Cup of Coffee

August 31, 2012: Palate Cleanser

96 Comments

Game of Thrones is the only show that's so dark, I leave time to watch something light and funny afterward. I marvel at Martin's ability to kill off important characters to move the story forward.

96 thoughts on “August 31, 2012: Palate Cleanser”

  1. Happy thought for today:

    The future? I don't think about it, we all have visions of playing in our wheelchairs -- Keith Richards, 1969

    Yeah, but the question is, will he talk to the chair???

  2. I marvel at Martin's ability to kill off important characters to move the story forward.

    i haven't seen any of the 2nd season, so i'm not sure what's included in it, but after reading the books i can only assume that you've just seen the tip of the iceberg so far.

  4. Surprise, ESPN writes an ode to football. From the first paragraph.

    In a typical regulation football game, the two teams combine to run roughly 120 plays from scrimmage compared with nearly 300 pitches in a typical baseball game. There are no "waste pitches" in football. Every play is meaningful, consequential, suspenseful.

    Yeah, a QB has never taken a knee three plays in a row to run out the clock. That has never happened. I stopped reading right there.

      1. I always watch and hope for a fake.
        My favorite part of football is when the TV crew bites on a fake or reverse and we can't even see the play.

  5. hey, everyone. regarding the B league, the draft is saturday night, but we only have a few teams. i’d like to invite anyone one wants to join to please do so, regardless of if you have a team in the other league or not, or regardless of skill level. if we only end up fielding 6-8 teams, i might just disband the league as that wouldn’t be much fun for anyone. so: sign up, sign in, and rock it, uh… yo.

    1. If you just need someone to have a team, I'd be willing to do it, but I know there's no way I'll actually be able to participate much.

      1. FFB is relatively easy to participate in. while the other sports require pretty much daily interaction if you want to compete, you can get by in FFB with just one check in per week (or you can obsess over your lineup all week like some people i know).

        we'd love to have you if you'd like to play.

      1. awesome. keep `em coming. i'd love to get up to at least 10 teams. 12 would be great.

  6. I'm in. Don't think I'll be able to participate in the draft though. Which is sad, that's the best part.

    1. Yahoo! knows you so well:

      Amazingly, Erik Dikken has not earned ANY medals in this league.

  7. Every time I go to the book of face, I am once again grateful for the wisdom of the Forbidden Zone here.

    2. I've actively avoided the place a lot lately. I feel the same way when I turn on the radio. The ads here don't show a much higher level of discourse than the average bonehead I graduated with.

        1. I've switched to talk radio since I have grown tired of the constant sexism (and occasionaly racism) on sports talk. The political ads are insuferrable. I really should listen to music in my car more...

          1. I've been listening to the daily Mass readings to start out my drive, and then either turn off the radio or listen to some music from the USB stick. It's a much calmer start to the morning.

          2. i don't know why, but i've never been a fan of sports radio. it just seems like the silliest thing to argue about with the vitriol that they do, especially when you have nothing to do with the actual effort or outcome.

              1. Me as well. I used to catch Reusse doing a sports bit every morning on 1500 (this was when the morning show was Babs & the Boys, or something involving Barbara Carlson). I didn't really listen to the main show, but Reusse's 15 minutes were entirely during my bus ride and I got to hear his... growliness and dismissiveness. I haven't listened to Mike & Mike, although I've caught some of their stuff on TV, and Reusse at 7:40-7:55 am was pretty much the opposite of that.

        1. I would love that feature even more if it sent a wall post (or whatever the hell its called nowadays) over to any friend that posted a political message telling them this.

            1. meh. It is easy to ignore posts from friends that might enrage or confound one.

              I'm grateful to the BoF for allowing me to re-connect with lots of people around the country. Yes, we have mini-tiffs about polyticks now and then, but the talk always comes back to bacon and the world is right again. The benefits far outweigh the costs.

                1. This. Sometimes I wonder what it's like to be as certain about everything in the world as a lot of people of the book of face seem to be.

              2. I met up with my brother's best friend from high school t the Alabama Shakes show a couple weeks ago. That never would have happened without Facebook. And I would never remember to email pictures of the kids to the relatives.

                I don't mind stupid people making stupid political comments. That is what they do. It just amazes me when people that are smart say dumb political things. By dumb, I don't mean voting for someone I wouldn't vote for. I mean making stupid, simplified arguments for why they are voting for someone. It amazes me

                1. My cousin posts on BoF at least five times a day about abortion. In fact, apparently she just finished writing a book about abortion. I've kept her in my news feed simply because once every week or so one of her acquaintances puts her in her place and is beyond hilarious.

                  1. I had a friend that I kept around mostly because he was so unhinged that I was worried about him. Eventually he unfriended me, which was kind of disappointing.

                    I typically hide people that are totally nuts... but then go check them out once in a while just to get my dander up. I'm hardly one to talk as I post a good amount of political stuff, but I try to post interesting articles. Or at least be super hilarious.

                3. I do like sharing photos of my daughter with people, its good for that. But, my opinion is clouded by the fact that I never ever post anything and the relatives and friends I have on there seem to only consist of horribly annoying, lowest-common-demoninator political crap or equally as annoying hatred for Minnesota sports teams. I'm too lazy to block everyone that does all that, so my infrequent trips to BoF are reminders of how much I hate logging in.

                    1. I know, I've done it a few times. But I just realized if I did it to everyone I didn't want to see post anything, I'd have no posts to read so I just stopped going as much as possible.

    4. And here I love the political discussions. I hate the stuff that's just blatant libel or pandering, but I love the actual discussions. I've got a fair number of people in my feed who are able and willing to engage in legitimate discussion though, so that helps. There's certainly still dreck I've got to wade through and just ignore.

    5. "Never blame a legislative body for not doing something. When they do nothing, they don't hurt anybody. When they do something is when they become dangerous."
      Will Rogers

    6. While we're sneaking around near the Zone, let me mention that I just saw last night's Moment of Zen from The Daily Show and it was hilarious. The reactions of both the audience and the speaker (no spoilers!) are fantastic.

    5. Employee 1: Wait, they gave the job to him?
      Employee 2: Well, he's a really strong numbers guy. Especially with 0's and 1's.

  10. Padre I may need extra prayers this weekend. I agreed to participate in a Mound-Westonka alumni soccer game. Thing is I haven't played soccer in 15 years. Now I'm probably in better shape than I was 15 years ago, but my knees definitely are not.

    Luckily it's the old man division so it's mostly guys in their mid-40s or so (with a few of their offspring as well). I would not be doing this if it was with a bunch of 20-somethings. Me and a fellow classmate decided to commit to one game and if our bodies held up we consider doing more. Now I got to figure out a way to keep my Buddy Holly glasses on my head while playing.

    Uncle Walt, not sure if you hang in this basement anymore, but if you are available, game's Saturday at 5:00p at the M-W High School. You could probably just follow the ambulance after 5:15 to find us.

    1. Better get a strap for the glasses!

      I have this problem with my glasses too. I look terribly predictable with thick, plastic framed glasses but they're so much more comfortable than wire frames.

    2. I've relegated myself to lurker status due to Internet access issues, but maintain hope of contributing to the basement.

      Thanks for the offer, free. I'm taking the 3:00 tour at LiftBridge this Saturday with a couple buddies. We could probably make it over to Mound in time for the game, but I think playing soccer after drinking beer sounds terrible. I'd end up puking on my shoes.

  12. Note to Mags: Feel free to join Tottenham Hotspur fans now that Dempsey made the move.

        1. While it looks like one American will be added it looks like another will be moving to the bench with the arrival of Lloris.

      3. Official.

        D

        ONE DEAL
        Tottenham have got another one in the bag. Confirmation from BBC Sport's Mandeep Sanghera that Spurs have completed the signing of striker Clint Dempsey from Fulham. The 29-year-old United States international, who looked like he was heading for Liverpool, has moved to White Hart Lane for a fee of £6m.

        1. OFFS. Liverpool could have really used him too. Now I gotta go check out what happened.

          1. If you thought Spurs fans were bandwagon before wait until they have an American.

            2. Really. I can't even hate on them as much anymore. At least I have the Manchester teams.

      1. If it's any consolation, Berba is hated by a fair number of Spurs fans.

        Also this wasn't done to hurt Fulham, it was done to spite Liverpool.

        1. Eh, Dempsey was leaving one way or another, so it doesn't matter much where he ended up (thought if it was Chelsea I would have killed someone). I'm just worried that our income is less than our outgo.

      1. Well instead of 9th, Spurs could come in 5th this year. (0-0 in 61st minute v. freaking Norwich, btw).

        Also think Arsenal doesn't miss PVP? No goals in three games.

  16. apparently, kitty videos can deliver some serious scratch:

    The Golden Kitty award, chosen by visitors to the Walker’s Web site, went to Will Braden for his two-minute opus “Henri 2: Paw de Deux,” about the existential angst of a black-and-white French puss. “This goes to show that the shared love of cat videos isn’t just a virtual thing, isn’t just a matter of a few clicks, but actually something people can share in real life,” Mr. Braden, 32, said. “I think this legitimizes it.”

    A filmmaker from Seattle, he now makes his living from Henri, le Chat Noir, as he’s called. There is an online store that sells $1,000 worth of T-shirts and mugs a week, he said, and a book — the philosophical musings of Henri — due from a Random House imprint.

  17. As far as shows for kids go you can do a lot worse than the Backyardagains.

    2. I caught a bunch of its first or second season when CER was still small. I enjoyed the use of a different music genre completely unrelated to the theme. Wild West? Polka! Treasure hunting in the jungle? Disco!
      (Really, that's all I remember.)

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