25 pm

    OK, everyone knows FKers know something about everything …

    The owner of the problem lot next to us is interested in selling it to us; it is currently zoned commercial. What would be the pros and cons of changing that to residential and merging it with our existing lot? I’m imagining the pro being reducing the property taxes and the con being reducing our range of options for its use.

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • DFA Jul 27,2015 4:17 pm || Up

      Leave it commercial… expand your brewery… solves all the problems.

      In play, run(s)! Talk dirty to me gamecast, talk dirty. - Nevermoor
      • ptbnl Jul 27,2015 7:27 pm || Up

        Even more complex regulation.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • elcroata Jul 28,2015 12:21 am || Up

      Expanding universe

      Because survival is insufficient
  61. FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 27,2015 2:59 pm

    @ptbnl: Be very wary. You’ve described two distinct actions: a lot re-zoning, followed by a tract consolidation. Both would be costly and time-consuming; either could fall to receive approval. I would go in and sit down with a planner to discuss in detail. I can make an intro or two to get you started. But it will not be easy, and may not necessarily even be possible.

    "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
    • ptbnl Jul 27,2015 3:46 pm || Up

      Thanks. So is there any disadvantage to just keeping the two lots with their existing zonings?

      If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 27,2015 6:51 pm || Up

        Just some use limitations, like not being able to (legally) rent the new property to residential tenants to defray your costs. Probably not a problem for you to just knock down the fence and expand the new hops garden. I’d still talk to planners though.

        Also, are you sure the zoning is different? Looks the same using this tool.

        "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
        • ptbnl Jul 27,2015 7:27 pm || Up

          Maybe I misunderstand zoning … in the property tax records it’s listed as Miscellaneous Improved Commercial (the tool wants silverlight and crashes all my browsers).

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
          • FreeSeatUpgrade Jul 27,2015 7:59 pm || Up

            My reading of the map, which does need Silverlight, is that all the lots on your side of the street are zoned RM-4 (Residential Zones explained). County Property Taxes assess land value based on all use conditions; it may be that the neighboring lot has a previous Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for some Commercial use which varies from Zoning, like an old car sales or repair lot. That would be pretty common in a border zone area like yours. CUPs never expire…it’s a value conveyed upon that lot, and the County taxes it accordingly. The CUP does not negate the underlying RM-4 zoning (if I’m reading it right).

            My amateur take is that the “Miscellaneous Improved Commercial” tag is just an allowed use for that specific parcel, so the County taxes it that way, but it would not obligate you to continue that use or bar you from any RM-4 use as far as the City were concerned. Besides confirming the above with a real City planner, you’d also want to ask the County about the tax implications if you were to acquire the site.

            "Kraut will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no kraut."
            • ptbnl Jul 28,2015 1:14 am || Up

              FKers never fail – thanks.

              If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
      • Soaker Jul 27,2015 8:39 pm || Up

        I’m almost a decade past the title insurance days (wow), but am pretty sure a lot merger would be the wrong way to go. A future lot line adjustment between the two lots is simpler for the property owner than a new subdivision. FSU is much more informed about zoning issues so I leave that part to him.

        What I discovered Blew. My. Mind. -- Pat Boone
        • ptbnl Jul 28,2015 1:14 am || Up

          Noted with thanks.

          If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
    • Future Ed Jul 27,2015 6:17 pm || Up

      Are we talking about redistricting or are we talking about reapportionment?

      I have $5. No I don\'t.
      • ptbnl Jul 28,2015 1:15 am || Up

        Recombination.

        If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.
        • colin Jul 28,2015 8:46 am || Up

          Recombination already happened, like 14 billion years ago.

  62. James V. Jul 27,2015 7:55 pm

    This is pretty much the best thing ever.

    • Englishmajor Jul 27,2015 11:24 pm || Up

      7th and Bryant I think? And nice calculator watch there.

  63. AV Jul 28,2015 9:15 am
    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • 5Aces Jul 28,2015 9:34 am || Up

      Youre my boy Blue!

      Camelot sure fell apart, didn't it? -Steve McCatty
  64. elcroata Jul 28,2015 9:59 am

    So, they made a strike-calling robot and think that Eric Byrnes could be trusted on evaluating if it works properly.

    This should be fun, though:

    If either coach disagrees with the strike zone, Byrnes has the option to eject a player or manager, and in doing so would then donate $10,000 to the foundation for each person tossed from the game.

    Because survival is insufficient
    • Englishmajor Jul 28,2015 1:22 pm || Up

      I just got moved to day shift tomorrow, so I might have to go to the second game of this series!

  65. AV Jul 28,2015 12:06 pm
    *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • AV Jul 28,2015 12:09 pm || Up

      OTOH, i’m glad to see dazzle ships seem to be alive and well.

      ” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • vignette17 Jul 28,2015 10:00 pm || Up
      • colin Jul 29,2015 6:44 am || Up

        Wow. I just spent 15 minutes looking through that subreddit. So cool!!

      • AV Jul 29,2015 1:05 pm || Up

        yeah, those are just neat. freaky, but neat.

        it’s wreckage that gets me. something about ships themselves. i can’t stand safely on land in front of the USS hornet without getting wobbly knees and having to move either left or right real quick.

        *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
    • AV Mar 6,2018 8:53 am || Up

      the uss lexington is killing me today. can’t stop looking. till i get that week-kneed tingle and have to look away.

      then back for more.

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
      • doctorK Mar 6,2018 4:29 pm || Up

        The pic of the fighter plane with the clearly-visible squadron logo (76 years later!) is hard to forget.

        • AV Mar 6,2018 5:03 pm || Up

          the fighting 31.

          *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  66. Glorious Mundy Jul 28,2015 2:16 pm

    Mexico wins the Gold Cup under shady circumstances and immediately fires its lovable coach for punching a TV Azteca reporter in the TSA line at the Philadelphia airport.

    Soccer is the best.

    • AV Jul 29,2015 1:22 pm || Up

      credit to his superclassy daughter, who had a twitter war with martinoli, calling him a p•to ball-licker, etc because he, you know, questioned things about the team on the air. she was there in line at the airport, chased martinoli around and slapped him. then the dad gets involved…

      among other tweets of lady pioja, she called the pan-american games mexican women’s side a bunch of “tortilleras.”

      *i’m* AV. alex vause. put this loon in psych before she hurts someone.
  67. ptbnl Jul 28,2015 2:51 pm

    Presented without comment (but no, mine isn’t).

    If this is His will, He's a son of a bitch.

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