90 thoughts on “September 9, 2013: Brutal”

    1. Multiple times at that:

      Rueger said the museum had itself rejected the painting's authenticity once in the 1990s, in part because it was not signed by the artist.

  1. I'm also sleepy, spoons. Couldn't sleep until around 1 for some reason; then the dog woke up around 4 and she proceeded to vomit every fifteen minutes preventing me from ever falling back asleep.

    1. "GM Terry Ryan said it’s not as serious as it sounds."

      I mean, I understand why he has to say this, but this is pretty rich.

    1. I watched

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      1. Philo,

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        1. Makes perfect sense. I'm betting that, were my viewing a little more consistent, there were season-long pacing issues that would have been well-handled by this episode. But for having taken almost a month off between episodes, it was a terrible one to come back to.

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  2. The Minnesota Twins have 21 games remaining, 17 of which are against teams that are in for fighting for playoff position. They need to 12-9 to avoid 90 losses for the third consecutive year and for the twelfth time in the 53 years that they have played in Minnesota. I think it's almost a lock that they'll reach 90 losses and I think 95 losses is still a possibility. They'd really have to fall off a cliff, but if they are going to do that, the schedule is "favorable".

    I have the Race to the Bottom spreadsheet ready to go. Already, they are tied for 26th in franchise history in most losses.

  3. I missed this at the time, but last week Craig Calcaterra linked to an interesting Miller Park music survey conducted by Larry "Wezen Ball" Granillo. I remember hearing some disgruntled grumblings when the Twins let their music director go a couple years back in favor of some mediocre radio DJ. (I also remember some folks – not here, necessarily – grousing about the Metrodome's organ making the move to the new ballpark along with the Twins.) The last few games I've attended at Target Field have firmly put me in Calcaterra's camp on ballpark music:

    I don’t have anything against walkup music or some well thought out musical interludes here or there, be they organ or pumped in rock or whatever. But the level of sound saturation we have these days — not to mention its scattershot nature — is really frustrating. Wall-to-wall music is bad enough, but it often makes no sense even if you accept its presence. The “charge” organ when nothing particularly interesting is happening. The “everybody clap your hands!” thing. “Day-O!” Those opening claps to “Car Wash” or whatever it is is simply pointless. It doesn’t comment on or enhance or often even match what’s going on on the field. It’s the equivalent of some dumb conversation people have when they can’t bear even a momentary silence.

    The one that drives me most up the wall is the mindless “Ev-ry-bo-dy clap your hands!," which Google tells me is part of the "Cha Cha Slide," penned by that titan of Chicago music, DJ Casper. I don't mind the occasional sound effect as commentary – iconic sounds from classic video games, used rarely, can provoke a smile. But the sonic saturation is out of control.

    Also, if whoever replaced Bob Casey as the PA guy could quit talking over the walk-up music like he was distracted and forgot to announce the batter, that'd be great. Better yet, the Twins could find a guy with an iconic voice like Casey's and ditch the walk-up music.

    1. Yeah, I prefer the atmosphere of a game when there's actually, you know, atmosphere. Linds does as well, and just about every one of the crowd cues is annoying (to the point where Linds and I made a "most annoying crowd cue" list... there is no "favorite crowd cue" list).

      Then again, I guess there must be a large number of people who view those as a part of the ballpark experience. I mean, "DAAAAAAAAAAAY-O" doesn't seem to add much to the experience to me, but "the wave" exists, so it must be vital to somebody.

      <insert requisite lawn-related comment>

      1. That's basically the question. How many butts in the seats would the Twins lose if they cease playing the sound effects Calcaterra cites? I'm guessing none.

        1. How many people would actively not go? Probably not many, if any at all. A lot of people get bored easily, though, and that's something that the PA people can't afford to chance.

          Then again, I'm ADD as hell, and I vastly prefer a little crowd noise to whatever the stadium pumps out.

          1. You're right – not many will avoid Twins games because of stupid sound saturation. Given that nobody seems to demand the noises, though, I wonder why they bother playing them at all. Presumably they have to pay for the privilege.

          2. The amount of music and other random stuff (that godawful "kiss cam;" please tell me that's been retired) at games always makes me think the powers that be are worried that the game itself couldn't possibly be inherently interesting enough to hold the attention of the crowd. The level of noise and distraction just makes me a little crazy.

              1. I've seen the guy in control of the kiss cam try to get two hot girls to kiss, even though they were obviously not a couple. Never seen them try to get an actual same-sex couple.

            1. pepper, my friend and i came up with the greatest idea if we ever got on the kiss cam. i'll have to tell you about it sometime if i hadn't already.

              1. Nope, I don't believe you've ever mentioned it. I've never heard option j before either, but if you learn something new every day, I guess that takes care of my learnin' for today.

            2. If my son is smart, he'll bring all of his dates to the ball game (his real name being the same as the ballpark where the Orioles play).

      2. "Day-O" bothers me the most. I can't understand what it's supposed to be in this context. Then everyone just does it back exactly as they heard it, rather than doing the next one in the song. Have they never even heard it?

        The Car Wash rhythm and "Everybody clap your hands" are lame, but at least I can see their placement in a rally. "Day-O" is as arbitrary as having the crowd sing "Fifty Nifty United States."

          1. I always wondered about Hava Nagila at the Dome, but maybe they pulled it off the same Day-O album by Belafonte.

    2. At least the Twins at one point had a DJ that would play local music. Too bad the one bright spot is gone.

    3. The Mallards have gone back to playing something in between every pitch again. Drives me nuts, but at least the wave never gets started.

      1. The Beetles Blue Anchors are absolutely incessant with that. It's awful. I get that it's supposed to be a sort of fun, low-formality experience, but the Homer Simpson "D'OH!" isn't that witty after a swinging strike to make the count 2-1.

      2. The indoor lacrosse game here has music going constantly. They change the song after every change of possession, and often right before the good part of the song, so you don't even get that.

  4. I'm looking for a volunteer (possibly two) who does not plan on playing the next game of Spookymilk Survivor to help me test-run a game (possibly more). It's probably what could be called a "german-style" game ala Settlers or Puerto Rico or something.

    E-mail me at matthewbnovak at gmail dot com.

  5. Well, ok, not really since I won't be able to do the work myself. But, yesterday I felt my steering tighten up on my way to the grocery store. When I got home, I found I had low power steering fluid. I drove it in to work this morning with close to no power steering, went to the auto parts store to get some fluid (the joys of owning a VW means I get to pay $24/liter for fluid), topped it off and found it will need more after only about 1.5 miles. Sweet. I'm dropping it off with my local guy tonight. Hopefully its just a leaky hose and not a bad pump...

    1. I'll join you with what is (likely) futile hope. I noticed a low rumbling noise independent of engine speed on our weekend trip to Zumbro Falls and Minneapolis. It got worse on the drive home, so I did a little driving around the neighborhood last night and determined that it goes away when I turn right and gets louder when I turn left. I'm guessing it's the right front wheel bearing, but I know I need a CV boot repair on that side, too. I love my shop, but they couldn't squeeze me in this week and we're headed to Chicago Thursday night to catch a flight to Baltimore on Friday. It'll be a nervous drive.

      1. I'm pretty sure something in my rear suspension blew a couple weeks ago. I wasn't driving, but my wife and her passengers said they thought a tire blew out, and it definitely bounces more/sounds rougher (and loud) now. Oh well. I might just let it go.

      2. If it makes you feel any better, I drove around for about 6 months on a bad inner tie rod one side and a bad cv joint on the other. My tires are garbage from it now, but at least nothing else happened.

        I just did some digging, and now I'm worried it'll be something somewhere in the power steering rack that isn't just a new seal/gasket/o-ring/whathaveyou and I'll be out upwards of a thousand bucks. Stupid car with long lasting engine but normally wearing other parts.

        1. It doesn't make me feel better, unfortunately. Having any tire go bad means replacing all four (it's a Subaru), and I just did that about 10k miles ago.

          Ah, the eternal question of every Volvo, VW and Mercedes diesel, Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler Slant-Six, and AMC-engined Jeep owner: "Why can't they just make the other parts out of the same stuff they make engines?!"

          1. If the alignment stays in shape you'll be alright, so there's that. I had my tires replaced and was told by NTB that they couldn't align the front end and it would cost $1200 to fix (cause they're criminals there), so I skipped that part and went on my merry way (ended up only costing about $500 at my local guy's shop). Its loud as hell, but I've squeezed a good 30,000 miles out of the tires so far. I plan to get new ones for the winter and a proper alignment, so that'll be nice.

            1. It's not so much an issue of alignment, but that the vehicle needs to maintain relatively even levels of tread wear if I don't want to burn out drivetrain components like the central differential. Yay, full-time all wheel drive!

              I think I've paid for one alignment in my years of driving. Maybe two. The cost is ridiculous, but I suppose the shops have to recoup the cost of laser alignment machines somehow. I did a couple driveway "alignments" with my step-dad back in the day, however.

              1. Yah. The mrs' car is a hand-me-down beemer from her mother, with AWD. ("free car" my ass) I was sweating bullets last week about a bad tire. As mentioned previously in this space, it was a nail, and the good folks at 'murica's Tires were able to patch it.

    2. I don't know, ct. Last time I tried to diagnose a power steering pump issue it turned out to be a water pump issue. That said, replacing a bad PS steering hose is the best case scenario, replacing the pump is somewhat worse, and replacing the rack and pinion unit is the absolute worst case. Sounds like your leak is pretty bad and came on pretty fast, which to me could indicate a hose is more likely than a blown seal on the pump or rack and pinion unit, but you won't know until somebody takes a look at it.

      1. replacing the rack and pinion unit is the absolute worst case.

        Hey! I just did that. I should warn you, if it is rack and pinion, keep on eye on the brake fluid-- my brake lines went too, which brought the total to four figures. Ugh.

      2. Yeah, it was definitely sudden onset. I was making the last turn down my street when it suddenly started whirring. It's getting looked at tomorrow and here's to hoping a clamp just broke loose.

      1. I will do that in the morning. It's got to do with the VLOOKUP function returning a #REF when it gets above a certain value. I'll explain better in my email.

    1. what's the problem? If AMR can't help you, I'll offer

      Unless it involves macros. I don't touch those

      1. I am trying to put a simple macro in, but it's not problem, so i will definitely seek additional opinions.

  6. That's the crew trying to stop AMR's nightmare.

    1. It's a push for me if the twins lose 92 games this season. If the Twins continue to trott out this line up I'll be a few semolians richer.

    2. I get it: Weaver vs any Twins batters available is a good chance at a perfect game. Why not throw the dregs out there?
      That doesn't mean I have to like it.
      But if the Twins with this lineup and SP vs Weaver can win?
      Scioscia should be fired before they get on the plane.

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      1. But if the Twins with this lineup and SP vs Weaver can win?

        So, you're telling me there's a chance.

        1. Weren't the Twins -320 a few weeks ago and pulled off the win.
          (I can't remember my terminology, maybe it's +320.)

          1. The underdog is +X, meaning you gain that much on a $100 bet if they can pull off the win.

            Favorites are -X, meaning you have to bet X to win $100.

    3. Gardy has been crying to get Parmelee up to play first base since Morneau was traded, which must be why Parmelee is playing right field tonight.

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