OFFSEASON OFF TOPIC THREAD #1
by Rob Rogacki on Oct 17, 2011 7:02 PM EDT
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PrintI have a feeling that we'll go through quite a few of these over the next several months. Use this thread to talk about anything non-Tigers related. That means that THIS IS A ROSTERBATION-FREE THREAD. If you want to talk about hockey, talk about hockey. If you want to talk about knitting (Cath), talk about knitting. If you have a story about a Spanish bartender that was once in the Tigers' organization, fire away. Just remember to respect the golden rule above (as well as all the normal ones), rec this so it stays at the top of the page, and have fun.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bless You Boys writing staff.
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Four games in the first two weeks of the season
Then five games in 9 days starting on Friday. What the hell?
Putting the Wings in the SE division would just be absolutely STUPID
If you’re going to do that, put Columbus or Nashville in there then
Fan of the Tigers ~ Red Wings ~ Lions - No Better Town to be a sports fan of!
Fantasy Teams: Pride of Detroit Bench League (PackMules (2-3) & Winging It In Motown Mursak League - (Wingedmule)
Not going to happen, no matter how much the Wings want it to.
Too much revenue lost for the Western conference teams and some Eastern conference teams don’t want Detroit around.
I have a grand idea: let's win a game.
I'm not saying its likely
But I live in NC, and they are talking about it on their local sports talk down here, so it is at least not just the wishful thinking of Detroit sports talk
HEY!
Hetobeto talks about knitting and crocheting, too. It isn’t just me. :P
Although I am thinking about blowing up a graph of the old English D and making a navy and white blanket with a giant D on it. It isn’t as though I don’t have enough yarn, for goodness sake.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
My very good friend is a knitter
She teaches classes through her job at the yarn store. Every year, they get a bus to go up to Dodger stadium for the annual “stitch and pitch”. They also organized a bus trip up to the Hollywood bowl for a Pink Martini concert where they let you bring in food and drinks. Fun crowd. My contribution was jello shots.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
There is also a rock band called "The Knitters"
They’re made up of Exene, John Doe and the former members of the LA Band “X” but without Billy Zoom.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
The Flesh Eaters
John Doe and DJ Bonebrake from X. Good band.
by ChrisDTX on Oct 17, 2011 11:49 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I do knit! And crochet!
But I logged in specifically to point out that Cath only crochets :) And if you make that blanket, you better post pics!!
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
haha, I certainly will :D
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
roster-bating comes later!
Grace period.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
The Tigerdog family has a new member today
His name is Buddy. He is a lab mix, yellow, about nine months old. It’s been 2.5 years since Tiger passed away, so it’s about time that I got another dog to drag my butt out of this chair and outside. I would post a photo from my desktop if I knew how.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
AWWWWWWW
Congrats on the new pup! :)
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Here he is (if this works)
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
by Tigerdog1 on Oct 17, 2011 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
AWWWWWWWWW
Rec’d for cuteness. :)
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Cute puppy!
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
Buddy got a clean bill of health from the vet today
I took him in to get the mandatory shots. Vet says he’s in great shape. Puts his age at 9 to 15 months. So, one year it is, with an October 17 birthday. He wants to play fetch a little too much, like 24/ 7.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
that is a problem with retrievers
Get one of those plastic tennis-ball-thrower things, or your shoulder will be destroyed. Voice of experience. #ouch :)
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I think I need to get a set routine play time and that's it for fetch.
Then put the ball away.
I could actually throw a ball all day long too, (it’ MY breed) but I have other things to do and can’t do it as much as Buddy wants me to.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
I don't mind the no rosterbating rule
I promised not to talk about nontendering DY until tomorrow anyway.
Tell me some books to read. I’ve caught up my fiction list. I’ve got a non-fiction recommendation about sports stats to download yet, but otherwise need to refill my Kindle app.
You know I'm right about this.
what kind of stuff do you like?
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I pretty much like anything
I read a lot of easy reading mysteries when I want my brain in neutral- the Kellerman’s
I read books reviewed on NPR- recently the Night Circus
I find myself drawn to Sci-Fi and Fantasy- George RR Martin
In non-fiction- books on baseball analysis- math is OK in them, also books on economics and behavior and learning
You know I'm right about this.
for fiction
If you want something fun, you could try Lindsey Davis’ series of Marcus Didius Falco novels. He’s pretty much your typical hard-luck gumshoe detective – but the setting is Vespasian’s Rome and the rest of the Empire. Very modern writing that fits with a setting that is a good analogue for someplace like New York City today.
Also, I have been reading (when I have time) Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files novels. Harry Dresden is a wizard in Chicago and the character is very engaging.
I don’t read a lot of novels, mostly nonfiction science or history.
If you haven’t read The Boys of Winter by Wayne Coffey that is excellent. It’s about the 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic team, but a lot of the book is also about the Soviet view, and he goes back to see what brought the players to that point and also what happened to some of them after it, their successes and failures.
Normally I avoid sports writing like that because it’s so trite, but this has a lot of depth and humanity to it which makes it a good read even for someone who might not be interested in hockey per se, but in the history and tenor of that time.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Dresden- I was trying to remember that name when I wrote my wall of text
You know I'm right about this.
I think I'll try the Falco novels
I think I heard about them from someone else, too and didn’t write it down.
You know I'm right about this.
they are hilarious
The smart sexy dames, the friends who get him in trouble, the political and money problems – but all in ancient Rome. :D
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
The Dresden books are good. A nice twist on the gumshoe theme.
Try Harry Turtledove’s World War series. A great re-imagining of the world if the CSA had won the US Civil War.
Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
Best Mystery Writer of all time - Lawrence Bloc has a new one arriving in November
First time in quite a few years
Pretty much any Raymond Chandler book
if you’re into the hard-boiled detective genre.
Don’t read any Faulkner. Your brain will hurt.
by ChrisDTX on Oct 17, 2011 7:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Kindel Archive
James Patterson- Though I grew tired of Alex Cross
John Grisham- Same story again and again, but it’s a good one
Daniel Abraham- 4 books named after the seasons- great read about political maturation of a character with a unique fantasy twist in summoning powerful beings
Atul Gawande- Better- A book about improving medical care and safety. A good read for me, probably obvious stuff for medical professionals
Jim Butcher- I forget the characters name, but a series about a magician in Chicago. Action fare for when you want to read light stuff
John Medina- Brain Rules (I don’t remember much except nothing striking came from this)
Jeffrey Deaver- Overly plotted books- they strain credibility, but the plot twists are fun if you can suspend your disbelief
Ellen Ruppel Shell- Cheap- This book tells the true cost in lost opportunities for buying always based on price
Dennis LeHane- I think it is hardboiled detective stuff- it’s been awhile
Mike Carey- another supernatural series set in London
Leo tolstoy – How’d that get in there
Neal Stephenson- Some hits and some misses in his books that blend technology and adventure
Dan Simmons- varied stuff, I love his writing
Joe Hill- Decent. I was a little worried given that he has started to say who his dad is
Scott Turow- Grisham-lite
Paul Wilson- A character called repairman Jack fights supernatural beings. Book 2 isn’t on Kindle or I might read the series
Lev Grossman- Fun to read, but overrated series about magicians coming of age
Olen Steinhauer- Spy sruff recommended by someone else. I remember it as good, but don’t remember the plot
Ken Follett- The Pillars of the Earth- a story about a cathedral and its builders. Great.
Dean Koontz- Gotta read something on an airplane
Robin Hobb- Liveship Series- Unique idea about partially alive ships.
Stephen Levitt- The first Freakonomics was so much better
David Sedaris- So sue me. He’s funny.
A few others . . .
You know I'm right about this.
I wish I had more time to read
Stupid work and chores and stuff. #grrr
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Turrow
Are you saying Turrow is Grisham-lite or that they are both light reading? I think Turrow is better in substance and in style, but he’s still fun to read.
His fictional version of Chicago is hilarious and inexplicable (Cubs=Trappers; Northwestern/UC=The U Deckhands, aka Hands; Big Ten=Mid Ten), but not too distracting.
1. Moneyball,
2. “The Book” by Tangotiger,
3. Baseball Between the numbers by the crew at Baseball Prospectus
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
Great recommendations
I’ve read them all. Baseball Between the Numbers really helped reinspire my love of the game.
You know I'm right about this.
I have to take those books in small doses, though
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
And if you have never read it.....or even if you have
“Ball Four” Jim Bouton’s diary of the 69 season – Groundbreaking for the honesty and frankness.
“Smoke em Inside”
If you like early world history it's hard to beat Gun Germs and Steel.
If you want to go back a couple decades or so A Brief History of Time still wrecks my mind a little bit.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 7:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm in the middle of Moneyball right now...it's very good.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 7:51 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
So we shall soon expect a fan post on the virtues of OBP?
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
A World Lit Only By Fire is good too.
by William Manchester. It’s about the Reformation.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I've heard of that one but not read it.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 7:59 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
quite good
Also “Trespassers on the Roof of the World.” That’s about the exploration of Tibet.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Manchester's "The Glory and the Dream"
was a required text book in a history class at U of M. Gives a nice synopsis of both sides of the issues on major events in American History.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
That actually sounds like good reading when I have a week off in late December
You know I'm right about this.
Anything by Manchester
Someone already mentioned The Glory and The Dream. The Last Lion (Chruchill biography) and American Caesar are excellent. Also loved the Arms of Krupp and Controversy, not to mention Death of a President. Cannot go wrong with a Manchester book.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart." - Paul Giamatti's father.
If you like a dose of statistical analysis with your history I would recommend "The Cousins War"
It looks at how some of the debates we have had in the US are a “continuation” of debates started in the English Civil War (and earlier), but with a modern political scientist’s analytical methods.
Guns, Germs and Steel was fantastic! I still try to talk my friends into reading it.
Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
Peter Temple books
he writes incredibly good mysteries. Australian. But not necessarily mindless reading.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 17, 2011 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
if you try spy stuff, I have two recommendations
First off, Steinhauer has a second book with the same character as The Tourist, and the book is even better.
If you liked that, I think you’ll like the series that begins with The Cleaner, by Brett Battles.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, by John LeCarre, is one of my favorite spy reads ever. A different style of spy novel.
Read Winter in Madrid a year or two ago, it’s not perfect but it’s good spy stuff too. More literature.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 17, 2011 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I've long been a steve hamilton reader
even have a book or two autographed from signings in town.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 18, 2011 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I used to be an IBM'r
and He was (is?) one too. We corresponded via email for a while. Last I knew he was in upstate NY.
Anyway, he’s good, so’s Crais, LeHane, Coben for mystery/thriller stuff.
Books
“American Gods” – Neil Gaiman – Tough to describe, but fantasy read and good
“The Passage” – Justin Cronin – Post apocalyptic vampires, but good
“More Money Then God” – Sebastian Mallaby – Non-fiction on the starting and evolution of hedge funds
books will have to replace NBA this year
In keeping with our great regional pride lately, I’ll stick to a Michigan-related list.
Everyone with a Michigan connection (being a Tiger fan is more than enough) owes it to themselves to try Elmore Leonard. Among his great Michigan-set books are:
Swag
City Primeval
Freaky Deaky (haven’t read yet; movie is in production in Detroit)
Mr. Paradise
Up in Honey’s Room
Many of Leonard’s other characters also have Michigan ties, including Raylen Givens, lead character on the best show on TV, Justified. Check that out too.
Another great Michigan mystery is Starvation Lake, set in a fictional Northern Michigan name of the same name. Dark story revolving around hockey – very well done.
A Cold Day in Paradise is also pretty good.
by cloud wall on Oct 18, 2011 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd for Elmore Leonard.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
If you're looking for really dark, twisted but funny as hell NSFW stuff
The Sandman Slim novels (Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, Aloha from Hell) from Richard Kadrey are really, really good. Guy goes to Hell, comes back, becomes a cross between a private detective and an assassin. Angels run the Department of Homeland Security, Lucifer runs Hollywood, and his closest companion is the head of a guy whom he beheaded before taking over his video store as a new home.
If you liked the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher (and I do, a lot) then I highly recommend the Iron Druid series from Kevin Hearne (Hexed, Hammered, Hounded.) Great sense of humor, interesting universe. Plus, Kevin’s a great guy who sent me a free autographed audiobook when I answered a trivia question he posed on Twitter. He’s a high school English teacher who needs to sell more books so that he can write full-time and pump out books faster, IMO.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is a new book that mixes 80s pop culture with MMORPGs and cyberpunk-y near-future misery. Very good.
If you like alt-history, the Temeraire books from Naomi Novik are good (start with His Majesty’s Dragon). Napoleonic Wars in a universe where sentient dragons have been domesticated (kinda) and are used in battle.
If you haven’t read any of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, you’re in for a treat. There’s a lot of places in the series to start, but I’d recommend Guards! Guards!, Small Gods or Soul Music even though there were other books earlier in the series.
The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss are fricking amazing fantasy novels. He writes way, way, way too slowly.
Also, I dig Neil Gaiman, Neil Stephenson (If you haven’t read Snow Crash, do it.), William Gibson, John Scalzi (Old Man’s War series, especially), Christopher Buckley (Thank You for Smoking, etc.) & Stephen Brust (Vlad Taltos series).
I could go on.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
Also try Bill Bryson
His books are funny and informative. I like everything he’s written but strongly recommend In a Sunburned Country about Ausralia.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart." - Paul Giamatti's father.
I can't recommend Bryson enough
His books on the English language should be mandatory reading for anyone who speaks it.
by frisbeepilot on Oct 18, 2011 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions
DEEEEEEEEEEE-TROOOOOOOOOOOOOOIT BASKETBAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL
is likely not going to be played this year.
:(
"trout jefferson is using multiple numbers and no swears. I barely recognize you man." - Kurt Mensching
by Trout Jefferson on Oct 17, 2011 7:24 PM EDT reply actions
those idiots >:(
Because a bigger percentage of nothing is SOOOO much better than a smaller percentage of something. I hate ego-driven disputes like that.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
The owners want to reshape the league revenue structure
and want to do that by cutting the amount of money given to players. Yes, there is a large disparity between “rich” and “poor” clubs, but they don’t want any part of sharing revenues. They just want to cap expenses- i.e. salaries- at a level where the poorest club can be competitive.
I still don’t understand why the owners don’t have to pay guaranteed contracts during a lockout. They have essentially bargained for an agreement, then prevented the players from fulfilling their end of the deal by locking them out. Unless they’re allowed to do this as a condition of the individual player contracts, I think they should be on the hook for at least the guaranteed multi year contracts that they’ve signed. That would put an end to the practice of lockouts.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
I think so too
You said you were going to pay X amount this year, so pay up. Although I have no sympathy for the owners.
I know it is millionaires and even richer millionaires, but at least the players do something to earn their money that the fans can see and their careers may be very short. Someone can own a team for 30-40 years, but a 15 year career is long.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
It's America...buy your own damn team if you don't like it.
I’m not really saying this to you directly, Baroque…I have a lot of respect for your opinions on this site.
The owners in sports are often people that contribute a great deal to society; economically through their pre-ownership endeavors that have enabled them to purchase the team, often philanthropically through the charitable foundations that owners often back, and probably in many other ways. The players are often guys who are tall, athletic, or big – most often a gift of genetics. The league minimum in baseball is roughly 8 – 10 times what I make with my advanced degree. In three seasons, Elijah Dukes, known felon and thug, made 1.2 million dollars based almost purely on being talented at baseball.
I realize that many players work as hard at their craft as I do at mine. They still make substantially more than I do. I don’t begrudge them for wanting more, but I typically favor the owners in situations such as these.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
by momotigers on Oct 18, 2011 8:25 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The players are the product; they don't just make it. So I don't blame them for wanting fair compensation.
But I guess you’re right — if the owners want to destroy the league, that’s up to them. And that appears to be the course they’re on. However, I see no problem with fans being annoyed by that.
I would agree more
about the players in the NFL than the NBA. Players in the NFL have a short time span while NBA players seem to be in the league forever. Furthermore, basketball players have other options to play oversees compared to NFL players.
I dont hate the owners on this issue. Small market teams want a better chance to compete. Nothing wrong with that.
Meanwhile, the MLBPA and Owners are getting close to a new collective bargaining agreement
The deal is all but done that will move one club (likely the Astros) to the AL, expand the playoffs by one team in each league with a one game play in between the two wild card teams, both to happen in 2013.
There are two big sticking points- a hard “slotting” system for draft picks, and some form of a world wide (international) draft at some point. If they don’t get a deal done by the time the World Series is over, and players go into free agency with a CBA that is about to expire at the end of this year, there will be other considerations that have to be ironed out that will make matters more complicated.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
The other consequence of having 15 teams in each league....
is that there will have to be at least one interleague series at all times because of the odd number of teams in each league. No big deal- most interleague games will still be played in June and they’ll probably still have the same amount of games. I wish they’d use the DH for all those games, though.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
Very interesting, TD
I remember hearing about this last offseason.Very interesting with the ‘Stros, who I would assume, would move to the AL West. They’d be a great fit, IMO.
I could figure this out with some Googling, I’m sure, but what exaclty is the “slotting” system? Does that have anything to do with trading draft picks?
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
has to do with only paying a particular range for a particular draft number
So going “outside of slot” would be paying “too much” based on a player’s draft position, even if that was what the team wanted to pay in order to sign the player to a contract.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Aha, gotcha
Very interesting. Great idea, too. However, it’s gonna hurt teams like us who pounce on players teams are afraid to pay (Porcello!). The NFL needs to adopt something like this..
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
Trading picks is a separate issue, and that one seems to have gone away
Slotting would be putting a fixed price for bonuses on draft picks based on where they are chosen. The owners’ pitch has been that it would free up more money to spend on veteran players, but of course that is not necessarily the case. It could just go into owners’ pockets. Current players have nothing to lose by limiting money given to draft picks, other than it keeps the overall pay scale lower for the top young talent in the game. Most of the money is in the first round, and it would be difficult to put a “slot” price on the first overall pick, since the last two got $ 10 mil bonuses apiece. I think that the players are likely to concede this issue, but it won’t be given up without getting something back, like maybe an increase in the minimum salary to $ 500K or so.
Other issues are some tweaking of the compensation system, and maybe tightening up the manner in which clubs have to spend revenue sharing money- forcing them to spend it on player salaries, essentially creating a salary “floor”.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
I am going to set aside an hour every night to read.
It’s the only way I’ll have a prayer of making any inroads on all the tons of books I have before I die.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Do what I do
Kindle app on the work computer. On slow days, I can sit and read while appearing to be productive.
Haven’t really had much time in the new job, but at the old one when I was at something like 2/3rds capacity, there was a lot of good reading time to be had.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
Anybody here ever read any Peter Hathaway Capstick?
He’s by far an away my favorite author and most people have never heard of him.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 8:01 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
nope
What does he write?
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Mostly African Safari stuff...
He was a professional guide/hunter/conservation officer in Africa mostly. His stories are amazing. He writes with a description and detail that is fantastic. It seriously makes my heart race when he walks about going into the brush after a man eating lion or trying to dodge a charging elephant.
Makes me want to go to Africa so bad.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 8:11 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
that sounds fascinating
I’ll have to read that (if I have time before I die, as with all my other books). :)
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Start with Death in the Long Grass.
It was the original and the best. A lot of his stuff is about what happens when Africa wins. In Death in the Long Grass he basically goes chapter by chapter througb the big five and the other man killers.
A lot of it is comedic though, like his description of hung-over elephants and the destructionthey cause after a night of bingeing on fermented fruit.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 8:18 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Here's a book question
There is nothing like having to take a stupid test on a book to make you hate it. Are there any books you were required to read for a class that you still liked anyway?
For me, “The King Must Die” and “The Chosen.” Not even reading them for class and having to answer silly essay questions made them less interesting to read. :)
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
There were lots of books I still liked.
The Giver, Farhenheit 451, and The Great Gadsby stick out in my mind.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 8:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I hated the test questions for Great Gatsby
SO MUCH SYMBOLISM I WANTED TO GAG.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Agreed. That was my biggesf complaint when good books were ruined.
Not everything is symbolism for something else. Just let it be a good book.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 8:19 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
IT WAS AWFUL
What do the glasses stand for? What do the lights stand for? What about the dock? What about Daisy’s white dress? What about the car? What about Gatsby himself?
BLUDGEONED OVER THE HEAD WITH SYMBOLISM AND ALLEGORY.
I HATED English classes. DESPISED THEM WITH AN EVERLASTING PASSION.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I get that a lot of that was to make people reqd the book who wouldn't....
…but don’t punish those of us that actually like to read.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 8:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I understand that stories have symbolism
But the broader story is obvious without needing to pick apart every single detail.
The worst book for that was “Lord of the Flies.” I hated that book.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Oh man...Lord of the Flies.
That one was killer.
by playoffbeard on Oct 17, 2011 8:26 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I hated english classes too for the same reason
I will read and love Hemingway until the day I die but reading him in a classroom setting is ungodly bad.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 17, 2011 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Steinbeck
I should reread The Grapes of Wrath sometime when I don’t have to pay so much attention to how the intercalary chapters mesh with the main narrative.
I will never touch The Pearl again with a ten foot pole as long as I live. Besides, it was freaking depressing and I can get that from the news.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
My problem with symbolism . . .
. . . is that I would make up something I thought was absurd and that no author could possibly think of when writing a book and answer a question or write an essay about that. the teacher would inevitably compliment me for noticing it. Here I was making trouble by being absurd and they liked my answer! What kind of a class is that?
You know I'm right about this.
Classics like The Great Gatsby and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, obviously
Another one was “Girl, Interrupted” by Susanna Kaysen. It’s an autobiographical account of her time in a mental institution. I had to read it and write a report on it in like a day in college and I’ve re-read it a couple times since then. It’s only about 150 pages so it’s a pretty quick read too.
"One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" was brilliant before the movie
I read my Dad’s copy when I was about 15 – Was a Ken Kesey fan forever. “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” was just as good
"We were soldiers once, and young"
had to read that as an undergrad. Great writing.
Here’s the best book I read in grad school: The Prize, by Daniel Yergin. It’s a history of how oil was discovered and used, and oil’s role in major historical events from the 1800s forward. You just learn so much. Still on my bookshelf.
http://www.amazon.com/Prize-Epic-Quest-Money-Power/dp/0671799320.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 17, 2011 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions
haven't read The Prize
The thickness is a turnoff. I don’t mind long books, I just don’t have the time to read them quickly enough that I can remember what happened in the last chapter.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I highly recommend it
It really puts the political issues involving the middle east into perspective.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 17, 2011 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Did you see the movie of "We were soldiers...", Kurt?
Really liked it. Moore and Galloway were involved in the film.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
Lots of them
I mentioned Manchester’s Glory and the Dream, anything by Shakespeare, James Joyce, or Swift.
Lit courses were great and very entertaining to me. Lots of history where they get into Machiavelli. All the philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Freud, the whole lot of them were really interesting to me.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
I loved (still love) The Jungle
And Moby Dick, too. I think MD was greatly enhanced by some amazing lectures from an English prof. I actually liked a lot of the books I had to read in school. Does this make me a nerd?
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
Yes. Yes it does.
This is coming from an admitted English nerd, though.
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
I'll be a nerd
I like a lot of nerdy things, including the candy, so I’ll just embrace it wholeheartedly!
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
science nerd, English nerd
We’re ALL NERDS HERE! lol :D
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
perhaps
Or perhaps lucky in your instructors. The Brit Lit teacher I had in high school was great, so I enjoy Shakespeare very much.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I did have some pretty amazing instructors
And you mentioning your Brit lit teacher reminds me of all the amazing British literature I read! Middlemarch! Jude the Obscure! Jane Eyre!
Ugh, just when I think I can’t get any nerdier…haha
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
My high school English teacher wins
One of his students went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. (Jeff Eugenides, not me.)
The best part is that the year it happened, the teacher had left the school and gone to another one across town because he was getting hassled by parents and administrators who didn’t like how he taught.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
There weren't many HS required reading books that I liked,
but there were a LOT as an undergrad. I especially loved Shakespeare and Dostoevsky, and I’m still working my way through the rest of their works (I’m about 2/3 through Shakespeare, and I think a little more than halfway through Dostoevsky).
I also took an environmental lit course as an undergrad and developed a serious man-crush on Edward Abbey. If you haven’t read the Monkey Wrench Gang, GO DO IT NOW. It’s hilarious and irreverent. Not at all typical of most “environmental” writers.
The Rabbit Trilogy
Taste in a certain kind of prose is exaclty like taste in music. Everybody has their choice, and no one’s choice is “wrong”.
That said, I love Updike. Had to read the first Rabbit book in a class, and have now read the trilogy many times. I find Updikes prose the best I’ve ever read. But again, every taste is different. Updikes “Bech” trilogy of novella’s still make me laugh out loud. The Forward to the first Bech book is worth the price of admission. Bech is a writer, so you’ve got Updike commenting on a writers life and taking off on every stuffed shirt literary function and award and committee.
For the best prose, ever, give me some Updike.
For dialogue? Elmore Leonard is a magician with the spoken word on a sheet of paper. A genius, who can turn even the most mundane conversation into many turns of a phrase that make you smile. Some folks know of him because he wrote the book that ended up being the movie “Get Shorty.” The movie was okay, the book really good. Much of the dialogue got lost in the translation to screen. Elmore could write some serious dialogue, and is worth a look.
Was introduced to both Leonard and Updike in class. Good stuff.
Justin can now let the fungus grow back on his shower shoes.
by Singledigit on Oct 17, 2011 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Pretty much anything by Shakespeare
(Other than Titus Andronicus.)
Anything by Mark Twain.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Since I’m strange, a bunch of philosophical and political theory. Everything from the Federalist Papers to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason.
Catch-22
1984
Catcher in the Rye (at the time. Now, I think he’s a whiny punk.)
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
Don Quixote
I would have never picked it up if it wasn’t for class but it is still a favorite. The Glory and the Dream also fits this bill.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart." - Paul Giamatti's father.
Reading The Scarlet Letter for class
Awful, and I thought TKAM was boring. Shakespeare is untouchable though when it comes to boring-ness.
The only required reading I’ve liked so far is the Kite Runner, and that wasn’t even for English class (World History).
by NintendoPlaystationNumbers on Oct 18, 2011 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions
It's not that the Scarlet Letter was awful...
…although it certainly does come off that way. It’s just that, at the time, the style of writing was much more flowery and descriptive, and they did like their run-on sentences.
That being said, I hated reading that novel.
by frisbeepilot on Oct 18, 2011 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I always pictured Hester as being totally hot
Doesn’t make it a “good read” but certainly helps :)
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
Ah yes...forgot about that
Good call.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
Shakespeare's comedies are okay
I like Taming of the Shrew.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 18, 2011 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Anyone watch
the Walking Dead? Premier last night on AMC was epic
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
I haven't finished all of season one yet
I blew up on Twitter last night because of the idiots that live-tweet TV shows. I know I can momentarily hide them or whatever, but still.
Yea that does get annoying w/ Twitter
it was a hell of a premier, though. AMC always has solid, solid shows… Mad Men, Rubicon, etc.
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
of course, of course
great show
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
I saw it
You weren’t a tad bit bored? Like they took a one hour episode and puffed it up to an hour and a half?
I was a bit disappointed. Personally, could have done without the prayer scenes.
Justin can now let the fungus grow back on his shower shoes.
by Singledigit on Oct 17, 2011 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
thought they didn't do anything for the most part
I honestly don’t give a crap about the least important character in the show, who’s the daughter of the 2nd least important character in the show. T-Dog also needs to go. I can’t wait until they meet Hershel and Tyreese though.
The comics are way better so far, but the show is still entertaining.
by NintendoPlaystationNumbers on Oct 18, 2011 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Movie recs?
Now that the Tigers season is over, I have the time to catch up. For reference, my fave favorite flicks are probably, in some order: Usual Suspects, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, There Will Be Blood and Reservoir Dogs.
by ChrisDTX on Oct 17, 2011 8:27 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I'm watching the AFI top 100 movies before my birthday
I’ve actually gotten into westerns and silent movies. High Noon was pretty good, and I think The General is excellent – they totally make an orchestra sound like a train!
So, not quite what you’re into, but good nonetheless!
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
High Noon is pretty sweet.
My favorite westerns are still the Sergio Leone “Man with No Name” Trilogy (Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly). Clint Eastwood is such a badass in those movies.
Unforgiven
True Grit (both the original and remake). High Plains Drifter. All good westerns.
by ChrisDTX on Oct 17, 2011 10:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I will try to watch all these westerns
They’re out of my comfort zone of movies, but I think they’re a genre I could really enjoy!
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
Evil Dead series
Because Bruce Campbell.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 17, 2011 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
does anyone else remember the television show he was in?
Brisco County, Jr. ? Or am I the only one?
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I remembered it
But did not know who Bruce Campbell was at the time (considering I was 7). It was only recently that I put two and two together and figured it out.
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
Well, yeah
I’ve seen all 3 of those about a billion times.
by ChrisDTX on Oct 17, 2011 10:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Hmm
I recommend movies to my classes as kind of a daily icebreaker. Today’s was Bubba Ho-Tep, which you’ve also probably seen. I’ve heard Rubber is good (it’s about a sentient tire who blows up people with it’s mind).
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 18, 2011 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
My favorites:
Selected Tarantino films (Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction, and Kill Bill Vol. 1), 12 Angry Men, Koyaanisqatsi, Apocalypse Now, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Shadows of the Empire. Not a huge fan of Return of the Jedi (or the new ones, obviously), but SotE is probably the movie I’ve seen the most, and it never gets old.
Tell me more about this SotE
It’s not an actual movie, is it?
I’m an old Star Wars fan (#4-6 when I was a kid) and watched the new ones as an adult. My son loves the series as well, so it’s something we enjoy together. In my opinion, for all the crap the new ones take from the old fans, #3 is a helluva movie.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
Fuhhreal though
Snatch and Training Day are both good movies I’ve watched recently.
And I saw part of How to Train Your Dragon at lunch the other day and that was pretty entertaining too. Pixar can do no wrong IMO.
How to Train Your Dragon is Dreamworks, not Pixar
And it was fantastic.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 18, 2011 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
When I was a youngin' I was a movie lightweight
Caddyshack and the Terminator
You know I'm right about this.
Great list of faves
I see that you like Reservoir Dogs, so watch all of Tarantino’s stuff (not exaggerating, I don’t think he’s made a single bad movie). It looks like you like crime movies in general, so I’d recommend City of God, Heat, Donnie Brasco and The Untouchables
Usual Suspects: I love this movie. Movies like this off the top off my head: LA Confidential and Chinatown.
by NintendoPlaystationNumbers on Oct 18, 2011 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Heat is a good one too
I forgot about that one in my last post
by Rob Rogacki on Oct 18, 2011 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Since we're talking books, here's an idea I saw at the SB Nation Mets blog
What about having a BYB book club this offseason? We could choose a baseball book or a non-baseball book, or really whatever book, and read it to discuss.
It looked like a real cool idea when I first saw it, and I think it would be fun around here.
welllll...
A few of us on twitter already were planning something like that. Loosely – we aren’t sure how we are going to work out the logistics yet. Me, hetobeto, @VivaTigres, and ivantopumpyouup were going to read “The Art of Fielding.”
Again, I have no idea when we are going to start or how rapidly we are going to read. Right now it’s kind of an amorphous idea.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I'd probably be on board too
depending on the book. sounds like a pretty fun idea.
No longer the Founder, President and CEO of the Ryan Raburn Fan Club
Haha reading for fun
I wish I had time…
We can read some of my school books! I promise they’re riveting!
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 17, 2011 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions
What's the best title?
Just so we can get a taste…
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
I'm working with lots of civil religion right now
You don’t want to read that.
Working on Pfau’s The Political Style of Conspiracy for a private project on the military industrial complex. That’s about it as far as interesting goes… unless you want to talk Gordon Wood (really awesome Harvard historian).
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 17, 2011 9:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I was figuring they would have really wonky academic titles
But that wasn’t as bad as I was expecting.
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
I've got a couple good ones
“Foundations of Clinical Research: Application to Practice” – you can guess how fun that one is
“Pathophysiology of the Motor Systems”
“Differential Diagnosis of Acute Pain by Body Region”
“Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention”
Man, I am so glad I decided not to go to grad school
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
The middle two aren't bad
“Differential Diagnosis” makes me feel like I’m on an episode of House. The last one is a 2000 page monstrosity that is essentially my bible.
Nice
The more I think about it, I totally have some wonky titles on my bookshelf that didn’t even require me going to grad school Like, one I found at a used bookstore Titled “William Faulkner and the Tangible Past: The Architecture of Yoknapatawpha”. That I actually read. For pleasure. And enjoyed.
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
that's why I'm thinking of a book club
It will force me to read something because I will need to keep up with the group.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
mine is all about quantitative analysis
Buffer and pH and chemical equilibria and titrations. Yay…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
means to an end
Prereq for the instrumental chemistry class I want to take next semester if I can fit it in. GC, MS, AA, HPLC, that kind of stuff. Titrations are boring but I just have to get through them to get to the interesting stuff.
Besides, if I don’t have a solid understanding of pH and buffers I’ll be screwed in biochemistry.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Mine too.
Anyone want me to recommend some good journal articles on remote sensing and ecological modeling? Anyone? How about some dendroclimatology?
that sounds really interesting
I’d read those for fun. #ecologynerd
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
it's a debut novel, but well reviewed
Here’s an excerpt: http://www.npr.org/books/titles/140040379/the-art-of-fielding#excerpt
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
That book is really good
I got through it in like three days. Lots of allusions to Mellville and other great American literary greats tickled my English major fancy. Nothing better for me than books that combine baseball and Herman Mellville! (Well, OK, it might have been EVEN better if there had also been some indie rock discussions on there.
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
Also
Pitchers and Poets (a great blog, if you’ve never read it) has been doing a roundtable “book club” discussion of it the past three weeks. It’s worth following along.
Notice that the most recent post, too, is a meditation on why Papa Grande is so awesome!
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
I have actually downloaded Moby Dick on my Kindle
I never actually read the book (an awful confession for an English major) and I am really enjoying it. There’s a lot of whale classification that goes on for a bit, but it’s so well written that he makes it interesting.
And I just finished reading The Bullpen Gospel. Man, minor league baseball is the suck for the players.
"Some guy told me I should walk with the Lord. I'd rather walk with the bases loaded" Ken Singleton
Love that book
Moby Dick, that is. I didn’t read it in high school when I was supposed to but I had to read it again in English 360 (American Lit 1820-1890) and discovered how dumb sophomore year of high school me was.
I love Queequeg.
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
And about the minor leagues
I’m going to pimp a story I wrote for my newspaper about them. I was fascinated when I interviewed some guys from our area about just how much it sucks, especially for the Rookie ball guys:
http://effinghamdailynews.com/sports/x345564382/Pitching-Pioneers
I need to go get that Bullpen Gospels book, it’s on my list.
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
8 hours on a bus -- Eeek.
Makes me appreciate someone like Max St. Pierre all the more.
"Some guy told me I should walk with the Lord. I'd rather walk with the bases loaded" Ken Singleton
never read Moby Dick
Started a few times. but there are too many I want to read to spend time on one I think I “should” read, so I’m skipping it.
I’m getting old and need to ignore stuff I don’t really want to bother with.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I LOVE MOBY DICK!
I read it my junior year of college. I wish I had time to read it again, but I’ve got so much other stuff I want to read for the first time. I hope you love it too!
Man, the WhiteSox... they suck. And we're gonna show the Twins that they suck too. - Phil Coke @ TigerFest 2011
Time to BS my way
Through a 5-page paper comparing the views of Karl Marx and F. Scott Fitzegerald as it applies towards commodities.
Any conclusions?
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
Marx and Fitzgerald
Both believe in the fallacy of viewing objects as having inherent value. The difference is that perhaps Fitzgerald believes it a necessary evil of civilized society while Marx might see it as unavoidable, but hindering or abilities as people nonetheless.
That makes sense
I know little about Marx aside from like, the basic Poli Sci and Econ classes I took in college. But it sounds interesting. Is this for an English class or Econ or what?
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
English
The class subject is, “Fictions of Consumer Culture.” Mainly focusing on the way that society values objects so highly and the problems that poses.
Sounds kinda sweet
Like a class I might actually be interested in taking. (And then I think, “Wow, grad school would make me go insane!”)
"I believe in a good kick in the ass. This— I believe. " -- Walker Percy
I tweet about stuff sometimes @jackhitts.
I'm a high school english education major
So I’m getting a big chunk of my english classes out of the way. I have this class and a “American Literature Since 1865” class. Both are absolutely fantastic and I’m loving the material we’re reading.
For instance, I normally have always disliked Fitzgerald, but two of his short stories we read have really changed my mind and made me appreciate him. Great Gatsby may not be the best of introductions to his work.
Bunch of hippies
Says the guy who writes paper on gender and publicity on a regular basis.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 17, 2011 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions
One of these days, David
I need to talk to you more about what you’re doing academically.
(I do corporate communications for a living.)
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
Rhetoric
Presidential/political rhetoric, specifically. I like conspiracy theories.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 18, 2011 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Fun Fact
The guy who came up with the term “Axis of Evil” was a Canadian, David Frum. (His mom, Barbara, was a well-respected journalist for the CBC.)
Not exactly our proudest moment, though.
by frisbeepilot on Oct 20, 2011 8:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Read your John Locke!
Specifically, the Second Treatise on Government where he posits the labor theory of property. Basically, it’s not the object that has value, it’s the labor you exert on it to acquire (in the case of commodities) or manufacture it.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
this.
though I probably like Hobbes more.
by GreatGooglyMoogly on Oct 18, 2011 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Hobbes was a bit too fond of the absolute monarch for me.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
This is not a reference to Lost
I’m assuming.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
I don't know about you
but I’m pretty lost…
by Rob Rogacki on Oct 18, 2011 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Really?
John Locke, English philosopher? Second Treatise is one of my favorite works of political philosophy- that and Aristotle’s Rhetoric are really awesome.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 18, 2011 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I took Poli Sci 101 in college
And that was it. The only thing I remember from that class is game theory.
Ok it wasn't 101
But it was an intro to world politics. The founding fathers aren’t as ashamed as you think they might be.
Locke and Hobbes (and to some extent Rousseau)
Pretty much invented what we consider modern democratic theory, and Locke’s fingerprints were all over the Declaration of Independence.
Social contract, rights of man, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,”1 separation of powers, human beings starting as “blank slates” and becoming the sum of their experiences rather than what’s dictated by their birth, etc.
If you’re interested at all, Locke’s a relatively easy read and it’s interesting 2 to see how Jefferson, Adams, Madison, et al. took a lot of his philosophy and turned it into a government.
1 – Actually, Locke said “pursuit of property,” but Adams didn’t like that and made Jefferson change it to “happiness.”
2 – Well, interesting to me. Your mileage may vary.
"Virtually all tactical ploys—the sacrifice bunt, the stolen base, the hit-and-run—operate on average to reduce run scoring." -- Eric Walker
Interesting to me as well
I really like natural rights discourse.
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 20, 2011 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
In the immortal words of Garry Trudeau
“Carl Marx? Second baseman for the Pirates in the 50’s. That Carl Marx?”
His strip used to be so damn relevant. Henry Kissinger once said “the only thing worse than being IN Doonesbury is NOT being in Doonesbury.”
Justin can now let the fungus grow back on his shower shoes.
by Singledigit on Oct 17, 2011 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
You get born into money.
"Some guy told me I should walk with the Lord. I'd rather walk with the bases loaded" Ken Singleton
watching the season opener in New York again
CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander, and there was threatening rain before the game and the tarp was on.
New York both opened and closed their season against Detroit. And who would have imagined at the time that the Tigers would last longer? #happysigh
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
That's pretty optimistic for them.
They over-reacted cleaning house, I think they’re going to have a few down years.
Fan of the Detroit Tigers, Lions and Red Wings.
I for one, think they are still, and always will be cursed
Only now is the “Curse of A-Gone”: he goes from a team that blew a late lead in August on the last day of the year, to another team that blew a late lead in August on the last day of the year. Carl Crawford will hurt them for a while too
In a Tiger fan's world, the Tigers go 162-0 and the White Sox go 0-162.
by Boeschlander on Oct 18, 2011 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Austin Jackson struck out and Granderson made a great catch in the first inning.
Hee hee. the more things change… :)
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
there were dust storms in lubbock texas today
and I learned that huge dust storms are called haboobs. that is all.
You didn't know that!?
What kind of a 13-year old boy are you?
by ChrisDTX on Oct 17, 2011 11:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I have the oddest urge
To print off the boxscores from all the Tiger games this year and rewatch the games to note any observations that catch my eye on them. For absolutely no reason whatsoever.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I wish I had the time to do something like that
by Rob Rogacki on Oct 17, 2011 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't at all
Which is why I won’t. But now I wish I had during the season so I’d have something to remember the details by when I get older and grayer.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I'm waiting for MLB.TV to get those old archived games from 2006 back online
I subscribed for that, and almost only that! Though I will admit, gameday has got me hooked to the computer instead of watching the games on FSD anymore…
In a Tiger fan's world, the Tigers go 162-0 and the White Sox go 0-162.
by Boeschlander on Oct 18, 2011 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions
If I lived in London I could start the non-tender Delmon Young stuff now.
You know I'm right about this.
"But the point is, finger-pointing is just what sports fans do when something doesn't go right." -- Kurt Mensching
by RealityIsOptionable on Oct 17, 2011 10:30 PM EDT reply actions
If anyone's watching MNF
There’s some very questionable football going on between NYJ/MIA.
Fan of the Detroit Tigers, Lions and Red Wings.
I've been glancing at it from time to time.
doesn’t seem to be a lot of scoring.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Hee hee.
Twitter is funny. Tiger fans are doing stuff like tweeting random old recorded games and making a combination of 1st half Brennan Boesch and 2nd half Ryan Raburn for a video game. Bryan Raboesch! :D
And I’m watching opening day from this season.
I think we may be mentally disturbed.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
so many similarities though
Tarp on the field before, light mist during the game, Verlander and Sabathia, Jackson had a K, Granderson had a great catch, there was squandering…
But the rains made me laugh because there were the same issues in the ALDS. Like Yankee Stadium was under a rain cloud that never stopped until the Tigers ended their season.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
haha, but it was an overall success of a season though.
so many good memories throughout the season.
the beating up of Avila starts
He just fouled a ball off his foot. And so it begins…
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
yawn
Time for bed. Night, all. :)
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
I am visiting my folks in Michigan!
It’s so damn lovely here, I’m not sure how I ever left.
by SweetLouDoubleU on Oct 18, 2011 12:28 AM EDT reply actions
are you sure you're in Michigan?
all i’ve heard is how the bottom half of the state was going to get blown into lake huron.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 18, 2011 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I lost a few large tree limbs (5"+), but on the upside- many of my leaves were blown out of my yard!
Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
that storm 3 weeks ago clobbered the UP hard
the gale the past 3 days or so has been pretty calm in comparisons. sure it’s still windy and wet and cold but it’s really quite placid in comparison. at least where I am. the big one had trees down all over town, power out for days in places, a real big, big mess.
by Kurt Mensching on Oct 18, 2011 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
The wind is actually a lot of fun!
I walked around Traverse City all day today, with my scarves flapping in the breeze.
by SweetLouDoubleU on Oct 18, 2011 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Whoa!
The British are attacking the Koala army from Malkeyor 9 and using pitch forks to build forts out of elephant dung.
Now that’s off topic.
Comcast just added "ME TV" here in Dewitt
They show Westerns from "Rawhide to “Gunsmoke” plue the original “The Twilight Zone” as well as all the comedies from theb 60’s and 70’s “The Dick Van Dyke Show” “The Odd Couple” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and all the rest.
Even cheezy cop shows like “Kojak” and “Columbo” are aired regularly.
Great way to kill off a few hours on a rainy and cold Sunday afternoon.
But you probably should be born before Johnson was President to really enjoy the nostalgia
What's This?
A new Muppets movie in November?
Discuss.
I'm sure I will watch it.
I only hope it lives up to its pedigree!
Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
and I was excited on the concept of a tintin movie alone
Just looked at the cast….that’s a great lineup. Gollum as Captain Haddock, Simon pegg and Cary Elwes and Daniel Craig in there, too.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983193/
Eat 'em up, Tigers!
I was so pumped too!
I won’t go see it (I’m not a big movie-goer), but I used to love those books when I was little (6ish). I read every single one and credit TinTin for sparking a passion for all things creative.
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
HEY GUYS I MADE A POST
If anyone is interested in reading “The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach with some other people, wander over here and read this thing, please. :) http://www.blessyouboys.com/2011/10/18/2499095/byb-offseason-book-club-anyone
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
How about the Lions getting Ronnie Brown from the Eagles?
Good to see Mayhew doing what he can to stabilise this team’s offense a little more.
In a Tiger fan's world, the Tigers go 162-0 and the White Sox go 0-162.
Hadn't heard that
That’s awesome! Nice to see us making moves. I was getting really sick of Jerome Harrison, anyway.
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
Trade is off
Harrison failed his physical, ha.
In a Tiger fan's world, the Tigers go 162-0 and the White Sox go 0-162.
by Boeschlander on Oct 19, 2011 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Sounds like Brown can be had, though
Philly wants rid of him, he’s serviceable, but Best being out would be a big blow and Brown is nowhere near able to replace him.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
Brown is more capable than Harrison of replacing him IMO
by Rob Rogacki on Oct 19, 2011 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
True, I didn't think much of Harrison
but if Best is out with the concussion, that’s a big loss and Brown won’t make up for it, IMO.
I don't care what the Chinese say, 2011 is the Year of the Tiger!
If failing a physical means they found a brain tumor you didn't know about
I’d say Harrison is one lucky guy. The good news (at least from what the reports I’m hearing today) is that it can be treated with surgery and may not affect his football playing abilities. Hope so for his sake.
"Some guy told me I should walk with the Lord. I'd rather walk with the bases loaded" Ken Singleton
Basically, the story is that this trade saved his life
He wouldn’t have had the physical otherwise.
by Rob Rogacki on Oct 20, 2011 11:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Interesting story.
When “failing a physical” is actually a medical success.
I can’t imagine how he felt. “You failed your physical.” “I did what?” “You have a brain tumor.” “I HAVE A WHAT???”
So happy to hear the prognosis is excellent since they found it so early.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
Jose Reyes.... *pattapattapatta*
Albert Pujols…. pattapattapattapatta
Back…. BACK! IT’S GOOONNNNEEE!!!
New Music?
I love finding new music. Who’s got a new track I should be listening to?
Best Albums of 2011:
- Watch the Throne – Jay-Z and Kayne
- Bon Iver – Bon Iver
- WHOKILL – Tune-yards
- Smoke Ring for my Halo – Kurt Vile
Top Tracks:
- Midnight City – M83
- Novacane – Frank Ocean
- Sunlight – Bag Raiders
- The Suburbs (Arcade Fire Cover) – Mr Little Jeans
- Kaputt – Destroyer
- Odd Soul – Mutemath
Find me on Spotify to see my playlists. Search for " spotify:user:84tigers"
Love the Destroyer album...
Lately I’ve been on a huge Coheed and Cambria kick so I haven’t been really listening to anything new. A cool way to find new music is to download free sampler albums from Amazon. They’re usually from small labels and are usually artists on the rise.
Of course go ahead and click the link to my bands Facebook page and give us a listen too for some awesome tracks as well.
#selfpromoted
They're not from this year
But the albums I’ve been playing a lot recently are Soma Holiday by Greenwheel (AMG described them as “Matchbox 20 by way of Linkin Park”, and they remind me of Default, but with stronger songwriting) and Johnossi’s self-titled album (read the AMG review… they’re pretty nifty).
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
Contributor, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Oct 23, 2011 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I've been getting into Doves recently.
I think it’s a shame that the British bands that hit it big were Oasis (though they were amazing) and Coldplay.. but never Doves.
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room!
by KeepItCopacetic on Oct 27, 2011 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Just posted below
Didn’t see this convo: Foster the People’s Torches and Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto albums have been on repeat for me recently.
More specifically: Helena Beat, Houdini, Waste – Foster the People
Hadn’t heard of the Bag Raiders: awesome stuff!
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
not bad.....
Mad – you guys are good. I’m digging the tracks you posted.
David – You lost me at Matchbox 20/linkin park, but I’m going to check it out anyway. :)
Also, If anyone needs a spotify invite, just let me know. I have a ton.
It's Fundraising Time at my local public radio station
I always do a day sponsorship. You might want to tune in to www.wfdd.org next April 4, for a day sponsorship honoring the Defending American League Central Division Champion Detroit Tigers.
"Some guy told me I should walk with the Lord. I'd rather walk with the bases loaded" Ken Singleton
New music I've been listening to
Foster the People’s new album Torches and Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto are both on repeat. Awesome! 4 thumbs up
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
remember the first discussion post for the BYB book club goes up Tuesday!
After my Monday chemistry exam eats my brain. It should be regenerated enough by evening to function, though.
Random nonsense at @Baroque97
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." --Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
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