Cup of Coffee

March 15, 2014: The Ides

38 Comments

Normally I'd just say something relating to Caesar here (and I probably should, since I'm about to publish a game based on him, but whatever). Instead, I'm going to lament the fact that my usually-dormant-these-days anger has been all too frequent for about a couple of weeks, and I can't really explain why, because things have been perfectly fine.

I guess it actually could be stress over the game, but I'm not sure. At any rate, if you have suggestions for getting the endorphins going and not lashing out, I'm all ears, because at the moment I feel like I can't do it alone.

38 thoughts on “March 15, 2014: The Ides”

  1. Programming Note: Our intrepid reporter, Mags, is on the scene at SXSW, and he's going to showcase some of the music going down down in Austin this weekend. And stay tuned, because Pirate week starts on Monday.

  2. One of my suggestions, of course, is prayer. I understand that some people don't consider that one of their options, but it might be worth a try.

    If not, though, I would suggest finding someone to talk to about it. A trusted friend, a counselor, whoever. I have no idea what may be going on, and it sounds like maybe you don't, either, but it apparently is not going away by itself, and trying to keep it bottled up (because you feel like you shouldn't feel this way) often makes it worse.

    Know that we're here for you. If there's anything I can do, feel free to write or call. Good luck to you.

    1. from my non-believer perspective, prayer is a kind of mindfulness or meditation. All of those things have been shown to work. I'm thinking, whatever works.

      more importantly, however, thank you Jeff A. You are a treasure.

    2. trying to keep it bottled up (because you feel like you shouldn't feel this way) often makes it worse

      I do this, internalizing powerful emotions. There are several, deeply-ingrained reasons for it, none of them very positive, and sometimes I feel really overwhelmed by it all. Spooky, if the same is true for you, just know you're not the only one here who's internalizing stress, anger, or what have you. Living like this is a challenge; I know I have to be careful not to think I'm "handling it," and to make sure I'm finding a positive release somewhere else since I'm not the type to share my burdens with anyone. I'll leave it there – I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or further suggest you feel a way you might not feel.

      But what JeffA said about being here for you is true. We take care of our own.

      1. You are describing my "never ask for help" attitude, yes. I typically have to hit rock bottom before that happens. When I did go through a deeper-than-I-ever-let-on depression about two and a half years ago, I did call someone from the WGOM. If it happens again, I will again.

        I do think there's a good chance that a physical outlet would help.

  3. The Sully Buttes Chargers' drive for the state girls basketball title came to a crashing halt last night as they fell to Warner 50-31. They picked the wrong time to have a bad shooting night: 23% from the floor, including 1-for-14 on three-pointers. The "1" was a meaningless basket with about thirty seconds left, although I'm sure it wasn't meaningless to the girl who made it, a reserve who was playing only because it was garbage time. The Chargers will play for third place tonight.

  4. I've really enjoyed what I've been able to see of the FSN/TIBN simulcasts for spring training. As far as I'm concerned, they could continue that in the regular season and let Bremer and Blyleven find something else to do this summer.

    1. I agree, but that's not happening. This is why I like being able to watch on MLB.tv because I can pick the audio stream on it, including even just ballpark sounds. Of course, I have to pay for it, but that's a separate matter.

      1. Oh, I understand it's not happening. I dream of all kinds of things that would happen in a better world, understanding that they're not likely to happen in this one.

      2. Finding the deal for MLB.tv Premium for $57 was the steal of the year for me. I listened to 90% crowd noise, 9% Vin Scully, and 1% Gary Thorne.

  5. Take up a contact sport. I know your schedule is crazy full, but even if you can spare 15 minutes to hit a punching bag I find it helps immensely.

    My general anger level is inversely proportional to the last time I hit something/got hit by something.

    1. I second this strategy, but I'd broaden it to overall physical exertion. Batting cages work well.

      1. What bhiggum said. Doesn't even need to be a contact sport. Physical activity of all kinds can be a great outlet for stress and stress-induced anger. Running, racquetball, rowing...all good.

        1. My wife absolutely needs regular exercise or she can't take it. We got our gym membership for her well-being primarily. When she gets to the gym, there is a substantial improvement in her demeanor.

        2. I definitely agree with this, although in my situation curling is both a way for me to relieve stress and also a significant cause for it since it seems to be a main source of fighting with my wife. Of course, if I gave it up to stop those fights, it'd be a lot worse on my end.

  6. Last day of the Six Nations. England beat Italy already, and Wales are beating Scotland at half time, neither of which are a surprise.

    Ireland plays France at noon. If Ireland win, they champs as they'll have the same record as England, but are still already ahead on points differential without having even played today, so the margin of victory would be irrelevant. Lose and England are champs.

    1. Ireland are Six Nations champs. I'm not usually the sentimental type, but what a great way for Brian O'Driscoll to end his international career. He has a legitimate claim to the best player of his generation, not just Irish but worldwide.

    1. Heh, that's pretty good. But this part bugged me a bit-

      And what was with the promotion of a national dish rather than a brand? It's hard to imagine an equivalent ad. It would be like Justin Timberlake appearing in a British newspaper ad touting the great taste of ... hamburgers.

      So, kind of like the "Beef. It's what's for dinner" ads that have been around for, what, twenty years? Granted, that's not apples to apples, but it's close enough that I think it applies.

      1. Well, there is the Cattleman's Beef Board, and they're pushing cows, generally. There isn't a Creepy Fast Food Mascots Board pushing hamburgers specifically.

        1. Yeah, and there's the foreign aspect to the promotion that makes the beef and pork check-off ads even less of a direct comparison. It just bugged me that he acted like an ad promoting something other than a specific brand is rare or ridiculous, since I easily came up with one that was very similar to the made-up example.

  8. Oh, and that unusual batting order? It's so Jason Bartlett can lead off and get as many plate appearances as possible. The Twins are waiting for Bartlett to show he can still hit -- "We're looking for some veteran leadership on this team," Gardenhire said of the 34-year-old infielder -- but he's now 0-for-19 in camp. He hit a couple of balls hard yesterday, but both were caught; Gardenhire said he hopes that Bartlett is beginning to regain some confidence.

    Veteran. Leadership.

  9. David Thorpe, talking about the age limit question ($), has this to say about Bazz along with some really interesting comments along the way:

    Myth No. 1: Colleges are better at developing players than pro teams are

    The truth: While college coaches help build a young player's basketball IQ and overall knowledge base, they are not focused on developing their players for the pro game but rather for their own team's needs.

    Colleges are focused on winning now, as many coaches are often hoping for better jobs or a better contract. So coaches work more on masking a player's weaknesses to help the team win, rather than improving the player and risk losing often in the process. There is no general manager who takes a longer-term approach to building a consistent winner.

    ...

    Rookie example: Minnesota's Shabazz Muhammad overpowered people at UCLA and would have continued to do so had he stayed for his sophomore season, because that is what would have worked best for him and his team.

    But Muhammad's stock dropped significantly from the start of his freshman season to draft day, and another season in college would have likely seen him fall into the second round. That's because NBA teams would have continued to see him mostly dominate opponents in a manner that wouldn't be nearly as successful in their league. College basketball is far more about power than the pro game is, thanks to a larger gap between the strength of players and college officials who allow far more pushing and grabbing.

    In the NBA, Muhammad has learned that if he plays with incredible energy, he will have some success and earn playing time. He would not have learned this with another season in college, however, because he wouldn't have needed that energy to succeed.

    To survive in the NBA, Muhammad still needs to develop a skill game. And the NBA is a better place for him to do that than the NCAA, thanks in part to a deeper 3-point line, which spreads the court out.

    I agree with that bit about coaches masking weaknesses to win games. It explains how guys can be very successful in college and then completely flop in the NBA, where they get exposed.

    The college game is more about power due to the strength differences in players and officials letting crap go. Now, that cuts across the grain of my thinking, I will have to admit. I can see the strength differences, but I see college basketball being all about guard play. Also: BAZZ has been a real bright spot since he's started to garner some (spotty) playing time. He does play pretty damned hard. I expected his intensity level to be less than what he's shown.

    1. What a sweet story. My mom had a friend from church who was part of that fan club and attended a game with her and several other senior citizens back when Hawk was a Twin. Sure enough, LaTroy met with the group before the game and afterwards. Needless to say, my mother was duly impressed with the man.

    2. Thanks for that (also, I've always liked Jim Caple). Now I'm sad he wasn't a twin his whole career.

    2. That was a well-done recap. Of course this was one of the few games that I've gotten to watch, so I was nodding along sadly with most of his points when I wasn't laughing.

  12. Sorry bS, your Austin team got crushed by De for the 2nd year in a row. The 4A game was a classic with Lakeville North down by 5 with 30 seconds, coming back to win by 1 over the team everyone hates, Hopkins. Minnesota High School hoops can be a lot of fun to watch, too bad all the attention is on the hockey tournament.

    1. Minnesota needs to look to california. We have an "open" class where the top teams, regardless of school size, compete for titles each year in football and hoops.

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