Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Nevin Shapiro Vows To Bring Down Miami

OFTFOT750C: 100th Diary/Fanpost Edition!

Hurley_tiny by Phil Hatzenbuehler on

Oh happy day, this joyous occasion is finally upon us. My 100th Diary/Fanpost! Next milestone: 10,000 comments.

Star-divide

To the questions:

  • Do you have plans yet for the holidays?
  • Upcoming video games you're looking forward to?
  • Will the Seahawks win on Sunday (potentially) without Hasselbeck?
  • How's your fantasy football team doing?
  • Do you have a Halloween costume picked out yet?
  • What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving? Football? Food? Family?
  • How weird is it having fall colors on the trees, yet it's 95 degrees outside? Well, 95 in Portland. I'm not sure what you guys were yesterday in Seattle.
  • Are you looking forward to summer being over?

Comment 858 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Crankypants answers!

1. None. Wife has no vacation time left so we’re homebound. Which is actually fine.
2 Nope.
3. I got nothin’.
4. Who did who with the what now?
5. Don’t like costumes.
6. Food and family. My favorite Thanksgiving was about 15 years ago, I flew to Reno (most of my fam lives there) and was there for a total of about 47 hours and in every one of those hours that I was awake I had a drink in my hand and there was food being consumed. I love my family.
7 and 8. WHEN THE FUCK WILL IT STOP BEING OVER 90 DEGREES FOR GOOD THIS YEAR? I love summer like crazy, but this is seriously getting ridiculous. I want some of those great fall days, when it’s 75 during the day and cold at night.

(i’m really not this cranky of a person, but your questions are mostly about things for which I care not…)

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 8:02 AM PDT reply actions  

That sounds like an amazing Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately for me, my family, and my wife’s families (her parents are divorced) still live within 5 miles of each other, so our time is split three ways. It’s hectic, but not as hectic as Christmas, where our parents REALLY start fighting over our time.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 8:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

I hate the fighting over time aspect of family holidays.

After a year or two of that, my wife and I told everyone our schedule and said if they complained or argued about what we decided to do, then we weren’t going to spend any time with them. It sounds a little harsh, but it ended the pointless bickering and made the holidays much more enjoyable.

by Jed MC on Sep 23, 2009 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions  

Didn't say I didn't like them

I just can’t answer them in a positive way which makes me sound like a cranky old man. i’d shake my fist if i had a spare one.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions  

Damn you.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 23, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

What if this is all an elaborate ruse?

And they really are..

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 23, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

Now I'm trying to remember all of pdb's opinions on Twilight

A carefully constructed foil perhaps? This has conspiracy theorist potential

by Kermit. on Sep 23, 2009 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions  

Eh, uninteresting answers, but...

1. Since I have a 4-6 pm class on Wednesday, I’m not going back for the holidays, so my mom decided she’d come and visit me here, which is kind of cool.
2. I don’t have a console, or a TV most of the year and when I do I’m catching up on games from 5-10 years ago. It’s the Metal Gear Solid series this time around.
3. It depends on whether the defense is back in working order.
4. I have never had a fantasy football team. Or a fantasy sports team of any sort.
5. Uh… I… no, not really. I’ll come up with something that require minimal effort. I may have to go out and do something though, it’s a friend’s birthday.
6. Food, definitely. It helps that on my dad’s side of the family, my grandpa was a chef and everyone else has some training. We don’t do anything extraordinarily fancy, but it’s always good.
7. 70-80 degrees in NYC, no fall colors yet.
8. When summer was entailing 80 degrees and high humidity, yes, but otherwise we haven’t really had a summer. June here was like May in Seattle.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 8:29 AM PDT reply actions  

Where the hell did BrianL go?

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 23, 2009 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions  

I don't know.

Was I supposed to be keeping tabs on him? That would be news to me.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

I've just never seen a Metal Gear Solid reference go by for more than an hour without
“Hideo Kojima needs a fucking editor.”™
-BrianL

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 23, 2009 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Hideo Kojima needs to make screenplays that are produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

He probably shouldn’t be making video games.

“Oh great, I just killed the boss, now for a death scene way more awesome than anything the game mechanics would allow me to pull off followed by thirty minutes of pointless exposition.”

Or, just go with something I saw in an MGS comic once…

Liquid: YOU GOT ALL THE DOMINANT GENES AND I GOT ALL THE RECESSIVE ONES!
Solid: (reading eighth grade genetics textbook) What?

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

Slow day

1. Telling my girlfriend’s multiple families that we’re going out of town, but then not going and just hanging out by ourselves for once.
2. It’s a long list this year. Assassin’s Creed 2 is giving me a raging clue. Other than that, FIFA 10, Modern Warfare 2, Afrika (this could easily suck but I’m intrigued), Ratchet & Clank, The Ballad of Gay Tony, the God of War Collection, The Saboteur.
3. I’m not super confident.
4. Let me break down exactly how awesome my fantasy team is:

[TO THE BOX!]

5. I went to a costume party a couple of months ago, and that’s my one for the decade. I despise costume parties. I’ve always found partying while wearing pants that fit me to be sufficiently fun.
6. Watching football on (relatively) chilly afternoons, with all the windows open and a sweatshirt on. It feels cleansing. And not that the summer ever stops me from enjoying stouts, but they’re a little bit more awesome in the fall.
7. San Diego’s been annoyingly warm the past few days.
8. I get fed up with summer sometime around April.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 8:51 AM PDT reply actions  

Are you excited for Mass Effect 2 at all?

I can hardly contain my excitement for that game.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's not on my OHMYGOD list, but I'll probably play it.

Something weird happened with me while playing the first one. I made it to the final level, then turned it off to go do something else, and never ever played it again. My interest just vanished right at the climax. Very weird. I’m not much for RPGs, but that one was quite cool, despite my sudden indifference.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions  

This is me in every single RPG I've ever played.

Hell, most games that aren’t platformers. I even did it to FO3.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 23, 2009 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions  

I also did that with Fallout 3

I was pounding out a couple hours per night for a long time, and then randomly went like 3 days without touching it, tried it again, and found I had lost most of my interest. I will still pick it up and play through it again, but for now it’s been a couple months since I’ve touched it

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 23, 2009 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions  

The problem with RPG games, I feel, is that because they never have multiplayer,

they would need almost constant additions and updates to keep people’s interest. Which is why there generally aren’t a ton of RPG games in the first place.

A Mariners fan in Seattle

by Coach Owens on Sep 23, 2009 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

I've played probably 150 hours of Mass Effect.

And probably 100 hours of Fabe II. If the story’s good enough, it’ll keep me coming back for more.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

How?

I got through Mass effect in 20 hrs and didn’t really want to play through it again.

If both those games were open ended like oblivion I would played longer. I had about 150hrs into that game.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions  

Well, the first time through I played as a soldier who always did the right thing.

The next time through, I played as a character with Biotic capabilities, and played it as an asshole. Third time, I played as a character with Tech capabilities, and played middle-of-the-road good/bad. Fourth and fifth times through, I’m playing it on “Insanity” difficulty, and it’s kicking my ass.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Oh, I agree with you, sure. I used to put hours and hours into Oblivion.

I had one game where I had 100+ hours of play time and another one with 75+ hours. But the fact that, after the Knights of the Nine and the Shivering Isles, there wasn’t a whole ton to do.

A Mariners fan in Seattle

by Coach Owens on Sep 23, 2009 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Mark Reynolds-Still the strikeout King! He whiffed 3 times yesterday to break his own record of 205 K's in a season.

1.Not at the moment, but my off days are about the change, so I might end up with something.
2.Command and Conquer 4. Which looks to be the final chapter of the Tiberium storyline.
3.Don’t care
4.Don’t have one.
5.Not yet.
6.Food
7.Not that weird, happens every few years it seems
8.Kinda

FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!

by Goose on Sep 23, 2009 8:52 AM PDT reply actions  

Hmm

1. None
2. No
3. No
4. Don’t have one
5. I hate Halloween
6. Hmmm… Lions or Cowboys. Those are two teams I wanna watch! So I’ll take others.
7. Its too god damn hot
8. Only because I hate snow more

by Poochie on Sep 23, 2009 8:59 AM PDT reply actions  

Answers!

1. Yes. They involve not traveling over the mountain passes for the first time in years, and making family come to us.
2. I’ll probably play some Goldeneye or something sometime soon. Oh, new games?
3. No.
4. Don’t have one.
5. I also hate Halloween.
6. Food. I never really get into the football, since I don’t care about games that don’t involve my teams. As an aside, this year’s playoffs are shaping up rather boring-ly.
7. Fall colors? Really?
8. Yes. Summer being over means we’re that much closer to spring.

by xero3k on Sep 23, 2009 9:02 AM PDT reply actions  

Alrighty, questions I actually have answers for

1. SEATTLE!!!!
2. Forza 3 before Modern Warfare 2 consumes my life, as well as Scruffy’s, toot’s and Coach.
3. Perhaps
4. I don’t know who is on it, but apparently I beat my friend last week. He was mad.
5. Halloween is my least-favorite non-Valentine’s Day “holiday” out there
6. BLACK FRIDAY! (keep in mind it’s been about seven years since I spent Thanksgiving with any family)
7. 95 degree weather? Try living somewhere it’s actually hot outside.
8. Not really, because after summer comes summer II from September to December and then summer III from January to April.

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 9:04 AM PDT reply actions  

AGREED!

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 23, 2009 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

I get this feeling we are going to be awesome at MW2

it will attract new players at first and we will mercilessly destroy them. And with Coach’s help, annoyingly save each other over and over

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

Coach! Medic!

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 23, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'm a bit worried after seeing the weapons list though.

Looks like there will be a lot of good mid-range, high powered battle rifles available for standoff-range combat

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

Which one is Bling?

I like whichever one grants two attachments, that’s going to be amazing (and EVERYONE is going to have silenced, red dot AK-103s)

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Good, that's what I thought

I can also imagine toot running around with extended clips and red dot for the maximum “HEY LOOK AT ME!!” effect

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions  

Silenced MP5 and Red Dot.

Any word on silenced pistols?

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

Duh

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 23, 2009 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think they said you would get some perks.

I’m assuming some of the kill streak stuff would be in prestige.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions  

I wonder how many AC-130's will actually get used

it seems like this would be a near-instantaneous game over if it’s ever achieved

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions  

11 person Kill streak?

Seems like once every 5 games. But how does this work. Can you find the person controlling the plane and shoot him? And supposedly you can shoot down the AC-130.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions  

But I bet a lot of people won't go for the AC-130 killstreak because it's so rare

they said you’re controlling it from the ground, so I guess you’d be vulnerable, but that kind of sucks if you can get shot while you’re directing airstrikes

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions  

You can choose to control it, otherwise it will go automated

And I remember reading (in Game Informer, I think) that one of the killstreak things gives you a random airdrop package. It can be as cool as an Airstrike or as lame as an ammo refill. Trick is, though, that anybody can get your airdrop item and potentially use it against you

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 23, 2009 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions  

1. Dick move by the fan. If you spend $439 to watch a football game, that's your gamble. Alumni entitlement bugs me.

2. Classy and savvy move by Kelly. It was funny, and also not a bad way to get the fans off his back a little bit.
3. Solid move by the fan to give the check back.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

and now every jackass who goes to watch his team play and lose

will flood their team’s offices with refund demands.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's already spawned long threads about whose athletic departments owe them the most money

if anything, I feel like I owe my AD more money than I already paid them for giving me seven legitimate opportunities a year to get plastered in the middle of the day and hang out with friends that I don’t see often otherwise.

And our team sucks.

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 9:38 AM PDT up reply actions  

Another question

How many more genuinely nice things can Sweeney do before the end of the year?

by msb on Sep 23, 2009 9:16 AM PDT reply actions  

Save some of that for the offseason.

We’ll need something to write about….

also, wow, I hope he is able to stay with the organization in some capacity, just for things like this. He lives on the west coast, so it could be feasible.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

wait what

they banned cloves? How will sensitive coffeehouse poets properly express their angst now?

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 9:19 AM PDT reply actions  

They make "mini-cigars" now, look amazingly like the cigarettes.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 23, 2009 9:21 AM PDT up reply actions  

Shit.

I knew it was coming, but I thought they were bluffing for a while.

Gonna go get a pack… I’m half out…

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions  

Also this shit is ridiculous.

By the same logic, we should stop teenage drinking by banning bitch beers.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Ask and you shall receive!

From Australia.
From California.
There are tons of institutional bans in the UK, or advertising restrictions, but they’ll probably fight on there.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 9:31 AM PDT up reply actions  

That, I don't mind so much.

But it seems odd to be punishing the whole of the population for the faults of a small age group. I would perhaps be less pissed if it was just broadly flavored cigarettes and not cloves specifically.

On the plus side, I did get a pack. The last one. He said they’d be more tomorrow but I don’t think there’s a tomorrow anymore.

(scribbles in moleskin and puffs)

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think the thing that bugs me about it is the belief that because younger people smoke them they are therefore targeted at children.

I think that the bigger reason is that more people under the age of 35 (which was the cutoff used for the study that led to their banning) smoke socially, and social smokers are more likely to smoke cloves.

My sister smoke only when she goes out and even then only on rare occasions. She’s been smoking a pack of cloves every six months since she was 16. She’s bummed, and I don’t blame her.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's about the same with me.

It’s over the map for me, sometimes it’s a pack every six months, but the current pack I’m on looks like it might last me one month. For the most part, I don’t smoke unless I’m also out drinking, which I can understand is a whole additional complication that they’d try to find ways around. It is a social thing though, I’ve given out probably four or five so far. I may have to be more stingy from here on out.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

That was the intent.

Cloves go away by association.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions  

And eventually loose leaf.

I knew some kids that would roll their own way back in high school, but the crowd I hung out in was a little different.

Overall, I don’t think there’s quite as much smoking as there used to be but there are always a few you can pick out on campus.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions  

Hmm.

1. The usual— pray for high snow-levels in the passes on the major holidays.
2. Don’t play video games, never have.
3. If the 12th Man gets behind them.
4. My huh? wha?
5. No, but it has ti follow the 3 rules. Have to be able to sit in it, eat in it, and get into the bathroom with it,
6. Pie.
7. Pretty, though.
8. I like summer, I like fall. Mostly the end of summer means the return of many students on campus, and checking weather-related websites (see #1)

by msb on Sep 23, 2009 9:24 AM PDT reply actions  

I forgot to answer my own questions:

1. My mother-in-law has the Christmas week up at her Whistler timeshare. Gonna spend about 4 days up there. And it’s looking like my brother might be back from Iraq in time for Christmas, so I might see him. AND my half-brother, who I haven’t seen since my wedding, looks like he’ll be flying up from Texas. And he’s going to bringing my 10 year old niece, and my 7 year old nephew, who I’ve never met.
2. Mass Effect 2 is the game I’m most looking forward to. Assassin’s Creed 2. Forza 3. And I’m actually kinda getting excited for Alien vs. Predator.
3. I can’t see how they’re going to win this game with no fucking secondary.
4. Eh. In both of my leagues I’m 1-1.
5. I’m thinking about going as Wyatt Herp, but I don’t know how easy it is going to be to pull it off.
6. Football and food. Two of the greatest things in the world.
7. Fuck hot weather.
8. Again, fuck hot weather. I’m ready for fall.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 9:35 AM PDT reply actions  

Answers
  • Same as always I would imagine; work Thanksgiving Day, work Christmas Eve, get loaded on winter ale, drive my hungover ass to Olympia, endure an awkward dinner with the family, open extended family gifts, attempt to appear grateful for whatever was on sale at Costco, hang out with my parents and sister after they leave and proceed to talk shit about my extended family for a few hours over mulled wine.
      
  • At some point soon I will have an HDTV. Shortly thereafter I will have a PS3. I will start paying attention to new video games again at that point. For now I’ll stick with NCAA ’08.
  • Maybe!
  • If baseball season taught me anything it is that not even I care about my fantasy team.
  • Going to see the Seattle Symphony Orchestra perform a live score to “Psycho” and I plan to wear a suit.
  • Food. Were it just my mom, dad and sister it would be family but since that isn’t the case, food all the way.
  • High 80s yesterday. Glorious.
  • God no.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 9:43 AM PDT reply actions  

You really should

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 23, 2009 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

Blu-Ray players are getting cheaper

I bet they crack $100 around Black Friday time this year

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions  

Xbox 360's are cheaper!

You can buy the Arcade version for $199, then find a cheap, 20 GB hard drive for $25 bucks on eBay!

A Mariners fan in Seattle

by Coach Owens on Sep 23, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions  

I bought my PS3 before the price dropped, and I'm still elated with my purchase.

If a game’s out on both systems, I’ll buy it for 360 because I prefer the controller, but most of my time is spent playing The Show and watching movies on the Blu-ray player. It’s a wonderful little machine.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

MOTORSTORM!

That game is fun as hell.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'd love a 360 but I'd also love to move and put some money in savings, sot it's one or the other.

I was going to get a 360, but since the PS3 price drop it’s pretty much a no brainer.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

Nope

but Xbox has Forza, which is a pretty damn good series in and of itself, and are releasing the newest one next month

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions  

I absolutely loved the Need for Speed games all the way through Hot Pursuit 2.

They were just fantastic games. Then they just went to shit. Most Wanted was good,
but the Underground games in between HP2 and Most Wanted were terrible
and everything after Most Wanted has been utter crap.

FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!

by Goose on Sep 23, 2009 6:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

But you could play with LLers!

we even talk about baseball sometimes!

Also, Coach is worth the price of admission by himself.

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions  

I got mine for $35!

And the discs were like $5 each

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 23, 2009 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

Stop after the first season.

The rest of it is a trainwreck.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

Good morning!

No.
No.
No.
Eh.
No.
Football.
Not bad. It’s not 95 here, and I really like the cool, crisp mornings and ~80 degree days. Even if it was 90, the cool evenings provide sweet relief, which didn’t happen in the middle of summer.
No. I like fall, and September is like a sports fan’s month-long christmas, but I get to travel/play golf/do whatever in the summer whereas the fall/winter is pretty much all about work.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 9:49 AM PDT reply actions  

Okay,

    * Like Teej we are telling everyone we will be out of town but we will most likely just post up at home and do nothing.
    * None
    * No idea, they looked terrible last week.
    * I cannot stand fantasy football for some reason. Fantasy baseball is much more fun for me.
    * I’ll dress up as a kind and considerate individual.
    * Pecan pie made by my wife
    * Colors haven’t changed a whole lot yet far as I can tell.
    * Fall always depresses me, so no I would prefer summer continue.

by Sec 108 on Sep 23, 2009 9:50 AM PDT reply actions  

Mine!

1. My family has a tradition for the holidays that we’ll probably just do again this year. We go over to my uncle’s for Thanksgiving, the rest of my family comes over to our house for Christmas Eve, and then we go back to my uncle’s the next night.

2. Modern Warfare 2 (which I probably won’t get until Christmas. Sorry, SB! ;) ), GTA IV: TBoGT and Left 4 Dead 2 are the games I’m really looking forward to this year. I didn’t really like the first Mass Effect, so I doubt that I’ll even rent it. I probably will ended up renting Assassin’s Creed 2 at some point, although it doesn’t seem like the kind of game I would want to buy.

3. Depends on how badly Cutler does, whether we get Tats and Bane back and if we can sign a decent stop-gap cornerback.

4. I’m 1-1. I lost my most recent game by around 12 points, mostly because neither my tight end, nor LT played. Also Misfit had Drew Brees on his team, so…

5. Nah… I’ll probably just sit around and watch scary movies all night this year.

6. Definitely football. I’ve never been a big fan of the traditional Thanksgiving food and my family always gets into a big argument whenever we’re all together.

7. Not 95 in Seattle, luckily, so I wouldn’t know.

8. I’m glad. I’m really a winter-person (I love snow and it’s easier to warm yourself up when you’re cold then cool yourself off when you’re hot, I feel), and, aside that it means no school, I hate the summer.

A Mariners fan in Seattle

by Coach Owens on Sep 23, 2009 10:06 AM PDT reply actions  

I forgot about L4D2.

That’s a must-buy for me.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's been a long time since we've seen Nice Pete or Pat in Achewood.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 10:07 AM PDT reply actions  

The robots don't show up anymore.

I don’t even remember the last time we saw LieBot in a context other than “what’s the saddest thing?” and Chucklebot and whatever the fourth one was are effectively gone.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

HEY, LOOK

Onstad was in Portland, and is coming to Puyallup and Seattle.

AND I’M A FEW THOUSAND MILES AWAY.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

On my way to the stadium for City Vs Fulham

This game will decide whether football is still dead to me* or whether we can be friends again.

Ref: ‘The worst sunday derby of all time’.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Sep 23, 2009 10:15 AM PDT reply actions  

Do City at least make them cheap?

I think Arsenal prices their Carling Cup games at £10 for every seat or thereabouts.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

I should add, I ate both pies. And I'd do it again.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Sep 23, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions  

that's not too exorbitant.

£15 is about right for the carling cup, I’d say.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah and you can pick pretty much any non-corporate seat for that price.

Its 35 quid for league games.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Sep 23, 2009 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions  

Answers!

Taking the week off during thanksgiving and 2 weeks during christmas. Probably going to go snowboarding and get drunk with my wifes family on Thanksgiving – And then enjoy Christmas with my family down in Tacoma.

Modern Warfare 2, Fallout 3 Game of the Year edition, Left 4 Dead 2 and there was something else…. What else is coming out?

Maybe? I hope they will but I’m not holding my breathe

Aaron Rodgers and Steve Slaton are killing me.

Green Man Bitches!

Food, Football, Booze and not having to do anything.

Its pleasant.

Yes – I’m really looking forward to raining/windy walks with my wife again.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 10:18 AM PDT reply actions  

i saw it in the theater and really liked it.

i then saw it when it came out on dvd and the whole thing was like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think it's a boring an unremarkable movie but listening to stupid middle-aged yuppies blather on about how great it was

and then insist that the reason I didn’t like it is because it was “too quirky” for me made me want to track down Ellen Page and throw her off of a bridge. Then I remembered Hard Candy and decided maybe that wasn’t a great idea.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions  

I liked it because of jk simmons and because it was relatively honest

about how families deal with stuff like this. And then i listened to the dialogue and it just got worse.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah?

I bought it two years ago and still haven’t watched it. I came across it the other day and thought about it, but decided against it for the umpteenth time.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions  

So, why is this grounds for hating her more?

I’ve never watched any of her movies, so I effectively know nothing about her save for she’s a stripper with a heart of gold or something.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 11:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

her writing is very, very precious

and she likes to show off how precious her writing is.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

This was my main beef with Juno.

It just screamed “screenwriter trying too hard.” I didn’t hate the movie, but parts of it made me roll my eyes so hard that I got a headache.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions  

you really won't like jennifer's body then

that tendency gets way worse. There are good, tense fight/conflict scenes that literally stop still so that a character can say something “clever”. in another writer’s hands it could have been a really good film.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions  

You want precious?

You should watch “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”. Jesus christ, that movie was almost impossible to watch.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions  

I saw that at mcmenamins for $3 and still felt robbed

but then i just blamed diablo cody for it and felt better.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

I don't have familiarity with any of these.

Maybe because I’ve never felt an inclination to watch something that self-identified as precious.

So, what is it? Flat, but precocious characters making witty references that we have no grounds for believing they’re capable of?

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

less that than an exercise in "look how clever i am at writing!"

wrapped into characters that exist just to support twee writing.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

Right, I've seen that in workshop

I’d say that most people I encounter writing much of anything do it for self-indulgent purposes, but when it’s actually trumped up as art it gets a little… ugh….

Well, at least it’s not a memoir. Though she’s probably written one and yet to film it.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions  

Actually I just think it's hilarious.

She went from being heralded as some sort of genius to Jennifer’s Body to this. I feel like it justifies my opinion of her.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

And a zombie movie coming up!

And a crappy showtime series about multiple personalities!

I think she has a problem saying no. Too many projects, too many lines in each of those projects, etc.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions  

The new Visqueen album features Neko Case on a few songs.

That sound you hear is my brain asploding from awesomeness.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 11:05 AM PDT reply actions  

Oh shit.

Gonna get that ASAP.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

it's a really solid record

not as energetic as the other two but much more mature.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions  

you're in luck!

10/3 at the croc.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions  

I haven't been yet but I fear I will too

and then I get annoyed with myself for thinking like that – I can’t decide whether my hatred for nostalgia outweighs my hatred for gentrification.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions  

The pole is gone, which is great.

But the floor space is smaller, the sound is not as good as it was before, and it just feels way, way way too nice to be a rock club. The bathrooms were beautiful when it first opened, but they’re slowly getting trashed. That would be fine had they just been generic bathrooms to begin with, but since they looked like something you’d see in a fancy hotel lobby or a really nice restaurant, it just looks kind of sad.

I haven’t been to the Via Tribunali where the back bar used to be, but it’s very dark and very dinner oriented. I think that there’s a place for the kind of venue the Croc is now, but I don’t think that it works for the type of shows they have there.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions  

Is Graceland still alive and kicking?

I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for that place.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

Dillinger Four played there last weekend and I felt 10 years younger.

I haven’t been to El Corazon/Graceland in ages, and it really was exactly the same.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions  

If only they still did fifty cent post-show breakfasts

like when it was still the Off Ramp.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions  

Dillinger Four!!!

And one of my rock and roll heroes was there too!
They’re older than meeeee!

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

I remember...

when Monkey Hustle didn’t have his PhD, Billy wasn’t fat, shows ended after Paddy had torn up his hand too much to play, and Erik wasn’t seeming to write most of the songs. But if they still had the same attitude, I’m jealous.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Tradition!

Avert thine eyes children…

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions  

Worst venue in town!

(Okay, Studio 7 is worse, but El Corazon sucks.)

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

The only reason I have a soft spot for that place is I saw an AMAZING show there

by the Queens of the Stone Age in 2002.

Dave Grohl FTW!

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

I just really don't like the security.

They’re really overzealous and a little too, uh, invasive when doing pat downs.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 23, 2009 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

Via Tribunali is decent.

The night of that JR show, Via Tribunali was showing the US/Italy confed. cup game. It was sort of fun to talk smack to the Italian owner for while, and then talk smack about how Giuseppe Rossi isn’t Italian, etc.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

i once had a roommate who thought he was a poet.

All his poems featured wolves sitting at bends in rivers, howling at moons. he used to read them to us when he finished them – never asked if we wanted to hear them, just announced his latest epic and expected us to fawn over it. it was excruciating.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

Not really.

My roommate now is a functional alcoholic. The only issue i have with him is that he’s willing to carry on a midweek party until four and judging by the volume on his computer (he never uses headphone), he forgets other people are around. They asked me at one point if I wanted to be the RA for the building but I didn’t think I could pull it off considering.

I find him less irritating than the guy who opens the door to his room like a gunshot going off and then stomps about because he’s afraid of interacting with the rest of us and is always in a hurry.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions  

Sticky traps are the best thing for spiders, but also creeped the hell out of me.

I had no idea that many big hairy spiders were crawling around in the dark.

by Kermit. on Sep 23, 2009 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

I had a gigantaspider invasion a few years ago

(They’re actually called giant house spiders. Giant is right in the fucking name!).
I was stomping them with all available large books (I used our wedding photo album for one, which was sort of awkward), dribbling a basketball on some others, and I had three sticky traps that were no longer effective because every square millimeter of stickiness was occupied by dead or angry spiders. I had two under upturned glasses.
Anyway, I forgot about the glasses for a bit, and came down like 2 weeks later and found a glass with what looked like a dead spider under it (on its back, legs curled in). I pick up the glass, and it instantly flips over and wants a piece of me. I replaced the glass, and it was standing on two legs, smashing at the glass to get at me. A spider wanted to box me. After weeks without food or appreciable air.
Fuck gigantaspiders. Also, fuck all of the internet advice about how awesome they are to have in your home and how they keep household insect populations down or whatever. I DO NOT HAVE A HOUSEHOLD INSECT PROBLEM, I HAVE A GIGANTASPIDER PROBLEM YOU HIPPIE.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions   5 recs

Supposedly giant house spiders are in direct competition with hobo spiders.

And I guess the giant house spider will generally win in a fight, but they typically won’t bite humans.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions  

RUN AWAY!

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions  

This was my exact diagnosis at one point.

Giant house spiders are related to hobo spiders, and the fact that we had so many of these things meant one of two things:
1) They are giant house spiders who are multiplying like crazy because we have a yet-undetected hobo spider problem that is supplying the big fuckers with nearly limitless food.
2) They are hobo spiders who got big enough to take over.

In any event, they’re gone now. They also took over a state agency building around the same time as my invasion. I was pretty convinced the entire puget sound area would be gigantaspider-controlled by 2006.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

I also have to say

that this basement housed a big TV, my records and the emergency bedroom (thanks to a sofabed). We didn’t have enough guests to use it often, but each time we did was really awkward.
“So, uh, you may feel some things at night.”
“What?”
“Like, on your legs, maybe torso. It’s uh, it’s not the cats. Say, do you sleep with your mouth open?”
“What? Uh….”
“Look, just… it’s just best if you don’t get all Colombo and try to figure out exactly what’s running on you. It’s an old house.”
“Is this a lame way of saying your basement’s haunted?”
“No, it’s more of a… no, yeah, that’s basically what I’m saying.”

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions   4 recs

Eeeeewwwww....

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

I did one of those insect bomb type deals, and then sprayed that stuff that's supposed to

repel insects for like 6 months. That really worked.
At the time, this was a partially unfinished basement. Actually finishing the basement also helped. There may still be some holdouts, but as long as they’re behind the drywall, I’m cool.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

Blessed with pretty good ones with one notable exception. Which might be unusual being in the military and living on boats.

My experiences with GIs and divers was positive, in confined quarters the expectations for personal grooming and general surroundings usually went up. Sometimes the demand part was a little rough, but whatever works.

I did have one guy that used Big Gulp cups as spittoons, and would leave them all over the place, never got him to knock it off but partially solved the problem by providing emply liter bottles with lids. Best work around available, still gross but at least they were sealed and not spilling or stinking up the joint.

by Kermit. on Sep 23, 2009 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

Okay...

this is weird. I genuinely thought Alexis Denisof was British. It’s strange hearing him talk with an American accent.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 11:17 AM PDT reply actions  

Did anyone go see Nightman Cometh live?

I saw a review for the another showing.

With those proceedings out of the way, the play started. The cast did a great job live, they added a few new songs and really hammed up the theatrical nature of the event while still staying perfectly in character. I think the live part was about 45 minutes to an hour long, and I loved every minute of it. Glen Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olsen, Danny DeVito, Artemis, and the waitress were all there. With any luck, this live performance will be included as a DVD extra one day. The gang did a great job, it looked like they had been performing together for months. It ended with a bow and then a quick reprisal of “Day Man.” Seeing Charlie at the end in his insane yellow suit with a bonus harmonica solo will probably be something I’ll never forget.

All in all, this was one of the top 5 live events I’ve ever attended.

Fuck! I should of gone. And apparently of a friend of mine ran into sweet Dee at seatac today.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 1:06 PM PDT reply actions  

Heh

“He likes to sprinkle bacon bits in my hair while we bang and think I’m a cobb salad.”

Priceless.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions  

"With any luck, this live performance will be included as a DVD extra one day"

It already is. Unless he means that specific performance. In which case, good luck!

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think he was hoping for the shows they were doing on the road.

Isn’t the one on the DVD from the actual taped performance?

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions  

I wish I could answer this.

I watched the other two special features but not the Nightman performance. I’ll check it out tonight. But it’s listed as “The Nightman Cometh Live!” and it’s the first-listed special feature, so I’m assuming so.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

Let me know when you watch it.

I haven’t picked up the DVD yet because I bought the season on itunes months ago.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

Confirmed!

It’s the entire performance from the Troubadour in Hollywood (minus intermissions/stage changes, of course), plus a few minutes of bonus footage with the cast.

by Teej on Sep 23, 2009 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

Rad!

I need to go pickup the DVD anyway this just gives me more incentive.

Was there a harmonica solo?

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 9:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's close to the end of an era

Bobby Cox, who has managed the Braves longer than some of you whippersnappers have even been alive, is retiring after 2010. People crap on the Braves for not winning more World Serieses, if the Mariners made the playoffs 14 straight years I would be thrilled.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 2:45 PM PDT reply actions  

It's in the bag.

Lou’s a toothless kitten these days, he’s said that his ejection days are behind him now. Which is too bad. I wonder if it’s a generational shift; younger managers don’t seem to get tossed with nearly the frequency that the old-timers do. Or maybe they just go quieter.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don't actually think it makes a difference one way or the other.

But I do think that the older generation of managers realized they were putting on a show on some level, where the younger ones were brought up in a culture where sports is Unbelievably Serious Business and should be treated as such at all times. Which is too bad.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions  

Tommy Lasorda.

Lou might be good at projecting furious anger, Tommy was good at the belly bumping and kicking dirt on the umps shoes. The Dodgers were always on when I was a kid, so he left an impression

by Kermit. on Sep 23, 2009 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think it goes with the whole thing where younger generations aren't as outwardly aggressive

we’d rather mock the umpire from the dugout than get in his face and tell him he blew a call. That and instead of arguing, most managers just want explanations now. They try not to get ejected the first time.

by seattlebruin on Sep 23, 2009 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

BORING

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions  

Has Wak been ejected yet?

The moment should have been commemorated.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

That would require him to show a lot of emotion

he’s pretty damn level-headed, most of the time.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 23, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

That's a silly accomplishment.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 8:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

Better explained

As a coach, few things are more frustrating then seeing a player ejected, especially if it is a good player and the game is close.

Wak doesn’t want any of his players to get ejected, and he thinks its only fair to hold himself tot he same standard.

by Poochie on Sep 23, 2009 8:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

I can understand that.

But it seems like there were several instances in which the team as a whole was getting jobbed by the umpiring crew. I’m not necessarily asking for a tantrum, but some awareness raised of this is nice, so long as it doesn’t turn into an “everyone’s against me” defeatist attitude.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think it's more that the golden age where being shitfaced on the job (or just really hungover) was normal for managers.

I’m not saying Johnny Walker made Bobby Cox angry, but it probably contributed to Billy Martin’s behavior.

I think a lot of managers in the 70s and 80s did what they did because of Martin. Before Martin? Walter Alston in a suit. After? Don Wakamatsu. But in that era? Chuck Cottier, Bobby Cox, Sweet Lou.
I’m not really sure why… I mean, Martin was very good manager, but it wasn’t because he yelled at umpires. Maybe he just proved that there were basically no consequences for screaming obscenities at umpires, and that was a liberating thought to young managers at the time.

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions  

Pretty good theory, I mostly buy it. There've been notable mentions for both styles though.

For how it fits in the era you mention it sounds about right though. Sometimes I think some of the managers maybe felt pressure to pitch a fit. Playing the role. I attribute my opinion to the shift the country has made from being a rural population to an urban population, and blue collar to white collar work.

Been looking for some reading material on the subject lately, see what academia has to say about the phenomenon.

by Kermit. on Sep 23, 2009 4:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

Cool! Not sure I buy it (yes, I know it was my 'theory').

At the same time as the genteel Connie Mack, you had hotheaded John McGraw (who held the record for ejections until Cox). Walter Alston overlapped with Leo Durocher. Sweet Lou and Joe Torre are contemporaries.

I just perceive it that way, because several high profile hotheads managed teams when I was a kid, and again, I’ll always think of Chuck Cottier as more unhinged than even early-period Lou Piniella.

I’d be fascinated if academia has anything to say on manager behavior. If you meant on how acceptable it is to scream like a crazy person in public, that’d be cool too. Thanks Kermit!

by marc w on Sep 23, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

I'll be lucky if I ever find what I'm looking for.

I’m not sure where to look. More of a behavioral science area? How environment defines social structures and acceptable behavior.
Here’s an anecdotal type example, my school district used to have “smokers” until the late 1970’s, 3 rounds, 3 minutes each, boxing matches for the high school boys. That didn’t seem to be too uncommon either, basically it was acceptable to punch each other in the face, structured environment but I wonder what the response to this would be today. Also kind of ties into the playing hurt mindset, and how that seems to be fading away.

by Kermit. on Sep 23, 2009 7:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

No discussion on manager ejections should leave out Earl Weaver.

He made it into an art form and it was almost always premeditated. He also was smart enough to know which umpires could be influenced by said behavior and which ones would not.

by Sec 108 on Sep 24, 2009 8:49 AM PDT up reply actions  

Heh.

Awesome prank.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 23, 2009 3:31 PM PDT reply actions  

Answers!

1. No
2. MLB ‘10: The Show!
3. God I hope so
4. I have 4 teams. I have gone 1-3 in each of the first 2 weeks. I don’t wanna talk about it.
5. No
6. Food.
7. Weird I guess, hadn’t really noticed.
8. It’s already over. But no. Fuck school.

My Mariners blog - SodoMojo Twitter Feed, Fuck the fucking Angels!

by gregrabble on Sep 23, 2009 7:52 PM PDT reply actions  

Meh.

If only my cousin would realize having 2 Xbox 360’s(And one is a fucking Elite) in the same room is a stupid idea and sell me it to me… He’s also getting a fucking PS3 Slim he supposedly wants to sell his 360 to get the slim but knowing him he’s gonna have a PS3 and 2 360’s.

Until then I’m stuck with a PS2 and GC.

You got slurved!

by Slurvey on Sep 23, 2009 7:54 PM PDT reply actions  

My brother tried to sell me an XBox 360...

because he had two.

That kid and I have had very different childhoods.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Honestly his mom and my mom and all my cousins are like dude you two are related...

And have been best buddies since childbirth you should give the second one to me for free.

You got slurved!

by Slurvey on Sep 23, 2009 8:42 PM PDT up reply actions  

Answers

1. Not yet.
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Probably not.
4. Don’t have one.
5. Nope.
6. Family
7. I WANT FALL WEATHER TO SHOW UP NOW.
8. After the heat waves this summer, absolutely.

by BrianL on Sep 23, 2009 8:13 PM PDT reply actions  

So why did firefly get cancelled?

Besides fox not giving any shows with promise a chance?

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 23, 2009 9:21 PM PDT reply actions  

We went over this last time too.

They aired the pilot last, didn’t even do the finale originally, threw episodes in completely out of order even when they included characters not introduced yet in their imposed chronology, preempted it for sports shows, and shifted it around in the schedule.

Every possible thing they could do to sabotage it, they did.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 23, 2009 9:28 PM PDT up reply actions  

OK

They aired the pilot last, didn’t even do the finale originally, threw episodes in completely out of order even when they included characters not introduced yet in their imposed chronology, preempted it for sports shows, and shifted it around in the schedule.

Every possible thing they could do to sabotage it, they did.

by Poochie on Sep 23, 2009 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

    * Having my soul consumed like that monkey brains dish in Temple of Doom.
    * FIFA 2010
    * They better!
    * I forgot to start one
    * I plan on using the BK mask until a restraining order is filled on it.
    * Thanksgiving sucks
    * I like it to either be 75 degrees or for it to rain for 3 weeks straight. No going back and fourth.
    * Only because that means it is time for football.

by Robert on Sep 24, 2009 8:27 AM PDT reply actions  

Have you played the FIFA 10 demo?

The control improvements are awesome. You actually feel like you’re running with a human instead of some robot that can only movie in eight directions like it’s a Super Nintendo. Corner kicks also seem possible to execute now. Maybe I just sucked at FIFA 09, but I played dozens of games and never once found one of my player’s heads on a corner.

by Teej on Sep 24, 2009 8:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

I have yet to play it and I probably won't play until I find a torrent that I feel sufficiently safe in downloading.

Last time I downloaded FIFA, I got my house’s internet shut off for 3 days. Maddden and NCAA are both much much much better (and that’s saying something because NCAA is annually the best sports game I will play) so I have hopes about FIFA. Just don’t make the Sounders a half star please.

by Robert on Sep 24, 2009 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions  

Thanksgiving is fun.

At least cooking wise. Last year I did the stuffing fest, if some of you remember. I might do it again. 5 kinds of stuffing plus Thanksgivingy side dishes. Which kinds should I make this time? Traditional is a must, but what about the other four?

☊

by royalcurve on Sep 24, 2009 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions  

Five...kinds?

I had no idea the goodness that is stuffing came in so many varieties.

I’m salivating.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 24, 2009 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

Oh, sure.

Cornbread, sausage and herb, apple sourdough, pear bacon, there are tons of choices here.

☊

by royalcurve on Sep 24, 2009 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'd go.

I’d buy a dapper vest just so I could go.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 24, 2009 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions  

I have connections.

I could get one on short notice, but I was thinking more of the slicked back hair and mustache look. The fedora might be in another ensemble entirely.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 24, 2009 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'm of a mind that a Porkpie would go much better with a vest.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 24, 2009 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

From the random comments on that article:
Go Dawgs. Validate in Palo Alto. Posted on September 24, 2009 at 7:34 AM by slyder.

This is why people hate sports fans.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 24, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

Oh you have to be fucking kidding me

my work just blocked ratebeer.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh

by seattlebruin on Sep 24, 2009 10:30 AM PDT reply actions  

Since I'm a SysAdmin

I have no idea what kind of pain you are suffering.

by BrianL on Sep 24, 2009 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

High Five!

Although I don’t go around it often to keep the masses happy.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 24, 2009 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

To be honest, we don't block much content at our office.

Obviously there’s no way in hell you’re going to access porn while on the job, but other than that our internet blacklist is pretty thin.

by BrianL on Sep 24, 2009 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions  

Lookoutlanding

Reddit, Facebook, Slog, pretty much anything that can be remotely considered a blog.

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 24, 2009 11:00 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions  

Seattlest, Consumerist

Almost anything with the word blog or forum in the URL.

USS Mariner, half of the SBN baseball sites (yes, only half)

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 24, 2009 11:06 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions  

Penny Arcade, Youtube

Dropbox, various photo and filehosts.

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 24, 2009 11:07 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions  

Yikes.

No Youtube? I’d go insane.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 24, 2009 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

`

Northrop Grumman Corporation
ATTENTION

Access to the requested website has failed.
Category: Proxy Avoidance;Information Technology

by seattlebruin on Sep 24, 2009 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah

Like 95% of the proxy sites I tried were blocked too. Still, so many pop up, you just have to find the ones they haven’t found yet.

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 24, 2009 11:40 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions  

There was a while that anything remotely fun was blocked such as ESPN.com

Now a days its any social networking site, streaming media and baseball-manager-online on random days and computers that give me trouble

by Robert on Sep 24, 2009 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

I hate online support...

All agents are currently busy. Please stand by.
An agent will be with you in a moment. Thank you for your patience.
The next available Agent will be with you in a moment.
All agents are currently busy. Please stand by.
An agent will be with you in a moment. Thank you for your patience.
The next available Agent will be with you in a moment.

This is repeating for about 20 lines on my screen.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 24, 2009 11:40 AM PDT reply actions  

No!

I just randomly touched the trackpad and now the resolution on LL is giant but it isn’t on any other sites. How to fix?

by Mariner John on Sep 24, 2009 11:44 AM PDT reply actions  

Damn you.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 24, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions  

It should only change whatever tab you're in at the time.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 24, 2009 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions  

Also, in FF there's View-Zoom-Reset, which should work.

Make sure you aren’t set to Zoom Text Only as well.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 24, 2009 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

That worked.

Thanks. I am not so good with computers it seems.

by Mariner John on Sep 24, 2009 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions  

OH GOD HOW DID THIS GET HERE I AM NOT GOOD WITH COMPUTER

<img src=“http://wiki.erepublik.com/images/d/da/Nedm.jpg”

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 24, 2009 12:03 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions  

THIS MUCH IS OBVIOUS.

I suck!

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 24, 2009 12:03 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions   1 recs

It's usually CRTL-Scroll wheel.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 24, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions  

RZA did some pretty incredible work.

4th Chamber and Shadowboxin’ are my shit. As a whole, it’s probably not my favorite Wu album, but it’s still awesome.

by Teej on Sep 24, 2009 1:51 PM PDT up reply actions  

Which did you like more?

I loved the production on Bobby Digital, but RZA isn’t the strongest on the mic. 36 Chambers hasn’t aged well. Forever could have been a solid LP, but for whatever reason they decided to throw a bunch of crap on and make it a double-disc. You could frankenstein together songs from Meths’ various albums and make a classic, but none of his LPs really satisfied on their own. Supreme Clientele? Cuban Linx 1?

by waldo rojas on Sep 24, 2009 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

Some sort of four-way coin flip between 36 Chambers, Ironman, Supreme Clientele and Cuban Linx 1.

I probably put Liquid Swords at a level just below those, along with a few others that critics/other fans probably didn’t like as much as I did (Wu-Tang Forever, Uncontrolled Substance, Bobby Digital).

They’re all pretty good. I just for some reason listen to Liquid Swords less than a lot of them. GZA has a tendency to bore me after a few tracks, I guess, and it makes me forget how good RZA was on that album.

by Teej on Sep 24, 2009 2:46 PM PDT up reply actions  

I really like it.

I’ve listened to it two or three times, and there are songs that seem like they were made in the mid-‘90s. It’s definitely a throwback. Even with RZA not doing all the beats, they still seem to fit.

by Teej on Sep 24, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions  

Didn't RZA do the soundtrack for Kill Bill?

I just blew the extent of my knowledge of hip hop in that one sentence, and it was a question.

by Kermit. on Sep 24, 2009 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Maybe I meant music producer, or editor. The proper title is escaping me.

Not so much creating original score as selecting existing music for scenes. Like whoever put together the soundtrack for Stand By Me, or Pulp Fiction. Not knowing the proper title is a pain, maybe one of the movie buffs can lend a hand here.

by Kermit. on Sep 24, 2009 8:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Depends on who made the film--

sometimes it is a directorial choice as to what song goes where, sometimes it is actually in the script (and the author hopes they get music clearance) … sometimes it is the music supervisor

by msb on Sep 24, 2009 8:41 PM PDT up reply actions  

Somewhere I read King did this with Stand By Me, or more likely it was George Lucas and American Graffiti

Whomever it was, they put the particular song they were thinking of in the margin as they were writing the scene. I’ve always enjoyed that image, of a small thing but it’s a nice detail.

by Kermit. on Sep 24, 2009 9:02 PM PDT up reply actions  

Good call. Forgot about that.

Link. I think I’m going to have to watch Kill Bill this weekend. It’s been a year or two.

by Teej on Sep 25, 2009 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions  

Not a book, but I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer two weeks ago.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to watch it, but it’s been pretty sweet so far.

50!

by joof on Sep 24, 2009 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

.

Giles: We may, in fact, stand between the earth and its total destruction.
Buffy: Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school.
Xander: Oh, yeah, that’s a plan, ‘cause a lot of schools aren’t on Hellmouths.
Willow: Maybe you could blow something up. They’re really strict about that.
Buffy: I was thinking of a more subtle approach, you know, like excessive not studying.
Giles: The earth is doomed.

by msb on Sep 24, 2009 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

YES YES YES!!!

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 24, 2009 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

Are you still in the first season?

If so, just wait. The first season is merely okay. From there on out, you’re in for some of the best TV you’ll ever see.

I will smash your face into a jelly.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 24, 2009 3:35 PM PDT up reply actions  

oddly enough there is a bikini coffee place downtown

but it’s usually pretty empty.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 25, 2009 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'm sure there are plenty.

But probably none where people fling crumpled up twenties into the staff’s underwear, or where the staff solicits the kind of stuff from cops as happened up here. Or, to take the other side of it, where cops harass the staff, show up at their houses, etc. It’s mind boggling to anyone but a 14 year old boy.

by marc w on Sep 25, 2009 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions  

Testing the water here

Is anyone in the Seattle area interested in another episode of LL football?

I was over at Marshall’s today and I nearly bought a couple of flag football kits which would outfit two teams of 10 if we wanted to do it that way. I would consider going back there to make a purchase if there is significant interest in flag football instead of simple touch.

Batted .393/.614/.464 for 2009 Diablos, #5 in OBP for PSSBL Rocky Division.

by Two Rs and Two Ls on Sep 24, 2009 5:25 PM PDT reply actions  

I'd be down for it.

Hopefully I’ll be healthy this time and thus able to play without needing to die.

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Sep 24, 2009 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions  

The question remains then,

would you support a game of flag football over a game of touch football?

Batted .393/.614/.464 for 2009 Diablos, #5 in OBP for PSSBL Rocky Division.

by Two Rs and Two Ls on Sep 25, 2009 12:06 AM PDT up reply actions  

Uh, yes I guess.

I don’t have too much of a preference though.

by Mariner John on Sep 25, 2009 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions  

Depends on the date.

But I would like to try to attend.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 25, 2009 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions  

And I prefer touch.

But don’t really care – Its basically the same.

NEEDS MORE FREEDOM!

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 25, 2009 8:57 AM PDT up reply actions  

Maybe!

A Mariners fan in Seattle

by Coach Owens on Sep 26, 2009 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

So a friend of mine who has never been to America basically asked me, "Is Portland a cool city, and if so, why?"

I’ve only been to Portland a few times and know very little about it, so help me out.

Also, if anyone wants to discuss/argue about the merits of Seattle vs. the merits of Portland (or the merits of Portland against other cities in general), I’d be quite interested to hear that, too.

by Decatur on Sep 24, 2009 6:46 PM PDT reply actions  

I think Portland is a pretty cool city and I've lived in both Portland and Seattle.

But it also depends on what your friend is looking for in a “cool” city. I wouldn’t compare them to come to a “One is better than the other” conclusion – they’re both great places, but for different reasons. Portland has a TON of cool music, a lot of great beer/brewpubs, and some fantastic food – but it’s also got a really small-town feel to it that some don’t care for. Seattle has a much bigger-city feel to it, but that also comes at a cost because Seattle has gotten really homogenous in the last 10 years – Portland’s neighborhoods still have an individual identity (Hawthorne = hippies, Alberta = artists, Pearl = yuppie douchebags, etc), where a lot of Seattle’s ‘hoods have been gentrified to the point that they’re all the same.

It took me a while to get used to Portland when I moved here, but now I really love it. As I said, it’s got a real small-town vibe to it, which takes a bit of acclimatizing at first – there’s 2.5 million people in the metro area, so it SEEMS like a big city, but it’s really not. And that, actually, is its charm. Portland isn’t a city of strivers; it’s a city of people that seem relatively happy with where they are in life and want to be left alone to live as they see fit.

Plus there’s Voodoo Doughnuts here.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 24, 2009 7:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

Portland is way better than Seattle in every non-nostalgic way.

I love Seattle and have a lot of sentimental connections which prevent me from leaving, but in a vacuum Portland is way cooler.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 24, 2009 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions  

Points in Portlands favor:

1) No sales tax
2) Magic Gardens
3) Affordable rental houses
4) Far superior Japanese garden
5) NBA team
6) Closer to the coast
7) McMenamins establishments (awesome venues to drink their meh ales)

by waldo rojas on Sep 25, 2009 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions  

Points against Portland:

1) Inferior bridges
2) No MLB/NFL
3) Superfund site bisects the city
4) Soul-crushing suburbs
5) Usually have to make an extra connection for flights
6) Sassy’s

by waldo rojas on Sep 25, 2009 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

What's wrong with Sassy's?

There are far worse clubs than that here. And I would dispute the inferior bridges claim – for one thing, I can bike over almost all of Portland’s bridges, and there’s not one bridge down here that is susceptible to collapsing in high winds.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 25, 2009 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

Aggressive security staff

Obnoxious drink policies (no doubles, no pitchers)
Ridiculous cover

by waldo rojas on Sep 25, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions  

The no-doubles thing is quite common at strip bars down here

Makes perfect sense to me. Guys are obnoxious enough at strip bars just from doing shots – imagine having to deal with a guy drinking double G&T’s all night. McMenamins does the same thing, at least at the Crystal.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 25, 2009 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions  

These lists are pretty great, as I'd expect, but I'd add:

Points against PDX:
1) Puget Sound>>>>>>>>>>>>>>some rivers getting together
2) Very few jobs that aren’t barista/bartender/dancer

Against SEA:
1) City is concerned whenever more than a few of its citizens are having fun (“Did they get permission?” “Why would anyone want to do that?” “I’m disappointed in them!” “Think of the children!”).
2) Very far from state’s wine regions. Portland’s amazingly close to Dundee. Seattle’s a day away from Walla Walla, and a decent drive/mountain pass from the closest ones (Yakima). Yeah, I know, many great wineries are on the west side, which is cool, but it’s different.

by marc w on Sep 25, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

Seattle on a sunny day is

one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous cities anywhere. Except Sydney. Portland is…not.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 25, 2009 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions  

Starcraft 2

That is all.

They say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing all the time!

by muffinpryde on Sep 24, 2009 9:28 PM PDT reply actions  

Can't say I expected this.

The Mayweather-Marquez fight on Saturday was the most successful Pay-Per-View event of the year, drawing more than 1 million buys. And on a night when there was also a UFC PPV event, no less. (Though I understand that UFC 103 wasn’t really a huge card.)

by Teej on Sep 25, 2009 9:28 AM PDT reply actions  

Mayweather just dominated him.

I was pretty tipsy and hanging out with friends, so I had a good time. It wasn’t as exciting as the last few fights I’ve watched (Mayweather-Hatton, Mayweather-De La Hoya, Pacquiao-Hatton), but after watching it a second time, I was really impressed with Mayweather. After an early knockdown, I thought it was going to end in a knockout, but Marquez is a tough dude. He got hit in the face all night and went the distance.

It was a little anti-climactic, but that’s cool with me. I enjoy the slow, tactical beatdowns.

by Teej on Sep 25, 2009 9:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think those BoxerA/BoxerB 24/7 shows on HBO really help the PPV revenue

I was interested in this fight (like Mayweather/Hatton) solely because of the show. Didn’t pay for the fight (never have; why start now?), but the episode where Marquez drinks his own urine and gives the little thumbs up like he’s endorsing a beer was one of the most unexpected moments in recent television history.

by marc w on Sep 25, 2009 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

Most definitely.

HBO does a fantastic job with those. I’m amazed how quickly they turn them around, given the high level of production quality in each episode.

by Teej on Sep 25, 2009 9:37 AM PDT up reply actions  

Totally agree.

I don’t care about boxing, but those things pull me in every time.

by marc w on Sep 25, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'd buy a fight or two a year regardless, but watching the 24/7s before the fight adds a level of excitement.

I’ll invite over friends who aren’t big into boxing, and it’s nice for them. Watching an episode or two usually helps them pick a favorite. And having even a modest rooting interest always makes it more fun.

by Teej on Sep 25, 2009 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions  

Confidential to EnglishMariner:

You should go to this and get a book signed for me.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 25, 2009 12:41 PM PDT reply actions  

Ahem... uh... is this thing on?

Check check check one two one two…
Did everyone just leave work early?

by marc w on Sep 25, 2009 2:23 PM PDT reply actions  

Getting slower lately....

Gone are the times of filling an off topic post up to 1000 in the space of a few days. I don’t know. Some of the readership might be in school? Not that school, or work, usually deter people.

I’ve been busy today working on things (hope Dave has a chance to get his two cents in soon) and battling a laptop that has been insensibly slow at times in the past few weeks. The machine is new enough and the specs are quite nice but sometimes it’s taking six or seven times the usual speed to do relatively simple tasks and that’s bugging me right the fuck out.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 25, 2009 6:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

Seems like first days are just as quick as ever to 400-500 comments

but days where no OTFPOTD, only about 40-50 comments in the post total

by seattlebruin on Sep 26, 2009 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

Sounds about right

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 26, 2009 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

you should spend all afternoon doing what i'm doing

listening to and being blown away by the Faces and bemoaning how shitty Rod Stewart got after about 1985.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 25, 2009 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

I suspect most of the readership ...

has had only shitty Rod Stewart in their lifetime then.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 25, 2009 7:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

This is true and they are lesser people for it

although it’s not their fault.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 25, 2009 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions  

Pravda!
It’s been reported that proud Soviet automakers challenged their American counterparts to a competition at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958.

A Swiss engineer made an exhaustive comparison of a Soviet and an American car, and he favored the American.

After an awkward pause, the Soviet press reported that "in a recent international auto competition, the Russian car placed second and the American car was next to last."

Thanks, Futility Closet

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 25, 2009 7:50 PM PDT reply actions  

If anyone cares what I'm laughing at, at three in the morning...

Jay Cutler makes funny faces while executing daring acts of amazingness.

The Yankees suck-a-doodle-doo!

by JamMasterJesus on Sep 26, 2009 3:15 AM PDT reply actions  

Interesting update on the Lopez HR Ball saga.

Greg Johns put up a “who’s right, tell me what you think” blog piece after the column in the Florida paper; the resulting comments varied wildly in quality, as you’d expect.

What was interesting, though, was that the Malafronte family all weighed in— original columnist sis Kelli, also in the video Dad, and the original malefactor sean (who sadly, while likely in the right, continues to emanate great waves of douchiness)

by msb on Sep 26, 2009 9:05 AM PDT reply actions  

That guy? Not a douche.

This guy? Giant douche. The first guy wants to keep the ball for himself, fair enough. This second guy, though, all he wanted was a payday, which is pretty damn douchey especially from a rookie.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 26, 2009 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yup.

it was interesting to see that story pop up so soon after the one we were watching

by msb on Sep 26, 2009 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

It wasn't that he was escorted it was how he was escorted.

A security guy basically grabbed him by the arm and hauled him away, when the dude hadn’t done anything wrong.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 26, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions  

Last night I watched

Big Man Japan. Totally good movie, though the end is a bit mystifying. Reminds me a lot of The Great Yokai War, though I liked that one a bit more.

"Let this big fucker come in and walk the world here." - Dave Niehaus on JJ Putz

by section331 on Sep 26, 2009 9:45 AM PDT reply actions  

I never watched the original Battlestar (or the later one for that matter)

but they are running it on the Rerun station, and as I surfed past the guys were involved in some sort of futuristic basketball/squash-combo game, which apparently entailed them donning women’s beach volleyball unis.

Interesting.

by msb on Sep 26, 2009 9:18 PM PDT reply actions  

I used to watch Shazam every week when I was a kid.

It was on after Bugs Bunny and I remember it being pretty cool. I can see now my memory is not to be trusted because oh dear god was that clip cringeworthy.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 28, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

They could've done a lot more with the cartoons.

Captain Planet, for one, and while they scored on the Birdman/Galaxy Trio and Dynomutt picks, the whole of Hannah-Barbara from that era, with Space Ghost and the Herculoids and everything else, is ripe, if not overripe for the picking.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 28, 2009 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

I think this is OK because I bet a of people here are at least marginally interested in amatuer rocketry

in response to your question, we’ve done it a few times, but we had to give up after a while because we found that two and three stage rockets just went way to high and we could never find them.

Plus, if you use one stage rockets, you still get a lot of the fun of building them, and can use an area like Sand Point/Magnuson field knowing you have a pretty good chance of finding them after you launch them.

I think I had a box of like 75 solid rocket engines (all smaller bore ones) somewhere. I wish I had gotten around to shooting them off.

by seattlebruin on Sep 28, 2009 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions  

Speaking of rockets

I can’t wait to see the Ares-1X launch at the end of October. Might be the only Ares launch we ever get to see.

by BrianL on Sep 28, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions  

Absolutely.

I really want commercial spaceflight to be successful so NASA can be freed up to do stuff beyond LEO.

by BrianL on Sep 28, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

Has anyone here seen the video for the plasma engines?

It was a pretty sexy read/visual. I’m not an engineer, but I am still waiting for my rocket pack.

by Kermit. on Sep 28, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions  

This video is pretty weak, the one I want isn't opening.

New Adobe flash player upgrade, or the upgrade to the browser is goofing something.

VASIMR plasma engine.

by Kermit. on Sep 28, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

Also, they were super nice to us and gave us an awesome tour of their facility when we were seniors

which was fucking sweet, they have their offices right next to the production facility where they were building the engine for the Falcon 1 (the one that ended up in the Pacific after the first stage boosted into the second)

by seattlebruin on Sep 28, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions  

That is surprising because model rockets were a big part of my childhood.

We used to shoot them off where apartments now stretch as far as the eye can see in Kent, but when I was a kid it was just open fields. My brother and I constantly tried to outdo each other for distance. Man those were fun.

by Sec 108 on Sep 28, 2009 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions  

We (I say we even though I was only allowed to stand to the side holding stuff) did the small one stage ones as kids.

I had a friend who did the multi-stage, and in fact had a portion of ashes go up on a nice big 3-stage rocket that did a fine scatter :)

by msb on Sep 28, 2009 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

No, my comment was (as usual) just a Big Lebowski quote.

I’d love to try a backyard multi-stage rocket, but haven’t done anything with model rockets since I was a young kid – when model rocket engines were an awesome, year-round alternative to fireworks.

by marc w on Sep 28, 2009 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

There should be some movies/shows recommended in the style guide.

Lebowski might be a necessity just to make it through normal days, that movie is probably the most quoted I can think of.

by Kermit. on Sep 28, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions  

Feedback on this?

I made this using Wikipedia’s list of neighborhoods. Are there any there that shouldn’t be included or that aren’t there that should be included?

Also, for fun 2001 Mariners!

by Mariner John on Sep 28, 2009 2:34 PM PDT reply actions  

Maybe I've been gone from Seattle too long

but this seems way too granular – is Broadway now considered a distinct neighborhood from Capitol Hill? If so, I’d also include Pike/Pine as a neighborhood.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 28, 2009 3:11 PM PDT up reply actions  

Is Latona a recognized neighborhood? Small slice on the south end of Greenlake.

And a little area above the south end of Greenlake, where Wallingford, Latona, Phinney, Greenlake all come together, I’ve been informed by a real estate agent that is now Tangletown. I thought it was some kind of silly marketing name for the gentrification going on there, but apparently there is some historical context to support it.

by Kermit. on Sep 28, 2009 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions  

I consider things like Latona to be portions of established neighborhoods.

The way Sunset Hill is a distinct area of Ballard, or 15th/Volunteer Park is a distinct area of Capitol Hill, or Squire Park is a distinct area of the CD.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 28, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don't consider it to be, no.

And Pike/Pine is the CD, not Capitol Hill. DOn’t know if it used to break down that way, but it definitely does now.

by Aaron Campeau on Sep 28, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

Bella Swan is on Craigslist?

Is anyone tempted to e-mail this guy and say “Hi, my name is Jacob Black, and it is my family’s sworn duty to destroy all vampires?”

by seattlebruin on Sep 28, 2009 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

That's a little less obvious than claiming to be Van Helsing.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 28, 2009 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

No, just the one time.

He has no consistency.

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 29, 2009 7:52 AM PDT up reply actions  

The Angels celebrated their division title last night by pouring beer and champagne all over Adenhart's jersey

seems an odd tribute to a guy that was killed by a drunk driver but whatever.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 29, 2009 7:55 AM PDT up reply actions  

And then they went out and poured beer over the photo of him.

It’s really quite incredible

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 29, 2009 8:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Oh my god you are serious.

Did not one of them think about that?

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Sep 29, 2009 9:11 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions  

This would require the average baseball player to think.

Probably not their strong suit.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 29, 2009 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

Their job is to go out there and give 110%.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 29, 2009 9:19 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yes, I am serious.

Notice the carefully omitted details, such as the crash being the result of someone who had been drinking.

(I know you’ve already seen this by now, but…)

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 29, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

This seems as good a time as any to get all pedantic.

One of my biggest pet peeves with, well, people, but mostly with people in the media in the last 10 years or so is the use of the word “emotional” to describe how an event feels or how they feel about something, like in the fifth paragraph of this article. “Emotional” is not a way of feeling – you feel specific emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, joy, etc), but to say “it feels emotional” is the same as saying “it’s like weather” when someone asks you what it’s like outside today.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 29, 2009 9:28 AM PDT up reply actions  

I am going to say "it's like weather" the next time anyone asks that.

I guess it’s something of a cop out, something that sounds lofty because there are only so many times you can describe the obvious. In this instance, pretty much everyone knows how the Angels are going to feel given the background, so the phrase saves them the banality of saying “sad people are sad but also kind of happy” by making it seem broader and more universal. I can see how it came about, not that I like it.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 29, 2009 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

So here's a strange question

I was just watching this, which is one of the better, more feral run-throughs of this song, and it got me thinking. What are some of the definitive live versions of your favorite songs? Bonus points for video/audio links, but whatever your favorite band is, is there one performance of one song that stands out, that makes you go “Yeah, this is what (band) is all about!”?

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 29, 2009 10:09 AM PDT reply actions  

Live On Two Legs, great Pearl Jam album

Without getting into their massive catalog of live recording they released later, for anyone that asks me for a Pearl Jam recommendation I go with this album.

by Kermit. on Sep 29, 2009 10:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

Actually I don't think Lo2L is that great

And after having listened to over 100+ shows

I’d say with one or two exceptions, every song played on 11-6-2000 is the definitive version of that song. It’s easily the best live album I’ve ever heard.

by Poochie on Sep 29, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions  

you probably didn't even have to look that up.

But to compensate for that, I give you some newish Melvins that will destroy you with awesomeness. Good lord I love this band. Still.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 29, 2009 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

Or as we used to call it in college Straddle and Cum

that’s probably the worst, most nakedly egotistical and bloated concert movie of all time. With the exception of the performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday at the end.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Sep 29, 2009 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions  

Omar Vizquel:

Bullfighter.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Sep 29, 2009 10:18 AM PDT reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed

Search

User Tools

By reading a game thread of your own volition you agree to accept all liability for any and all damage done to your delicate sensibilities.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Moar_bacon_small
Everything I Know About Jesus Montero

by Lord Duggan 5 days ago

25 comments | 45 recs

Recent FanPosts

Wbc_029_small
Friday Morning Music Thread

by Jeff Sullivan 2 days ago

232 comments

Small
OTDOD - Early February Edition

by Faux 4 days ago

256 comments | 2 recs

Agentejebaox3_small
A Statistical Analysis of Mariners' Fan Support

by Agent_J 6 days ago

22 comments

Small
Who will have a better season?

by bp42810 16 days ago

22 comments

Claw_small
BA's Top 10 M's Prospects

by JY 16 days ago

217 comments | 7 recs

Wbc_029_small
Friday Morning Music Thread

by Jeff Sullivan 16 days ago

16 comments

Small
Munenori Kawasaki Predictions!!!

by marina-zu 17 days ago

20 comments

Small
The Longevity and Future Success of Felix Hernandez.

by TheFranchise78 18 days ago

10 comments

Small
The present vs future conundrum

by paulmer37 18 days ago

12 comments

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Recent Posts

In Association With

Baseball Nation Recent Stories

Photo

The Ultimate Guide To Spring Training

Juan Pierre of the Chicago White Sox waves to the fans at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

Juan Pierre Could Set A Major League Record In 2012

SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants runs drills before a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

SI.com: Buster Posey's Comeback Trail

More from Baseball Nation >

Sexy People

Wbc_029_small Jeff Sullivan

Small Matthew