2/10 OFFTOP - Olympic Fever or Food Poisoning?

Because they’ve completely reined in their annoying jam-band tendencies and now focus on the folkier/slower/poppier side of their catalog in their shows. I’m not crazy about their most recent album, but the songs worked pretty well live. They’re an amazingly tight band, too, it’s the same group that’s been together for three tours now and they’re really dialed in.

And they brought out Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck, and Tweedy repeatedly name-checked the Dharma Bums, so he’s a winner in my book. Which reminds me, the Dharma Bums are playing a show next weekend! With YFF! At the Crystal! That’s gonna be a good ’un.

It’s spelled “luge” not “louge”. News to me.

Thought about seeing them last year in Chicago, but I had already spent so much in concert tickets by then. And I figured I’d have another chance before I graduate (and presumably get the fuck out of the midwest) since it’s not like they play Chicago or Milwaukee infrequently…

but I love watching obscure sports!

And in case you haven’t seen it, here’s Steven Colbert trying out for the US Curling team.

I’ve always thought that professional team sports, in both winter and summer, should not be part of the Olympics.

I love idiots!

Actually get time on here without having to look over my shoulder :-)

YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL WRITER. I don’t care if it’s Twitter. You write for a living, and you are therefore among the people on this planet at least somewhat responsible for taking care of the English language (or any language). I know kids are still reading books and I know we’re a long way from “Idiocracy” coming true, but a lot of people get their only real interaction with the written word through journalism — including sports journalism. Take some pride in your ability to communicate, for god’s sake. When you write like every other idiot on Twitter, guess what, you look like every other idiot on Twitter. And that makes it harder to defend the argument that professional journalism is valuable.

I’m just baffled. Does he turn in stories to his editors without a single word capitalized? Does he actually write like that? That would be horrible, but at least it would make his Twitter feed seem less ridiculous. Judging by his career as a freaking baseball writer, I’m going to assume the guy knows how to use a keyboard, so I can only chalk this up to incredible laziness or some weird attempt to “fit in” with a new medium. And the “oh it’s just Twitter” mentality doesn’t hold an ounce of water. Twitter is now a medium for news reporting, and last I checked capital letters don’t count as two characters like they did back when we used to count out headline specs for the typesetter. Shortening up sentences into headline form, etc., that all makes sense. It’s Twitter. You have to fit the message into the medium. But oh god please capitalize proper nouns, Jon. There’s nothing to lose and so much to gain. Show your readers some respect, and you might just get some back.

[exhale!]

But at least “wang derby” made me laugh.

So much of it seems to be “here, attach this to your body. Start here, go there. Fast”. I love that stuff.

It appears that Rafa wasn’t bullshitting when he said he wanted to try scoring some goals for a change.

Liverpool haven’t won a league game at Arsenal since February 2000 but seeing as that match was played with a different set of players in different circumstances it has no effect on tonight’s game. Like when FA Cup commentators say “Aston Villa haven’t beaten Bury for 39 years” which sounds impressive until you realise they haven’t played each other for 39 years.

it’s the principle of the thing, the fact that a city a five hour drive due south of where the venue is can’t watch it on TV when it happens. And believe it or not, not everybody has broadband – and/or the desire to watch things online.

Take the truck crossing that’s at SR 543. it’s not far from the I-5 crossing, but is generally less crowded.

Villa will be playing United this evening.

I would be very cautious on how you take that statement.

Just remember, “These are not the drones that you are looking for.”

But loves the idea of hanging out with me all weekend.

And I have no complaints.

And we tried to go last time they had it, too, to no avail. It’s the lady’s favorite beer on earth. But we’re busy for the rest of the week.

There are many, many sports I don’t care that much about.

At least we still have Tommy Everidge.

Do you have pretty easy (by which I mean reasonably affordable) access to older/more obscure titles – you’re in Turkey right now, right? This isn’t exactly obscure, but I’m about half way through Ladies And Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning right now and it’s a pretty good history of late 70’s NYC as well as the Yankees.