44 thoughts on “September 28, 2013: Sleepless Kids”

  2. It sure seems ridiculous that Juan Mata doesn't start. But hey, anything that hurts Chelsea is fine with me.

  4. separating the noobs from the "experts", the alleged 20 best beers in the world.

    the model uses Ratebeer data, so I'm suspicious, since I generally prefer beeradvocate.com. I will say that there are some very, very good beers on the list.

      1. yea. Heavily dependent on the reviewers with a desperate need to see their own names in e-print on ratebeer. that may or may not correlate with "expertise".

        1. Yeah, saying that the reviews are from experts was a mistake. I can't imagine the author has had too many good experiences shopping on Amazon.

          I find lists like these pretty useless, though. They should really just be titled "best imperial stouts after Westvleteran 12". More interesting to me would be a particular author just putting out a list of their best beers in the world. But I'm guessing they're all too chicken to feel the wrath of those among us who take themselves too seriously.

          Heh, I also usually go BA over RBI, and looking at this page for a beer I just had, I will probably continue to do so. How can one justify a "style" score that is vastly different from an overall score like that?

          1. looking at the paper, I kind of wonder about the authors' knowledge of beer too.

            Figure 1 examines the relationship between product ratings, user experience level, and hoppiness, on RateBeer data. Beers of three types are considered (in increasing order of hoppiness): lagers, mild ales, and strong ales.

            at last check, many lagers are Pilsners, which can be highly hopped. The "style" is all over the map in terms of bitterness. Conversely, many strong ales have relatively low IBUs (think belgian strong ales). And mild ales are, well, mild. They are, as a class, low IBU beers. So, really, I don't think they quite know what they are measuring.

            from the Brewers Association Beer Style Guide:

            Strong Ales are amber to dark brown in color. Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures. They have a malty sweetness and may have low levels of roast malt Hop bitterness should be minimal but evident and balanced with malt and/or caramel-like sweetness. Hop aroma should be minimal and flavor can vary from none to medium intensity.

      2. Well, Stouts are good.
        I'll also vouch for the one beer out of those twenty that I've had more than once: Hopslam.
        (I've had a Darkness but I wasn't suited to give a proper opinion.)

  5. its been 20 years since the Toronto Blue Jays have made the playoffs (1993 World Series champ)
    they have finished 2nd in a division standings only once in that span (2006)

    1. gardy detractors should be cheering for the twins to take these two last games. i'm sure the braintrust will be more willing to part with gardy if he gets his 1,000th win.

      2. I think he's a goner. I don't think he's the biggest problem, but he's also not so indispensable that they have to keep him. Also, 289 losses over three years and counting.

    2. Twins haven't fired a manager since 1986 and that was just after Andy MacPhail was made GM and he wanted to bring in his own manager. Even Bill Smith wasn't fired, just demoted, and that wasn't immediately after the season. That came after he began making offseason plans. I think he wanted to rebuild and ownership balked because Target Field was just two years old.

    4. From Mackey:

      People with knowledge of the situation believe the Twins and Gardenhire have discussed one- or two-year contract possibilities. The manager is said to be wary of signing a one-year deal when it appears the Twins still could be multiple years away from contending in earnest.

      It might be more likely that the Twins offer Gardy something he rejects. The Twins have for years done a good job of pursing free agents without ever landing them as a good PR move to make it look like they're trying.

  7. Aston Villa stealing one from Man City the same way the Toffies stole last week's game from West Ham. Hilarious.

    1. Fulham lost at Craven Cottage again, their second of the year. Two years ago (their last with Clint) they lost 4 all year. They have 1 point from a possible 9 at home so far this year (11% of points). In 10-11, their best year of late when they went to the Europa League, they secured 31/57 (54%). If they can't win at home (they've never been able to win away), relegation will be a distinct possibility for the first time since the 07-08 season. Which, perhaps not coincidentally, was Clint's first full year at the club. I don't think the club had a proper plan to replace him last year, and so far this year it appears they still don't.

      1. It sure seems like their only plan is hope Berbetov can create something 1-on-11 (although the goal today was a beauty).

    2. I don't know if anyone here is WELS. [I know my Grandma is and my mom was (until she converted before marrying Dad. She's since regressed to ELCA, I think). Several of my co-workers at the grocery store were DMLC (now MLC) students.] I know they're very strict on some things, although I'm a bit surprised this is one of those things. Wait til they discover that next year's play is about a whole community that denies the divinity of Jesus!

      I'm unfamiliar with the community theatre group: maybe they're new?

      NBB: the redaction must be in response to one of the comments:

      Not true. The location of auditions were to be at the college. The public performances were to be held at the New Ulm Armory on October 4-6. Now a public reading will occur in New Ulm on October 8 at the Lind House. Reservations are needed.

      1. This Spring I ruptured a muscle in my calf (happened during a fast 5K race the day after a long training run). It was quite swollen, entire calf was black and blue.

        I went to see Dr. Fear for my regular checkup, and showed him the carnage.

        Dr. Fear: You ruptured your plantaris muscle.

        Me: Uh oh.

        Fear: But it's vestigial.

        Me: Uh, ok. What's that mean?

        Fear: You don't need it.

        Me: So when can I run next?

        Fear: Now.

        So when I went home, I went out and ran two miles, like butter, as they say in the parlance of our times. I went online and researched the whole vestigial thing - sounds like we have many parts that aren't needed, tailbone, wisdom teeth, nasal cavity, appendix, plantaris, etc. that are from an earlier version of ourselves that might have walked on all 4's or swang thru the trees...

        Later, was explaining the whole thing to my little brother (who is more religious than I - OK I'm not at all, sorry Padre).

        Me: Blah, blah, blah plantaris, vestigial, swinging through the trees, evolution, ....
        He: Yeah, I'm not so sure about all of that...
        (crickets)
        Me: How are the kids?

        1. Good story- I laughed. Ask about the kids' tonsils next time.

          More seriously- this is a perfect example of a point in a conversation when you suddenly realize you might start having another conversation that you really don't want to have. I usually don't recognize it until I'm about a sentence further into the new conversation than I want to be. I need louder crickets.

          1. I've had several conversations with my brother in law, and father in law for that matter, that I should have allowed the crickets to chirp just a second more.

            1. I've run into a lot of those with my in-laws, but not recently, as they are clearly not used to being challenged. My FIL became a sputtering mess when I asked very basic questions that he couldn't answer. He essentially thinks that all change is bad. When the Milkmaid and I got engaged, he called me and gave me a long talk - irrelevant to me in so many ways - where he repeatedly said that the Milkmaid needs to submit to me and that I can override any opinion or desire she has. I mentioned it to her later just in the hopes of getting a laugh out of the situation, but she was stunned to learn that her father would say such things when it came to her.

              1. I don't want to comment on anyone's religion. I'll just say that, in my opinion, a God who was afraid of scientific inquiry would not be a God who was worthy of worship.

        1. My longstanding assumption was that the Missouri Synod is more conservative. Perhaps I've assumed think that snappy acronyms are vainglorious frivolities.

  12. what the hey? -- an animated banner??

    the Runner family enjoyed a great supper with the DG family, with youngun' entertainment, fine food, and [insert false highbrow beer thread here]. I worry about Big G, though; kid has 6 ribs on one side and only 3 or 4 on the other! 😉 (thanks again DG)

      1. took a riding tour of town before we hit the road; the Victorian (and even Tudor) homes were cool; too bad several of them couldn't have had a new paint job

        I seriously have to come back sometime...WITH my telescope this time!

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