Cup of Coffee

6/25/15: Knee

74 Comments

Sounds like day 1 of THR's knee-replacement recovery was much less enjoyable than day 0. I hope it's just that the drugs are wearing off and that it's all downhill from here.

74 thoughts on “6/25/15: Knee”

  1. I had an awesome game recap written in my head, but pastor stuff is happening and I'm not going to be able to write it. Just know that we won,and we're still on track for 129-33!

  2. Bad news on the location of the previous kids caucus. Columbia Heights decided to demolish Castle Heights and build a more "traditional" (read soul-less) playground there.

    I'm glad we were able to get together before this broke, but sorry that we won't be able to make any future trips there.

    1. That's a bummer. People are really clamoring for the traditional playgrounds, aren't they? Why, I biked past one a while back that had two vehicles in its parking lot!
      I share your feelings about glad we were able to check it out before demolition.
      "best option for safety reasons"
      "'we believe the community will understand why this safety decision was made'"
      It did not seem unsafe. Seems like a pusillanimous decision, CYA at its worst.

      1. Thanks for bringing this up, rpz. Sad news indeed! Another neighborhood newspaper had a really good article about it, but their online archives don't seem to be up to date. I think I set it aside to pass along to AMR; I'll have to check at home tonight.

      2. I have no knowledge of the safety issues at this place, but I do have some (indirect) personal experience with the dangers of "traditional" playgrounds. My elementary school had monkey bars installed over asphalt. A friend in my class (this was about 4th or 5th grade) fell onto the metal bars, knocking out all of her front upper teeth. The monkey bars were removed not long after.

        Not every "safety" improvement is a bad idea.

    2. While we're on the music day thing...

      For the past year, Aquinas has declared his interest in starting a band. He plans to have his cousins be band members, and he's been working on set lists (for example: "Row Row Row Your Boat," "Hallelujah" "Peaches" "On Top Of Spaghetti" "Old Time Rock And Roll"), and things like that. He's aware none of them know how to play instruments, but he thinks they'll learn when they're older, and so he's trying to get ready.

      Anyway, the other day a Rolling Stones song came on, and he was asking about who sang it. I told him it was the Rolling Stones, and then pointed out that they were on most of our summer mixes, and reminded him of some of their other songs, and then I observed that they were one of the best bands of all time.
      "Well, they'd better watch out" he said, "Because our band is coming for them."

      Kids are great.

      1. The jalapeno declared this morning that he wants to make movies. Maybe he can film a documentary about Aquinas's band?

        1. Aye. Aquinas is a big fan of that song. His preschool teachers seemed to appreciate that he sang it whenever they had peaches for a snack.

  4. Good news on the homefont. Ten weeks after her concussion, the oldest can finally play soccer.

  5. I just found out that The Four Firkins is going out of business, citing increased big box store competition, highway closures, and (Minnesota's ridiculously arcane) Sunday sales laws. I don't even live in the Cities and I'm bummed.

    1. Boo.

      On the other hand, yea that the big box stores are moving into craft beer sales. My Costco has dramatically increased its selection in the last couple of years. That has put competitive pressure on the grocery stores, which have also stepped up their game. Plus, I have a Bevmo within 20 minutes for when I really want to go prospecting.

      1. When I was up to visit my uncle a couple weeks ago I stopped at Stinson Wine, Beer, & Spirits. They had a pretty decent selection, including a fair selection of stuff in 25.4 oz bottles. I walked away with several from Olvalde Farm & Brewing and Schell's Nobel Star series, which I can't find here.

        1. I'm a fan of both that establishment (was my go-to place when I lived near the UofM St. Paul campus) and your selections. My favorite of the Nobel Star so far is the Black Forest Cherry, but I am excited to try the Starkeller Peach and The Auroch's Horn and Ode to a Russian Shipwright were both nailed it for me.

        2. I like the Stinson shop. They are about a mile away from my house, have a good selection, and reasonable prices.

          1. A friend of mine lives a couple streets down from my uncle and refers to their 'hood as "Shitty Presidents Row."

    4. I call BS on the Sunday sales having anything to do with them going out of business.

    3. My friend recently started called everyone "cornbread", which has also slipped into my rotation. I think "Applesauce!" needs to join it. Also, my favorite insult lately is "You walnut!".

      I'm hungry.

    4. Outside of any politics,
      Part of me is disappointed because there would be a ton of exciting work to do at my office.
      Another part of me is relieved.
      My regular work feels like pale gray oatmeal compared to the tropical fruit and wild mushrooms* plate that the dissenters would have foisted upon me with two more votes.

      *may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, but probably not toxic!

    5. I think there's a really interesting discussion to be had here, aside from the particulars of this case. Basically, what standard do we hold our drafters to? How precise must their language be? How organized their statutory schemes? How consistent their applications?

      That conversation is significantly less fun when people are in entrenched positions, and when those entrenched positions appear to be a function of commitment to political causes.

      1. so much of the discussion has centered on the claims about ambiguity in the statute regarding one freaking word. Dudes, there's a legislative history! This is a legislative interpretation case, which means the legislative history is not only relevant, but central to interpretation. That's how legislative intent cases are normally adjudicated.

        1. Not necessarily. If the plain language statute is unambiguous, then a court should follow the plain language.

            1. Right, what is ambiguous? Is purportedly clear language that torpedoes the intent of an entire act unambiguous?

      2. My copy of Reading Law by Justice Scalia and Bryan Garner is at my office (I was on the road near Zack and SBG today), but I'll find the appropriate section to point out his ignoring his own canon of statutory interpretation when I'm back there.

        I will say that he is definitely the best writer on the Court.

        Also, slightly off-topic, but Justice Thomas wrote a hagiography about Warrick Dunn in a dissent earlier this week (providing the killer of Dunn's mother a hearing to prove he is too disabled to be on death row) that was really interesting. It was very passionate and humanizing, but seemed to be completely outside the record from the lower courts. I

  9. If 10 years ago you'd have told me about recent developments, I honestly wouldn't have believed that medicinal marijuana would get traction before this.

  11. oh man, we're like twenty minutes away from the annual "Timberwolves Playoff". I'm nervous.

        1. When was the last time anyone said "Man, that Minnesota sports prospect is going to be good because he has great coaching and leadership in the organization?"

        1. Ugh, that #31 pick is so valuable. I'm not a huge fan of the move. It may also be partially tied to my completely rational hatred of Duke.

          1. They really needed a quality backup to Ricky, and I don't believe Brown is there quite yet*. I also don't know if Jones is still available at 31 ... or Hunter/Looney/Martin for that matter.

            *and don't think LaVine ever will be...

            1. Yes, but there's no need to fall in love with Tyus. I definitely am not on the LaVine bandwagon, but there's a lot of point guards out there, that it seems silly to give up two assets (and #31 might be more valuable than #24 all things considered given that it's a non-guarantee with the ability to stash for a long time) for a fairly fungible player.

              Has a non-Kyrie Irving* Duke PG ever amounted to anything in the NBA?

              *And Irving played a whopping 11 games at Duke.

              1. Your expectations are way too high. I am satisfied with them using the picks on actual players and not selling them for cash.

                I am willing to give Flip some leeway with the draft. He has done well so far.

                1. Exactly this!
                  &
                  Yes.

                  Also, I know the pre-draft rankings are always a bit suspect, but I think there was a consensus that Tyus has the ability to play in the NBA, perhaps even start. Throw in the not-insignificant fact that folks around here are provincial enough to believe 31+36=ONEOFUS is a better equation than 31+36=Value due to "non-guarantee with the ability to stash for a long" and I think it's a savvy move by Flip.

              2. there's no need to fall in love with Tyus.
                Now there's no need to not fall in love with him, either.

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