Cup of Coffee

October 30, 2017: Fun Use of Time

111 Comments

I was sick for another couple of days off. I enjoyed the World Series game in silent darkness after wasting all my energy on a game I'm running. I'm hoping the holiday season rush doesn't get started today.

111 thoughts on “October 30, 2017: Fun Use of Time”

        1. Wait... how do I get that to show the photo too? I don't have the twitters so I've never shared one here before.

          1. You embedded the tweet using twitter's embed functionality. Use the tweet URL instead and WordPress will expand it.

            2. That seems backwards to me. ? I mean, I don't know what I don't know when it comes to this type of stuff, but I was thinking an embed feature would contain a more accurate representation when displayed on a different site?

              1. Because twitter requires JavaScript for proper rendering and that's a security and usability problem. You're pulling in someone else's code and it's going to negatively affect load times. That is why it wasn't rendered: the script tag from the embed text was filtered out because it's a massive security problem in general.

                WordPress doing it natively skips around most of that. You have the issue that the tweet's text isn't included in the post but, this way it's open to everyone.

      2. Late starts on weekends are super obnoxious. Postseason weekend games should start at 1pt/4et, regardless of location.

        2. I blame the NFL. FOX had a double header and the late game didnt end until quarter to 7 or so. While its a nice lead in to baseball it pushes the start time to well past 7 (central time). Everybody knows World Series games are at least 4 hours, so start the game at 6. You still get the prime time audience and if the game goes extra innings it still should be over by 11 central

    2. I went to bed around ten o'clock, when it was still the fifth inning, because a) I get up early and b) I'm old.

        1. In the World Series? I probably would've stayed up longer, but anywhere close to when the game ended.

    1. I would chaperone my kid to a Yes concert. I would let them go to an A-ha concert if it was not at a casino, but would point fingers and laugh at them for going. Never heard of OK Go, not really my thing.

            1. I think "This Too Shall Pass" is my favorite, mostly because it's arguably their best song too?

    1. I saw that happen in real time. The booth then says, "the play is under review, but we're not going to replay it because of the injury", and then they show the play about 400 more times.

  4. My great-nephew qualified for the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas next month! He made it last year, too, but this year's he's a ten-year-old competing in the 10-13 year old division. I don't know a whole lot about rodeo, but I think this is pretty cool.

        1. No, it's definitely no picnic. It runs in the family, though. His dad, my nephew, made it to the College National Finals in bull riding. I'm told his grandfather, my brother-in-law, was pretty good, too, until he broke his leg. Then he became a pick-up man at rodeos and was extremely good at it.

          1. Alrighty then. I've got a lot of respect for people who will put themselves to the limit, and that sounds like a family tradition. Good luck to him.

  5. Two weeks in. Stitches out. I can start gradually putting weight on it in a couple days. 1-3 months in a boot.

        1. The special comes and goes a lot. Every time someone gets hired it's back up for a few more days. Note that you buy the full month year too.

    2. Apropos, I had a fb exchange with my h.s. friend Brad Zellar. His comments on how far freelance rates have fallen in the Interwebz era shocked me and made me feel a wee bit guilt for not subscribing to even more providers (I am already paying for NYT, WAPO, Economist, and New Yorker. Reading those is practically a full-time job).

      essay work just does not pay the bills anymore. Brad is a brilliant writer, but he's getting waaay under minimum wage for his work these days, and that only after a great deal of haggling and hassle.

      Sometimes modern technology sucks. I cannot wait for a sustainable business model to emerge to support good writing of this sort again. I am not optimistic that it will happen soon.

      1. Co-sign. Meanwhile, the Chassholes, Sheckys, & Brookses somehow manage to keep drawing salaries that should be going to good writers, limber minds, and folks with fresh perspectives.

        Also, the Economist is $$$. Every time they send me a discounted offer on their regular rate I am by turns indignant and mirthful. No institutional access for you via your employer?

        1. I have been a subscriber to the Economist since 1986. Not that spendy, particularly given the amount of content. Less than a bomber of beer per week.

      2. Plus, they have loads of VC money.

        They stated they're profitable in a region once they reach 10,000 subscribers. Taking the $3.50/mo amount, which I know is a discount right now, that's still $35k to support the writers and any editors. Assuming a livable wage of $15/hr, that's $2.5k per person or 14 possible writers to support. That's assuming they punt on any benefits. Adding in benefits puts them at around eight writers/editors. I imagine sports sections were larger than that in their heyday, but that's still not a small staff.

        I would be surprised if Russo and co. were lured away with that pay, but externally doing the math I think they can be sustainable assuming they reach the numbers. 10,000 isn't crazy to reach even just within the Twin Cities metro area. Wikipedia puts the metro area at 3.1 million, so that's 0.3% of the population. I like the odds.

  8. On Saturday, NDSU won its 100th football game of the decade, with 2+ seasons left in the decade. They are 100-12 since the start of the 2010 season. If you prefer starting your decades in the years that start with a 1, they are 91-7 in the last 6+ seasons. This club is good this year, but I'm thinking they will be even better next year.

  9. Also, today is yet another day to be astounded at the brazen nature of this White House. Sorry to not spoiler, but Sarah Huckabee Sanders needs to STFU.

    I never thought we would see a White House press office go this far.

  10. That's exactly as old as Tom Selleck was the day Magnum P.I. debuted.

    Looks like I have some shaving to do.

    1. A Kelly olynyk three was too much for me, so of course they come back after I let the kids take over the TV.

    1. He's easily my least favorite player to watch in, maybe, ever. I would love for thibs to just roll the dice and let Bjelica start at the 3.

        1. Gibson would have to be in there. It'd be a big lineup, but Wiggins has been a disaster so far this year and Bjelica has been great. It's just not a great example of roster construction.

      1. Don't multi-run HR's produce the most WPA? And things that happen in extra innings too? So average WPA is going to be a function of those two things in particular, right? That someone put that headline on it, and that the article did as much talking about greatest as it did... I think this is the kind of article that might get Schecky in a tizzy, and I'd be in the unenviable position of maybe agreeing with him?

      2. Yeah, the criteria of WPA added would be biased towards high-scoring games. That's not necessarily great. I think it's trying too hard to quantify something that is obviously subjective.

    2. I know I'm a home town fan, but game seven in 91.... probably the best world series game in my lifetime (yet). Right? Right!?!?!?!?!?!?

    3. It's all in the eye of the beholder, obviously. To me, though, last night's game was not a great game. It was an exciting game. It was an interesting game. But to me, watching two teams whose pitching staffs are so gassed that the batters are basically playing home run derby is not a great game.

      2. Your distinction between “exciting” and “great” really hits the nail on the head for me, Chaps. I could enjoy an All-Star Game that resembled this year’s home fun derby Game Five, but for World Series greatness I look for strong pitching, baserunning, and defense, with some timely hitting sprinkled in.

        1. Yeah. I mean, who thinks back to that Blue Jays/Phillies mess in 1993 as a great game? It was sure fun to watch, but I mostly remember it for crappy pitching.

    4. I don't mind the list, since it's just a table sorted by a particular stat. But yeah, the headline is drawing incorrect conclusions.

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