Cup of Coffee

June 26, 2017: Scratching Posts

102 Comments

My cats don't have many bad habits, but they like scratching two things above all others:

1) Crate & Barrel couch. Got it from a rich cousin.
2) My work pants. Not too expensive, but on the other hand, MY WORK PANTS.

102 thoughts on “June 26, 2017: Scratching Posts”

  1. "Minor Details" will be delayed until at least this afternoon, more likely this evening, and maybe tomorrow. No emergency, just stuff going on.

  2. I see that the reviews for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets are pretty critical (54 pct "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience reaction not much better. Anyone here seen it yet?

    1. Nope, and don't plan to, however, I will mentioned that I went back and re-watched The Professional and Fifth Element, and I was surprisingly let down by both. They're pretty films, yeah, but major plot problems throughout. I've heard that's pretty much the case with his newest as well.

      1. I've never understood the alleged love for Fifth Element, but then I am not particularly a fan of "sci-fi" that takes the genre as a joke.

        1. Because its completely awesome in every way. (I don't know that I can put it into words any better than that, I just love it) I might have to toss it in sometime soon.

          1. See, that's how I used to feel too. Watched it a ton. Then about a year or so ago, I tossed it in again, and it just kind of fell flat plotwise. Another point I hadn't really considered was

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            1. I'm usually pretty good at ignoring plot holes in movies that I like, but not as good when people point them out. Maybe I shouldn't watch it again right now until I forget about this conversation.

              1. Is Better Call Saul a Western? It's set in New Mexico, aintit?

                Just because a movie has aliens and spaceships doesn't make it sci-fi.
                But maybe I should have said that it fails as scifi (for me).

                  1. Hah!

                    But "seriously". It's sci-fiyee and camp. And mediocre camp, IMO.

                    the Men In Black series does aliens-threatening-earth comedy much, much better.

                    3. Ok, I've been properly chastized for my sci-fi elitism. I'll just offer one last comment, and that has to do with the director, Luc Besson.

                      I've endured advertizing for his newest flick, Valerian, which describes the film as being from the "legendary" or "visionary" director of The Fifth Element and Lucy amongst others. Uh huh.

                      Visually stylish? Sure. "Legendary" or "visionary"? Not so much.

        2. I watched it in college and I have a loathing for it that outstrips my loathing for almost any other movie. Like you, I never quite understood the draw. Every time Chris Tucker did the "oh my god" "bit," I wanted to tear out my eyeballs and eardrums.

          1. I watched it, probably in college too, but have only a passing memory of it. Are you saying I shouldn't watch it again?

          2. I liked it well enough, knowing that it wasn't taking itself seriously, but that said Chris Tucker was fingernails on a chalkboard the entire movie.

            1. Tucker is to Fifth Element what the blonde woman was to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Their whole purpose of existing in the movie was to react to all the danger to show how brave the hero was.

          3. I'm with Spooky on this. I can't stand it. My oldest loves it however so there you go.

            1. I'm with you as well. Find almost nothing enjoyable about it. I saw it for the first time at age 30. Not sure I would have liked it even at age 15 when it came out.

              1. I saw it for the first time at age 17, and was excited about it, and came away completely disinterested by the whole thing. Subsequent views (at least three of them) haven't been any kinder.

  3. Molitor owning it, but ...

    With the Twins trying to keep their sixth-inning deficit at a manageable two runs, Molitor decided to execute a double-switch, inserting utility infielder Ehire Adrianza at shortstop, batting ninth, and reliever Ryan Pressly in the seventh slot, replacing shortstop Jorge Polanco. But as soon as Pressly threw a pitch, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts emerged with a complaint for Barrett: This isn’t the switch you told us about.
    “What I think I said [to Barrett] and what he heard were two different things,” Molitor said.

    Specifically, when Molitor explained what he called “a pretty obvious double-switch,” Barrett wrote down something completely different: Pitcher Matt Belisle was going to left field, replacing Eddie Rosario as the fifth batter, and Ryan Pressly was pitching and batting seventh. No, it didn’t make sense to Molitor, either, but “that’s what he wrote down” and relayed to Roberts. “I don’t know if I said a wrong name, or what I possibly might have said. I can’t imagine I said Belisle for Rosario, but he heard what he heard,” the manager said. “And if I didn’t make it clear, that was my responsibility.”

    1. I mean, good on Molitor for owning it, because that's what a real professional does. But seriously.

          1. heck yeah, make it digital and feed it to the scoreboard, broadcast booths, etc. Then we don't have to have announcers notice new fielders after the fact.

            and feed it to the robo-umps

      2. Easy mistake. Managers are so out-of-the-box these days that pitcher are playing the outfield almost daily. Easy thing to see why the umpire thought it was normal and didn't raise the eyebrow a millimeter.

    2. It seems to me that, as a matter of course, when a manager makes a change, the umpire should repeat it back to him to make sure that he has it right. That just seems like common sense.

    1. No doubt. I just noticed the other day that Buxton has moved up to 3rd on the Twins in rWAR. And I've still seen comments recently about what are the chances the Twins demote Buxton and keep Granite. I mean, seriously?

      1. Granite's batting .256. Buxton's batting .218. For some, that's all they know and all they need to know.

  5. This list should generate some conversation.

    I don't understand how a 2016 album (Lemonade) could possibly be placed as high as it is in this list, and I wonder about just how "influential" Amy Winehouse was/is. But I was gratified to see Tapestry, Horses, Pearl, I Never Loved a Man, I Put A Spell On You, and Blue gracing the top ten (no disrespect to Miseducation or Supa Dupa Fly, I just don't know those at all).

    2. I'm with you on Lemonade, Doc. It might be a great record, but putting it that high one year after release seems rather premature.

      Wait, Aretha's Lady Soul doesn't even make the list? That's a top ten record right there.

      I'll grant that Amy Winehouse was influential, but more influential than Odetta, Heart, Chaka Khan, Joan Jett, Laura Nyro, or Fiona Apple?

      It seems the editors of this list are pretty down on pioneering feminist country singers like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, & Tammy Wynette. Likewise, foundational, all-time greats like Ella Fitzgerald & Sarah Vaughn seem ranked quite low.

      I'll note that non-Western artists – Cesária Évora being but one glaring omission – are quite underrepresented. And don't even get me started on the exclusion of Mary Lou Williams.

      1. I'm all about Winehouse, but that retro sound thing is right up my alley. Also, this list is "greatest" not "most influential". So for me, Back To Black fits perfect.

        Also, Dolly Parton is #11 and Loretta Lynn checks in at #24.

        1. The way I read their comment on Winehouse's album, it sounds like they're saying its greatness is a function of its influence on contemporary pop sounds. Thus, my question of whether she's more influential in the broader context of all music recorded by women than the other artists I named.

          1. That makes sense. I just think it's a great album, and I've heard a number of subsequent songs which I enjoy that I'd say fit that sound.

          2. A friend asked me once if I listened Back To Black, and I said no, and when she asked why, I said I'd rather listen to the originals that she was ripping off.

      2. Also I can't remember any Billy Holiday, which if true is a pretty big oversight.

        1. I'm not even sure what to say about no Lady Day. I don't recall seeing Patsy Cline, either. Or Abbey Lincoln or Carla Bley.

              2. I dunno. I'd rather listen to the artists that The Spice Girls were ripping off.

      3. Aretha has 2 albums in what I've read so far. These sort of lists don't let any one artist get too many.

    3. I was going to bring this list up on Friday. As with all lists we can argue all day but generally a good list. If it is meant as "greatest" and not "influential" I was disappointed that Patty Griffin's Silver Bell wasn't on the list. That is one amazing album. I guess since she was listed already, she wasn't well known enough to warrant a second.

      Also Son of a Preacher Man should be much higher.

      1. Silver Bell is tricky because it was deleted weeks* before release, and then released a decade later.
        *I own a promo single from the originally scheduled album: picked up free at Electric Fetus; it's how I learned of her.

    4. I'm partway through the list but and glad to see Alice Coltrane and Diamanda Galas there.

  6. I knew this time would come and have long prepared for it, but hot damn, is it ever difficult to navigate situations where Skim doesn't want to play with Sour Cream in the ways they've played for years because she's getting too old. I don't want to stifle Skim's growth, but she had the full childhood experience, and I don't want Sour Cream to feel robbed.

    I never was a younger sibling; this experience is making me understand their struggles so much more than my own experience ever did.

    1. My youngest, Peridot Phillips, is going to write a book one day about her experiences as a younger sibling to her semi-abusive older brother Ruby Phillips. They can't play more than a few minutes until he flips his $#!+ and spews terrible things. If she gets anything he feels is better (like 10 more minutes on Minecraft) or easier (like a first grader's homework instead of a fourth grader's...because she's in first grade), he cannot handle it. At all. I know what it's like to be raised by people with a mental illness, but I was never a sibling to somebody with those struggles.

      What I'm saying is...Sour Cream will be fine.

      1. Just realized I think you're the only Citizen who uses their actual photo for their avatar, though mine vaguely looks like me.

          1. That's me in mine too (at least in my mind's eye) 🙂

            Is the arm in pepper's avi her arm?

            1. It's been a while, but yes. All of mine are photos I've taken myself . . . for some reason it feels weird to use something that I didn't create.

    2. It was tough to watch when my oldest outgrew her sister. They had been such a tag team duo for six or seven years. Luckily for the middle sister, there was one more girl. So, whereas the older two used to hang out all the time, now the younger two hang out all the time.

      Long story, longer. What I'm saying is they'll figure it out.

  7. From the Miami Herald:

    Phoenix and Minnesota are among particularly strong candidates to pull off a trade for Irving, according to one league source.

      1. Well, they can't trade Teague until December 15th. I have a feeling if Teague needed to be a part of the package, they'd find someone else coming in and making a trade before then.

        This almost certainly would mean Wiggins back in Cleveland. I've long made my dislike of Wiggins game known, but I'm not entirely sure I'd want to see him leave for another guy I don't particularly enjoy watching. (although of whom I haven't seen play as much.)

  8. I'm in day four of trying to find out just how many meals in a row a man can eat a burrito without going crazy*. So far, I have no estimate on when that could be because I'm still enjoying the hell out of them.

    *My wife wanted a taco bar for her birthday party this past Saturday. I made far more food than was necessary so we have leftovers like I've never seen before. And I'll be damned if I let good leftovers go to waste.

    1. Last week, I have taco salad 6 straight meals (I dont eat breakfast). I didn't grow tired of it.

  9. So, GoT is two episodes into the new season, yet I'm watching the new Twin Peaks episode before I watch the new GoT episode the last two weeks.

    btw, addendum on Euron's fleet...

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  10. I'm reasonably confident that some sort of critter built a nest in my vehicle, because when I turn on the fan it struggles and blows out bits of straw and the like. I cannot see this nest from a top down view of the engine, and my vehicle is low enough to the ground that getting under it is a huge pain and is best done when it is lifted in some form. And who knows if it will be visible that way either. This means... ugh. Probably $.

    1. What make/model?

      I'd check the cabin filter and blower motor housing, neither of which should be terribly hard to access.

        1. My 1998 Century is very similar for the cabin filter. It'll take 10, 15 minutes tops. Video tutorial

          For the blower motor, it looks like in your model that's up under the glove box. That should be fairly easy to remove a few pieces of trim to get to.

      2. I just replaced the cabin filter in my Accord, and it was as simple as popping the glovebox down and reaching in behind it. Now I still have to buy a spray to deal with the B.O. smell from the vents when the AC isn't running.

      3. Sure enough, it was the blower motor. Which was very easy to access (apart from a stripped screw) because apparently I have been running without an air filter for quite some time... Something had built a nest yesterday when the car was in the barn (because storms), so I removed all that and it seems all is well. I'll get a filter tomorrow hopefully. Thanks again!

        1. If I may toot my own horn -

          You're very welcome. I'm glad it wasn't something more involved.

            1. That's very kind, but how do you think I guessed that one? Most of what I know about cars is just from Car Talk, so trying to recreate it myself would probably not go well

  11. In news that will shock! Twins' fans:

    The three least likely teams to make a trade in this century are the Giants, Twins, and Cardinals.

    I set the interactive graphic's options to 2000-2017 and the Giants made 94 trades compared to the Twins' 95 trades. The Cardinals are at 103. I think fourth place are the Angels of some location at 127. Oakland leads at 240 trades.

    1. Funny that the Twins' most successful trade this century is with the Giants. Of course, you could see why the Giants would be shying away from making trades after that. Of course, of the 3 teams to make the fewest trades, they have combined for 5 World Series wins, 17 division titles and 22 playoff appearances this century.

  12. Happy birthday to Mick Jagger. Also, it's Sandra Bullock's birthday. They share a birthday? I can never be completely happy.

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