Miinii-Caucuses? Whatever. I saw both DPWY and Nibbish yesterday, and that was fun.
56 thoughts on “April 7, 2015: Miinii-Caucuii”
The older I get, the less patience I have for seeing entitlement rewarded.
I tried to edit this comment, but ran out of time. A bit more context:
I was thinking last night about my feelings about the NCAA Championship game, and the visceral reaction I have to the toxic tribalism of sports and politics. I don't like the way people are manipulated and pitted against one another by the media and others who stand to benefit from the antagonism. This is something I thing I first started feeling as a Minnesotan growing up with many football fanatic family members in Wisconsin. Every time the family gathered in autumn I got an earful about how superior the Packers were, and even when it was good-natured it was hard to take. I didn't care about the Vikings, but it felt like an attack on where I was from because the Vikings nominally represented my home state.
At the same time, thinking about last night's game specifically, I don't like what Duke represents as a school – the entitlement of its athletic department, fans, and many of the students who attend there. I feel incentivized to root against them even if I don't like the structure & influence of college athletics to begin with. I'd rather root for Duke's faculty to get poached by well-funded state universities.
The pull of tribalism taps into my feelings about the Yankees, Red Sox, and Braves, and how those franchises' fanbases came to expect dominance and lord over fans of other teams.
I think about my reaction to the political environment in the country, and how much I recognize in it the things I detest about sports fandom. Then I think about all the money that could be put to better use in communities that gets funneled to people whose sole purpose in life seems to be to perpetuate often unearned structural advantages over others.
I did a lot of thinking last night. Ultimately, it came down to this:
The older I get, the less patience I have for seeing entitlement rewarded.
Yeah, all that, plus this: the quality of play is substantially inferior to the game I watch.
how your twolves doin
'bout the same as usual. Would blow Duke out by plenty, tho.
That is like comparing NDSU to Alabama.
Ha!
The analogy only works if Alabama was one of the worst teams in FBS, and we all know that (a) that's not true and (b) NDSU beats plenty of FBS teams (five straight and 8-3 overall).
No. It works because Alabama is one of the worst professional football teams!
I don't think that's the reaction I expected.
I am less bothered by "entitlement" than tribalism. I assume you mean the "entitlement" of the fans of some elite program (Kentucky, Duke, etc.), and nit necessarily of the coaches and players.
Coach K seems very intense and driven, but no more dickish (and perhaps less) than most big-time coaches. His players seem to graduate at high rates and become productive members of society. I am ok with that.
Wild Playoff Watch: Still Watching Edition
A 2-0 loss to the Jets is not exactly what Wild fans had in mind. Very little progress toward a playoff spot with that result.
The Jets win did eliminate San Jose and Dallas from the playoff picture. So it's now officially 5 teams for 4 spots.
The Wild have one point from their last three, but are still in the same position with a little less cushion than they were before the recent mini-skid.
They still have to be passed by all of those teams in order to miss out on the playoffs. The Flames-Jets and Flames-Kings games later this week are more or less going to determine who gets in, it seems.
GAMES TONIGHT:
Minnesota @ Chicago - second night of a back-to-back for the Wild. Fortunately they didn't waste any goals last night, saving them up for this one, right?
LA @ Edmonton - second night of a back-to-back for the Kings. On the other hand, they play the Oilers.
Winnipeg @ St. Louis - second night of a back-to-back for the Jets. The Blues have been good lately, I hope they keep it up here.
Arizona @ Calgary - Cheering for the Coyotes is a fool's errand, but still. Go Coyotes!
The Wild clinch a playoff spot tonight in the following scenarios.
Wild WIN + any of the following
Kings loss of any kind
Flames loss of any kind
Flames shootout win
Jets loss of any kind
Wild LOSE in OT/SO + any of the following
Kings lose in regulation
Flames and Jets lose in regulation
Kings lose in OT/SO and Flames lose in regulation
Kings and Flames lose in OT/SO and Jets lose in regulation
I feel this going sour. 98% of me believes they're getting in, but that nagging 2% is really screaming loud.
At the very least, I'm not a fan of the whole limping into the playoffs thing.
It would be a truly epic collapse at this point. There's still a lot that needs to go wrong.
Gene Mauch would have to return from the dead and take over coaching
Such a thing has never happened in this state before. I know, I get it, they're gonna get in. I think.
The Wild is second in a five-team push for four spots. After a middling first, they put up 24 shot attempts in both the second and the third, dominating possession against a good possession team. They're going to be fine.
Yeah, working out all the clinching scenarios this morning really drove home how little they have left to do to get in.
I'm glad that's what you found. I get that the remaining schedule includes arguably three of the best five teams in the NHL. I'm just not going to start to panic, yet.
I have a 5-day trip to Seattle planned over Memorial Day weekend. Any suggestions on what to see/avoid would be most welcome. I'm completly missing the Mariners which is a bummer because I would love to see Safeco (although I might see a Sounders game). Staying in Downtown area near Pikes Market. Probably no car although could rent one if there is a must see locale outside of transit.
You can also e-mail me at [username] at comcastdotnet
Get yourself to Salumi for lunch (get there early - the line gets long). If you can get yourself to one of the Paseo locations I promise you won't be disappointed. I dream of a return. Piroshky Piroshky is good for breakfast, and if you're over at the Market already you might see my favorite string band, The Millionaires' Club, busking just down the street:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilMMOaKzb2Y
Wander over to Victor Steinbrueck Park with your piroshky and some coffee and sit on the grass, enjoying a view of the ferrys and other traffic on the Sound, Bainbridge Island, West Seattle, the harbor, and (if you're lucky), Mt. Rainier in the distance.
SAM is a great museum. Some highlights on its calendar for while you're in town: artwork of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, 19th century French landscapes & domestic interiors, American Abstract Expressionishm (Pollock, Held, Krasner, etc.), works influenced by Marcel Duchamp, and murals/prints/drawings by Chiho Aoshima.
I haven't been to the Experience Music Project or the Sci-Fi museum, but I hear they're worth a visit. The acquarium is cool, though not really my thing.
I dream of the salmon pate piroshky from time to time. Rain Shadow Meats is the closest thing to the Cochon Butcher, and well worth a visit. They're right around the corner from Ebbets Field Flannel and they serve beer. The Porchetta sammich is pretty outstanding. Go hang out in the Central Public Library. No, I'm not joking, it's one of the coolest public spaces I've ever been in, and it's a long walk up a steep hill which will help burn off the calories from Rain Shadow Meats. We had unusually nice weather, so I walked from the Red Lion hotel (also recommended) to ebbits and back with no problems. I'll second the SAM as well. We had a good, not great, dinner at Purple Cafe, but the interior was fun.
Frightwig could probably send you some suggestions, too.
He's currently in Portland (according to fb, where I see you're not friends with him. Maybe you follow on twitter?)
Or Ubelmann, wherever he ended up.
congrats to scot on the winning bracket, btw
Congrats, scot!
Thanks. I feel kind of dirty about picking Duke, especially given CH's comment above, but I'll celebrate in proportion to the accomplishment.
My work pool gives back the entry fee to the worst bracket.
I got my money back this morning.
I didn't make completely ridiculous picks for that bracket, like I did for the WGOM bracket.
But making picks against Big 10, northern Big 12, Wisconsin schools, and Duke didn't work this year.
Can't believe Berardino asked this question but at least Molitor gave a good response about Santana bunting with two on and not outs:
Was the sacrifice bunt a consideration there?
“Not down three,” Molitor said. “I’m trying to find a way to get back in the game, and he’s one of our better hitters. He had a couple good at-bats (both lineouts). You consider those kind of things, but there’s no guarantee you’re going to plate more than one if you get the guys over. I was just hoping for a big inning.”
In Berardino's defense, he's heard so much about bunting and productive outs and doing the little things from Twins management over the last several years that some of it was bound to creep in.
He might well have been asking it to highlight the difference, after seeing it in that spot for so long.
oops, should have refreshed first
Or, to his defense, he was putting the ball on the tee and allowing Molli to put that kind of talk to rest.
Seems Uncle Jack (remember, he's not really their uncle) swooped in to save the day: new Arrested Developmentannounced. What that means for your weekend next.
It's the bottom of the first, and the visiting Braves are already up 7-0 on the Marlins. In the bottom of the second, the visiting Orioles are up 6-0 on the Rays. Not a good evening for Florida baseball so far.
I'm listening to the Baltimore game. Ex-Twin Steve Pearce hit a two-run homer for the Orioles.
How did I miss the fact Ichiro signed with Miami?
heh. you're like the 3rd person to have said that.
At least I'm not alone, then.
Ahhh, Vin Scully.
I am at a loss. The Newmark Diamondbacks played the worst team in the league tonight and I couldn't find anyone to throw strikes and we ended up losing 10-9. We had a 9-5 lead for Trey and he walked the first three batters of the inning and hit the fourth. I had to pull him and bring in a kid that had never pitched in a game because one of our other pitchers was ineligible after pitching on Saturday. He couldn't throw strikes either and I felt horrible because he was in tears on the mound. I apologized to him for doing that to him. We ended up coming back and taking the lead, but the game was called in the bottom of the inning due to time limit, so it reverted back to the previous inning. I thought the ump had a pretty small strike zone, which wasn't helping, but the other team didn't walk nearly as many. Trey has had this problem the last few weeks and I thought we had worked it out at home the other day, but then he today he couldn't get anything over the plate. The pitcher that started the game has been terrific all season pounding the strike zone and then today started walking people. It's such a helpless feeling. The most frustrating part is Trey has always done well throwing strikes until recently and this other pitcher that was ineligible I took her first in the player draft because she was a pitcher that threw strikes, so I thought this was something I wouldn't have to worry about. Now I have no one that I can trust to throw strikes. I'm fuming tonight and feel completely helpless.
Deep breaths, socal. Have confidence in them and they will come around.
As someone who frequently played on the worst teams in the league, I just want to let you know that that game probably made the season a great experience for the kids on the other team. When you're on a bad team, eeking out a win against a good team feels like winning a championship. I still have very vivid memories of some of those victories.
So... I had a momentary lack of reason yesterday. On day 2 of our opening week, I am working in the kitchen, and a server says to me that 2 guys out in the dining room are having a "mini-caucus". I was a bit distracted at the time, yet quick poked my head out and did not recognize the table in question, and meant to double check with the server. However, countless distractions later, the table is gone and I was scratching me head. Then, this morning, it hits me that it had to be a couple of Citizens, and I am thinking "CRAP! what a lousy host"
I am guessing Nibbish?
First 2 days have gone very well. Very busy, with very few hiccups. People seem to be digging the food and the craft beer, and our remodel turned out great! For those who want more info, we do have a facebook page up, and will soon have our website up as well. Pike and Pint Grill is the name.
Aye, that was nibbish and me. I had the elk meatloaf (local elk? awesome!). It was very good. I also had the Bender, which I was excited to see (and was amazing on tap). The service was fantastic (especially now that I know word did get back to you) and the place looked great. I look forward to eating there many times in the future.
Hey, thanks for stopping in, and for the kind words. Boy, its been a ton of work. I am on my 3rd week of 14-16 hour days to get this baby up and running. Feels like the buzz is very positive, and people are loving the food, which was 70% mine. The other 30% came from my awesome executive chef. Had Fargo Brewing Company up today to talk beer. Great guys running that company, and the smoked ale they let me pour is pretty tasty! Hope to catch you guys another day!
And yes... local Elk. Local Bison
I was hoping this was a story where you went all "Gordon" on someone.....
Gordon is the guy I respect the least out of the celebrity chefs. I have worked for yelling and screaming chefs, and I have had my moments too, but that guy is out of control. That, and his Hell's Kitchen show does not feature much in terms of talent.
I have had one instance in almost eight years in which I yelled at a staff member (who was way out of line, but still...). Yelling ain't leadership.
The older I get, the less patience I have for seeing entitlement rewarded.
I tried to edit this comment, but ran out of time. A bit more context:
I was thinking last night about my feelings about the NCAA Championship game, and the visceral reaction I have to the toxic tribalism of sports and politics. I don't like the way people are manipulated and pitted against one another by the media and others who stand to benefit from the antagonism. This is something I thing I first started feeling as a Minnesotan growing up with many football fanatic family members in Wisconsin. Every time the family gathered in autumn I got an earful about how superior the Packers were, and even when it was good-natured it was hard to take. I didn't care about the Vikings, but it felt like an attack on where I was from because the Vikings nominally represented my home state.
At the same time, thinking about last night's game specifically, I don't like what Duke represents as a school – the entitlement of its athletic department, fans, and many of the students who attend there. I feel incentivized to root against them even if I don't like the structure & influence of college athletics to begin with. I'd rather root for Duke's faculty to get poached by well-funded state universities.
The pull of tribalism taps into my feelings about the Yankees, Red Sox, and Braves, and how those franchises' fanbases came to expect dominance and lord over fans of other teams.
I think about my reaction to the political environment in the country, and how much I recognize in it the things I detest about sports fandom. Then I think about all the money that could be put to better use in communities that gets funneled to people whose sole purpose in life seems to be to perpetuate often unearned structural advantages over others.
I did a lot of thinking last night. Ultimately, it came down to this:
The older I get, the less patience I have for seeing entitlement rewarded.
Yeah, all that, plus this: the quality of play is substantially inferior to the game I watch.
how your twolves doin
'bout the same as usual. Would blow Duke out by plenty, tho.
That is like comparing NDSU to Alabama.
Ha!
The analogy only works if Alabama was one of the worst teams in FBS, and we all know that (a) that's not true and (b) NDSU beats plenty of FBS teams (five straight and 8-3 overall).
No. It works because Alabama is one of the worst professional football teams!
I don't think that's the reaction I expected.
I am less bothered by "entitlement" than tribalism. I assume you mean the "entitlement" of the fans of some elite program (Kentucky, Duke, etc.), and nit necessarily of the coaches and players.
Coach K seems very intense and driven, but no more dickish (and perhaps less) than most big-time coaches. His players seem to graduate at high rates and become productive members of society. I am ok with that.
Wild Playoff Watch: Still Watching Edition
A 2-0 loss to the Jets is not exactly what Wild fans had in mind. Very little progress toward a playoff spot with that result.
The Jets win did eliminate San Jose and Dallas from the playoff picture. So it's now officially 5 teams for 4 spots.
The Wild have one point from their last three, but are still in the same position with a little less cushion than they were before the recent mini-skid.
VAN - 97 pts (2 gms left)
MIN - 96 pts (3 gms left)
WPG - 94 pts (3 gms left)
CGY - 93 pts (3 gms left)
-------------------------
LA - 93 pts (3 gms left)
They still have to be passed by all of those teams in order to miss out on the playoffs. The Flames-Jets and Flames-Kings games later this week are more or less going to determine who gets in, it seems.
GAMES TONIGHT:
Minnesota @ Chicago - second night of a back-to-back for the Wild. Fortunately they didn't waste any goals last night, saving them up for this one, right?
LA @ Edmonton - second night of a back-to-back for the Kings. On the other hand, they play the Oilers.
Winnipeg @ St. Louis - second night of a back-to-back for the Jets. The Blues have been good lately, I hope they keep it up here.
Arizona @ Calgary - Cheering for the Coyotes is a fool's errand, but still. Go Coyotes!
The Wild clinch a playoff spot tonight in the following scenarios.
Wild WIN + any of the following
Kings loss of any kind
Flames loss of any kind
Flames shootout win
Jets loss of any kind
Wild LOSE in OT/SO + any of the following
Kings lose in regulation
Flames and Jets lose in regulation
Kings lose in OT/SO and Flames lose in regulation
Kings and Flames lose in OT/SO and Jets lose in regulation
I feel this going sour. 98% of me believes they're getting in, but that nagging 2% is really screaming loud.
At the very least, I'm not a fan of the whole limping into the playoffs thing.
It would be a truly epic collapse at this point. There's still a lot that needs to go wrong.
Gene Mauch would have to return from the dead and take over coaching
Such a thing has never happened in this state before. I know, I get it, they're gonna get in. I think.
The Wild is second in a five-team push for four spots. After a middling first, they put up 24 shot attempts in both the second and the third, dominating possession against a good possession team. They're going to be fine.
Yeah, working out all the clinching scenarios this morning really drove home how little they have left to do to get in.
I'm glad that's what you found. I get that the remaining schedule includes arguably three of the best five teams in the NHL. I'm just not going to start to panic, yet.
Had a great time performing on Easter morning; Twayn's bro next to me on guitar...
I have a 5-day trip to Seattle planned over Memorial Day weekend. Any suggestions on what to see/avoid would be most welcome. I'm completly missing the Mariners which is a bummer because I would love to see Safeco (although I might see a Sounders game). Staying in Downtown area near Pikes Market. Probably no car although could rent one if there is a must see locale outside of transit.
You can also e-mail me at [username] at comcastdotnet
Get yourself to Salumi for lunch (get there early - the line gets long). If you can get yourself to one of the Paseo locations I promise you won't be disappointed. I dream of a return. Piroshky Piroshky is good for breakfast, and if you're over at the Market already you might see my favorite string band, The Millionaires' Club, busking just down the street:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilMMOaKzb2Y
Wander over to Victor Steinbrueck Park with your piroshky and some coffee and sit on the grass, enjoying a view of the ferrys and other traffic on the Sound, Bainbridge Island, West Seattle, the harbor, and (if you're lucky), Mt. Rainier in the distance.
SAM is a great museum. Some highlights on its calendar for while you're in town: artwork of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, 19th century French landscapes & domestic interiors, American Abstract Expressionishm (Pollock, Held, Krasner, etc.), works influenced by Marcel Duchamp, and murals/prints/drawings by Chiho Aoshima.
I haven't been to the Experience Music Project or the Sci-Fi museum, but I hear they're worth a visit. The acquarium is cool, though not really my thing.
Definitely stop by Ebbets Field Flannels' store. They do outstanding work.
I could go on for a long time - I love Seattle.
I dream of the salmon pate piroshky from time to time. Rain Shadow Meats is the closest thing to the Cochon Butcher, and well worth a visit. They're right around the corner from Ebbets Field Flannel and they serve beer. The Porchetta sammich is pretty outstanding. Go hang out in the Central Public Library. No, I'm not joking, it's one of the coolest public spaces I've ever been in, and it's a long walk up a steep hill which will help burn off the calories from Rain Shadow Meats. We had unusually nice weather, so I walked from the Red Lion hotel (also recommended) to ebbits and back with no problems. I'll second the SAM as well. We had a good, not great, dinner at Purple Cafe, but the interior was fun.
Frightwig could probably send you some suggestions, too.
He's currently in Portland (according to fb, where I see you're not friends with him. Maybe you follow on twitter?)
Or Ubelmann, wherever he ended up.
congrats to scot on the winning bracket, btw
Congrats, scot!
Thanks. I feel kind of dirty about picking Duke, especially given CH's comment above, but I'll celebrate in proportion to the accomplishment.
My work pool gives back the entry fee to the worst bracket.
I got my money back this morning.
I didn't make completely ridiculous picks for that bracket, like I did for the WGOM bracket.
But making picks against Big 10, northern Big 12, Wisconsin schools, and Duke didn't work this year.
Can't believe Berardino asked this question but at least Molitor gave a good response about Santana bunting with two on and not outs:
In Berardino's defense, he's heard so much about bunting and productive outs and doing the little things from Twins management over the last several years that some of it was bound to creep in.
He might well have been asking it to highlight the difference, after seeing it in that spot for so long.
oops, should have refreshed first
Or, to his defense, he was putting the ball on the tee and allowing Molli to put that kind of talk to rest.
Dicknbert is gonna have to recalibrate.
RIP Roscoe P. Coltrane.
Also Jim Lindsey, aspiring musician, in an occasional role on The Andy Griffith Show.
You dipstick, Enos!
I am reading on facebook that Stan Freberg has passed away at the age of 88.
And here's a link confirming it.
Seems Uncle Jack (remember, he's not really their uncle) swooped in to save the day: new Arrested Development announced. What that means for your weekend next.
It's the bottom of the first, and the visiting Braves are already up 7-0 on the Marlins. In the bottom of the second, the visiting Orioles are up 6-0 on the Rays. Not a good evening for Florida baseball so far.
I'm listening to the Baltimore game. Ex-Twin Steve Pearce hit a two-run homer for the Orioles.
How did I miss the fact Ichiro signed with Miami?
heh. you're like the 3rd person to have said that.
At least I'm not alone, then.
Ahhh, Vin Scully.
I am at a loss. The Newmark Diamondbacks played the worst team in the league tonight and I couldn't find anyone to throw strikes and we ended up losing 10-9. We had a 9-5 lead for Trey and he walked the first three batters of the inning and hit the fourth. I had to pull him and bring in a kid that had never pitched in a game because one of our other pitchers was ineligible after pitching on Saturday. He couldn't throw strikes either and I felt horrible because he was in tears on the mound. I apologized to him for doing that to him. We ended up coming back and taking the lead, but the game was called in the bottom of the inning due to time limit, so it reverted back to the previous inning. I thought the ump had a pretty small strike zone, which wasn't helping, but the other team didn't walk nearly as many. Trey has had this problem the last few weeks and I thought we had worked it out at home the other day, but then he today he couldn't get anything over the plate. The pitcher that started the game has been terrific all season pounding the strike zone and then today started walking people. It's such a helpless feeling. The most frustrating part is Trey has always done well throwing strikes until recently and this other pitcher that was ineligible I took her first in the player draft because she was a pitcher that threw strikes, so I thought this was something I wouldn't have to worry about. Now I have no one that I can trust to throw strikes. I'm fuming tonight and feel completely helpless.
Deep breaths, socal. Have confidence in them and they will come around.
As someone who frequently played on the worst teams in the league, I just want to let you know that that game probably made the season a great experience for the kids on the other team. When you're on a bad team, eeking out a win against a good team feels like winning a championship. I still have very vivid memories of some of those victories.
So... I had a momentary lack of reason yesterday. On day 2 of our opening week, I am working in the kitchen, and a server says to me that 2 guys out in the dining room are having a "mini-caucus". I was a bit distracted at the time, yet quick poked my head out and did not recognize the table in question, and meant to double check with the server. However, countless distractions later, the table is gone and I was scratching me head. Then, this morning, it hits me that it had to be a couple of Citizens, and I am thinking "CRAP! what a lousy host"
I am guessing Nibbish?
First 2 days have gone very well. Very busy, with very few hiccups. People seem to be digging the food and the craft beer, and our remodel turned out great! For those who want more info, we do have a facebook page up, and will soon have our website up as well. Pike and Pint Grill is the name.
Aye, that was nibbish and me. I had the elk meatloaf (local elk? awesome!). It was very good. I also had the Bender, which I was excited to see (and was amazing on tap). The service was fantastic (especially now that I know word did get back to you) and the place looked great. I look forward to eating there many times in the future.
Hey, thanks for stopping in, and for the kind words. Boy, its been a ton of work. I am on my 3rd week of 14-16 hour days to get this baby up and running. Feels like the buzz is very positive, and people are loving the food, which was 70% mine. The other 30% came from my awesome executive chef. Had Fargo Brewing Company up today to talk beer. Great guys running that company, and the smoked ale they let me pour is pretty tasty! Hope to catch you guys another day!
And yes... local Elk. Local Bison
I was hoping this was a story where you went all "Gordon" on someone.....
Gordon is the guy I respect the least out of the celebrity chefs. I have worked for yelling and screaming chefs, and I have had my moments too, but that guy is out of control. That, and his Hell's Kitchen show does not feature much in terms of talent.
I have had one instance in almost eight years in which I yelled at a staff member (who was way out of line, but still...). Yelling ain't leadership.