The old OT was making my ancient work browser asplode in terror, so here's a new one. I gave the topic away in the title, though. I don't like winter. Or, to be precise, I don't like never seeing the sun from October until April (or so it seems). So I cope by going away on trips - Hawaii last year, a cruise to Mexico leaving Saturday. Normally my trips aren't that extravagant, but I have to have at least one stretch of winter time where I can see some sun and feel some warmth on my skin.
What is your strategy for coping with winter? Do you just hunker down and drink your way through it, only re-emerging on July 4th, or do you not mind the short days and rain? If you live where "winter" means 70 degree instead of 90-100 degree days, do you miss the extra heat or do you like the break?
Sad beer news: My local Fred Meyer is out of Jubelale. BOOOOOOO
0 recs | 886 comments
Yes, caller?
“Since you didn’t get Prince, do you now trade Felix?”
msb - January 24, 2012
Why do you do this to yourself? =(
joof - January 24, 2012
I'd gotten sidetracked with work, spaced out, plugged the earphone back in and there it was.
I’ve taken the walkman off.
msb - January 24, 2012
It's only going to go downhill from there.
the other side - January 24, 2012
Detroit was basically a mystery team, right?
Two good off seasons in a row for them.
yuniform - January 24, 2012 via Android app
Kinda.
Molly Knight: The #Tigers now owe Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Victor Martinez a combined $346.5MM. Mercy.
msb - January 24, 2012
It's cool, they play in Detroit
That place is a boomtown. Rollin’ in the dough!
Drew_D - January 24, 2012
They are actually a boomtown.
harkening - January 25, 2012
I meant the mystery team. Cliff Lee!
yuniform - January 24, 2012 via Android app
There's no such thing as a mystery team. "Mystery team" is just a phrase they add so that sportswriters can't be wrong.
CapSea - January 24, 2012
Well, yes. Except that Mystery Team is also a delightful movie. In this case, I like mystery team's success because it shows how terrible speculative sportswriters can be.
yuniform - January 24, 2012 via Android app
Listening to Brock and Salk is usually not so bad in stupid calls since Salk will call people out on dumb ideas.
But today Salk was trumpeting some idiocy and nobody was calling him on it! Really? You really don’t see why people are ok with not signing Prince for 9/214? Really? You think signing Vlad Guererro is a good idea? Salk, you are better than this.
JAH - January 25, 2012
Expecting reasonable discussion on sports talk radio is a recipe for perpetual disappointment
pdb - January 25, 2012
Brock and Salk are usually decent I've found.
It just makes days like today more aggravating.
JAH - January 25, 2012
I like Brock and Salk
Salk says some dumb things at time and over simplifies things, but they seem to be doing well so I guess that type of stuff works for him. Their answer the question segment use to be the highlight of my day at before I. quit
LeftArrow2 - January 25, 2012
They are so much better than I typically expect from sports radio that they are a Godsend.
I can’t listen to Calabro, though.
Two Rs and Two Ls - January 26, 2012
That is pretty mild for some of the dumb shit Salk has said.
Patrick Stites - January 25, 2012
I can honestly say that if three years in LA has taught me anything, it's that I am no longer a "northwest weather" person for the time being.
I mean, could I re-adjust? Sure, I think anyone can. But I have no plans to ever live in cold-weather cities again.
That doesn’t mean that LA is my final destination, but I don’t enjoy the cold or the wet and I can’t see myself moving home again.
So, if you could live in any city and money was not an issue, what city would you live in? Would you stay in the Seattle-area?
I would probably choose Hawaii or Sydney, Australia.
Kenneth Arthur - January 24, 2012
I know exactly where I would live but I can't tell people because then other people will move there
It’s in Hawaii, but it’s nowhere you’ve heard of and I plan to keep it that way. Until I buy my house there, and then I’ll tell people who want to come visit.
pdb - January 24, 2012
Yachats, OR
But I fully admit I’m an anomaly that loves cold and wet as a lifestyle choice.
Faux - January 24, 2012
San Francisco, specifically either the Mission District or Castro.
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
This fuckin' place. I'm seriously waiting to hear someone say anything bad about it.
I’ve only visited once, but people who have lived there rave about it.
Kenneth Arthur - January 24, 2012
There's a reason rent is $2,500 a month for a closet
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
Wow, I would have honestly never guessed. Would you describe San Francisco as "snobby" at all?
Kenneth Arthur - January 24, 2012
"Provincial" is a better word than snobby, in my opinion
It’s not dissimilar from Seattle in that respect – to residents of both cities, there is nowhere else worth living and it’s an affront to even suggest that someone do so.
I love both cities, don’t get me wrong, but that mindset really annoyed me when I lived in Seattle and it would bug me in SF too.
pdb - January 24, 2012
Not really.
People were incredibly friendly and helpful pretty much everywhere I went.
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
Gotcha. That's good. I mean, it makes sense... since you love it there.
I think “How nice is the community” is a major step in picking a city to live. That’s one of the main reasons I have loved Australia. I found everyone to be so nice.
Kenneth Arthur - January 24, 2012
*contentsigh*
Aussie Mariner - January 24, 2012
Only city on earth where I've been punched by a hobo.
Drew_D - January 24, 2012
That's the one knock I've always heard, housing is ridiculous.
Not sure if it’s still this way with the housing collapse but I remember reading about bidding wars on houses there years ago.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
It's still that way.
:(
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
SF and NYC were largely untouched by the housing collapse
Both cities are geographically constrained (they can’t build new houses/apts on more land because there isn’t any), and both are very desirable places to live. Prices dropped, but not nearly as far as they did everywhere else.
pdb - January 24, 2012
And aside from a brief dip during the worst of it, rents actually increased
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
That's typical in a housing collapse
Not only have Portland’s rents increased anywhere from 5-10% in the last three years, but the vacancy rate is less than 2% in some of the more desirable neighborhoods.
pdb - January 24, 2012
Because people can't afford housing, they go back to renting, correct?
seattle_since_81 - January 24, 2012
Indeed.
And also because condo buildings are often converted to rentals, which skews the average price and gives landlords of less desirable buildings an excuse to raise rent.
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
And it has become extremely more difficult to get a mortgage.
InSpokane - January 24, 2012
I just read an article about rents increasing to the point where the scale has tipped in favor of buying.
But yeah, that’s great, except for the part about it’s hard for a large % of people to qualify now.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
Okay, I'm game.
Driving in that town is the worst. People run in the streets after hiding behind parked cars, no one signals, and the roads are the size of the apartments. Also, it depends on where you go, but the people there are not exactly nice. Like PDB said, it’s a lot like Seattle. Also, people drink a lot, which is fun but not everyone’s thing.
San Jose would top my list. Quieter, safer, emptier than San Francisco, a lot to do, nicer people and much easier to get around. Plus you’re not that far from SF so if you want to make the trip you can.
CapSea - January 24, 2012
The whole driving thing is a big part of the reason I love it
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
How so?
CapSea - January 24, 2012
Because driving there sucks ass so people take their incredible transit instead
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
I wish people realized that driving here sucks too :(
Or that we had incredible transit.
Mariner John - January 25, 2012
I hated Seattle transit. Took 30 minutes to get from 135th and 15th to 135th and Aurora.
It’s like 20 blocks away, but the only way to get there was through this enormous U shape down by Northgate that stops for an additional 10 minutes at the transit center.
CapSea - January 25, 2012
It's a fucking joke.
It takes me an hour and a half to get from West Seattle to Georgetown via bus. Via car it takes ten minutes.
Aaron Campeau - January 25, 2012
Nothing inspires more hatred in my daily life than Seattle Metro.
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
It's not really their fault
Matthew - January 26, 2012
You mean the drivers or the organization as a whole?
I mean, I know they’re under-funded as hell. Doesn’t mean I have to enjoy being on their insane time “schedule” 5 days a week.
But yeah, I wouldn’t wish working for Metro on my worst enemy. Seems like the shittiest job.
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
I can't chime in to this topic without getting all politicky
but I will say that this is the type of thing that happens when people demand that their taxes be as low as possible.
pdb - January 26, 2012
True. I'd gladly pay more for better transit options.
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
I was discouraged when I came back in 2010
Nothing against ORCA, or anything like that, but I was dismayed that I could no longer transfer across jurisdictions (Pierce→Sound still worked, but otherwise nothing did).
Since at that point I was a tourist, it doesn’t make sense for me to buy a bus pass, and I had to board several different buses with three different agencies, which was a lot of quarters to carry around. Renting a car would have been far more of a pain in the ass than taking a bus- there really needs to be some sort of cross-jurisdiction day pass- I would have gladly paid $7 for some sort of thing that let me do that.
Corco - January 26, 2012
Buy an ORCA card for $5.
Then you can load it with whatever fair you want, and it’ll cover the transfers.
Patrick Stites - January 26, 2012
Considering what they have to work with, I think Metro does a pretty great job.
As a bus system, it’s actually quite fantastic. The issue is that, unless you live on the light rail corridor in South Seattle and don’t need to go any further than downtown, it’s the only system you can use.
Aaron Campeau - January 26, 2012
Both.
Matthew - January 26, 2012
There are way too many stops on some routes though that make the bus take ridiculous amounts of time if you want to get anywhere.
Kirk - January 28, 2012
You should try Tucson transit
I yearn for the days when I could jump on an ST express bus and ride from Tacoma to Seattle
I also went to take the 194 bus in Seattle down to the airport about a year and a half ago as I had in the past. The 194 used to jump on I-5 and go straight to the airport. Evidently you now have to take the light rail which for some reason goes all the way out to Mt Baker
Corco - January 25, 2012
My buddy is a dentist in Tucson.
This is relevant.
BigR - January 25, 2012
Actually without getting off-topic, is he honest?
If he is, let me know- I’m looking for a dentist but I don’t trust anybody in Tucson
Corco - January 25, 2012
He's pediatric.
BigR - January 25, 2012
Are you a children?
BigR - January 25, 2012
My wife's joke is that Tucson has one bus
She grew up there and took transit everywhere until she got a car, and it’s a chore.
pdb - January 25, 2012
I'll say something bad about it.
More than once, if you want.
royalcurve - January 24, 2012
I've lived in San Francisco more than 5 months now. Here are the pros and cons (for me)
Pros:
- Lots of young, smart, open-minded, fashionable professionals.
- Good variety and quality of shopping, eating, and places for exploring.
- People are generally pretty friendly to strangers, moreso than most other cities I’ve been to.
- Really diverse neighborhoods means there’s going to be at least one that suits you really well.
- Constricted by water on three sides, the city is limited in how much it can grow outward, and that keeps it from being something like Tokyo or New York or Los Angeles and more like Seattle, which I think is a good thing.
Cons:
- Homeless people almost everywhere. I pass at least 15 from the train station to my work every day (about a 10 minute walk.
- Expensive to live in.
- Parking is expensive, if available at all, which means I don’t own a car here.
- Public transportation blows for a wide variety of reasons, and cars aren’t a great option, either. Here are some of the reasons:
- – Muni is unreliable. Bus drivers decide not to show up and you’re stuck waiting for the next bus.
- – There aren’t enough busses, so if a bus driver skips out, the next bus is going to be so full not everyone can fit, and the ones that can are extremely uncomfortable.
- – The trains have delays almost daily. I’d say about 20% of my trips are delayed 5-25 minutes.
- – Homeless people living in and pissing in the muni underground stations.
- – They have a ‘report a problem’ system that, actually, doesn’t go to anyone.
lailaihei - January 26, 2012
Maybe it will take me more time, but I still would love to live in the Seattle area, and I love warm weather way more than cold.
The thing that has blown me away about moving to San Diego is how quickly I got used to warm weather. 60 degrees feels cold right now, and 40 degrees is downright freezing. It was in the 40s when I went home for Christmas in Seattle, and when I came back to San Diego, it was getting down in the low 40s/high 30s at night. I thought that it felt warmer in Seattle than it did in San Diego. A big reason why, I think, is because the temperature change throughout the day in San Diego. In the middle of the day, it is hitting in the high 60s/low 70s and then dropping down into the 30s/40s.
seattle_since_81 - January 24, 2012
Those huge temperature differentials in southern California kill me
Out at Ft Irwin it would be 100 deg. F during the day and 60 at night, which is practically t-shirt weather but you’d be shaking like a leaf.
Kermit. - January 24, 2012
Temecula :( :( :( :( :( :(
seattlebruin - January 24, 2012
Also we don't know how to use the heat at our houses
seattlebruin - January 24, 2012
It's easy!
Just bring the bbq inside and fire it up.
ToddK - January 29, 2012
I'd like to try to live in Boston or San Francisco someday
But I really like Seattle.
Mariner John - January 24, 2012
Boston is even more provincial than SF and Seattle!
But it’s a really awesome place and had I been able to find a job out there when I lived in Hartford I would have moved to Boston in a heartbeat.
pdb - January 24, 2012
I was only there for a couple of days but I loved the time I had there.
Mariner John - January 24, 2012
Is all of the upper Northeast like that?
It seems that’s the stereotype that I’ve always heard.
seattle_since_81 - January 24, 2012
Not really, no
Once you get outside the big city, New England is a pretty normal place, provincialism-wise. I’m not sure where Boston’s Boston-ness comes from, really, but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t live there.
pdb - January 24, 2012
That's not entirely true.
The region can get downright snobby at times, especially intra-state. I live in the North Shore region of MA; most people here can’t stand the South Shore and vice-versa. Ask a local if they’d ever move north or south and you’re bound to get an hour-long invective on how the other side is full of mouth-breathing assholes.
ThomasG - January 25, 2012
It really borders on regional fanaticism.
ThomasG - January 25, 2012
Thus "outside the big city"
I sorta included the area from Lynn all the way down to like Quincy in the “big city” tent. Which would probably piss off both Lynn and Quincy, but still. I have inlaws in Vermont, and every small-town Vermonter I’ve ever met is mostly just bemused by the outside world, and not disdainful of it.
pdb - January 25, 2012
The tendrils of provincialism reach far.
LLLJ, but this conversation came up at lunch the other day at work; we have a new employees that moved to Mass a few years ago and didn’t understand why people laughed at him when he said he lived in North Andover. We told him that, to people on the North Shore, anything outside of 128 is bordering on modern civilization. Forget outside the 495 loop, might as well live in Kansas.
Regionalism is really strong in MA; Maine too, I believe. I have friends from the mountains that can’t stand Downeasters and would rather spend a night in county jail than a night in Portland.
ThomasG - January 25, 2012
You will never be a Northwest weather person ever again
seattlebruin - January 24, 2012
Edinburgh, Scotland.
Or Ayrshire (my great great grandfather was from there, and I fancy going back). Without batting an eyelash.
royalcurve - January 24, 2012
Yeah I think after almost 10 years I've gone kind of soft.
bluemax - January 24, 2012
Either Dupuyer or Cameron, MT.
If it has to be a city, and not a town, then I guess either MIssoula, Bozeman, or Chilliwack, Hanalei or Fairbanks.
BigR - January 24, 2012
Christchurch, Barcelona, Salzberg or Bergen
Matthew - January 25, 2012
Chadron, Nebraska.
Ridiculously scenic, no tourists because it’s Nebraska and people think there’s nothing there, and lots of outdoor things to do.
Rapid City is nice- so is Omaha or Des Moines.
I could do the Puget Sound region again if I were in the right area- I think living in Bellingham would be really cool.
Salt Lake City is really nice- I could do that. I’d probably really like Boise if I hadn’t been there, done that already.
Overseas, I have weird desire to live in western Romania. Or southern Ireland.
Corco - January 25, 2012
I always thought Bellingham would be a great place to retire to
and I don’t mean that as a bad thing, it’s just a great little town – a little slower pace than I want right now, but in 20 years or so my pace would match its pace and it’d be perfect.
pdb - January 25, 2012
I already want a slow pace, which I think is what appeals to me
Corco - January 25, 2012
Corco, sometimes I think we're actually the same person.
I’d go for Rapid City as well (or one of the surrounding towns, possibly back in the Black Hills as well). It’s a gorgeous area with lots of natural splendor, four distinct seasons, lots of outdoor activities, low cost of living, nice people, and a surprising amount of culture and sports. Denver and Minneapolis are fairly close when you’re in the mood for a bigger city. Chadron is nice as well.
I love the Puget Sound area and don’t mind Renton, but in a perfect world, I’d love to live on Vashon Island – nice and quiet, a more rural feel, but just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Seattle and Tacoma.
I’d also consider the Austin/San Antonio area. It’s pretty in a Texas sort of way, the cities are very interesting, and I enjoyed living there when I was younger.
Internationally, I’d love to try New Zealand. I’ve never been there, but everything I’ve heard and seen about it makes it sound like pretty much the perfect place to live.
I still love visiting dense big cities like New York, Boston, and San Francisco, but as I get older I think that window has closed – even the idea of living on Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, or in Belltown seems kind of exhausting.
Chris Hafner - January 25, 2012
I really like some of the small towns in the hill country of Texas
Llano comes to mind as a really gorgeous little town.
Texas actually has a lot of awesome small towns- if there’s one state anyone should take the time to drive across off interstate, it’s Texas. If it weren’t for the Texasness of it, the towns are some of the best kept, coolest architectured towns in America- certainly west of the Mississippi
Corco - January 25, 2012
Vancouver BC, Seattle or Stockholm
Robert - January 25, 2012
This winter, being extraordinarily warm and evenly so, has been a breeze so far.
Out east we don’t have the lack of sun that the NW does, so even during the dead of winter with 15 degree average lows we still get plenty of light during the noon hours.
The big problem with winter here is the weather pattern: snow>bitter cold>quick warming>back to bitter cold/ice storm>warming with rain>repeat. It makes it damn near impossible to get used to any sort of temperature, which is key for my happiness.
What I wouldn’t do for a straight 4-5 months of 38 degree mornings leading to 46 degree afternoons, regardless of sunlight or precipitation.
Faux - January 24, 2012
I hate not seeing the sun. I am positive I have SADD.
But can’t really afford to travel to any exotic locales. Don’t ask why I still live here. I’m nostalgic and love the summers, I guess.
But in the winter, I take a lot of vitamin D, try to find little things that make me happy (i.e. more Starbucks, treat myself to a new book or video game)… and most of all, on any day when the sun even peeks out from the clouds, I find that patch of sun and literally stand in it for as long as possible, soaking it in.
HititHere - January 24, 2012
Also, distractions--I'll find new hobbies to help pass the time faster.
This winter I’ve been frequenting this cool tea shop in Kent with a super-friendly owner, and practicing my guitar way more than normal.
HititHere - January 24, 2012
I would never go so far as to say I suffer from SADD,
But I spend most of the Seattle winter feeling like I’m trapped in some wet, clammy, gray dungeon, which makes me a little grumpy and wish I never left Spokane or the Bay Area. To get over it, I try to get to the mountains to snowshoe every other week. I also go to the gym a lot. The more active I am or the more likely I can find a bit a of sunshine the less grumpy I am.
InSpokane - January 24, 2012
So, Winter.
I haven’t had the money to go places, and now that I probably could, there are the two Old Gents tying me pretty close to home. I love spring training, and I think that is my plan when I can get back to it.
I bought one of these and it does seem to help with getting some light in the morning during the dark days.
msb - January 24, 2012
Spring Training is an awesome excuse to get some sun because the Arizona oven hasn't been fully turned on yet at that point
pdb - January 24, 2012
I can't imagine what it looks like after 10 years, knowing the changes that happened between about 1998 and 2000...
msb - January 24, 2012
If you go there now the biggest thing you will notice
is that the vast swath of empty land along the highwy between central Phoenix and Glendale, and between Glendale and Peoria, is now full. They threw up entire neighborhoods in about a year or two. Most of those neighborhoods are now half-empty, but still.
pdb - January 24, 2012
Deschutes really did push out Red Chair pretty fast.
yuniform - January 24, 2012 via Android app
It's fucking irritating.
I went to stock up on beer for the snowstorm and the store had nothing but spring seasonals.
It’s fucking January! I don’t want spring beer! This trend and the move towards artificial scarcity really piss me off.
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
Don't take your grey NW winters for granted.
Here in Minnesota the sun is out almost every day, but its also -10 degrees and feels like -35 with the wind chill because of the fucking constant 30 mph winds.
wetzelcoal - January 24, 2012
I love days like that and would gladly take them over the gray
pdb - January 24, 2012
Welp.
we’ve got this guy.
and this guy.
msb - January 24, 2012
High socks-love him more and more.
And Felix’s family is adorable.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
My favorite
is this one
msb - January 24, 2012
That boy loves him some plaid.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
He's so dapper!
Mariner John - January 24, 2012
He looks like baby Payne Stewart.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
Minus the airplane.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
Is the first Jesus?
I was thinking Brenden got a little thicker.
the other side - January 24, 2012
He must feel so left out.
Jerry Crasnick: I just got a text from Scott Boras on Prince Fielder: "No deals. Still working.’’
about 1 hour ago
msb - January 24, 2012
I love cold weather and, more importantly, cold-weather beers.
I do, however, dislike egregious amounts of snow now that I no longer get the day off from responsibilities. This year has been ridiculous – right now it’s 52 degrees and sunny with tomorrow and Thursday forecasting in the mid-40s. I’m almost tempted to head to the beach.
ThomasG - January 24, 2012
That's a good point I didn't think of.
Snow is really a bitch once you have to shovel it and still get to work somehow.
Faux - January 24, 2012
When I told people in Hartford that I liked rain better than snow I was always asked why
My answer? You don’t have to shovel the damn rain to get to your car.
pdb - January 24, 2012
Once I finally get the time to dig up my driveway, I swear I don't care what the cost is to put radiant heat underneath.
Between that and my car’s remote starter, the only thing I’d have left to shovel is the sidewalk.
Faux - January 24, 2012
Yeesh, they're like $15-$20/sq. ft., not including demolition and the new driveway.
You could buy a few deluxe snowblowers for those prices.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
My driveway's already shot and in dire need of replacing, so I'm recognizing that as a sunk cost.
Doing it myself while I have the driveway up already (with PEX/Antifreeze + NatGas boiler) I can bring down the square foot cost to around $3-$6 (PEX + piping) + $1600 (boiler).
Also, the cost of a combined boiler over the radiant heat boiler that I’m currently looking at for the rest of the house is only another $800. So if I bite the bullet and pony up for the heavier-duty boiler when I do one, I can do the other for even cheaper.
Faux - January 24, 2012
If I were you, I would just install hot springs underneath your driveway.
Geothermal heat is the way to go. Ask Iceland.
seattle_since_81 - January 24, 2012
Volcanic vent.
msb - January 24, 2012
I actually looked that up for heating/cooling in general.
To get the same level of heat from 100ft drilling in Iceland I would have to drill over 350ft. ):
Faux - January 24, 2012
Yeah, the initial costs for that are a lot.
Boise has some geothermal heating, including for the state capitol.
yuniform - January 24, 2012 via Android app
Just get a flamethrower
Rapid melting!
pdb - January 24, 2012
I thought it was just you channeling your inner Travis Bickle.
ThomasG - January 24, 2012
4 inches of snow is usually the max level of snow tolerance.
Anything above that and it’s a bitch to do things.
ThomasG - January 24, 2012
I love winter and snow.
I felt ripped off until this last week, like we’ve just had an extended fall. On the east side I think we’ve had a record number of sunny days this winter which is nice. I love how light it seems at night after it snows. I’m a big fan of night snowshoeing.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
Speaking of winter weather:
Video shot by my upstairs neighbor on Saturday morning.
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
Ha, that wind sound scared one of my kitties.
wazzu93 - January 24, 2012
Mine too!
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
I know it's pretty scary and all that, but I loved driving across the bridges when the waves were coming up and over.
I don’t think I would want to with the winds like this, though. Crazy weather is one thing that fascinates me. I think I would be a storm chaser if I lived in the Midwest.
seattle_since_81 - January 24, 2012
I lived in Seattle when the I-90 bridge collapsed into Lake Washington
To this day I would not drive on either of those bridges in a severe windstorm.
pdb - January 24, 2012
That was the lead story on the news the night my family arrived in Washington.
There were second thoughts.
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
Granted, there were mitigating circumstances
Several pontoons were left open after an inspection that day, which took on a ton of water in the storm. There was some human error involved, but still.
pdb - January 24, 2012
Would the new 520 bridge change things or is it just the concept of a floating bridge in that weather?
Mariner John - January 24, 2012
It's the concept
Things that float also carry the possibility of sinking. I’m willing to live with the risk on a reasonably calm day, but in a severe windstorm with water splashing over the road deck? No thanks.
pdb - January 24, 2012
I have the same feeling when driving over the Hood Canal Bridge in storms.
Awesome and exciting, but also pretty freaky at the same time
bomdal - January 24, 2012
I am a big fan of winter weather and snow, until it starts stopping me from doing things I like.
When the power went out, I couldn’t have fun or do any work. In short, I couldn’t make myself happy or miserable, which is just the worst. Granted, I didn’t have to do any of my work when the snow hit, but I like getting stuff done early.
I could’ve also jogged for half an hour…but didn’t because of the snow. It was all so unfair. I really want an affordable treadmill…
Aaroniero Arruruerie - January 24, 2012
My winter strategy consists of checking our food stores to make sure we have adequate meat
then that our fresh fruits and vegetables are in proper order, and that our defense are properly set.
I do not know when, but Winter is Coming.
seattlebruin - January 24, 2012
What is proper order for fresh fruits and vegetables?
Alphabetical? By color? By size?
pdb - January 24, 2012
Ripeness.
the long, harsh winters of the north can spoil crops quickly, so we must consume perishables before they go to rot and we have to give them to the smallfolk
seattlebruin - January 24, 2012
That seems only fair
pdb - January 24, 2012
You are ADORABLE.
Eyebrows - January 24, 2012 via mobile
Sansa >> Bella
seattlebruin - January 24, 2012
You're damn right!
royalcurve - January 24, 2012
Your love of empty vessel female characters is a little scary
bluemax - January 25, 2012
I hate Bella and love Sansa
seattlebruin - January 25, 2012
I am a UCLA fan what the fuck do you expect
seattlebruin - January 25, 2012
I guess the Starks are a family with a rich tradition
that are slowly slipping into irrelevancy as they’re all killed off. Sort of like ucla hoops.
bluemax - January 25, 2012
I guess the Lannisters are proud house that cheats at everything
and eventually learns that the punishment for cheating is getting shot in the nuts with a crossbow. Kinda like usc football
seattlebruin - January 25, 2012
They're also rich and take over the Kingdom
that whole sibling thing is more SEC style though.
bluemax - January 25, 2012
And then they get shot in the balls with a crossbow
seattlebruin - January 25, 2012
The NCAA sanctions certainly felt that way
bluemax - January 25, 2012
Its cool
the Others are gonna eat us all before we run out of food.
bluemax - January 24, 2012
Paul Rudd, ask a Grown Man
Link.
bluemax - January 24, 2012
Grown Man?
“Is there any way to clone Paul Rudd?”
msb - January 24, 2012
I think if you could clone Paul Rudd you would make a lot of money
bluemax - January 25, 2012
Winter coping strategy:
Baseball season!
Aussie Mariner - January 24, 2012
I get out in the outdoors as much as possible.
With only eight hours of light a day, you’ve got get as much of it as you can.
Luckily in MT we’ve got lots of hunting seasons and what not going on. Lots of snowshoeing and hiking.
Our winters are colder than the PNW, but being as dry as it is it makes it way more tolerable. Last year I was comfortable here in 14 degrees, drove to Seattle and froze my ass off in 40 degrees.
BigR - January 24, 2012
Is it the kind of dry winter where if you take 2 steps on carpet you get shocked by any door handle?
d0nkey - January 25, 2012
Indeed!
BigR - January 25, 2012
Had my first job interview with the Washington State Ferries.
If possible, I vow to welcome Yankee fans riding the boat home after a Felix home game with “Attention Passengers: Felix is ours and you can’t have him.” over the intercom.
FreeSeanKazmar - January 24, 2012
Winter is not about survival for me.
The heat disagrees with me, so I’m not too wild about summer on the whole. I don’t have Seasonal Affective Disorder (or S.O.-S.A.D.), and weather is no obstacle for me doing a variety of things I would do otherwise (if snowbound, I fall back on books, media, and the drink). For example, even though most of it was covered in compact snow or ice, I went up Tiger Mountain yesterday and if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met these fine folks (which Kermit informs me are Gray Jays):
JY - January 24, 2012
"Camp robbers" over here. One of my favorite birds.
BigR - January 24, 2012
Whiskey jacks!
JY - January 24, 2012
Such a terrific moniker
That might be one of the subspecies, it’s hard to tell from that picture and identifying birds is a new hobby. Kind of uncommon and a very interesting bird, they store food by chewing it and then sticking it into the bark of trees. And only a few specific trees, mostly spruce which limits their range. Worth reading about, if you’re interested in birds.
Kermit. - January 24, 2012
I will forever hold a grudge against those birds for one day stealing a hostess pie right out of my hands.
JAH - January 24, 2012
This is doubly sad because there may not be many Hostess pies left now.
JY - January 24, 2012
That event has multiple levels of tragedy.
JAH - January 24, 2012
Watching Captain America.
Nobody told me David Eckstein was in this thing!
msb - January 24, 2012
I enjoyed that movie.
katal - January 24, 2012
So should I also watch Thor?
msb - January 24, 2012
Here's the movie.
Everything in Asgard: AWESOME
Everything on Earth: Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
JAH - January 24, 2012
I would watch it if you're interested in the Avengers movie probably.
joof - January 25, 2012
Or if she feels like ogling Chris Hemsworth.
Patrick Stites - January 25, 2012
Hummina hummina hummina
Slurvey - January 25, 2012
Speaking of such things, I was pleasantly surprised by Chris Evans.
I just remembered him as Johnny Storm, and he was much better than I expected (and not just for the whole ridiculously amusing new Cap body)
I see he was in Scott Pilgrim. hmm.
msb - January 26, 2012
He was great in "Sunshine," too.
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
One of those films I keep meaning to watch...
msb - January 26, 2012
Stop meaning, start doing!
One of my top 20 movies of all-time, but I’ve heard people say they don’t like it. Danny Boyle’s best movie, in my ever so humble opinion.
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
I absolutely adore that movie.
IMHO, it will one of the very few sci-fi movies from the post-2000s that people will mention in the same breath as "Blade Runner and “Alien” in another 30 years or so.
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
I hope you're right and I would add Moon to that list as well
pdb - January 26, 2012
I didn't like Moon nearly as much, but I know a lot of people did.
It looked great, loved the effects, loved the bleak vibe…..I just really don’t care for Sam Rockwell as an actor. I don’t think he’s very good at inspiring empathy/sympathy, which that role definitely required. Most folks disagree with me on this though :)
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
I generally hate, nay loathe, science fiction
but Sunshine and Moon really stuck with me. I liked Moon because of how bleak and isolating it felt – Rockwell was OK, but the sense of complete aloneness that movie created was pretty amazing.
pdb - January 26, 2012
The scene where he pulls out his tooth makes my stomach turn.
I loved Kevin Spacey’s robot facial expressions when he had to lie.
wazzu93 - January 26, 2012
I have to get through season two of Justified, first :)
msb - January 26, 2012
Best show on TV right now
Although its like the only show I watch so I could be wrong
bluemax - January 26, 2012
You have the best taste :D
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
I'm trying to decide whether to move to Justified or Six Feet Under after I'm done with Homeland.
the other side - January 26, 2012
Ive never watched 6ft Under
but Justified is one of the most consistent TV shows I’ve ever watched. There hasn’t been an episode yet that I didn’t like, and the acting is really good across the board.
The only thing that I can recall as maybe being negative is that the second or third or so episode took place in LA and felt a little off compared to the pilot. But once they got the main plot of season 1 rolling boy did it ever get rolling.
bluemax - January 26, 2012
I really liked the villain-centric episodes in season one just fine. Then season 2 came along and was awesome.
The current season won’t show up on Hulu for a while, unfortunately. FX is wonky on Hulu.
yuniform - January 26, 2012 via Android app
I still haven't seen season 1.
Looks like I might have to buy it.
Mariner John - January 26, 2012
Or consult your local library.
msb - January 26, 2012
The villain for season 2 was really good
I hope she won an award or something.
bluemax - January 26, 2012
.
yup
msb - January 26, 2012
Excellent
bluemax - January 27, 2012
At least with Six Feet Under, you'll never hit a point of, "Oh Gooooddddd... I have to wait how long until a new episode?!"
By the time you’re done, Justified season 3 will probably be over and you can catch up then. Just a thought, because I think both shows are excellent.
I just caught up on the two episodes of season 3 last night, and man, it is good. Just the two main characters fued alone makes it great television.
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
You will get to experience "Narm" though.
yuniform - January 26, 2012 via Android app
See that was my thinking. I don't mind missing the 1 week wait between episode.
the other side - January 26, 2012
The first two seasons of Six Feet Under were magical.
I wasn’t so fond of three and four.
JY - January 26, 2012
So is it wrong that I want to smack Winona?
All the time?
msb - January 27, 2012
Nope.
She’s definitely the wet blanket girlfriend.
seattle_since_81 - January 27, 2012
She is probably the biggest dead weight character on the show
but I think she helps provide perspective on Raylan.
bluemax - January 30, 2012
Yeah. She might not do anything worthwhile herself, but she needs to be there for Raylan's character to have certain motivations.
Kenneth Arthur - January 30, 2012
She definitely becomes more relevant in the 2nd half of the 2nd season and now in the 3rd season.
Plus, she’s a cutie.
sanford_and_son - January 30, 2012
She's gorgeous. She was also really funny in her small part in The Other Guys.
Kenneth Arthur - January 30, 2012
Oh yeaaah! That was her, huh?
Such a ridiculously ad-libbed movie. Very funny, though.
sanford_and_son - January 30, 2012
That whole scene was awesome.
“I bet you think because of that beard that I’m really hairy but… Shaved.”
Kenneth Arthur - January 30, 2012
Aww.
how did I not realize it was James LeGros under Messer’s scroungy beard?
msb - February 1, 2012
And a Karen Sisco cameo!
awesome :)
msb - February 1, 2012
He's so good in that role! Pulls off the weasly hick vibe so well.
sanford_and_son - February 2, 2012
He played Raylan Givens in a TV adaption of Leonard's Pronto.
Hard to imagine him as Raylan.
seattle_since_81 - February 2, 2012
I see
still a giant hat, though
I know him best from Living in Oblivion, where he is supposedly playing a thinly-veiled version of Brad Pitt… I mostly remember the movie for being the first time I ever saw Dinklage.
msb - February 2, 2012
Nice.
I read an inteview with Elmore Leonard where he wasn’t too happy about the hat choice in that adaption. He likes the hat choice in this series, though.
seattle_since_81 - February 2, 2012
This is kinda blowing my mind here.
Also, I think I’m going to have to pick up this “Raylon” novel.
sanford_and_son - February 3, 2012
There are 2 novels by Elmore Leonard that feature Raylan.
Pronto and Riding the Rap. The series is more based on the short story “Fire In The Hole”, though.
seattle_since_81 - February 4, 2012
There are now three novels...
http://www.amazon.com/Raylan-Novel-Elmore-Leonard/dp/006211946X
msb - February 4, 2012
I've been a fan of his for a loooooong time. But...
I think only because of my age at the time that Not Another Teen Movie came out.
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
Open question:
How much experience do folks have with applying for jobs they’re not quite qualified for? For example, if you’re fairly strong in certain areas under the "Desired Skills" heading but a bit weaker under the "Required Skills" heading. Worth looking into? Specific tips? I find that I’ve historically been good at selling myself (and delivering) on the concept of "inexperienced but willing to learn" but I don’t know how well that works the further up the chain one moves.
Aaron Campeau - January 24, 2012
Don't be intimidated by it, is the only advice I have to offer.
Selling yourself would be the strong point. My current job, for example. My boss knew what he wanted and even though I lacked the specific skill set necessary, he decided he could fill those gaps with on the job training. My secondary skills (familiarity with major construction sites, maintaining and use of sensitive equipment, math at a commensurate level) were enough of a grounding he could work with.
Basically, don’t make the decision for your potential future employer. He might see potential or make a connection on a personal level that will fill his/her needs that you do not recognize. He/she has a perpective that you or I don’t have, so take the chance. My personal experience is that a general background will suffice, in some conditions, if they decide you are a person they can work with.
Kermit. - January 24, 2012
Conditions being they don't require major experience to make an immediate impact, for instance.
Hopefully this isn’t an oversimplification, “Top 5 Ways To Meet Your Future Employer” or something. This was my experience with my last two jobs, in different fields. Diving and survey. The only commonality I can discern is that I spoke with just the right person at the right time. Good luck.
Kermit. - January 24, 2012
Bravo sir, well said.
FreeSeanKazmar - January 24, 2012
Thanks. I hate giving advice, too worried it comes off sounding trite
But then it’s pertinent, so hey. There it is.
Kermit. - January 25, 2012
Definitely worth pursuing.
Kermit does a great job summing this up – if you don’t apply, you’re making the decision for the employer. At least give them the chance to be intrigued by you. And just based on personal experience at my company, we are eagerly hiring and having difficulty finding candidates who checks every box (interesting, given high unemployment).
We do a lot of hiring of people who are interesting and have lots of potential over people who have lots of skills but don’t really seem like they have that high of a ceiling – to relate it to baseball, we prioritize having a high ceiling over having a high floor. I’m guessing other companies are the same. Skills can be taught. Potential can’t.
And I think your approach is right on – be up front about it and play to your upsides.
Chris Hafner - January 25, 2012
Absolutely
And always, always express a willingness to learn things. The way I’ve answered questions in past interviews when I’ve been asked questions about things that I haven’t done is usually something like “I’m familiar with the concept but haven’t had a chance to (work with/do/see) it yet – I’ve always been curious though” or something along those lines.
In the corporate world, it’s pretty easy to get a gig that you’re maybe not 100% qualified for as long as you know how to sell yourself. Be open, be honest, and engage with the interviewer and the process, and you’ll be surprised how far you can get.
pdb - January 25, 2012
I've applied to tons of jobs that based on the job listing
I probably was not qualified for. But a lot of that is knowing that the requirements were mostly BS listed on a website to weed out completely inexperienced people.
I actually scored an interview once at a pretty prestigious studio where the interviewer opened up by telling me that my resume didn’t immediately stack up but he understood the nature of the industry and was willing to give me a shot to prove myself in the interview. I tanked of course but the guy was pretty nice about it and gave me a lot of pointers.
I generally set my expectations for jobs I apply to between “I think I can get this job” and “doing this just to see where I stack up”. Maybe I’m weird in that I like knowing I can at least get a couple steps a long in the process for prestigious jobs that I know I’m probably not ready for.
bluemax - January 25, 2012
"But a lot of that is knowing that the requirements were mostly BS listed on a website to weed out completely inexperienced people."
As someone responsible for the hiring of my department, I can’t tell you how true this is. Most “required qualifications” are either vague generalities (e.g. four-year degree or relevant experience) or absurd specifics that apply to your company only (e.g. experience with certain systems). Most of the time when I’m hiring for my group I used required qualifications as a tie-breaker; I view them as requirements for the job, not requirements for application.
ThomasG - January 25, 2012
Yeah unless a job is a Specialist position
Where they want someone who has a certain technical focus, then I always just go “well I have a CS degree from a good school and I’ve never been fired from a job and I’ve proven my ability to learn new technologies and adapt, so I can probably do this.”
bluemax - January 25, 2012
Thanks so much everyone.
Very good advice, much appreciated and probably what I needed to hear.
Aaron Campeau - January 25, 2012
I do have Seasonal Affective Disorder and the winters here absolutely wreck me
I can slightly mitigate it by just going for walks/bike rides no matter the weather but even then, I think I’m just particularly sensitive to not getting enough sun and every year the winter starts to get to me. I’d rather not move if I don’t have to because I like it here, there’s nowhere I’d rather be in the Summer, but this really can’t continue either. So time to try a lightbox I suppose.
Staying inside too much is definitely a bad idea. I wish skiing wasn’t so damn expensive or I would never do anything else in the winter.
OlSalty - January 25, 2012
I never realized how much weather affected my moods until I moved to LA.
I can just remember one day specifically where I was driving to the gym after months of really feeling good about being active and fit, and then I think this was one of the first days of daylight savings and it was dark early, rainy, wet and just unpleasant. I remembered think “ugh, I don’t want to go to the gym. I don’t want to do anything. I just want to be alone in my room.”
That feeling freaked me out to the point where I forced myself to go to the gym.
Kenneth Arthur - January 25, 2012
Happy lights work if you don't use one already.
My wife deals with SAD, and the light helps.
BigR - January 25, 2012
I just got one and it is freaking amazing
It’s only been about 5 days and I already feel tremendously better. Better than I usually feel during the Summer even.
OlSalty - February 3, 2012
Good, she had really positive results too.
BigR - February 3, 2012
Huh.
TR Sullivan, of all people, has an article on the Ms and Fielder on mlb.com
msb - January 25, 2012
.
Nolan Ryan would have scored.
msb - January 25, 2012
Ready to meet Jesus?
Jesus Montero, Mike Carp and Danny Hultzen to sign autographs Friday at Alderwood Team Store.
msb - January 25, 2012
After learning that Hultzen and Montero have the same birthday, I hope we can make an event of this
seattlebruin - January 25, 2012
Sandmeyer, Stelton AND Jim Bowden?!?
be still my heart.
msb - January 25, 2012
Winter blows, but I cope with the perpetual cold and darkness by pretending I live in Antarctica and my name is RJ MacReady.
Works for me.
sanford_and_son - January 25, 2012
You could pretend to be Leonid Rogozov
The medic in Antarctica who had to remove his own appendix. I will forever aspire to be as badass as he is.
HititHere - January 25, 2012
Winter has never really bothered me. It's a bit annoying that my feet get cold and wet and I have to wear a heavier jacket, but it is so much more bearable than 85+ degree days.
85+ and I turn into a useless mess.
joof - January 25, 2012
It's a good thing you live in Portland then.
Mariner John - January 25, 2012
And how.
The summers still get annoyingly hot here sometimes though. =(
joof - January 25, 2012
Please
“Annoyingly hot” does not mean “over 90 for two weeks and over 100 for a day or two”. Annoyingly hot is when it’s that hot for the entire summer.
pdb - January 25, 2012
Happy Australia day!
If I could, I would provide all of you with a small spread of traditional Aussie foods. I actually kinda mis the Australia day mini party I used to throw for my work colleagues when I was living in the US.
Random thought: Do any of you read my comments in an Australian accent? If so, please choose say, Paul Hogan rather than say, Steve Irwin.
Aussie Mariner - January 25, 2012
*miss
Aussie Mariner - January 25, 2012
I do, but I'm so bad with accents it comes out English.
Which is still awesome in my head, though I’m sure you’d find it upsetting.
HititHere - January 25, 2012
Oi do.
wazzu93 - January 25, 2012
What qualifies as traditional Aussie food?
Can you eat it with a normal knife, or does the knife need to be capable of killing a crocodile? How do I best reduce my risk of being ambushed by drop bears?
Drew_D - January 25, 2012
Most traditional Aussie food does not require a knife to eat.
Meat pies, sausages in bread with tomato sauce, lamingtons, tim tams, etc.
Stay away from eucalyptus trees and you should be safe from drop bears!
Aussie Mariner - January 25, 2012
I have a soft spot for anzac biscuits.
although soft is probably the wrong word to use in this context.
msb - January 26, 2012
The soft ones are the best.
Aussie Mariner - January 26, 2012
I think you're just making some of this up.
What the heck is a Tim Tam? (as he breaks out the google).
Drew_D - January 26, 2012
Tim tams are second only to Hobnobs as far as awesome foreign cookies go
pdb - January 26, 2012
*chocolate hob nobs
pdb - January 26, 2012
Rec'd a thousand times were I able.
Sadly, I haven’t been able to find the dark chocolate ones in many a moon.
JY - January 26, 2012
The best.
I used to find them at Cost Plus/World Market
msb - January 27, 2012
God they are so amazing
We started carrying them at the movie theatre where I worked and I was constantly trying to damage the cookies so they couldn’t be sold and I could have them all to myself.
Aaron Campeau - January 26, 2012
Oh, what you have been missing.
though you can now buy them here, and no longer have to make friends overload their luggage.
still can’t get Jaffas, though. or Fantales.
msb - January 26, 2012
Tim-Tams are the bomb-diggity
You can get them at Cost Plus as Arnott’s biscuits, but there is something different about them…
section331 - January 26, 2012
They actually sell Tim Tam's as Tim Tam's at Fred Meyer now!
pdb - January 26, 2012
I'm am intrigued enough to stop by on my way home to try one.
JAH - January 26, 2012
Look with the Pepperidge Farm stuff, because I guess they make them in the US.
Patrick Stites - January 26, 2012
Yep
pdb - January 27, 2012
South Hill Puyallup Fred Meyer did not have any in the cookie section.
A dagger through my heart!
JAH - January 29, 2012
I hadn't checked in the cookie section, but Lynnwood Fred Meyer had it in sort of a display on the ends of one of the aisles.
Patrick Stites - January 29, 2012
WE CAN GET TIM TAMS IN THE STATES NOW!!!!
And not as imports. They’re now made locally. Stupid being on a diet.
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned Yahoo Serious. Oh wait yes I can.
pdb - January 26, 2012
Yeah I bought some at Von's back during Christmas because of the hype
they were pretty good. Too pricey though.
bluemax - January 26, 2012
Hoges and Strop.
msb - January 25, 2012
Meat pies. Sausage rolls.
msb - January 25, 2012
Well now I can't stop reading this in a Steve Irwin accent.
the other side - January 25, 2012
I listen to a podcast by guys from Newcastle, so every Aussie accent defaults to a Newie boy in my head.
Wait, also listen to one in Perth. Do the opposite ends of the country have different sounds? I can’t tell as they just sound for-un to my ears.
JAH - January 25, 2012
Also, do you call American's seppos?
I cracked up when I heard the explanation for that.
JAH - January 25, 2012
Aussie accents are weird.
They don’t generally seem to be quite so regional (at least state wise) at all. There’s a fairly wide range within my friends/family that are from/grew up where I live.
I personally do not use seppos – I don’t think that one’s really in common usage anymore that I’m aware of.
Aussie Mariner - January 25, 2012
The accent thing is interesting. I wonder what causes it, if it isn't just regional drift.
And it saddens me that seppo is not being used anymore. i thought it was a very clever rhyming slang.
JAH - January 25, 2012
There's plenty more where that came from.
(Somewhat) common rhyming slang:
Dog’s eye = (meat) pie
Dead horse = sauce (tomato sauce usually)
Frog and toad = road
Captain cook = look
Sausage roll = goal
And many more. Although a lot of them have gone away from direct rhymes and into other word associations.
Aussie Mariner - January 26, 2012
I can imagine you saying "That's not a Vegemite, this is a Vegemite."
Patrick Stites - January 25, 2012
I hear you as Ryan Rowland-Smith.
He was an Aussie Mariner, too.
truemsfan - January 25, 2012
He was the inspiration for my user name!
I miss the hyphen, and hope he can return with some success to the big leagues one day. :(
Aussie Mariner - January 26, 2012
I just looked up his 2011 minor league stats. Eeek. 5.90 ERA, 3.5 BB/9.
yuniform - January 26, 2012 via Android app
I know. :(
Aussie Mariner - January 26, 2012
I ate fish and chips in Australia. I don't know if it was just a craving I had at the time, but I couldn't get enough.
Kenneth Arthur - January 25, 2012
The last time I was in Australia was 2000
Does most of the country (at least the small business part) still shut down between Christmas and Australia Day, or has Australia given in to the overall velocity of the world at this point?
pdb - January 25, 2012
I was there for ANZAC Day last year...boy does EVERYTHING shut down. Very awesome, though.
It was just tough transitioning to Australia with our first full day in Sydney after landing being a holiday. Nothing was open. And it rained. Other than that, I had a blast! Definitely slower country than what I’m used to, so being on vacation there was great.
kentroyals5 - January 25, 2012
ANZAC day is serious business.
To pdb: quite a lot of it still does.
Aussie Mariner - January 26, 2012
I was there for the week between Christmas and New Year's
in 2008. Nothing was shut down, not in Sydney. The center of the city closed around 9pm, but that was because everyone goes down to watch the fireworks. And after seeing those, I have no interest in our stupid Times Square ball drop whatever.
section331 - January 26, 2012
Well, it's hard to beat fireworks off the Sydney Harbour bridge, and flyovers by F-111's/F-18's.
A lot of smaller businesses and service business/professionals just shut for two and a half weeks.
Aussie Mariner - January 27, 2012
I shall tell my mom to give her Australian dog an extra treat in honor of Australia day
bluemax - January 26, 2012
Also I play computer games with a dude from Australia
so I imagine people to sound like him, which is nothing like Steve Irwin.
bluemax - January 26, 2012
Wilson Valdez is now a member of the Reds.
Wilson Valdez is still relevant to baseball.
JY - January 25, 2012
Wilson Valdez got a fucking win last year
Corco - January 25, 2012
Leadership!!
Millwood has already helped a young Mariners pitcher
msb - January 25, 2012
Hmmm
Gatherings with friends, a little football, a little hockey, a little beer, a lot of movie watching, and a lot of depression. This answer might have been different a month ago, but the onset of February is just atrocious for me. Also, my writing skills fade a lot, which is irritating to me.
Oh, and bowling.
Not having baseball is just awful.
section331 - January 25, 2012
I have found my little bit of extra light from my new lamp/clock in the morning helps.
I haven’t felt the need to move to a real light box yet, but I know people who have found that it really helps them. I keep meaning to try the dietary things that are suggested, like more vitamin D and the mediterranean diet, but that requires an effort.
msb - January 26, 2012
I've been using the light at work, actually
I haven’t noticed much of a difference. :/
I’m not going to stop using it, but I am not seeing significant improvement, just holes in my vision whenever I lean too far forward and see it directly. :/
section331 - January 26, 2012
Hey..uniform numbers have been assigned!
Kawasaki gets 61, so they must be thinking he has to fight his way in for a job- I bet he takes 1 from Luis Rodriguez if he makes the team. He just seems like a #1
Montero sticks with 63, which is surprising
Steve Garrison rocking 88, which is cool
Corco - January 25, 2012
and Chih-Hsien Chang gets a real number (32) for some reason
Corco - January 25, 2012
Oh man, Luis Antonio Jimenez got a NRI!
JY - January 25, 2012
He will never be a true Mariner wearing #63
bluemax - January 26, 2012
Why not
he’s now bizarro-Pineda
seattlebruin - January 26, 2012
Its a joke based on what Yankees fans said about him
and how he never got his “true” Yankees number.
bluemax - January 26, 2012
I bet he poaches 35 from Steve Delabar before the season starts
Corco - January 26, 2012
at least GS52 got 52 back from Chance Ruffin
Corco - January 26, 2012
I bet he takes 24.
joof - January 26, 2012
Looks like the only available number below 80 is 4
Assuming 11, 14, 19, and 24 are all still unavailable. They didn’t assign 56, which was Halman’s number, so that’s classy.
I guess that means we can’t sign anybody
Corco - January 30, 2012
I love that I can click a link in the threads and not have to worry about losing my page.
I remember when I first started commenting here I didn’t quite get things despite lurking for a while. Now I get annoyed when I go to other SBN pages
LeftArrow2 - January 25, 2012
I think it's still broken if they use the link button and don't check the box.
Copy/paste links are always fine though it seems.
Patrick Stites - January 26, 2012
Yea, you have to hit that button
What I meant was I can trust the users here to click that button
LeftArrow2 - January 26, 2012 via Android app
I miss the sun.
My car got totaled, which I actually don’t mind. However I didn’t want to get another car loan over $6,000 so I stuck with my motorcycle. I love being able to drive in the HOV lanes and generally getting to places faster but I hate this rain. Seems like it never stops.
LeftArrow2 - January 25, 2012
Hey, my car got totaled, too!
Today (well, Wednesday) as a matter of fact. We should be best friends!
Two Rs and Two Ls - January 26, 2012
Hopefully your whole process goes better than mine.
It took that kid a whole month to call his insurance company and report the accident and then another week for the girl in front of me to call the insurance company. Then it took a month for them to go to the shop to look at my car and say it was totaled. They then tried to make me return my rental car before I got my check for my old car
LeftArrow2 - January 26, 2012 via Android app
It's starting to look like the driver of the other vehicle doesn't have insurance.
I’ve never had an accident before, and I know that I shouldn’t be pleased about this, but I don’t really understand the implications.
Two Rs and Two Ls - January 26, 2012
It probably depends on what your insurance policy covers.
I’m insured to the hilt; it covers everything including uninsured motorists.
wazzu93 - January 26, 2012
USAA hi5!
JAH - January 26, 2012
USAA!
msb - January 26, 2012
Hi fives!
wazzu93 - January 26, 2012
If the guy doesn't have insurance then that means you might have to go to small claims court
1/4 drivers don’t have insurance.
LeftArrow2 - February 3, 2012
My car was totaled a couple of months ago and I was in the same boat as you. Not wanting to get a loan over a certain amount.
I ended up finding a car that is so far so good at $1100 and that’s all I need.
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
Anybody else have near-catastrophic failure of their primary mode of transportation yesterday?
The rear derailleur hanger on my bike is bent, which isn’t a problem on most bikes – replace it and you’re good – but on my bike, the derailleur hanger is part of the frame, so it can’t be replaced. Normally, this isn’t a problem – what it means is that I can’t shift into the lowest available gear because that pushes the derailleur into the spokes, but as long as I stay away from that lowest gear I’m good.
The other problem I have is my shifting has gone wonky in the last couple months – attempting to shift a gear either results in the derailleur jumping the chain three gears, not moving at all, or shifting once, doing nothing for about 30 seconds and then shifting again.
So last night, I was getting ready to climb the monster hill on the way home, and I downshifted into a somewhat low gear. So far so good, but about half way up the hill the shifter decided to downshift again, and it threw the chain into the lowest gear. Chain froze up, derailleur hit the spokes, I almost fell into traffic because I barely unclipped in time…good times.
Bike’s in the shop today.
pdb - January 26, 2012
I put a hole in my radiator trying to remove my truck (Ranger) from the ice bank that it was in due to plowing.
I’m not a car person, but it turns out when the previous owner put the aftermarket lift on the truck they were a complete dumbass about it and removed all the protective element below the front of my truck. So that was happy fun times.
the other side - January 26, 2012
Detail on what I said above:
I stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, looked in my rear-view mirror, and saw a lady coming down Western Ave. with not enough time to stop. “Oh, I’m about to get hit,” I thought to myself. I was right, and it totaled my car.
Two Rs and Two Ls - January 26, 2012
I think anyone who gets hit from behind has the right to sock that person in the face, at least once, without getting arrested.
kentroyals5 - January 26, 2012
Aw but past John doesn't want to get punched.
He didn’t mean to :(
Mariner John - January 26, 2012
I got a cramp in my foot going up some stairs, but I don't think that is what you mean.
JAH - January 26, 2012
Have hammer, will re-align.
ToddK - January 29, 2012
Tonight my work is having a karaoke competition. Top 2 performances get an iPad.
I know we’ve gone over this before, but what’s your go-to karaoke song?
I’ll be performing End of the Road.
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
Bruce Springsteen - Dancing in the Dark
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
Who does the Courtney Cox bit?
pdb - January 26, 2012
That's the best part, there's almost always a drunken volunteer!
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
On an un-yet-sorta-maybe-related note, Cougar Town comes back Feb 14!
It’s a horrible name, but a completely awesome show.
pdb - January 26, 2012
It should share an hour with Happy Endings. Both horrible names, both hilarious.
yuniform - January 26, 2012 via Android app
I can't really get down with how the dialogue seems to be written in Twitter-like prose.
I do find myself laughing a few times though whenever I see it.
sanford_and_son - January 26, 2012
Happy Endings is basically a series of really sharp one-line jokes tied around a loose plot device
it’s pretty fun but it’s not that memorable – but I laugh a lot when I watch it.
pdb - January 26, 2012
It's not a grand construct like Community or Parks and Rec, but I often laugh more at it than any other show.
yuniform - January 26, 2012 via Android app
I started watching it a couple of days ago.
I love that they just shit on the title every episode.
Mariner John - January 26, 2012
We need to have a backup song for a sing-off.
I think mine will be a one-man version of Time of My Life.
I can’t sing, so I have to use gimmicks.
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
Sadly, it's Creed.
Or maybe Young MC’s Bust A Move, and I beatbox during the break.
Two Rs and Two Ls - January 26, 2012
Take on Me by a-Ha
Slurvey - January 26, 2012
I can't do the a-Ha version
its too slow after years and years of listening to the RBF version
bluemax - January 26, 2012
Total Eclipse of the Heart- Bonny Tyler.
Livin’ on a Prayer- Bon Jovi tends to be a hit as well.
JAH - January 26, 2012
Oh, and how could I forget Gangsta's Paradise.
Eurasian men performing rap songs never seems to fail.
JAH - January 26, 2012
My most recent top 2
1. Don’t Stop Believing (except this is so stupidly popular, fuck you Glee)
2. Tiny Dancer
Other songs that always do well:
Friends in Low Places
Bohemian Rhapsody
bluemax - January 26, 2012
Shit Living on a Prayer is my number 3 song
I’ve also been known to belt out Roxanne
bluemax - January 26, 2012
And pretty much any 70s,80s or 90s song that we played in Marching Band
Carry on My Wayward Son
Heart Breaker
Tusk
The Kids Aren’t All Right
Frankenstein (kidding!)
bluemax - January 26, 2012
I don't do karaoke, but I think if I did, it would have to be...
Glamorous – Fergie or Quit Playing Games With My Heart – Backstreet Boys.
Patrick Stites - January 26, 2012
Although if I had 2 others to do it with me, I Need a Doctor by Dr. Dre would be amazing to do.
Patrick Stites - January 26, 2012
Never Gonna Give You Up, by Rick Astley
joof - January 26, 2012
Marcy Playground
Sex & Candy. It’s literally the only song I will sing.
HititHere - January 26, 2012
I don't think that counts as singing.
Eyebrows - January 26, 2012 via mobile
Kind of why I do that one.
HititHere - January 26, 2012
Khe Sahn by Cold Chisel.
Eagle Rock – Daddy Cool.
Those are two I always do when I do karaoke. Although funnily enough since I quit drinking I don’t do karaoke much anymore…
Aussie Mariner - January 26, 2012
Karaoke is really best done when all parties are half blasted.
JAH - January 26, 2012
Or when the music is played by live organist.
Two Rs and Two Ls - January 27, 2012
There's a band in LA that does Punk Rock Karaoke
bluemax - January 27, 2012
Yeah true.
This is how you can convince your friends to do Rocket Man like William Shatner.
Oh my god, that shit was hilarious.
Aussie Mariner - January 27, 2012
That should really be the only time it's done.
sanford_and_son - January 27, 2012
Half?
Drew_D - January 27, 2012
Any suggestions on apps or tips for a new iPad user? :)
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
Congrats. How'd you win?
yuniform - January 27, 2012 via Android app
Thanks. I'm actually writing a blog post on that right now, because I can't really sing.
But I sang End of the Road. Went out into the crowd. Riled them up. Had people laughing. There are a few subtle ways you can get a crowd into it even if you can’t sing. I just had a lot of fun up there.
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
Now this I like.
I’ve held a deep hatred of all things karaoke ever since tending bar several years ago that had karaoke every Friday/Sat. night. Mostly the same regulars, thinking they actually could sing, doing roughly the same songs every week. It didn’t matter if it was country, heavy metal, pop, or whatever; it was all shitty. I love the idea of someone knowing they can’t carry a tune and hamming it up instead.
wazzu93 - January 27, 2012
I thought being a giant ham was the entire purpose of karaoke.
Nothing worse then some idiot signing a song that “means something” to them.
JAH - January 27, 2012
App suggestions as part of an OT has been floating around my to-do list for awhile
One of the first problems I had was too many open apps, since I didn’t bother to read any manuals. Double tap the home button, and a menu pops up at bottom of screen. These are open apps, touch and hold one. They’ll start to shake and a red X appears upper left of each icon, this will close them.
Doing the same from the main screen has a similar effect, but with a gray X. This will delete the app. You can also drag and drop in this mode, dropping apps (typically of similar type) onto another will create a folder. Helps keep the desktop clean.
List of frequently used apps. BBC News, Flipboard, Evernote, Bamboo Paper, Reminders, Timer, Kayak,Pandora, Playlister for KEXP, Dropbox, Converter, SportsTap, Fanhattan, Netflix, PBS, SnagFilms, Trailers, Leafsnap, Peterson Feeder Birds Of North Amaerica, Super 8, Contre Jour, Kindle (great for ebooks from the library)
Kermit. - January 27, 2012
Also recommend shutting it down once in awhile.
Otherwise it gets a little buggy every few days. Push the Hold button for about 5 seconds, a red slider pops up. This will turn off the iPad. Hold button again to turn on. And switching the mute button to orientation lock in Settings has been useful.
Kermit. - January 27, 2012
Thanks!
I wish I had it right now, but the boss hasn’t bought the iPad yet. But I will go through those apps and I appreciate the tips!
Kenneth Arthur - January 28, 2012
Almost forgot. Something about the Apple hardware didn't work well with our ISP
The technical aspects were immediately forgotten, but switching the DNS address to an OpenDNS server fixes the problems. They were oddball crap, randomly not being able to locate LL, for instance. Dropping or freezing while watching Netflix was the main problem.
Kermit. - January 29, 2012
Thanks for all of this.
Started downloading apps last night and just went through your list and tips!
Kenneth Arthur - February 1, 2012
Peterson Feeder Birds of North America?
no wonder I voted for Kermit for (North) America
seattlebruin - February 1, 2012
Hey! It's an excellent resource!
Kermit. - February 2, 2012
Jessies Girl - Rick Springfield
If that fails, Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money.
FreeSeanKazmar - January 28, 2012
Terrell Suggs calls Skip Bayless a douchebag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGCZffZGD24
Related videos of Suggs and Bayless are equally entertaining.
lailaihei - January 26, 2012
Watching M's Media day stream
Sims and Blowers not going to Japan, but they will be doing commentary from Safeco as the video comes in.
Mayo - January 26, 2012
Live Stream! Rick Griffith!
http://mariners.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=6261176&c_id=sea
Rick says Guti looks “unbelievable”
msb - January 26, 2012
Chris Gwynn!
msb - January 26, 2012
Unlike Justin Smoak, Chris Gwynn's body fat is NOT down 4%.
msb - January 26, 2012
Carp looks thinner, too-- it might be the beard...
msb - January 26, 2012
Michael Saunders did not spend the winter in B.C.
msb - January 26, 2012
Larry Stone quoted Zduriencik: "This will be a challenging year at the big league level. Let's not kid ourselves."
Divish immediately nominated that as this year’s slogan.
msb - January 26, 2012
The 2012 Seattle Mariners: We're Not Kidding, Baseball Is Hard For Us!
pdb - January 26, 2012
Your 2012 Seattle Mariners ... "Let's not kid ourselves."
msb - January 26, 2012
"... We're playing the kids."
yuniform - January 26, 2012 via Android app
Listen to him, kid.
Edgar meeting Jesus.
msb - January 26, 2012
MLB.com's top 100 prospect list:
Montero #12, Hultzen #16, Walker #18, Franklin #52, Paxton #77. (Did I miss anyone?) Bauer and Bundy are ahead of Cole, who’s ahead of Hultzen. Trout #3. Prufar #7.
yuniform - January 26, 2012
For those of you that enjoy laughing at Liverpool:
You’re welcome.
Aaron Campeau - January 26, 2012
Thank you.
Eyeball Kid - January 26, 2012
Per a debate I'm having: Would you consider Groundhog Day to be a great movie, a great comedy or none of the above?
(I’m not sure how I would respond to someone who answered “None of the above”)
Is it one of the better movies ever made? Not giving it Godfather status or anything, but should it stand alone and not as a comedy, as one of the greatest movies?
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
I think it's kind of silly but I still watch it every year.
One of my favorite parts is with Stephen Tobolowsky of course.
wazzu93 - January 26, 2012
Ned!... (removes hat) Ryerson!
JY - January 26, 2012
I would say both. And I would also ignore the people who answer with the 3rd choice.
I really like the character progression. So much up and down that is just logical. Phil’s reasoning for why he takes certain courses of action just click with me, maybe I relate or it’s just well written.
Craptastic-J - January 26, 2012
For those reasons we studied it in an ethics class at my university.
Our professor used it as a great example of Aristotelian ethics, which was actually pretty interesting. It made me realize how well written it is
bomdal - January 27, 2012
I would call it a great comedy.
I have a hard time putting it into “one of the greatest movies” status, if only because it doesn’t have that epic feel to it.
Not the overused, crappy use of “epic” everyone is using nowadays. I mean epic. Movies that are truly “epic” to me are ones like Godfather, Gladiator, Shawshank Redemption…
HititHere - January 26, 2012
Great movie, I don't really associate it as a comedy movie, at least off the top of my head.
Patrick Stites - January 26, 2012
Great movie, without question
pdb - January 26, 2012
Great movie.
JAH - January 26, 2012
One of the best comedies, and a great movie in its own right.
And it has aged very well, the themes are timeless.
Drew_D - January 26, 2012
Great movie.
I don’t think it’s lost much of anything over the years.
JY - January 26, 2012
I think it's gotten with age, in fact.
Like a fine wine.
sanford_and_son - January 27, 2012
Additionally, my mind was even more blown in recent years by the idea of "How long was he trapped?"
As a kid, I never thought about this. I thought, “Oh, probably awhile” as in a few months. Then you listen to Harold Ramis, and proposes that it has to be at least 10 years. Others suppose 30 or 40 and some get real dark and say it’s thousands of years.
That seems a little far-fetched, but 20 years? That blows my mind even more. But to master what he had mastered, it would take a very long time.
Kenneth Arthur - January 26, 2012
I always figured it was somewhere in the 2-3 year range.
Longer than that seems sad, even though he can change the outcome daily.
wazzu93 - January 27, 2012
An outstanding and clever comedy and possibly Bill Murray's best all-around flick.
sanford_and_son - January 27, 2012
I just found out that Ramis and Murray didn't speak for 10-12 years after that movie.
Harold Ramis might be the most underrated genius of our time.
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
I agree, Ramis is amazingly funny.
I wonder what their beef was with each other.
sanford_and_son - January 27, 2012
Speculation in this excerpt:
http://www.schindler.org/psacot/20010813_ghd_newyorker.shtml
msb - January 27, 2012
That kind of makes Bill Murray sound like a dick.
wazzu93 - January 27, 2012
Murray has long been "known" (rumored around Hollywood, how should I really know?) to be a big asshole even from his SNL days.
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
Yep
He’s been a prick forever, by all accounts. He got that rep once Caddyshack blew up and it has only gotten worse over the years.
pdb - January 27, 2012
I guess I've heard the same thing about Chevy Chase.
wazzu93 - January 27, 2012
That's why Chase and Murray have been bitter enemies for 30 years.
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
Didn't Chase chill out after he got humiliated in a Roast?
JAH - January 27, 2012
Maybe?
I know that a lot of people are praying for Bill Murray to play Jeff’s father on Community, which would be an epic step towards uniting those two legends.
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
Holy shit that would be amazing.
the other side - January 27, 2012
Jesus that would be amazing
JAH - January 27, 2012
I don't know if he chilled out but he got absolutely destroyed at his roast, from what I heard
I didn’t see it, but Marc Maron was invited to be on it and he has in several podcasts since talked about how legitimately uncomfortable that roast was because nobody was there for fun – they were all lining up to take shots at Chevy Chase.
pdb - January 27, 2012
I feel like he's a prick because he knows he can get away with anything.
It’s like the same way with an asshole at the DMV that knows they don’t have to be nice to anyone because we need them and they don’t need us. We aren’t “customers” to people at the DMV, so they can act like pieces of shit to us. (Not that many of them aren’t helpful and nice, but some of them are rather rude and not quiet about it.)
Bill Murray knows that no matter what he does, he’s an icon and a legend and he makes a cameo and people freak out. He can be the biggest piece of shit in the world and we’ll still love him.
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
I gather he is a bit of one.
Very black irish-catholic, hard to get to commit. These days, if you want to hire him for a job, you call up a toll-free line and leave him message(s).
msb - January 27, 2012
Those voicemails must be awesome.
sanford_and_son - January 27, 2012
Yep, from what I hear it is 1-888-DINGERS.
seattle_since_81 - January 27, 2012
He's an odd one.
Consider that he did Ghostbusters as a way of getting a film adaptation of The Razor’s Edge. Knowing that, it makes sense that he would want something more philosophical even though he’s never really been able to get it. It doesn’t excuse him being a dick though.
JY - January 27, 2012
How did I not know he co-wrote Animal House?
wazzu93 - January 27, 2012
He actually also wrote two screenplays for National Lampoon before they finally decided on Animal House.
The second of which was called Laser Orgy Girls, which was about “a teenage Charles Manson’s adventures in high school that meets aliens in the desert.”
Quote from John Landis:
God, do I want to see this fucking movie.
Kenneth Arthur - January 27, 2012
So apparently the NHL All Star game format has changed again
this year they have two captains and the captains are going to draft teams from a selected pool of all stars. I wonder if this idea would work for baseball?
bluemax - January 26, 2012
Baseball players are for the massive part idiots.
So that could turn out bad.
the other side - January 26, 2012
I foresee the Yankees and Red Socks finding a way to eliminate the NL
And all A.L. teams not In Boston and NY, and staging an extra “Greatest rivalry in history” game during the All-Star break
Craptastic-J - January 26, 2012
Or entertaining!
I think it would be
funnyentertaining to see someone like Ortiz selected to the pool of all-stars then get drafted by the captain to play CF.The all-star game is meaningless to me. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I just don’t get any enjoyment out of it. Even though it “counts”.
I would rather watch the players just having fun. Which is why I enjoy the softball game they play more than the real game.
d0nkey - January 26, 2012
Brandon McCarthy has to pick both teams.
Mariner John - January 26, 2012
McCarthy vs LoMo.
Patrick Stites - January 26, 2012
Don't they do that for the Home Run Derby?
Corco - January 26, 2012
They did last year-first time I think.
wazzu93 - January 26, 2012
It looks like they started it last year.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=549747
Interesting choice. Definitely could see some ribbing from teammates on who was picked last, or some sweet bribing going on.
seattle_since_81 - January 26, 2012
NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR FANTASY DRAFT, PUJOLS!
JAH - January 26, 2012
Aw, Fifi.
Anniversary with my beautiful wife my god thanks for putting in my way and make a nice family like we have …. I’m so grateful and proud of you I love you Sandra Mariela Hernandez are the best thank you for being by my side.
msb - January 26, 2012
For a second, I thought you had gone out to dinner with Felix and his wife on their anniversary.
JAH - January 26, 2012
Oddly enough, they didn't invite me.
not even to babysit.
msb - January 26, 2012
Sooo, I was just listening to Battleme's awesome version of "Hey hey, my my", anyone have any favorite cover songs?
Patrick Stites - January 27, 2012
Reel Big Fish's cover of Take On Me
bluemax - January 27, 2012
Semi-related, but I think the Save Ferris cover of "Come on Eileen"
may be better than the original.
Eyebrows - January 27, 2012 via mobile
I had a college music professor deconstruct the Dexy's version, so I'm partial to that one.
yuniform - January 27, 2012 via Android app
Save Ferris did quite a few good covers
JAH - January 27, 2012
Come On Eileen is terrible no matter what
bluemax - January 30, 2012
Emi Hinouchi's acoustic guitar cover of Michael Jackson's Rock With You.
lailaihei - January 27, 2012
Social Distortion's Under My Thumb.
JAH - January 27, 2012
William Shatner/Ben Folds/Joe Jackson's cover of Common People
That is the only correct answer.
pdb - January 27, 2012
In addendum, Pulp did it pretty well in the first place.
Faux - January 30, 2012
Polysics' version of My Sharona
Eyeball Kid - January 27, 2012
"Lake of Fire" from Nirvana's Unplugged album.
Jed MC - January 27, 2012
Joey Ramone's cover of "What a Wonderful World".
And basically everything by Me First and the Gimme Gimme’s.
InSpokane - January 27, 2012
Dynamite Hack, Boyz N' Tha Hood
Foo Fighters, Baker Street.
Kermit. - January 27, 2012
I routinely karaoke Boyz N' Tha Hood
Whenever it’s available.
HititHere - January 30, 2012
Curt Schilling is a massive nerd
And very good at ignoring my attempts to troll him.
bluemax - January 27, 2012
I am actually pretty optimistic for his game, which surprises me.
joof - January 27, 2012
Woah, Schilling is behind that game?
I downloaded the demo for the Mass Effect 3 DLC and was suprised at how it wasn’t terrible.
FreeSeanKazmar - January 28, 2012
Yeah after he retired he threw a bunch of money behind starting his own dev studio
he seems like a pretty passionate guy about gaming and his product, but he’s also pretty honest too which is something a lot of gamedevs aren’t in public situations.
bluemax - January 30, 2012
A question for those of you who run in the winter weather.
Do you run with gloves? If so what kind? I’m usually fine without down here in the bay area, but last week was pretty cold and drizzly. Suggestions?
Drew_D - January 27, 2012
Oh absolutely. My hands get cold very easily (poor circulation I think) so gloves are a must for me most of the year in the NW.
I hate running in the winter, but I friggin’ do it anyways. It’s the worst.
sanford_and_son - January 27, 2012
Also, I knew I was doomed when I bought my first pair of running tights.
I wear shorts over them, of course, but man I look ridiculous.
sanford_and_son - January 27, 2012
So worth it though.
Re gloves, I too run in gloves in winter, I have some arthritis in my hands plus poor circulation to boot – I like not having to dunk my hands in warm water after I get done to get them back moving again.
I have two pairs, both made of light thermal material, one fingerless one not depending on temp and if I think I’ll need to mess with my phone (doubling as mp3 player) as I go. Can’t remember what brand, bought them here anyway. If you go to any decent hiking/outdoors type place you should find some. Never had problems overheating in them.
Aussie Mariner - January 27, 2012
Do you have any comfort issues with palm sweat?
That’s part of what’s holding me back from buying the gloves at the moment.
Drew_D - January 27, 2012
Not really.
Thinking back I can’t really think it ever got excessive, and the thermal material soaks liquids pretty well (and washes easily).
I could be wrong, but I swear I’ve seen palm-less gloves before, even if they might be sports related. Might be worth a look if that’s what worries you.
Aussie Mariner - January 27, 2012
Nah, all you need is some thins ones, maybe with wicking if ya wanna be ballin'. Never had much of an issue with overly sweaty hands while running.
sanford_and_son - January 28, 2012
I need gloves whenever it gets below 40 or so.
I have a couple of pairs, one lighter (Reebok brand I believe) and another that’s more heavy duty for those really cold (i.e. under 20 degrees) days. I had some comfort issues with palm sweat at first, but after a bit I just learned when I needed to wear them and when I didn’t. Also, yeah, running tights are worth it and required in my neck of the woods. Running with layers or covering parts of the body not normally covered takes some getting used to but I’ve found the comfort factor after you get used to them leads to more productive runs.
KC Mariner - January 27, 2012
Brian Sweeney is coming back!
You guysssssss!….. (not with a NRI though)
JY - January 27, 2012
Not Mike Sweeney :( ?
JAH - January 27, 2012
I believe the Nats signed Sweeney
or was it the Phils?
bluemax - January 30, 2012
Pretty sure Mike Sweeney retired?
sanford_and_son - January 30, 2012
24 games in 2010 and I have absolutely no recollection of him in any way.
Wow.
the other side - January 27, 2012
He also pitched for us in 2003 >:(
JY - January 27, 2012
I sometimes forget Carl Everett happened :(
the other side - January 27, 2012
Carl Everett brought us rally dino and for that I am grateful.
JY - January 27, 2012
That was before my days at LL.
All I got out of it was severe depression.
the other side - January 27, 2012
But Tui is gone forever. Time for Woodinville to root for the Mets.
yuniform - January 27, 2012 via Android app
We still have Luke Taylor!....
For now.
JY - January 28, 2012
Hooray 4ever!!
yuniform - January 30, 2012 via Android app
Why is the SBN 503 error message a drawing of Jackie Chan with a headache?
JAH - January 27, 2012
Because SBN doesn't realize that memes are stupid.
Coach Owens - January 27, 2012
That's a meme?
JAH - January 27, 2012
Know your meme says
Apparently.
Goose - January 27, 2012
I can't keep up with all this jackassery.
This must be what it feels like to get old.
JAH - January 27, 2012
Its a pretty old meme
bluemax - January 30, 2012
Oh hell yes.
Puppy Bowl!
the other side - January 27, 2012
Baaaawwwww. Brandie and Malie are my favorites.
Neat they have a bunch of pit mixes.
wazzu93 - January 27, 2012
I'm surprised they have a maltypoo
bluemax - January 30, 2012
"Fictionalization. Do not attempt."
Commercial lawyers actually feel the need to add this to a shot of a man wrestling an alligator?
msb - January 27, 2012
They added it to the commercial of the pickup truck that had a commercial airliner land it's front wheel in the bed of the truck.
Patrick Stites - January 27, 2012
Wonder what is on the ad with the snowboarding truck....
msb - January 27, 2012
It says trucks cannot snowboard - do not attempt...as well as that trucks cannot do barrel rolls.
Seriously, those are the disclaimers.
KC Mariner - January 27, 2012
I do at least like the attempt at humor for what is obviously a ridiculous legal requirement
pdb - January 28, 2012
I see those commercials more as making fun or truck commercials showing ridiculous shit that you would never do with a truck.
the other side - January 28, 2012
Trucks can absolutely do barrel rolls.
d0nkey - January 30, 2012
There's also this...
Patrick Stites - January 27, 2012
I just finished watching Grosse Pointe Blank on TBS and I had forgotten how much I liked the movie (and the soundtrack).
Definately the songs of my youth. Anyone else rediscover any movies lately?
KC Mariner - January 28, 2012
That Thing You Do.
Used to watch the hell out of it when I was younger, saw it on Netflix recently and it held up for me. Always a fun movie for me.
Patrick Stites - January 28, 2012
That is probably the most charming movie I have seen in 20 years
I want, at one point in my life, to have the same feeling about something – anything – that they all did that first moment they heard their song on the radio, and they’re all running through town trying to get to the appliance store. That scene always gives me goosebumps.
pdb - January 28, 2012
Yeah, I always enjoyed how they just went to each radio and cranked it up. That is probably one of the better scenes in the movie.
Patrick Stites - January 28, 2012
Heaven help me I'm in line at Safeco for FanFest.
Anyone else making it there today?
katal - January 28, 2012 via mobile
No Dave Sims this year? Booooo.
wazzu93 - January 28, 2012
Sunday, Sunday
msb - January 28, 2012
No can do. Midterms!
royalcurve - January 28, 2012
You go girl!
msb - January 29, 2012
Good luck, kick ass!
Aussie Mariner - January 29, 2012
Stephen Colbert interviewed Maurice Sendak and yes, you should watch it.
Pt. 1 (briefly NSFW)
Pt. 2
JY - January 28, 2012
I watched it a few days ago, that has to be one of the best Colbert interviews he's ever done.
Patrick Stites - January 28, 2012
Hot damn, looking forward to watching that when I get home.
I miss Daily Show/Colbert. I can’t wait until I have a real job and can justify cable. It’s so much more expensive here. :(
Aussie Mariner - January 29, 2012
You can't watch it online?
Matthew - January 29, 2012
I'm sure I looked for it not long after I moved back and struck out.
At least, I think I’m sure.
Aussie Mariner - January 29, 2012
Torrents!
Patrick Stites - January 29, 2012
I think it's free off the CC website?
JAH - January 29, 2012
Yup.
I think they cycle through the material though, so it’ll only be up for a little while.
JY - January 29, 2012
Yeah, but he might be locked out due to region restrictions.
Patrick Stites - January 29, 2012
Oceania /fistshake
JAH - January 29, 2012
I think it was this.
But I’m going to check when I get home from work.
Aussie Mariner - January 30, 2012
I always wondered why people consented to do interviews with Colbert while he was on The Daily Show.
Did people’s PR department not watch any of the segments Colbert had done previously? He is amazing at doing them.
seattle_since_81 - January 28, 2012
"I enjoy cocaine because it's a fun thing to do"
Skip to about 4:10 for the good stuff
Patrick Stites - January 28, 2012
This is hilarious
I’m doing my best to not have my whole office looking at me as I laugh.
bluemax - January 30, 2012
Does anyone else see an ad for "life technologies"
With a caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly? It says they offer exciting trade in specials for genetic analyzers. That part got my attention
Kermit. - January 29, 2012
That at least sounds interesting. I keep getting the masked, pasty white guy in tighty whiteys for that show Delocated. >:(
wazzu93 - January 29, 2012
Oh yeah, that too. >:-(
The link to the genetic analyzer thing doesn’t work.
Kermit. - January 29, 2012
How deep does green genetics go?
How green are you going, bro. Wait. Nevermind. Carry on…
ToddK - January 29, 2012
I really wish they'd change back to the old schedule (which I know they won't) and have this be Super Bowl Sunday.
wazzu93 - January 29, 2012
At some point these extended seasons and long breaks have to be counter productive, or just me?
Kermit. - January 29, 2012
When was that? It's been a 2 week break for awhile now, hasn't it?
Patrick Stites - January 29, 2012
I believe they moved it in 2002 because of 9/11 and never changed it back.
Aaron Campeau - January 30, 2012
Much like our--
aw, fuck it.
Matthew - January 30, 2012
assorted fanfest bits...
From Brendan Ryan’s Twitter Takeover
Not Brendan Ryan or mustache-related but damnit he’s trying really hard to win people over:
JY - January 29, 2012
Awesome to see that attitude on display.
Aussie Mariner - January 29, 2012
Towards the end of the Ryan, Carp & Iwakuma panel, Ryan turned to Iwakuma after watching Anthony Suzuki next to him doing simultaneous translation, and asked:
“I have a question. What are you going to do when Carl visits the mound? Will he bring Anthony with him? [pause] Miggy isn’t translating.” [much giggling between Ryan and Carp at the thought of Miggy]
Iwakuma looked at him and said in English, “I’ll be o.k.”
msb - January 29, 2012
I read they gave Iwakuma #18. He needs to hyphenate his name. :(
wazzu93 - January 29, 2012
Iwa-Kuma?
msb - January 29, 2012
My exact thought. :)
wazzu93 - January 29, 2012
I can't bear the thought of another wearing that number :(
JAH - January 29, 2012
I'm surviving this Seattle winter by being in Puebla, Mexico until May
brspiegel - January 29, 2012
Who else feels bad for a guy from Gig Harbor?
wazzu93 - January 29, 2012
No one?
bluemax - January 30, 2012
Heh, I just thought Kyle Stanley had Torrey Pines locked up.
Checked in the afternoon and he kersplooshed.
wazzu93 - January 30, 2012
It was pretty ugly, though I now think his caddie is an idiot
seattlebruin - January 30, 2012
Brandon League is accepting suggestions for his Twitter handle. Just use the tag #BLTweet (har har)
I suggested ThrowTheSplitterPlz
sanford_and_son - January 30, 2012
I'm not sure if that's still funny or I'm just being a dick.
Probably the latter.
sanford_and_son - January 30, 2012
BalDidntCount
JAH - January 30, 2012
Going for the deep cuts today!
Eyebrows - January 30, 2012 via mobile
Shawn Kelly just suggested @bigTurd43
sanford_and_son - January 30, 2012
@NotAardsma
Aaron Campeau - January 30, 2012
Aardsma should have gone with @thewall
Kenneth Arthur - January 30, 2012
Watching "She wore a yellow ribbon" on AMC
… which is always a fine thing to do. It has its own rhythm and pace and unique look at day to day life on a cavalry fort, complete with dogs.
And Ben Johnson on horseback.
msb - January 30, 2012
He's so skinny in those movies!
Quigley Down Under was on last night, and I couldn’t get over how thin Alan Rickman was at the time. Tom Selleck as well
Kermit. - January 31, 2012
Super Bowl Sandwich Monday
http://www.npr.org/blogs/waitwait/2012/01/30/146090050/sandwich-monday-hot-dog-super-bowl?sc=tw&cc=share
msb - January 30, 2012
Blue Jays turned down Pineda for Lawrie deal
Link
I just imagined Pineda at a press conference saying that he never dreamed that he’d be a Blue Jay this early in his career and I smiled.
JY - January 31, 2012
Hmm, unless there were other players involved, I think I'm glad we went for Montero.
Although having a good 3rd baseman would be shiny.
sanford_and_son - January 31, 2012
While I would say that Lawrie > Montero, based on the fact that he does play 3B and still has a really, really awesome bat...
It seems almost moot of the Blue Jays balked. If they “balked” at the idea, then there was no really possibility of it happening. It’s the trades that say “The M’s turned down a trade of Jose Paniagua for Alfonso Soriano” that really upset me.
Kenneth Arthur - January 31, 2012
I still think they went after the wrong Lawrie.
msb - January 31, 2012
I would have preferred Lawrie, but Montero is still excellent.
lailaihei - January 31, 2012
Its really happening guys
Its really happening.
(Warning image is kind of large and features a lot of green)
bluemax - January 31, 2012
i am mesmerized
seattlebruin - January 31, 2012
I am so excited.
msb - January 31, 2012
I can't wait to see that thing in action.
wazzu93 - January 31, 2012
I have been imagining as something like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4UUkui545I
the 4:50 mark if you don’t want to watch the rest.
As if.
msb - January 31, 2012
Add a couple flamingos and dolphins and that's perfect.
50’s movies are so comical.
wazzu93 - January 31, 2012
I want to visit this place
http://badassdigest.com/2011/12/16/hit-the-road-marvins-marvelous-mechanical-museum/
msb - January 31, 2012
Well, all righty then.
wazzu93 - January 31, 2012
I think that Frankie and Annette are each giving you a single digit salute about now.
ToddK - January 31, 2012
It's.....beautiful!
sanford_and_son - January 31, 2012
Spectacular.
Drew_D - January 31, 2012
That is fucking massive.
Gonna be awesome!
the other side - January 31, 2012
They should have sent a poet.
A Vogon poet.
JAH - January 31, 2012
Unstated in the archives
is that even their poetry must be approved for consumption by the masses. In triplicate. With several, before and after studies regarding the mental stability of any and all
victimsfans of the genre.ToddK - January 31, 2012
It would be hilarious if the Marlins never hit a home run again
Corco - January 31, 2012
They also have aquariums!!!
@JCRMarlinsbeat: One of the aquariums at #Marlins Park. Will be stocked with fish in the next 2-3 weeks. twitpic.com/8erzmc
msb - February 2, 2012
and Julie DiCaro notes that ...
“The Marlins’ new ballpark is Troy McClure’s fantasy.”
msb - February 2, 2012
My Red Scarlet showed up.
Anyone want a 4K animated gif?
Scruffy Lefty - January 31, 2012
Warning! Basketball related .GIF
I’ll post it as a link.
I will fully admit to watching this game in real time last night, and to making audible noise at this dunk. I’m slightly ashamed to admit that this man is the reason I’ve started watching the NBA again.
bluemax - January 31, 2012
He's one of the major reasons I watch Sportscenter sometimes, that's for sure.
He’s like 8 feet from the rim when he dunks that one. Insane.
sanford_and_son - January 31, 2012
I'm not hating on it and Blake Griffin is probably my favorite player right now (in a world where I don't follow the NBA anymore) but...
I can’t consider it a dunk if the rim doesn’t move. When I heard “Best Dunk Ever!” I was like “Wow, gotta see this” But when I saw it, I was a little disappointed. Not that it’s not one of the most athletic plays you’ll ever see, but the rim… you gotta grab the rim.
Kenneth Arthur - January 31, 2012
And what's the deeeeeal with players always traveling these days, am I right?
;-)
sanford_and_son - January 31, 2012
I was really upset when Dwight Howard won the Slam Dunk contest with the Super Man cape because he threw the ball into the hoop instead of dunking.
joof - January 31, 2012
If an opponent did this shit to me in a video game I would be annoyed.
Pretty unreal
Craptastic-J - January 31, 2012
I hate him so much and I was so happy when Andre Miller just straight laid him out.
He is probably the whiniest, most obnoxious basketball player I have ever seen.
joof - January 31, 2012
Perkins or Griffin?
Mariner John - January 31, 2012
Griffin.
joof - January 31, 2012
I have no idea why I like the NBA again but I do.
I just pretend the Thunder aren’t a thing and it makes it easier.
Mariner John - January 31, 2012
Right now I'm imagining you getting Shingles...
Now imagine me enjoying the fact that you got shingles. Next, imagine me wishing that you got a new case of Shingles every other month for the remainder of your days.
Fuck the NBA!
ToddK - January 31, 2012
Sorry that I like something again that I once liked.
I don’t support Stern or anything.
Mariner John - February 1, 2012
It's all good.
Though I am a tad sorry about the fact that you’re going to have shingles in perpetuity.
Curses can be so difficult to undo!
ToddK - February 1, 2012
Exactly this
I mean it blows that the Sonics are gone and it’s hilarious how poor the level of play has been this season, but if nothing else, it’s been wildly entertaining.
There’s a huge difference between “I like the Sonics” and “I like basketball” and when it’s the former, there’s no reason to not continue to follow the NBA.
seattlebruin - February 1, 2012
I feel like the Magic are the epitome of this season
“Hey they’re pretty good!” Two weeks later: “Wow, they are bad!”
Mariner John - February 1, 2012
San Antonio, every other night from Miami
seattlebruin - February 1, 2012
All the Lakers games that Kobe doesn't go for 40 in
seattlebruin - February 1, 2012
Portland, in that they are two different teams home and away.
Mariner John - February 1, 2012
I would not be surprised to go 32-1 at home and 3-30 away.
When I was checking their away record, I was really surprised to see the Blazers with 3 road wins, which is really sad.
joof - February 1, 2012
*when it is the latter
seattlebruin - February 1, 2012
Drayer
<a href=“http:// ”http://mynorthwest.com/374/619409/After-a-roller-coaster-year-Iwakuma-looks-to-settle-in" target="_blank">http://mynorthwest.com/374/619409/After-a-roller-coaster-year-Iwakuma-looks-to-settle-in" target="new">talks with Iwakuma
msb - January 31, 2012
well crap.
always the one time you don’t hit preview.
here
msb - January 31, 2012
Beer run
Pdb’s loss of Jubelale put me into a panic so I went to the PX booze store here on Ft. Lewis. Thank goodness for the overwhelming majority of servicemembers that think that budweiser and its ilk are the greatest beers ever, thus leaving the good stuff for me. Plenty of Jubelale to be had still, as well as quite a few other tasty numbers that I’ve been meaning to try.
coolguyrob - January 31, 2012 via mobile
Never underestimate the love affair between soldiers and cheap booze.
KC Mariner - January 31, 2012
We are a nation that does not grant titles except to The King of Beers.
Blegh.
JY - January 31, 2012
The King has abdicated.
It’s kind of a technicality, but there is a new King in America.
KC Mariner - January 31, 2012
What's weird is that I had never heard of Yuengling until I moved to the East Coast.
And even then, I thought it was some Korean thing by the spelling until I saw it in context.
JY - January 31, 2012
I'm still surprised at how limited the distribution is.
There’s a pretty devoted following out there with all the East Coast transplants around the country.
KC Mariner - January 31, 2012
for some reason I seem to recall seeing a Yuengling ad just recently ... Safeco? as a sponsor for something?
msb - January 31, 2012
Maybe on tv? They don't distribute east of the Mississippi.
KC Mariner - January 31, 2012
No, it was on a sign and I was startled because I thought of them as East Coast
msb - January 31, 2012
Maybe it was an advert on the readerboard during an away game?
JY - January 31, 2012
There was a comic where Obi-Wan Kenobi comes back to his apartment and see's Anakin drinking a beer on the couch.
He rolls his eyes and heads into the kitchen and opens the fridge. His eyes widen in horror and he rushes out to the next room and wails at Anakin “YOU KILLED ALL THE YUENGLINGS!”
JAH - January 31, 2012
Brilliant
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
Same reason college kids like cheap booze?
Patrick Stites - January 31, 2012
For some, but there are plenty of people I knew who could afford decent beer but still bought Bud Light when given a choice.
KC Mariner - January 31, 2012
I just meant some people like to get drunk the cheapest way possible on beer.
And really, a Bud Light is a step up in a lot of cases it seems.
Patrick Stites - January 31, 2012
Yeah, that's true.
At our unit bar in Honduras the premium beer was Sam Adams for $2 a bottle, everything else was $1. Needless to say, even at only $2 the Sam Adams sold the least.
KC Mariner - January 31, 2012
And from the college kids angle, when I hung out at my friend's apartment in the U district, plenty of times saw college students walking around with cases of Natural Ice, and really, I don't remember seeing them with any other brands.
Patrick Stites - January 31, 2012
My freshman year of college I lived in a small (40 guys) dorm and the RD and RA left for a weekend.
Obviously that led to a large party and it involved Natty Ice. Sunday night they get back and survey the damage which included countless cans of Natty Ice (along with some discarded boxes) laying around the outside of the dorm. They sent out a mass voice mail to the dorm only saying the following:
“We don’t care that you threw a party, we expected that. But we are beyond disappointed and pissed that our dorm will be associated with Natty Ice for the rest of the year. Next time pony up for Miller Lite or something.”
KC Mariner - January 31, 2012
They should drink Old Rasputin then
Aaron Campeau - January 31, 2012
Don't worry, I'm towing the "good beer drinking college student" line.
Of course, it helps that me and my study partner/friend have low alcohol tolerances. (Seriously, she’s done after ~2 beers…not quite for me).
Fluid Mechanics+Deschutes+Jenga is a pretty solid combination.
Rachmaninoff - February 7, 2012
I like good beer about 85% of the time
But every once in a while, for whatever reason, nothing sounds better than a delicious bottle of Budweiser
Corco - February 7, 2012
I know it was discussed earlier in here, but I am truly dismayed at the early arrival of Spring beers.
I mean, what in the fuck guys? Have you looked outside lately?
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
Fort Lewis!
I was there the other month, and stumbled across a large quantity of Dogfish Head 120. Needless to say, as the beer is generally impossible to find, I stocked up. Fort Lewis is a tremendous place to purchase beer.
katal - February 3, 2012
For you twitter folk...
Brandon League has an account now. https://twitter.com/BrandonLeague43
Patrick Stites - January 31, 2012
I don't know who suggested the winning name nor if that should count for anything.
JY - January 31, 2012
If he actually picked that as the winning name, wow he is more boring than I imagined.
Patrick Stites - January 31, 2012
Shazzam!
JY - February 3, 2012
Twerry.
Gross.
Aaron Campeau - January 31, 2012
Whee!
David Aardsma: I’d like to welcome Mr. @brandonleague43 to twitter. #howdyneighbor #pantsoffdanceoff
msb - February 1, 2012
He drives a Range Rover?
Ugh.
the other side - February 1, 2012
If it were a 1990 Range Rover it would be awesome
Corco - February 1, 2012
Current Range Rovers seem really preppy to me.
the other side - February 1, 2012
Agreed
The original was awesome and I’d love to own one, but the post 1995 and especially post 2004 ones are incredibly douchey
Corco - February 1, 2012
I don't see any of the originals anymore, they seem to be completely gone.
Now all I can think of is Dennis Reynolds.
the other side - February 1, 2012
My Grandpa had two- both acquired at auction in well-used condition
One was an 87 and he got it on 92 or so and sold it to my uncle in 95 and I’m not sure what happened to it
The other was a pea green 90- he got it in 94 and had until he died in 06. It was kind of a beater when he got it and he didn’t really take care of it because things kept going wrong with it and it was like $1000 every time he took it to his mechanic. He lived in rural Ohio so there weren’t really any qualified British car mechanics around, which didn’t help- by the time he died it still started and drove but didn’t really have brakes- we’d use it at low speeds to drive across his pasture to the fishing creek, but that was it.
He loved his 80s/90s British cars, but by golly he bought ones that were in terrible condition to begin with and they weren’t exactly the most reliable vehicles.
Corco - February 1, 2012
looks like on eBay it's about $10K for a 90-94 with about 100,000 in good condition
Corco - February 1, 2012
Ah, he didn't take my handle suggestion.
I imagine looking at his feed post-blown saves will be entertaining and probably a bit sad.
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
Oh, goodie, he's using Slipknot again for entrance music.
I wish he would embrace the fact that he resembles a roadie/merch guy for 18 Visions circa 2002 already and choose something accordingly.
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
He should do something really hardcore and use Party in the USA.
Patrick Stites - February 1, 2012
@BrandonLeague43 - Korn feat Skrillex "Narcissistic Cannibal". Venti quad mocha. Workout. #Boom!
Ladies and Gentlemen, your Seattle Mariners nu-metal and dubstep loving closer!
sanford_and_son - February 2, 2012
Shudder
bluemax - February 2, 2012
League is a 17 year old from 2002.
JAH - February 2, 2012
That is spot on.
sanford_and_son - February 3, 2012
Quad?
Pussy.
Drew_D - February 3, 2012
Holy shit Korn is still around?
Benne - February 3, 2012
Cris Carter today on the NFL HOF, and what it would mean if he was elected ....
“to me the Hall of Fame is telling the story of the NFL, and that they can’t tell the story without you.”
Which, to my mind, is another argument that can be made for Edgar.
msb - February 1, 2012
Jealous.
RA Dickey got to meet Yogi
msb - February 1, 2012
Well this is awful.
Dozens dead due to riot following Egyptian soccer match.
Aaron Campeau - February 1, 2012
Death toll up to 53 and counting.
I hate it when sports make me sad.
Aaron Campeau - February 1, 2012
Carlos Guillen is back, baby.
msb - February 1, 2012
Good?
I think?
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
But he got a DUI and isn't the family friendly sort of player the Mariners organization endorses
Corco - February 1, 2012
The one time I went to Rick's strip club on Lake City Way when I was 18, I saw Guillen there. He was getting a lap dance from the same stripper the whole time we were there.
Odd how that was the highlight of the evening.
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
You can go to a strip club anytime
You can’t see Carlos Guillen getting a lap dance from the same stripper the whole time just anytime, so I don’t find that odd at all
Corco - February 1, 2012
Well said!
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
At least he was faithful to the one.
InSpokane - February 1, 2012
RE: The NHL in Seattle
I’ve been hearing a lot of chatter recently about this, none from particularly great sources of course, and I can’t tell if this is the same malarkey they’ve been circulating for years or if there is actually a good chance of this happening.
I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I’ve been dreaming about Seattle getting an NHL team since roughly 1994 and just the thought of it gets my heart all a-flutter.
The obvious candidate is the league-owned Phoenix Coyotes and even though I hate the idea of taking a team from another city on principle, I’m kinnnnda okay with taking the Coyotes because fuck Phoenix. The NHL does not belong in the desert. Plus, they have a handful of exciting players right now.
Anyways, it’s probably a bunch of crap, but here’s the best recent article I could find.
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
Eh, it's all conjecture in the link.
I have a feeling (still conjecture, but counterpoint) if they’re going to move another team, they will probably move it to either Quebec City or Ontario somewhere, as the response in Winnipeg was rather overwhelming. That, and the buyer money is more likely to be there as opposed to Seattle.
It would also give the opportunity to use the almost the same conference format they have in the past, instead of changing it so drastically as they were going to with the current geographic setup. Drop WIN in the west wherever they’ll fit (probably COL to the Pacific, WIN to the NW), PHX to the NE, and put PIT or PHL in the SE. Nobody except WAS would complain, because they gain a rival that can actually play every year instead of the current SE div.
I just don’t see it in the cards for Seattle, as much as I would like that outcome.
Faux - February 1, 2012
Yeah, you're probably right :(
Thank you for bringing me back down to earth, though. I needed that.
sanford_and_son - February 1, 2012
From what I have been hearing, NHL wants to bleed Quebec City dry by expanding there.
If I understand the rule correctly, there is a fee for expanding a team to a city but not if they relocate an existing team. This may or may not affect Seattle’s chances as I don’t really know NHL at all, but I keep hearing this talk from NHL officials so at the very least it is not journalist pipe dreaming soundbites.
JAH - February 1, 2012
It won't happen without a new arena
so I’d say that at a minimum, you’re going to know about a new NHL and/or NBA team in Seattle at least 2-3 years in advance of it actually happening.
Matthew - February 1, 2012
From what I've read, as long as there is a stadium deal in place, the NHL would move a team to Seattle right away.
They would play in Key Arena until the new facility opened up.
seattle_since_81 - February 1, 2012
I would love a shiny new arena right next to Safeco.
Knock over some crappy warehouses and let’s do this thing! :D
sanford_and_son - February 2, 2012
I'm with you. For some reason I hate the strip club that's right there.
Normally, I don’t care either way.
InSpokane - February 2, 2012
I find the strip club hilarious, actually. It's so corny looking and theme park-like from the outside that it borders on parody.
And I like that they’re trolling the M’s family friendly image so hard.
But, obviously, if it were being knocked down for a new arena I would help set the detonation charges.
sanford_and_son - February 2, 2012
I've been looking for a good statistics oriented baseball book...
I’m a little late getting into the world of advanced statistics. I’ve followed LL for about two years now, and I have read through a lot of the reference material tabbed on the sidebar, including most of the articles compiled by Fett42. I would say I’m not entirely clueless, I understand the basics, but I’d love to learn more. Does anyone have any suggestions toward informative and possibly entertaining books on the subject? I’m currently reading Moneyball and I’ve been thinking about picking up Baseball Between the Numbers, The Book, or The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. I figured I’d ask around before I placed an order. Any Advice?
J.Savage - February 1, 2012
I haven't read the others, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Book.
lailaihei - February 1, 2012
Baseball Between the Numbers
Graham MacAree - February 1, 2012
The Extra 2% is also really good
pdb - February 4, 2012
I haven't finished it yet, but based on the few chapters I've read so far, I would have to second this recommendation.
Patrick Stites - February 4, 2012
Seconded.
sanford_and_son - February 5, 2012
Go to your local library and request all of them.
yuniform - February 1, 2012 via Android app
Well that was a silly failed reply.
yuniform - February 1, 2012 via Android app
They didn't have any bats.
the other side - February 1, 2012
Hutch luncheon today---
Larry Stone talks to honoree Billy Butler, speaker Cal Ripkin (especially about Edgar) and illustrates that John Olerud apparently has a portrait in the attic.
msb - February 1, 2012
Hey, remember when Fister had the 3 ball walk?
This is kinda sorta the hockey version
sanford_and_son - February 2, 2012
Heh, linky
Here
sanford_and_son - February 2, 2012
Can we have a brief laugh at the Pirate's expense?
The Nationals got to draft Strasburg. Then they got to draft Harper.
The Pirates got… Gerrit Cole.
seattlebruin - February 2, 2012
*Pirates'
seattlebruin - February 2, 2012
Did something bad happen to Cole?
I mean, few teams ever have the luxury of getting two prospects of that caliber. (Griffey and A-Rod!)
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
Nothing bad happened to Cole except not being Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper
seattlebruin - February 2, 2012
Yeah. Hey, we were on the cusp too.
Pittsburgh fans may pity us just the same.
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
It's like getting to pick a prize
kid #1 gets an Xbox 360. Kid #1 gets to go again for some reason and picks a PS3.
Now kid #2 comes up and the best thing left in there is a Dreamcast. Sucks to be you, kid #2
seattlebruin - February 2, 2012
But dude
Crazy Taxi and Street Fighter 3!
Maybe if Kid #2 got a TurboGrafx 16 or a Virtual Boy, it’d be sad.
HititHere - February 2, 2012
Blasphemy!
The dreamcast and the turbo grafix 16 were the 2 most underrated video game systems of all time. Along with the 3DO.
Kid #2 is the winner
d0nkey - February 2, 2012
I agree about the Dreamcast--I LOVED that thing. So underrated.
The TG16 I disagree with you on, but that’s neither here nor there. Never played the 3DO, but I’m curious.
Virtual Boy was only cool if you liked migraines and retina damage.
HititHere - February 2, 2012
The 3DO was that system that came out and played laserdiscs. It was pretty awesome but there were like 6 games for it.
TG16 had some awesome games. But my friend and I played Castlevania X (japanese only) on it almost exclusively. So I guess the judgement is a littke skewed.
d0nkey - February 2, 2012
Kid #2 could totally sell either of those to collecters for some pretty good bank.
Two Rs and Two Ls - February 3, 2012
I'm not sure why I thought that Cole and Harper were in the same draft, so that's where my confusion was.
I see what you are saying now.
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
Holy cow.
A controllable Sistine Chapel
msb - February 2, 2012
There goes the afternoon.
Is there a way to elevate the POV? I can zoom in and out and everything, but I want to get better head-on views of the elevated paintings
d0nkey - February 2, 2012
I first clicked on the circle which then had my mouse spinning the room around...
msb - February 2, 2012
Yeah, the POV is fixed on the ground level though. I was hoping to hover up and look at some of the 2nd level paintings head-on.
Still amazing stuff
d0nkey - February 2, 2012
I could get it to do that
msb - February 2, 2012
You have to do a lot of spinning and turning and maneuvering
msb - February 2, 2012
It kind of made me seasick :(
royalcurve - February 2, 2012
Random:
The former #1 picks with the most career victories: Mike Moore, Andy Benes, Tim Belcher, and Floyd Bannister. All played with Seattle.
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
Failed number one picks are the new market inefficiency.
Mariner John - February 2, 2012
The top 6 #1 picks in career bWAR were all high school players.
If you started a Hall of Fame conversation at 60 WAR, only 3 would qualify: ARod, Chipper, and Griffey.
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
Good news Danny Hultzen! #2 picked pitchers compared to those #1s:
Bill Gullickson, Josh Beckeett, Greg Swindell, Justin Verlander, JR Richard, Mark Mulder, Mark Prior.
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
Sorry... last one.
Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor were picked four years apart, by the same team, at the same pick (3) and both as SS and Baseball Reference says that the most similar player to Robin Yount is Paul Molitor…
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
So what you're saying is that we will get Strasburg eventually
seattlebruin - February 2, 2012
Probably for one year, after he's flamed out, during a failed second half playoff run.
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
I look forward to having him in a M's uniform in 2023
JAH - February 2, 2012
Holy shit. Is fangraphs data from the eighties as reliable as current data?
I see they don’t have GB% or HR/FB, so no xFIP. Mike Moore was worth 4.2 WAR or more three times during his years in Seattle, including 6 WAR in 1985.
Kenneth Arthur - February 2, 2012
Desktop music client time:
What do you use? I’ve long been using Songbird but their latest updates have FUBAR’d the app I feel. It used to do a wonderful job of organizing my music folder and they killed that and the add-ons aren’t as robust as I’d like. So, recommendations to switch?
I WILL NOT USE I-TUNES
Any other recommendations?
I use a desktop program primarily for keeping my mp3 player in tow, so I will only use an online service (Google Music) if it can also do that
Matthew - February 3, 2012
I have never used anything other than Winamp. Love it.
I don’t use an online music service, but I would be really surprised if Winamp doesn’t have the ability to do so.
d0nkey - February 3, 2012
I may be the only one, Burr I like Zune's player. Doesn't connect especially well with non-Zune mp3 players, though.
yuniform - February 5, 2012 via Android app
I like it too.
I’m just sad that they’re discontinuing the mp3 hardware aspect of it in favor of having sync capabilities with Windows Phones. I don’t want a Windows Phone. I don’t want my mp3 player to be a phone.
JY - February 5, 2012
foobar2000
It takes a plugin to get it to synch up your mp3 player, but that’s as easy as downloading a file and dragging it to a specified folder. In fact, there’s an entire plugin/add on community so that you can customize it to whatever you want it to be.
What I like about it is that it takes up so little processing power for a music client, especially when compared to iTunes.
Cascadian Man - February 5, 2012
Yeah I really love foobar2000.
Lots of people love to customize it to make it flashy, but you can go completely utilitarian on it and just end up with a low-resource player that can play any kind of file and displays it in whatever way you see fit. I also love the global hotkeys… I can skip songs and adjust volumes even when I’m in a fullscreen game.
lailaihei - February 6, 2012
May I ask why you won't use iTunes?
I’m not trying to change your mind, just to understand what it is you don’t like about it so that any recommendations will steer clear of the type of thing that turned you off from iTunes.
pdb - February 5, 2012
I'm not Matthew (well, not this particular Matthew at least)
but I cannot stand it because it’s a gigantic resource hog, it thinks it knows how you’d like your music organized better than you do, it mis-tags stuff all of the time, it assigns incorrect covers to stuff all of the time and it wants me to update it *usually to a version that sucks even worse) every fifteen minutes.
Aaron Campeau - February 6, 2012
All those reasons plus fuck Apple
Matthew - February 6, 2012
A week or two ago, my computer was running really slow.
Opened up task manager, and ITunes was using over 1.7 gigs of memory. So apparently it’s also memory leaky in addition to being a resource hog.
joof - February 6, 2012
I am in the same boat as Matthew now, being a Songbird user that hates the latest update.
I need a player that can play almost any file extension including the full lossless ones. Keep in mind that I hate VLC as a music player, so that’s not an option (or it is and I just don’t want that option
.
Kirk - February 6, 2012
Spotify will keep your mp3 player in tow, offers the ability to share tracks with people if they are in the database, and a Grooveshark-like ability to listen to stuff you don't own (benefiting the artist a fraction of a penny or whatever).
I like it.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
I use foobar2000 on my windows machine, and Songbird at work on OS X.
Is installing an older build of Songbird not an option?
lailaihei - February 3, 2012
Man, I do not envy any baseball blogger who has to write about Josh Hamilton's "relapse."
Ugh.
sanford_and_son - February 3, 2012
Judging from a sample size of Miguel Cabrera, he's going to be even better next year!
WhyGodWhy - February 3, 2012
Ugh indeed.
“Some shit happened and I had a few drinks”
.. and then? …
“No and then.”
d0nkey - February 3, 2012
Such a non-story.
sanford_and_son - February 3, 2012
Oh god.
Oh goddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd.
Aaron Campeau - February 3, 2012
WHAT
OlSalty - February 3, 2012
How is Queen still relevant?
Matthew - February 3, 2012
Well I guess the surviving band isn't really but still, American Idol?
OlSalty - February 3, 2012
They keep doing shit like this and they won't be
Aaron Campeau - February 3, 2012
Sweet mother of christ.
Goose - February 3, 2012
Jesus.
Just dig up Freddie’s corpse and piss all over it. That would be more dignified than this.
Benne - February 3, 2012
Music is one step closer to being dead to me now
pdb - February 4, 2012
Hey guys, got a baseball stats question:
Is there any place where I can see the league-wide average for BABIP of line drives, fly balls, and ground balls in 2011? League-wide BABIP was easy enough to find, but those specific BABIP values have been impossible for me to find.
Cascadian Man - February 3, 2012
Yep
here
Matthew - February 4, 2012
Is there any reason the Fangraphs data for these is different than those on BR?
Cascadian Man - February 4, 2012
The LD% are different as well, although I'm sure a large part of that has to do with the perfections in batted ball classifications.
It doesn’t change the point I’ll be trying to make too much, but I would like to be using the more accurate set of data between the two sites.
Cascadian Man - February 4, 2012
Er, imperfections*
Cascadian Man - February 4, 2012
BR's data comes from Retrosheet
FanGraphs’ from BIS
Matthew - February 5, 2012
Does anyone know what time the first game in Japan is scheduled for?
$cHu - February 4, 2012
Really early (or late).
Link.
KC Mariner - February 4, 2012
NBA and/or NHL -> Seattle?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017426859_arena05m.html
WhyGodWhy - February 5, 2012
I want a NHL team in Seattle so badly.
The Seattle Sockeyes! The mascot is a salmon with boxing gloves, broken/missing teeth, and a black eye! It’d be perfect!
Cascadian Man - February 5, 2012
Kansas City is getting pretty desperate for a NBA/NHL team as well.
The Sprint Center has been open for a while now and it was supposed to bring one or both to town. That being said, Seattle is long overdue a NHL team. I remember talk of the NHL as far back as the 80s so it seems like the league and city have always been flirting with each other.
KC Mariner - February 5, 2012
After the debacle with the Sonics...
I’m going to have mixed feelings about bringing teams in from the outside. Even if the NBA did come back, it would be hard for me to watch it, knowing all the foundation work put into place right as the team was leaving and how the returns on that will never be enjoyed by the city.
JY - February 5, 2012
It would be interesting to see if Stern would show his face in Seattle even if the NBA came back.
There would probably be enough basketball fans happy to see the NBA again but still wanting nothing to do with Stern.
KC Mariner - February 5, 2012
If the Key Arena is accepted as a transition facility while a new one is built, that would be awwwwk-waaaarrd
JY - February 5, 2012
Especially if the new one is built for the price mentioned in the article - $100 million less than Bennett/Stern said they needed.
KC Mariner - February 5, 2012
I think that it's generally been acknowledged that all of that was an ass-pull.
JY - February 5, 2012
Which is why I don't give two shits about the NBA, or having a team till Stern kicks off.
Hockey? Sure, but ugg NBA.
Drew_D - February 6, 2012
They may as well have said eleventy zillion dollars and the same point would have been conveyed.
JY - February 6, 2012
According to some of the news reports, the NBA has already given their aproval to Key Arena as a transition facility.
Which makes sense. Key Arena may not be an ideal facility for an owner, but it can still do the job and is a fantastic place to watch a game.
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
I would love to have an NBA team in Seattle (hell, or San Diego), but I wouldn't want to take another city's team
if the NBA were to expand to 32 and the arena was in place, I’d be all for it, but not really in another scenario.
Unless Oklahoma City goes bankrupt in the next three years and the team wants to move back to Seattle. Then they’d be welcome because fuck you Clay Bennett
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Oh God I don't want an NBA team if it comes with Tyreke Evans AND Jimmer
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Oh my God
Chuck Hayes, a 6-6 C is the only player on this team who I have ever seen pass the basketball. Holy shit
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
I hated Honeycutt so much when he was at UCLA. I'm surprised he's still in the league.
yuniform - February 6, 2012 via Android app
You hated Honeycutt so much?
would you like to see some of my GChat game conversations from the past two years?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Yes! He seemed untalented and annoying and a tweener. But I barely watched him and barely remember him. Except for all the tattoos.
Did Joshua Smith turn into anything good?
yuniform - February 6, 2012 via Android app
He was all of the above and then some
Joshua Smith is the biggest (yes this was on purpose) waste of talent to ever come to UCLA but is so talented I don’t have it in me to give up on him
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
He's like a wall with feet.
wazzu93 - February 6, 2012
Gigantic, immobile and bricks for hands?
Drew_D - February 6, 2012
Josh Smith has bricks for hands?
are you sure you’re not thinking of the one that plays for the Atlanta Hawks or WR for <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uclabruins.com%2Fsports%2Fm-footbl%2Fmtt%2Fsmith_josh00.html&ei=EnQwT9bROML50gG8wqDoCg&usg=AFQjCNGLzrGUTTje_FNpkP4tC1Crst0CFA" target="new">UCLA?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Holy shit
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Another poster on this website and I near obsessively tracked his early pursuit of a 200 turnover, 100 missed three season
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Smith shoots threes?
Why?
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
Honeycutt shot them
he really, really, really loved shooting contested threes.
Now that I think about it, I should have just added his terrible threes to his turnover count
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
It wouldn't be ideal to get a team from another city and I would feel shitty about it.
However, I don’t see the NBA expanding mainly because of all the teams that don’t seem to be surviving financially like the Kings and the Hornets. So it might be the only way.
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
I wouldn't feel awful about the Kings, I'd feel pretty bad about the Hornets
the Hornets seem like a team where the city wants them but literally cannot support them – it’s really hard to commit to spending money on a team whose marquee player A) isn’t playing and B) might walk in free agency, with no owner and an uncertain arena situation.
The Kings are weird to me – I’ve met a lot of people from the Bay Area for obvious reasons, and it seems like the vast majority are Warriors fans rather than Kings fans. Plus, the Maloofs are the Maloofs, and it’s not like the Kings haven’t moved in the past. Lastly, unlike New Orleans, Sacramento hasn’t quite seemed as anxious about keeping the team, even though the financial means are probably there to do so.
Of course if we get the Kings… then we get Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyler Honeycutt. Is that even worth having an NBA team if we inherit that roster?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
My vote is OKC gets the Kings and the Sonics come back to Seattle.
wazzu93 - February 6, 2012
Why does OKC get anything besides another bombing?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
We could inherit the Bobcats instead! That would be oh so much worse
Both the Hornets and the Kings have moved at least once which lessened the guilt I would feel. Though obviously Stern has fucked them this year with the Paul trade and the Gordon contract. It would suck if they lost the team essentially due to Katrina though their attendance wasn’t great even before that.
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
I feel like Oklahoma City fans in 2006 :(
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
I actually played this game at dinner with a friend the other night
I literally read off the Bobcats roster one by one and attempted to make it through the entire list without stopping to laugh.
I did not succeed.
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Best player: Boris Diaw!
joof - February 6, 2012
Gerald Henderson!
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Tyrus "Traded for LaMarcus Aldridge" Thomas!
joof - February 6, 2012
Kemba "Wasn't an NBA Prospect 12 Months Ago" Walker!
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Let's also not forget that DeSagana Diop airballed a free throw by almost two feet last week
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Let's also not forget they lost a game by 44 points less than a week ago.
End of the 3rd quarter score: 92-48!
Bobcats!
joof - February 6, 2012
I switched to this because I don't really know anyone else on the roster.
joof - February 6, 2012
Corey Maggette!
Remember when the Sonics traded him for shell-of-his-former-self Patrick Ewing?!
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
Eduardo "How Am I Gainfully Employed by an NBA Team" Najera!
no, I’m not kidding. He’s actually on the roster
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Jesus would we rather have the Kings roster or the Bobcats?
I feel like we could trade players the Kings have to an extremely stupid GM, whereas no one would look at the Bobcats roster and think “you know what I really need? Byron ’Don’t Call Me B.J.’ Mullens”
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Kings.
Like you said, there’s trade value there.
joof - February 6, 2012
OKC receives the Bobcats, Seattle returns the Sonics to town.
Otherwise, fuck it.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Alternatively, OKC loses their team, Seattle returns the Sonics to town.
From dust to dust, you dusty motherfuckers.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
I would prefer the Bobcats for this reason, since you're basically getting an expansion team.
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
But you also get the people running that team.
The people running that team suck.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
We wouldn't get new people to run the team? Do you mean the owners or the GMs?
I admit that I’m not familiar with the ownership situation (Jordan still?) but we wouldn’t get a fresh start?
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
The Thunder still had the same owners and GM after they moved so we would inherit them, yes.
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
Well, in that case it was a new owner hand-picking his GM before the move.
We could assume that if the Bobcats or any team moved to Seattle, there’d be new people in charge.
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
Yeah but you're stuck with that roster for at least a year
I mean is Harrison Barnes really worth watching that much DeSagana Diop?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Kemba Walker just had a triple-double!
I can’t believe that Diop is still in the league. It’s like saying that if you’re 7 feet and don’t die of a heart attack, you can average 2 points per game in your career and play for a decade+!
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
Kemba Walker is shooting .366 for the season
imagine the NBA equivalent of Lazeric Jones against the Pac-12
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
I feel so basketball dumb right now but who is the top player considered for the 2012 draft?
If Kemba shoots half as much and keeps passing, then the Seattle Bobcats can draft the next focal point?
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
Except Kemba has never been a particularly good passer
he’s a scoring guard who is too small to play the two in the NBA, so he’s a “point guard” instead.
I’m pretty sure I’d want Harrison Barnes, Perry Ellis or Jeremy Lamb out of this year’s draft class. I would not draft Joshua Smith.
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Anthony Davis will get some looks.
I can only hope you mean Perry Jones because otherwise someone just drafted a shirt.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
I like Kidd-Gilchrist a lot but he's not really a #1 pick as he doesn't have "unlimited potential"
abender20 - February 6, 2012
That Perry Jones
I’m not that high on Davis or Kidd-Gilchrist or really any Kentucky player
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Davis has incredible defensive instincts and still hasn't figured out his body after growing 8 inches in a year.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
I also would not draft Tony Wroten, Garfield pride aside
I mean holy shit
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
To answer a question abender and I posed over the weekend
Tony Wroten Basketball IQ: O/U 75
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Too high.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Windmill slam the under.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Wikipedia lists a 75 IQ as "50/50 may qualify for high school"
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
That O/U probably applies for the UW team average.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
I like Darnell Gant
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
The 6'8" "big" who hangs out on the perimeter and takes fadeaway 3s?
abender20 - February 6, 2012
He would fit in so well at UCLA
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
You already have 3 Wear brothers, damnit.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
This one is black
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
*3 Wear twins
it’s funnier when they’re twins and there’s three of them
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
From what I've seen, he's way too use to just going out and dominating a game that he's not use to being just barely above the talent.
Plus, he tries to do way too much almost all the time. The moments of brilliance are brilliant, but the screws up are just as awful. If you have heard of and are doing the Wroten workout plan, you will end up being pretty cut by the end of the Pac12 season.
seattle_since_81 - February 6, 2012
If someone drafts a dress shirt, is that just like drafting a stiff?
was Rafael Arujao a Perry Ellis pick?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Oh, okay. That's right... Harrison Barnes of UNC.
I really haven’t paid attention to much basketball this year.
Kemba more like a 6th man tweener as you see it?
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
I have more faith in Kemba than sb does, but yeah he isn't a point guard.
He’s more in that Rodney Stuckey/Jerryd Bayless mold of points (though he’s smaller). He’ll stick around because he’s hard to stay in front of but he’s a scorer and not a point.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Smaller Jerryd Bayless? Ewwwww.
joof - February 6, 2012
Kemba is younger, more athletic Jason Terry
if he’s your sixth guy who comes in and provides some real scoring, your team is probably really good.
If he’s your starting point guard and has to run the offense, your team is probably pretty bad
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Kwame Brown is still in the league. Nazr Mohammed is still in the league.
Tony Battie is still in the league!
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Nazr Mohammed was teammates with Rick Mahorn!
But Nazr still make Diop look like… well.. probably like how Diop would make me look if I played in the NBA.
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
I had to google nba+bobcats to see if this was an actual thing.
d0nkey - February 6, 2012
The Bobcats have been a team for like ten years...
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
I'd prefer to have a fresh team too, but I wouldn't feel bad about any of the teams being discussed.
I’d feel worst about the Kings. There was a time period when they had some of the most rabid fans in the league, they’ve been in Sacramento for a while (though clearly not forever), and it’s not as if there’s a lot of other sports alternatives in Sacramento. There’s also a pretty active push to keep them, and a Save Our Sonics-like group of fans.
I’d be pretty okay with the Hornets. I was living in Charlotte when the Hornets were taken away, and there would be a bit of satisfaction in repaying that injustice. The Hornets never really belonged in New Orleans, George Shinn was an ass, and New Orleans is really a Saints city anyway. If anything, OKC should get the Hornets and the Sonics should come back to Seattle, since it was the Hornets playing in OKC that got the city excited in the first place. Still – you hate to hurt New Orleans.
I’d be happiest with the Grizzlies, since they were a Northwest team that was hijacked out of town in another bald-faced money grab. Their foundations in Memphis don’t seem any deeper than the Hornets’.
I’m not too worried about the various rosters, because if we get a team at all, it’s unlikely to be a particularly good team.
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
Tyreke and Jimmer?
Where do they get these names??
Rachmaninoff - February 7, 2012
How have we not gotten to the Washington Wizards yet?
Nick Young! Andray Blatche! Jordan Crawford! Rashard Lewis!
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
When you go to Hoopdata and sort by assist rate, Nick Young routinely ends up surrounded by only bigs.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Chris Wilcox, Kris Humphries, and Nazr Mohammed pass more often than Nick Young.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Only Anthony Morrow and Daequan Cook are lower among shooting guards
you know, role players who have no job on the team other than to shoot threes
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
The last time Daequan Cook passed was in grade school
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Why would Daequan Cook pass in grade school when he was probably actually better than all the other players?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Was confused
abender20 - February 6, 2012
This doesn't seem like something that would get better over time
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Let's ask Andray Blatche.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
I did, he didn't understand the question
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
He probably passed at least one class
Matthew - February 6, 2012
Hey he's surrounded by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Kevin Love!
good to know the Ben Howland offense doesn’t work in the NBA either
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Hoopdata is as amazing as BB-R
Enes Kanter is getting blocked almost once a game… on four attempts per
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
They have John Wall and JaVale McGee at least.
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
Right but isn't JaVale McGee that guy that's going to break a coach's brain someday
except it will be with enthusiasm to try something truly stupid instead of just run of the mill stupid?
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Wall has yet to show that he's growing as a facilitator.
He’s a bonkers athlete with a still questionable jumper and turnover problems. That’s not to say he won’t figure it out, but as of now he has lots of growing to do. As much as he could be a nightmare to guard for the rest of his career, I’d always rather have a devastating distributor to build around than a devastating scorer. One makes the entire team better, one usually makes everyone else worse.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Or you could have Nick Young who is a scorer who isn't always particularly good at that
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
I would feel somewhat bad, but any owner from the Seattle area or wanting to move a team to Seattle
would at least let there intentions be known fully at the beginning. There would not be anywhere close to the same amount of underhanded maneuvers and palm greasing that occurred with the Sonics. Plus, what other teams have been in the same city 40+ years and won a championship that have the threat of moving right now?
seattle_since_81 - February 6, 2012
Came to post this link in my earlier subthread :D
Maybe we just keep talking about it and writing articles about it, a new arena will just magically appear.
sanford_and_son - February 5, 2012
Is it too early to start socking money away for NHL season tickets? :D
Probably, but this is exciting!
sanford_and_son - February 7, 2012
No matter what I may say about it today...
Such as not wanting to take another city’s team, or Fuck the Kings, or whatever… I think the fact of the matter is that eventually I’d embrace the new Sonics as my team again. I told myself a lot about what I’d feel like if the Sonics moved away, and then when it eventually happened I just stopped caring about the NBA, which I didn’t expect.
If Seattle has a team, I’ll root for them no matter what. I’ve never been an NHL fan, but if Seattle gets a team, I think I’ll start.
I want Seattle to be in all four leagues, as they should be.
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
At least we still have the WNBA and the LFL
seattlebruin - February 6, 2012
Don't forget the Majestics!
yuniform - February 6, 2012 via Android app
Aussie Lauren Jackson baby!
Aussie Mariner - February 6, 2012
*Five
Aaron Campeau - February 6, 2012
I would love there to be an NBA team in Seattle just so the Sounders can outdraw them every single game
pdb - February 6, 2012
Well Century Link holds a lot more than a basketball arena so yeah.
Mariner John - February 6, 2012
Gillette Stadium holds more than the TD Banknorth Garden
and yet the Revolution don’t outdraw the Celtics.
pdb - February 6, 2012
I think it's like anything else in Seattle - whichever team has the most recent run of success will draw the biggest crowds.
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
Like anything else in [every city everywhere]
Matthew - February 6, 2012
What's strange about it is that I don't know that it's self-aware.
I remember after the Mariners’ run of success in the early part of last decade, my stepmom, dad, and brothers went to spring training and had a great time of it. Even though I’ve been more consistently into baseball over the years, I’ve still never been (no money to go, etc). A few years later, when the Mariners were awful but the Seahawks were good, my stepmom gave me the old “oh, we just find football more interesting, baseball just seems so slow…”
I don’t know what they do these days.
JY - February 6, 2012
That's a fair point, but I'd argue that it's more pronounced in Seattle.
This isn’t at all scientific, but of the places I’ve lived (principally Seattle, Texas and North Carolina), Seattle seems to have the smallest percentage of hard-core fans whose allegiances don’t shift. I have a bunch of friends who were rabid Sonics fans in the 1990s and only casually followed the Mariners and Seahawks. Then, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they spurned the Sonics and followed the Mariners. Then, when the Mariners faded and the Seahawks got good, they became huge Seahawks fans.
I’m not really disparaging that. It’s rational behavior to spend your time and money on the teams that can provide the most enjoyment. It’s just that (to Jay’s point) with so many people it doesn’t seem self-aware. I still carry some bitterness when friends of mine couldn’t understand why I was broken up when the Sonics left, because the Sonics sucked and they didn’t really like NBA basketball anyway – apparently forgetting all the fantastic games we had shouted ourselves hoarse at. These are the same people now who are only really bitter now that the Sonics left because the Thunder are good.
Anyway, I don’’t mean to rant. My original point is that sports attendance is a fluid thing and that it seems particularly fluid in Seattle. I’m sure whatever attendance pattern we’d see immediately after an NBA team hypothetically came to Seattle would look nothing like the pattern we’d see 10 years later, for better or worse.
Chris Hafner - February 7, 2012
Your argument lacks an equally weighted counter though.
That you’ve had comparable scenarios, after accounting for population and number of teams, in other cities with differing results in behavior.
Matthew - February 7, 2012
My bad.
Just because I’m not a soccer fan, I shouldn’t overlook them.
Kenneth Arthur - February 6, 2012
Same here.
As much as I think the NBA business model is broken, it would be hard for me not to root for a Seattle NBA franchise, particularly if the way is cleared to call them the Sonics, dress them in green and gold, and have Kevin Calabro call the games. I love NBA basketball; I just haven’t had a lens through which to enjoy it for the last several years. It might take me a couple of years to get warmed up, but I’m sure over time I’d get back into it again.
As far as the NHL goes, there are no mixed feelings – that would be awesome.
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
Don't bother with the NBA. They'll just screw your team with awful, awful goaltending calls in crunch time.
Uggggggh.
joof - February 7, 2012
lolz
Robert - February 7, 2012
"OH, HELLO THERE! I'M THE REF 30 FEET FROM THE HOOP AND HAVE A WAY WAY WORSE VIEW OF THE PLAY THAN THE BASELINE GUYS, BUT I'M GOING TO CALL GOAL TENDING ON A CLEAN BLOCK TO SEND THIS GAME TO OVERTIME!"
“ALSO, DID I MENTION THAT TIM DONAGHY CALLED ME 134 TIMES WHEN HE WAS FIXING GAMES? THAT’S PROBABLY NOT IMPORTANT.”
joof - February 7, 2012
Well then.
BrockandSalk Mike Salk
RT @JessamynESPN: Spoke to a WA govt official last night who had been in contact with Arena investors. Says the deal is ‘extremely close.’
37 minutes ago
JY - February 7, 2012
Jesus Christ, I spoke to these kids and their father once.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Explosion-at-Puyallup-home-rescue-operation-at-Powell-residence-138746774.html
JAH - February 5, 2012
That prick can fucking rot in hell.
kentroyals5 - February 5, 2012
I hope there's a special place for that selfish fucker.
wazzu93 - February 5, 2012
Well I want to go throw up now.
Mariner John - February 5, 2012
Holy shit.
When I saw the quick news scroll about it yesterday about a house explosion in Graham, I figured it was a meth lab for sure, but wow…this is somehow even worse.
sanford_and_son - February 6, 2012
I wanted to cry when I read that yesterday.
Astoundingly, local news cared a whole lot more about the Super Bowl. Woohoo overhyped, overdone NFL teams.
I hope they can put all the puzzle pieces together and then close the book on this one, and give the remaining family some peace. I feel really bad for the social worker who dropped the kids off, too.
HititHere - February 6, 2012
I feel bad for that person too. I really hope they don't blame themselves for letting the kids run to their father. I can't imagine I would stop them if it were me.
d0nkey - February 6, 2012
And you know they didn't want to have to take the kids there in the first place...
msb - February 6, 2012
Yeah, it seems like one of those crappy situations where they couldn't get enough proof to either put him jail for his wife's disappearance or to keep the kids away from him forever.
That awful purgatory/grey area of the law where everyone knows something is wrong, but can’t lawfully fix it. What a bummer.
sanford_and_son - February 6, 2012
I have a feeling that in the future, those types of supervised visits will be done at a neutral location
d0nkey - February 6, 2012
This made my stomach hurt.
royalcurve - February 6, 2012
Wasnt sure whether tp put this in the music thread or here. But then there was no music thread, so.
Dogfish Head Brewery and Dan the Automator are teaming up to make a cider/beer hybrid in time to promote the second DEltron album. It will be called Positive Contact. Seems like LL would be into this sort of thing.
http://beernews.org/2012/02/positive-contact-dogfish-head-deltron3030-member-collaborate-on-beer-and-cider-hybrid/
Bearskin Rugburn - February 6, 2012
Im less excited about this than the fact that there will be a second Deltron album.
Bearskin Rugburn - February 6, 2012
Wait the second Deltron album is actually going to happen?
Should be amazingg
lailaihei - February 6, 2012
Due out very soon
Bearskin Rugburn - February 6, 2012
Here's Tom Brady being really stoked on being 34 years old.
Hahahaha Boston.
sanford_and_son - February 6, 2012
And my new favorite .gif
The reaction to Welker’s dropped pass that could have won the game for the Patriots. Their anguish sustains me.
sanford_and_son - February 6, 2012
We never get the cool weather
Matthew - February 6, 2012
Whaaaaaaaat
royalcurve - February 6, 2012
Where can I find more info on this? This is awesome!
d0nkey - February 6, 2012
Switzerland
Matthew - February 6, 2012
Since SB is a jerk and sucked me into this offtop, I'd like to take advantage of the community knowledge.
My watch of 13 years stopped ticking and I need to replace it. I’ve done quite a bit of research and am between an Eco Drive, a Seiko Kinetic (mechanical mechanism storing charge in a capacitor with quartz timekeeping), or an automatic (I’ve been intrigued with Orient watches). I have small wrists, so that’s one limiting factor, and I despise busy faces. Trying to keep it under 200 bucks. Finally found a watch I like on all fronts (classic nice face, band, size, etc.) and the damn thing is sold out everywhere.
Anyone have suggestions?
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Can you get your old watch fixed?
I’ve had two watches stop working on me and both times a sub-$10 trip to a watch repair shop (quaint!) worked
Matthew - February 6, 2012
It's effectively totaled.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Does it have to be new?
I’ve been getting into older watches over the last few years, and an older watch might hit some of your criteria:
- classic face (by its very nature – lots of different styles and eras to pick from)
- automatic movements available
- older watches tend to have smaller dials/faces
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
Not necessarily though I'd prefer it to be low maintenance.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
In that case, I'll withdraw the vintage idea.
I’ve had trouble-free vintage watches, but they’re more the exception than the rule (unless they’ve been thoroughly redone, which could push them over your price limit).
For new, a friend of mine with similar requirements recently purchased a J. Crew Timex faux-vintage military watch. It’s not quite a vintage watch, but it’s simpler than the really cluttered look of many modern watches.
Linky (fifth and sixth in this result)
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
Although those are just straightforward quartz movements - not automatic/Eco Drive/Kinetic.
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
I'm looking for something a bit more dressy as I mostly need a watch at work.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Got it.
I don’t have many specific suggestions from here, unfortunately. But sometimes filtering creatively at Amazon can surface something, or at least get you pointed in the right direction. Do any of these appeal to you?
Linky
I filtered for men’s, <$200, analog face, automatic movement, leather band, 30-39 mm width. I’m sure there are some here that you’ll hate, but maybe a few that might work?
Or, if you’re open-minded on the movement:
Linky
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
I've pretty thoroughly scouted Amazon and I'm mostly haunted by the fact that the watch I want is gone from the face of the earth.
abender20 - February 6, 2012
This will probably continue the trend of me confirming what you already know, but you're right that it's gone from the face of the earth.
I just looked behind the scenes and it looks like that part number has been obsoleted and won’t ever be in stock again. We got our last shipment back in December, and it’s completely shut off for ordering. Usually this only happens when the manufacturer discontinues the model. Unless you can find a store that still has a few, I think you’re right to start expending your search – as painful as that is.
Good luck!
Chris Hafner - February 6, 2012
Amazon Canada has one :(
abender20 - February 6, 2012
Nice. Put a different band on it and that watch looks completely different.
Kermit. - February 6, 2012
I bought that same watch (except I got the one with the sapphire face and in the white/silver color)
And I love it. Love love love it. It’s got a good weight to it, and looks sexy and like you mentioned, it doesn’t have a busy face.
d0nkey - February 6, 2012
Here's the link to the one I bought. It's marked down to $225 on amazon.
I’m not a watch expert, but I have had a quartz face before and I tend to get the faces scratched up and it bothers me to look at that.
This one hasn’t had a scratch on it yet.
link
d0nkey - February 6, 2012
Talking to our Citizen buyer earlier today, the pointer SKU for this model is BM6730-56L.
http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-BM6730-56L-Eco-Drive-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0032FOSIU
We don’t carry much Citizen, but let me know if another catches your eye and I can probably get you a better price.
Faux - February 6, 2012
I always enjoyed Nixon watches. Sometimes they can be crazy ostentatious, but when they do simple and classic it's pretty awesome.
My favorite: The Player. Total cheese ball name and descriptions to go along with it, but it’s very stylish. Might be too simplistic for what you’re looking for though.
Here’s a few others that caught my eye: Manual II, Cannon, and Spencer.
seattle_since_81 - February 6, 2012
Joe Sheehan
speaks for the fan, man.
msb - February 7, 2012
Currently trending on Le Twitter ....
mind-boggling stupidity from CBS Sports.
http://baseballboyfriend.com/
msb - February 7, 2012
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