The scariest thing I saw last night: a scorpion. In my room.
100 thoughts on “November 1, 2011: Boo!”
My daughter and I went trick or treating. In years past, she wanted to go all night. This year, after about 20 houses, she said, "I want to go home, Dad." So, we went home and she handed out candy at the door. I think she enjoyed that more.
To the word, this is what happened with us. Skim was in no hurry, but Sour Cream's Dora wig was falling off and her backpack was getting heavy. Luckily, our area was heavily concentrated with trick-or-treat houses. We weren't out long at all but hit about 20 houses before handing out what we'd bought.
Spoons, you'll want to leave a damp washrag on the floor in the bathroom. Scorpions hate that. π
When I was living in 29 Palms we once put a dead scorpion in front of a platoonmate's door, just to see how he reacted. Eight years later I still wish I had recorded it with a video camera.
Rhu-Ru, does that rag work for mice too? We bought our Halloween candy on sale about 3 weeks ago and placed the bags in the front closet. Corn Silk discovered a half-eaten Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the first bag she opened...after some investigation, we found that all 5 bags had been chewed open. I had to go through all of the candy one-by-one, ~70 pieces in each bag, before I dared hand any out.
In the end, the mice had only eaten 1 piece of candy from each bag. My discovery...mice like chocolate, peanuts (& peanut butter), and don't mind the taste of plastic!
Traps to be purchased today on the way home from work. I know that a few of the citizens have had significant experience in the rodent wars. Any suggestions?
Yanks re-up CC to a 5 year, $122 million deal. That's $30 million more than he would have made under the old deal. He will be 37 when the deal expires. $24.4 million a year.
Fangraphs says he was worth $32.2 million last year and four of the past five seasons, he's been worth considerably more than $24.4 million. The one season he wasn't, 2010, he was worth $20.9 million. So, he's been pretty damned valuable, but what do the actuarial charts show for a 315 lb. tub of goo with 2364 innings under his belt?
(Bert threw 4970 innings, meaning that CC is less than halfway home. You don't throw ~5000 innings and not belong in the HOF.)
Everyone who has more IP than Bert is in the Hall. Eight are over 4,000 and not in:
Bobby Mathews
Tommy John
Tony Mullane
Jim Kaat
Jack Powell
Gus Wheying
Jim McCormick
Frank Tanana
Well, Greg Maddux threw 5008 innings and he's not in the Hall. Yet.
Livan will get to 4000, eventually. π
I only included eligible obviously
Tommy John is in the surgery hall-of-fame, so he's got that goin' for him.
And if he doesn't have any shoulder issues between now and 2016, a $25 million option automatically vests for 2017. Yeehaw.
Assumptions: Weight the last three years 5-4-3, use fWAR, 1 win = $4M, 0.5 fWAR/year decline.
Those assumptions lead to Sabathia at 6.3, 5.8, 5.3, 4.8, and 4.3 over the next five years, which totals to $106M. Not too far off $122M.
Now, I'm not personally betting Sabathia will 26.5 fWAR over the next 5 years, but he was worth 33.4 fWAR over the last 5 years, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Probably a 1.0 fWAR/year decline makes more sense to me given his age and physical condition (though I haven't looked at his comparables), which would put him at 21.5 fWAR/$86M over the next 5 years. But hey, it's the Yankees and with the current policies in place, they can probably afford a 40% premium for a top pitcher.
Don't forget inflation! Using 5% gets the total ten million closer to actual. Now it's just minor differences in opinion on things.
right. 5 pct annual inflation in the value of 1.0 fWAR and Ubes' initial assumption on annual fWAR projections gets you $117.1M in value. His second set of projections gets you $93.43M in value.
I'm having trouble seeing 5% annual inflation for the next five years. Call me a pessimist if you like.
well, there's that. But I think the straight-line figures and the 5 pct line probably bracket the truth pretty well.
Yes, but baseball tends to poorly follow real world economics.
I realize that. I'm saying I'm having trouble seeing 5% annual wage inflation in baseball over the next five years, even if baseball wage inflation is nearly guaranteed to beat inflation as measured by, say, the CPI.
As far as I can tell, a huge reason that baseball wages have increased so sharply over the last decade or two is all of the money that state and local governments have pumped into the sport through various stadium transactions. I don't see that state and local money being made available to baseball in the short term. I could be wrong.
but we did reach a pointless milestone the other day!!!!11
the three highest...lemme guess
Opening Day
Game six of the World Series
Last day of the regular season
Close on Opening Day, but this WGOM didn't exist until April 16.
the .org's opening day?
That works for me: Opening Day, wgom.org Edition.
Apologies if this was already posted, but Tom Keith, the sound effects man on A Prairie Home Companion who was perhaps known better to some here as "Mr. Sports, Mr. Action, Mr. Jim Ed Poole" died suddenly in his home on Sunday.
I knew him as the latter (I didn't realize he was also the former) and was surprised to hear of his passing.
i can fully take the blame for this one. i was getting close to the house last saturday when aPHC was starting on the radio. i made it through the intro and the introduction of everyone and i thought to myself, "i wonder what will happen when the sound effects guy dies... that would be terrible for the show. however, i think he's a relatively young, so..."
Do us a favor - don't ever wonder what would happen to the WGOM if one of the regulars moved on.
I better start and finish my "hit by a bus" document..
That's too bad. I haven't listened to PHC for some time, but he was an awesome sound effects guy, and you got the impression he was a pretty good guy generally.
He was a real standout at the 3rd Annual Farewell Performance in LA back in the late '80s. Garrison threw a storyline at him that you KNEW was loaded with sound effects just so he could show off -- helicopters, creaking river barges -- he was outstanding.
Before the potato (and corn), before intensive fertilization, European living standards were roughly equivalent to those in Cameroon and Bangladesh today. On average, European peasants ate less per day than hunting-and-gathering societies in Africa or the Amazon. Industrial monoculture allowed billions of peopleβin Europe first, and then in much of the rest of the worldβto escape poverty. The revolution begun by potatoes, corn and guano has allowed living standards to double or triple worldwide even as human numbers climbed from fewer than one billion in 1700 to some seven billion today.
Mashing taters is a way of life.
cc to jobu: you have mail.
holy crap, I got that stupid 'Move Like Jagger' song stuck in my head. Thats what I get for going to the mall
I got to moooooooooove like Jagger
Is it "I got to move like Jagger"? I thought it was "I've got the moves like Jagger". Either way, thanks, it's in my head now too.
I heard that stupid song the other day, and I wondered that there aren't more available words that rhyme with "_agger", because apparently "Jagger" is the only one that works.
Swagger? They couldn't fit that in? (I haven't heard the song.)
Ok, I know that there is little love for Dilbert in these parts, but how can you read/see this and not think of this?
Plus, he understands sample size:
On Monday, after gulping down half a glass of the water, Mr. Sonoda said: "Just because I drank the water does not mean that its safety has been confirmed, so there is no significance to the act. I drank it because a request had been made."
maybe he drank the half without any radioactivity.
There is little love for Dilbert in these parts? What, just 'cause YOU'RE a pointy haired boss?
Perhaps Dilbert doesn't tickle the funny bone of the bureaucrats.
It's the only part of the comics that Moss reads.
i don't mind dilbert, i just think his creator is kind of a dick.
Additionally, Adams was caught posting on a fan website of his mocking anyone who disagreed with him in the slightest about anything (he used an assumed name). He's a rotten, sad douchebag. It makes me proud to say I never thought Dilbert was funny.
sadly, if it weren't for him, Pearls Before Swine probably wouldn't be a thing. So far, I haven't seen Stephen Pastis do anything super douchey
unless you count beating up those poor, defenseless kids from Family Circus.
He can be a douche and his strip can still be funny.
Well, it can, but how is that relevant to how I feel about it?
It's "Oh, that is so true!" humor, and that never makes me laugh. Never.
you called him a douche. Then you said you were proud you didn't like his work. I can see how Brian thought that.
Thought what? I specifically said the fact I didn't think he was funny was independent of how much a raging tool he is.
you said nothing about the quality of the Dilbert strip until after he said what he said.
If I came on here and said, "Harry Morgan beat his wife. What a prick. I'm proud I don't like M*A*S*H," I think it would be reasonable for people to infer I hate MASH because Harry Morgan beats his wife, not because I don't like slapstick.
I said "I'm proud I NEVER THOUGHT."
Don't change the words to fit your argument.
Okay.
If I came on here and said, "Harry Morgan beat his wife. What a prick. I'm proud I never thought M*A*S*H was funny" I think it would be reasonable for people to infer I hate MASH because Harry Morgan beats his wife, not because I don't like slapstick.
Why would it be reasonable for people to infer something despite what I actually said? Why are you so damned sure that there's subtext that's more important than the words I actually spoke?
This conversation is embarrassing. I'm a little surprised that it's happening.
Because many, many, many people hate shows, movies, etc. because they hate the author/actor, etc. You don't and I know that. But a million times in my life I've heard someone say (for example), "God I'll never watch Two and Half Men. Charlie Sheen's a jerk," not "I'll never watch Two and a Half Men. I don't think the actors do quality work."
That, and I'm a grammar nazi.
Most of what he writes on his blog is just thinking out loud. And a lot of it is tongue-in-cheek. I would say that 90% of his blog is pretty interesting.
hj's comment is what I was aiming at. [edit: and now spooky has reminded me that there is at least one Citizen who loathes Dilbert, which is what I thought I recollected] Dilbert is one of my favorite strips. Although it doesn't hold a candle to Mark Trail for pacing and dramatic tension.
Mark Trail can kiss Mary Worth's ass
Mark Trail ? I dock points (Sorry, free) for any strip that ends every sentence with an exclamation point.
Mary Worth and Judge Parker are just a little too fast-paced for my tastes.
It's what doesn't happen between panels that makes Mark Trail (and Mary Worth) great strips.
i.e. everything.
This recipe contains the most irrational instruction I have ever seen. π
1 1/2 pounds peeled, seeded winter squash, like kabocha or butternut, cut in slices Ο inch thick by 2 or 3 inches long
Yeah, but if you could ever figure out how thick the slices are supposed to be, the finished product looks pretty tasty!
I pulled a reverse-hungry joe and randomly thought of potential good news the other day. This weekend I wondered if this book would be published anytime soon. I'm thrilled I'll get a chance to read it and hope the fifth book is completed before the author's death.
Brandon Sanderson will be looking for a new gig soon, I'm sure. So there's a backup plan.
somehow, the Wild won against Detroit tonight. On the winning goal, Mikko Koivu destroyed the defender (Kronwall?)and Setiguchi flipped the puck over the goalies glove. Winnersville USA!
what a crazy last few minutes
nice pic Meat! Perfect!
Do you want to know what is on NBATV right now? NBA Gametime, the cable box provides the following information about the program:
NBA GAME TIME. IN GAME LOOK-INS, NEWS, HIGHLIGHTS, AND ANALYSIS
Totally fake. The little brother had no reason to be standing there and made sure to stand in just the right place and then he put his hands in front of himself to protect himself and when he bounced off the cabinet, he kept his head forward to protect his head. He then fell in an odd way to presumably fall into a safe area so he wouldn't get hurt. Also, neither boy cried out in pain or fear.
While Kim and Kris may now be without love, they won't be without money.
The two-part, four-hour television event and subsequent sale of wedding photos earned them an estimated $18 million -- or $250,000 per day from the wedding to the divorce filing.
Cash grab? youbetcha.
Well, it was a good run America, but every society eventually crumbles.
Yeah, I heard that. And some people complain about a seven game series of potentially thrilling n(your 2011 World Series!!!!) athletic contests as being too much.
Prediction Contest after Newcastle 3 - 1 Stoke City
My daughter and I went trick or treating. In years past, she wanted to go all night. This year, after about 20 houses, she said, "I want to go home, Dad." So, we went home and she handed out candy at the door. I think she enjoyed that more.
To the word, this is what happened with us. Skim was in no hurry, but Sour Cream's Dora wig was falling off and her backpack was getting heavy. Luckily, our area was heavily concentrated with trick-or-treat houses. We weren't out long at all but hit about 20 houses before handing out what we'd bought.
Spoons, you'll want to leave a damp washrag on the floor in the bathroom. Scorpions hate that. π
When I was living in 29 Palms we once put a dead scorpion in front of a platoonmate's door, just to see how he reacted. Eight years later I still wish I had recorded it with a video camera.
Rhu-Ru, does that rag work for mice too? We bought our Halloween candy on sale about 3 weeks ago and placed the bags in the front closet. Corn Silk discovered a half-eaten Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the first bag she opened...after some investigation, we found that all 5 bags had been chewed open. I had to go through all of the candy one-by-one, ~70 pieces in each bag, before I dared hand any out.
In the end, the mice had only eaten 1 piece of candy from each bag. My discovery...mice like chocolate, peanuts (& peanut butter), and don't mind the taste of plastic!
Traps to be purchased today on the way home from work. I know that a few of the citizens have had significant experience in the rodent wars. Any suggestions?
Peanut butter:mice :: bacon:mankind
It's a trap!
Yanks re-up CC to a 5 year, $122 million deal. That's $30 million more than he would have made under the old deal. He will be 37 when the deal expires. $24.4 million a year.
Fangraphs says he was worth $32.2 million last year and four of the past five seasons, he's been worth considerably more than $24.4 million. The one season he wasn't, 2010, he was worth $20.9 million. So, he's been pretty damned valuable, but what do the actuarial charts show for a 315 lb. tub of goo with 2364 innings under his belt?
(Bert threw 4970 innings, meaning that CC is less than halfway home. You don't throw ~5000 innings and not belong in the HOF.)
Everyone who has more IP than Bert is in the Hall. Eight are over 4,000 and not in:
Bobby Mathews
Tommy John
Tony Mullane
Jim Kaat
Jack Powell
Gus Wheying
Jim McCormick
Frank Tanana
Well, Greg Maddux threw 5008 innings and he's not in the Hall. Yet.
Livan will get to 4000, eventually. π
I only included eligible obviously
Tommy John is in the surgery hall-of-fame, so he's got that goin' for him.
And if he doesn't have any shoulder issues between now and 2016, a $25 million option automatically vests for 2017. Yeehaw.
Assumptions: Weight the last three years 5-4-3, use fWAR, 1 win = $4M, 0.5 fWAR/year decline.
Those assumptions lead to Sabathia at 6.3, 5.8, 5.3, 4.8, and 4.3 over the next five years, which totals to $106M. Not too far off $122M.
Now, I'm not personally betting Sabathia will 26.5 fWAR over the next 5 years, but he was worth 33.4 fWAR over the last 5 years, so it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Probably a 1.0 fWAR/year decline makes more sense to me given his age and physical condition (though I haven't looked at his comparables), which would put him at 21.5 fWAR/$86M over the next 5 years. But hey, it's the Yankees and with the current policies in place, they can probably afford a 40% premium for a top pitcher.
Don't forget inflation! Using 5% gets the total ten million closer to actual. Now it's just minor differences in opinion on things.
right. 5 pct annual inflation in the value of 1.0 fWAR and Ubes' initial assumption on annual fWAR projections gets you $117.1M in value. His second set of projections gets you $93.43M in value.
I'm having trouble seeing 5% annual inflation for the next five years. Call me a pessimist if you like.
well, there's that. But I think the straight-line figures and the 5 pct line probably bracket the truth pretty well.
Yes, but baseball tends to poorly follow real world economics.
I realize that. I'm saying I'm having trouble seeing 5% annual wage inflation in baseball over the next five years, even if baseball wage inflation is nearly guaranteed to beat inflation as measured by, say, the CPI.
As far as I can tell, a huge reason that baseball wages have increased so sharply over the last decade or two is all of the money that state and local governments have pumped into the sport through various stadium transactions. I don't see that state and local money being made available to baseball in the short term. I could be wrong.
The last word on CC's contract
Made last night:
Aka: The Twins season distilled into a graph.
Trending worse.
-.142 WPA
but we did reach a pointless milestone the other day!!!!11
the three highest...lemme guess
Opening Day
Game six of the World Series
Last day of the regular season
Close on Opening Day, but this WGOM didn't exist until April 16.
the .org's opening day?
That works for me: Opening Day, wgom.org Edition.
Apologies if this was already posted, but Tom Keith, the sound effects man on A Prairie Home Companion who was perhaps known better to some here as "Mr. Sports, Mr. Action, Mr. Jim Ed Poole" died suddenly in his home on Sunday.
I knew him as the latter (I didn't realize he was also the former) and was surprised to hear of his passing.
i can fully take the blame for this one. i was getting close to the house last saturday when aPHC was starting on the radio. i made it through the intro and the introduction of everyone and i thought to myself, "i wonder what will happen when the sound effects guy dies... that would be terrible for the show. however, i think he's a relatively young, so..."
Do us a favor - don't ever wonder what would happen to the WGOM if one of the regulars moved on.
I better start and finish my "hit by a bus" document..
That's too bad. I haven't listened to PHC for some time, but he was an awesome sound effects guy, and you got the impression he was a pretty good guy generally.
He was a real standout at the 3rd Annual Farewell Performance in LA back in the late '80s. Garrison threw a storyline at him that you KNEW was loaded with sound effects just so he could show off -- helicopters, creaking river barges -- he was outstanding.
The Tater's Tale (h/t The Dish)
Mashing taters is a way of life.
cc to jobu: you have mail.
holy crap, I got that stupid 'Move Like Jagger' song stuck in my head. Thats what I get for going to the mall
I got to moooooooooove like Jagger
Is it "I got to move like Jagger"? I thought it was "I've got the moves like Jagger". Either way, thanks, it's in my head now too.
I heard that stupid song the other day, and I wondered that there aren't more available words that rhyme with "_agger", because apparently "Jagger" is the only one that works.
Swagger? They couldn't fit that in? (I haven't heard the song.)
Pre-empting E-6: Stagger?
I, too, am amazed by the awfulness of that song.
In the news because of a famous father. It's never too early to talk to your kids about alcohol or drugs.
okay, when I saw the kid's name, I knew it had to be between Erik Kramer and Tommy Kramer. Guess which I guessed?
the one famous for his drinking?
In less tragic news, Joe Pisarcik lives!
Ok, I know that there is little love for Dilbert in these parts, but how can you read/see this and not think of this?
Plus, he understands sample size:
maybe he drank the half without any radioactivity.
There is little love for Dilbert in these parts? What, just 'cause YOU'RE a pointy haired boss?
Perhaps Dilbert doesn't tickle the funny bone of the bureaucrats.
It's the only part of the comics that Moss reads.
i don't mind dilbert, i just think his creator is kind of a dick.
not a lot of argument there
And how.
Why do you say that he's a dick?
This is a pretty good example.
Yikes.
Additionally, Adams was caught posting on a fan website of his mocking anyone who disagreed with him in the slightest about anything (he used an assumed name). He's a rotten, sad douchebag. It makes me proud to say I never thought Dilbert was funny.
sadly, if it weren't for him, Pearls Before Swine probably wouldn't be a thing. So far, I haven't seen Stephen Pastis do anything super douchey
unless you count beating up those poor, defenseless kids from Family Circus.
Speaking of Pearls and Family Circus.
(seriously, a good piece)
They are adults, they can defend themselves now.
He can be a douche and his strip can still be funny.
Well, it can, but how is that relevant to how I feel about it?
It's "Oh, that is so true!" humor, and that never makes me laugh. Never.
you called him a douche. Then you said you were proud you didn't like his work. I can see how Brian thought that.
Thought what? I specifically said the fact I didn't think he was funny was independent of how much a raging tool he is.
you said nothing about the quality of the Dilbert strip until after he said what he said.
If I came on here and said, "Harry Morgan beat his wife. What a prick. I'm proud I don't like M*A*S*H," I think it would be reasonable for people to infer I hate MASH because Harry Morgan beats his wife, not because I don't like slapstick.
I said "I'm proud I NEVER THOUGHT."
Don't change the words to fit your argument.
Okay.
If I came on here and said, "Harry Morgan beat his wife. What a prick. I'm proud I never thought M*A*S*H was funny" I think it would be reasonable for people to infer I hate MASH because Harry Morgan beats his wife, not because I don't like slapstick.
Why would it be reasonable for people to infer something despite what I actually said? Why are you so damned sure that there's subtext that's more important than the words I actually spoke?
This conversation is embarrassing. I'm a little surprised that it's happening.
Because many, many, many people hate shows, movies, etc. because they hate the author/actor, etc. You don't and I know that. But a million times in my life I've heard someone say (for example), "God I'll never watch Two and Half Men. Charlie Sheen's a jerk," not "I'll never watch Two and a Half Men. I don't think the actors do quality work."
That, and I'm a grammar nazi.
Most of what he writes on his blog is just thinking out loud. And a lot of it is tongue-in-cheek. I would say that 90% of his blog is pretty interesting.
hj's comment is what I was aiming at. [edit: and now spooky has reminded me that there is at least one Citizen who loathes Dilbert, which is what I thought I recollected] Dilbert is one of my favorite strips. Although it doesn't hold a candle to Mark Trail for pacing and dramatic tension.
Mark Trail can kiss Mary Worth's ass
Mark Trail ? I dock points (Sorry, free) for any strip that ends every sentence with an exclamation point.
Mary Worth and Judge Parker are just a little too fast-paced for my tastes.
It's what doesn't happen between panels that makes Mark Trail (and Mary Worth) great strips.
i.e. everything.
This recipe contains the most irrational instruction I have ever seen. π
Yeah, but if you could ever figure out how thick the slices are supposed to be, the finished product looks pretty tasty!
Mmmmm, pi. [Exaggerated drool]
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I pulled a reverse-hungry joe and randomly thought of potential good news the other day. This weekend I wondered if this book would be published anytime soon. I'm thrilled I'll get a chance to read it and hope the fifth book is completed before the author's death.
Brandon Sanderson will be looking for a new gig soon, I'm sure. So there's a backup plan.
somehow, the Wild won against Detroit tonight. On the winning goal, Mikko Koivu destroyed the defender (Kronwall?)and Setiguchi flipped the puck over the goalies glove. Winnersville USA!
what a crazy last few minutes
nice pic Meat! Perfect!
Do you want to know what is on NBATV right now? NBA Gametime, the cable box provides the following information about the program:
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
#LetMeWatch
How to do magic tricks in your own home.
something about that smells fishy.
Totally fake. The little brother had no reason to be standing there and made sure to stand in just the right place and then he put his hands in front of himself to protect himself and when he bounced off the cabinet, he kept his head forward to protect his head. He then fell in an odd way to presumably fall into a safe area so he wouldn't get hurt. Also, neither boy cried out in pain or fear.
You have got to be [redacted]ing me.
Cash grab? youbetcha.
Well, it was a good run America, but every society eventually crumbles.
Yeah, I heard that. And some people complain about a seven game series of potentially thrilling n(your 2011 World Series!!!!) athletic contests as being too much.
Prediction Contest after Newcastle 3 - 1 Stoke City