I consider myself liberal, and yet I always felt kind of funny, if not conservative, when it came to Bill Clinton's impeachment. It gets clearer with each passing year that Republicans, already starving for power in American government and sacrificing the concept of the common good in the process, impeached Clinton for political reasons and not because he broke the law. Nevertheless, the witch hunt that was perpetrated upon him did turn over a lie, extraneous to the functions of the presidency as it may be, concerning sexual trysts he had with Monica Lewinsky, who was an intern for him at the time.
As meaningless to his duties at the time, I did not like the fact that he lied to Special Prosecutor Ken Starr about him fucking around with Lewinsky. But I'll be even more honest with you guys: Deep down, I didn't like the fact that President Clinton fucked around with an intern. I don't care if he didn't go balls deep in her. The fact that she, sucked his dick and whatnot constitutes cheating on your spouse, and it does matter to me if my President has decent character. Again, I don't think he had to be removed from office. But even as a Democrat, the shine was off his legacy permanently, at least in my mind.
One other thing, however. It takes two to tango. And I, to this day, still think Monica Lewinsky is a fat slut who is just as culpable in damaging a marriage and a presidency as Clinton was. She damn well knew he was married when she started fucking around with him, and she didn't care. She never really ... I would say atone for her responsibility. But apparently she is distancing herself from even that, and in turn running towards the #MeToo movement. She has penned an essay in Vanity Fair where she proclaims herself the victim and, after years of either deflecting offers to blame him or avoiding the subject entirely, points the finger at Bill Clinton for putting his dick in her orifices. "A gross abuse of power," she writes, as if she was held down while Clinton was doing all that shit to her.
You know what, Monica Lewinsky? Fuck off and go the fuck away. Forever. Couch yourself in your lowly position and contrast the age and power difference between you and him as much as you like. You were old enough to know better. You had one job above all else: Don't fuck the President. And you did, or had sexual relations with him at least. And I find it way too goddamn convenient that you "recast" your backroom fuck-arounds with him as sexual harassment. Stop it.
That puts me at odds with a lot of liberals, I know. But grown-ups who consent to relationships when one or both partners have vowed to be faithful to another person are being, to use a polite, vague term, unethical. And I don't buy any social pressures or naivete that makes it acceptable or forgivable, especially when you grasp for such straws years after the fact. You virtually wrecked a marriage and helped tarnish the legacy of a president. That is your fault. Own up to it, damn you.
---
And while we're on the subject of slut-shaming women who fucked around with presidents, let's go to the orange prick who we have to call President now and the slut who literally banged him. Somehow, someway, Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal (she is fucking hot, believe me) responded to Donald Trump's come-ons by sleeping with him in 2006 ... while he was married to current wife Melania. To her credit (for lack of a better word), she hasn't hid behind the #MeToo movement that Lewinsky is finding shelter under now, at least not yet.
But she's still a fucking slut. She was well above age when she fucked Trump. She knew goddamn well he was married at the time, and if she didn't, she's stupid and she should have. And she slept with him anyway. Yeah, Trump is responsible. But McDougal is responsible too, and anyone who lets her off the hook just because she's a woman and he's Donald Trump refuses to tell it like it is. And judging by the body language Melania uses around her husband, McDougal actually is a homewrecker, so she's got that going for her.
Two other things. First off, it would not surprise me at all if, after all this shit, she actually voted for Trump and believes he is doing a good job as President. If she fucked him willingly, she probably is dumb enough to believe he's a good Leader Of The Free World. Besides, most Playmates are Republicans. Second off, the detail that still baffles me the most in the breakthrough New Yorker piece is that, after they fucked (at least for the first time), Trump tried to giver McDougal money, to which she said she felt sorry for him and said, "No thanks, I'm not 'that girl.' I slept with you because I like you." I actually would have more respect for that shit-for-brains bimbo if she did take the money. Anybody who willingly fucks that evil gelatinous moron Trump because she likes to needs some goddamn psychological help.
I'm into slut-shaming. Fight me.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
OK, Now I'm Scared For Unions, The Concept Of Work, And America
There's a case in the Supreme Court going on right now that was funded by Republican dictators the Koch Brothers that will essentially bust public unions. It'll win because Neil Gorsuck (I know his last name is "Gorsuch" but I like "Gorsuck" better because he sucks, GET IT?!) finally got the seat after the Russians installed Donald Trump president after Bitch McConnell (I know his first name is "Mitch" but same thing) defied Senate convention and refused to hold a hearing for Merrick Garland. The Republicans now have five seats in the Supreme Court, and so public union-busting is just about guaranteed.
According to this article, this case going the Republicans' way is the penultimate step to ending the concept of unions as we know it. The final step is Republicans passing a national "right to work" law that would supercede state union laws in blue states such as California, New York and, well, Minnesota. Once that happens, collective bargaining is done, and workers' rights probably go with it. And that means we'll face hazardous workplaces, plunging wages, firings left and right for no reason, and no recourse to get our jobs back. All so greedy sons-of-bitches like the Koch Brothers think they were ordained by God to take all the money in the world.
Fuck Republicans. And yes, I am now very, very scared. People need to know about this.
According to this article, this case going the Republicans' way is the penultimate step to ending the concept of unions as we know it. The final step is Republicans passing a national "right to work" law that would supercede state union laws in blue states such as California, New York and, well, Minnesota. Once that happens, collective bargaining is done, and workers' rights probably go with it. And that means we'll face hazardous workplaces, plunging wages, firings left and right for no reason, and no recourse to get our jobs back. All so greedy sons-of-bitches like the Koch Brothers think they were ordained by God to take all the money in the world.
Fuck Republicans. And yes, I am now very, very scared. People need to know about this.
Something's Not Right At Work
My assignment at the health insurance place was supposed to initially last for two months. Those two months, I realized not too long ago, are up in about two weeks. So even though it's supposed to happen in March, I'm already thinking about the theoretical end to my job there. Unless it's not going to end.
As a temp, there is no guarantee or even convention that you will get two weeks notice before you're let go. I was told at my previous assignment (in the same building) two weeks ahead of time, and even though I didn't know it then because I was still too upset, those two weeks gave me time to flip into this current job without any sudden interruption, even though I had to wait another two weeks before this job started up.
And by the way, I love this job. I get to walk to my fairly sizable cubicle (the spare monitors off to the side are annoying, but I can deal with it), put on my headphones and just build the spreadsheet. I don't talk to my supervisor all that much. Don't get me wrong, she's lovely to talk to. But she's not a micromanager, and the people who leave you alone to just do your job while you're listening to the radio are the best kind of boss. Sure, it sucks the few times she does come around and she sees you surfing on the Internet, but it hasn't hurt me yet. Right?
I noticed one thing yesterday/Monday. My boss gave me this tray onto which forms I'm supposed to work on are to be dropped off. I got the impression that would be the most important job in my assignment. But I didn't get any forms dropped off onto that tray last week, and I didn't get one on Monday. I still have work, mind you. But if these forms don't come in, isn't that a sign that I won't have this job anymore?
So I might have the delicate task of asking my supervisor if I am going to be extended or not. Hey, maybe she'll just come over and tell me to stick around for a little while longer. I would love that. But maybe she comes to my cube Friday and tells me that I will be let go in two weeks. It seems as though I have a lot to do, but again, if I'm not getting these forms, am I supposed to believe I am going to stick around?
In the e-mail I use the most these days, most of the daily messages come from job sites. They flood my inbox every day, yet I don't desubscribe from them because I don't know when I'll have to go back and actually use those job sites. And I'm scared as hell that I will need to use them as soon as this week. But, I have to be prepared for the worst.
As a temp, there is no guarantee or even convention that you will get two weeks notice before you're let go. I was told at my previous assignment (in the same building) two weeks ahead of time, and even though I didn't know it then because I was still too upset, those two weeks gave me time to flip into this current job without any sudden interruption, even though I had to wait another two weeks before this job started up.
And by the way, I love this job. I get to walk to my fairly sizable cubicle (the spare monitors off to the side are annoying, but I can deal with it), put on my headphones and just build the spreadsheet. I don't talk to my supervisor all that much. Don't get me wrong, she's lovely to talk to. But she's not a micromanager, and the people who leave you alone to just do your job while you're listening to the radio are the best kind of boss. Sure, it sucks the few times she does come around and she sees you surfing on the Internet, but it hasn't hurt me yet. Right?
I noticed one thing yesterday/Monday. My boss gave me this tray onto which forms I'm supposed to work on are to be dropped off. I got the impression that would be the most important job in my assignment. But I didn't get any forms dropped off onto that tray last week, and I didn't get one on Monday. I still have work, mind you. But if these forms don't come in, isn't that a sign that I won't have this job anymore?
So I might have the delicate task of asking my supervisor if I am going to be extended or not. Hey, maybe she'll just come over and tell me to stick around for a little while longer. I would love that. But maybe she comes to my cube Friday and tells me that I will be let go in two weeks. It seems as though I have a lot to do, but again, if I'm not getting these forms, am I supposed to believe I am going to stick around?
In the e-mail I use the most these days, most of the daily messages come from job sites. They flood my inbox every day, yet I don't desubscribe from them because I don't know when I'll have to go back and actually use those job sites. And I'm scared as hell that I will need to use them as soon as this week. But, I have to be prepared for the worst.
Monday, February 26, 2018
The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey
#0: Wild (Last Week: -4). Somewhat similar to the University of Minnesota women's basketball team, the Wild took a huge step from the outside to the inside of the playoff picture over the course of a week. Facing a workweek on the road against the three clubs of the New York metropolitan area (that would be the Islanders, New Jersey and the Rangers, in chronological order), followed by a game vs. San Jose at the Xcel Energy Center the day after the Minnesota State High School Girls' Hockey Tournaments ended, the Wild ripped off a 4-0 week, capped off by coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Sharks last (Sunday) night in Overtime on a Jared Spurgeon one-timer from Jason Zucker.
I'm not exactly sure if there was a key, although I wonder if Chris Stewart being put on waivers Sunday afternoon have anything to do with it. Nevertheless they're playing well right now; note that the victories in the New York area were by two, two and three Goals. And because of their recent good work, they now hold the third spot in the Central Division by three Points. Moreover, although they have to play four games this screening week, they're all winnable: Home to reeling St. Louis (and embattled former Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo) Tuesday, road games vs. Arizona and Colorado (although they are back-to-back Thursday and Friday), then home Sunday to face Detroit.
#-1: Gopher softball (Last Week: -5). Well, that's better. After getting blanked in last weekend's B1G/ACC Challenge, they ran the table over the weekend in the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic in Orlando, albeit against (overall) weaker opponents. Now, they nipped Kentucky Friday afternoon, 2-1, and the Wildcats were ranked, and they beat Duke 5-1 in eight Innings. But the other three foes are non-BcS squads: South Alabama, Bradley and Lehigh. Much easier slate than Florida St. and Notre Dame. Still, five wins are five wins for the just-ranked Gophers, who go to their fourth tournament of the season, the San Diego Classic I (?) in, uh, San Diego. The five western schools they face include UCLA, who is considered to be a title contender, and Long Beach St. and Oregon St., both of whom received votes in last week's poll. So this slate is better than the Diamond 9, but worse than the ACC Challenge.
#-2: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -7). They're still flirting with disaster; upsetting Ohio St. in the Semis of next week's WCHA Final Faceoff would make me feel a lot better about them being on the right side of the PairWise. But they did what they had to do in their Quarterfinal sweep of St. Cloud St. at Ridder, crushing the Huskies by scores of 5-1 and 4-1. Now they face a resurgent Buckeyes program Saturday (courtesy of Head Coach Nadine Muzerall, and yes, she is One Of Us), and either Bemidji St. (the five-seed; they upset four-seed Minnesota-Duluth in three games) or top-seed Wisconsin for Sunday's Final. The U. made not make it to the title game, but at least they have the advantage of playing the Final Faceoff at home.
#-3: Twins (Re-Entry!). First Twins appearance in the WMNSS this season, and it's ... not a bad one. So now, they didn't get Yu Darvish, the unicorn signing that would have shown Twins fans and MLB Nation that this club was serious about spending and competing. (Darvish went to the Cubs instead; scuttlebutt says that the Cubs gave Darvish the fifth year that he wanted and the Twinks refused to grant.) But more than a week ago they did make a trade for a Pitcher, albeit one with a not-that-impressive stat sheet: Jake Odorizzi from the Tampa Bay Rays. Now, Odorizzi may not be a needle-mover, but frankly, this organization could use all the non-dead arms they can get. Add in that the only player the Twins had to trade was minor league infield prospect Jermaine Palacios, and you can see how the Bay Rays are in sell-now mode and is willing to be very flexible in trading away anything not nailed down to the Tropicana Field floor.
The Twins made waves -- well, OK, more like ripples -- again Sunday when Logan Morrison signed a one-year deal with the club. He also was with Tampa, and there is some talk that Odorizzi tried to recruit the man called LoMo up to Minnesota. How the Bay Rays didn't even attempt to sign Morrison, who lead the Bay Rays in Home Runs last year, is another sign that they are willing to be the small-market ballclub they always are. Meanwhile I think this is a great signing for Minnesota. You can never get too much pop in the current age of The Three True Outcomes. And although he probably will be the usual Designated Hitter in the lineup, if Miguel Sano, who has been dogged by an allegation of sexual abuse and came into Spring Training overweight, continues to be more of a liability than an asset, you have a mighty bat that should be able to compensate. All this for just $6.5 million. This is great for the team, collusion or no!
#-4: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: 0). Hmmm. They ruined Illinois' Senior Day yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, 84-75, to finish their regular season at 11-5 and 22-7 overall, just about their best record in a decade. But their own Senior Night was ruined Tuesday by Indiana, 82-70. The U. was without Guard Gadiva Hubbard, one of four players averaging double figures in Points, due to "medical reasons." Carlie Wagner did all she could, pouring in a season-high 34 Points and moving to third place all-time in Golden Gopher women's b-ball history in scoring (trailing only Rachel Banham and Lindsay Whalen), but it wasn't enough to stop the streaking Illini.
The home loss to the Hoosier hurt more than their road win over the Illini, according to ESPN.com's Charlie Creme; in his just released bracketology, the U. went from in to The Fourth-Last Team In. What this club needs to do then is to at least play up to their four-seed, their highest seed in a long time, in the Big Ten Tournament, which, like the men, will finish up the week before Selection Sunday. As the four-seed, they have earned a double-bye and will begin play in the Quarters Friday afternoon vs. either Iowa, Northwestern or Wisconsin.
#-5: Gopher baseball (Re-Entry!). Oh my God, I totally forgot about this team! They started their season last week, and I was going to put them into last week's survey, but I totally forgot!! Sorry, guys!!!
So OK, last week they started their season in Georgia, where they bookended a pair of victories at Kennesaw St. with defeats at Georgia Tech and Georgia St. This week, however, they swept the Snowbird Classic in Pt. Charlotte, Fla., destroying Boston College, Chicago St. and Mount St. Mary's by a combined score of 46-11. Wow.
I just read a blurb Baseball America gave about the Gophers. Once again, Manager John Anderson and crew are not projected to make the NCAA Tournament. The biggest hole is pitching -- all of it, starters and relievers. But the lineup is considered to be potent, as manifested in the outburst over the weekend. So we'll see how good this team is in their annual Dairy Queen Classic -- which, for at least this year, is couched under multi-team series vs. the Pac-12. In other words, this weekend brings the DQ/Big Ten-Pac-12 Challenge, something I have never seen before. The U. and two other B1G clubs, Illinois and Michigan St., will play Arizona, Washington and UCLA over the weekend. This is such a unique situation that I really want to go over to U.S. Bank Stadium and watch a tripleheader!
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4). They lost at Houston and pulled away from Chicago at Target Center, but that isn't the most important news this week. That, of course, is the meniscus injury to Alpha Dog Jimmy Butler during the loss to The Bastard San Diego Rockets.
First of all, I think this is a big, bad sign that Tom Thibodeau runs his guys way too hard and way too much. (Why he elicits blind faith from several of his former players when many other former players have seen their careers accelerate and then crash in a pile of broken legs is a mystery.) But, of course, this poses an on-court challenge to the team. Without the one proven superstar to lead them until at least the playoffs, will they fall apart? You have to remember that this squad has been so bad that they have been able to acquire first Andrew Wiggins and then Karl-Anthony Towns -- two players so good that they are considered to be superstars-in-waiting. If they are to reach their potential, this is their time to shine. They have to take Butler's example and show everyone that they deserve to be seen as Alpha Dogs too. And they will have to start proving it on the road: This week they go to Sacramento, Portland and Utah.
#-7: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). Tried to beat a Wisconsin team having an uncharacteristically bad year in Madison Monday, but they couldn't close it out in regulation, and the Badgers outscore the Goofer by ten in Overtime. Then, for Purdue's Senior Day yesterday/Sunday, the top-five-ranked Boilermakers had their way with Minnesota by a score of 84-60. But hey, at least they won their Senior Night game Wednesday, 86-82 over Iowa.
So the University of Minnesota men's team, which was ranked 15th in both preseason polls, finish the regular season 4-14 in-conference and 15-16 overall. They are the 11-seed in the B1G Tournament (being played in Madison Square Garden a year before the conference tournament is usually played) and have to play all five rounds to win the tourney and clinch an automatic birth in the NCAA Tournament. Yeah, it's unheard-of. They will play Rutgers, the worst team in the league, Wednesday evening, then Indiana the next night ... if they get that far.
#-8: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -2). OK. They went into Saturday night's tilt at Penn St., the final game of the regular season, needing only a point (a loss in Overtime or via Shootout), in order to host their first-round B1G playoff series. (At this point Notre Dame, in its first year in the Big Ten, has already won the regular season, the #1 seed, and the bye into the Semifinals.) But they couldn't muster even that, losing 5-2 and, with a 5-1 loss the night before, was swept out of Pegula Ice Arena and out of Mariucci for (likely) the rest of the year. They will have to go back into Pegula this weekend, however; the Golden Goofers are the 5-seed and the Nittany Lions are the 4-seed, so they'll do all of this again.
Meanwhile they have fallen into a tie for ninth in the PairWise. That's still on the good side of the bubble, but that can easily cave with a series loss this weekend and bad results everywhere else in College Hockey Nation. And so Head Coach Don Lucia, in his 19th year at the helm in Dinkytown, faces a challenge. In a year where the Frozen Four will be held in the Twin Cities, will his perennially underachieving team continue to underachieve, or will they match the talent shown on paper and start playing well? Seriously, this might be Lucia's final year if they keep losing.
I'm not exactly sure if there was a key, although I wonder if Chris Stewart being put on waivers Sunday afternoon have anything to do with it. Nevertheless they're playing well right now; note that the victories in the New York area were by two, two and three Goals. And because of their recent good work, they now hold the third spot in the Central Division by three Points. Moreover, although they have to play four games this screening week, they're all winnable: Home to reeling St. Louis (and embattled former Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo) Tuesday, road games vs. Arizona and Colorado (although they are back-to-back Thursday and Friday), then home Sunday to face Detroit.
#-1: Gopher softball (Last Week: -5). Well, that's better. After getting blanked in last weekend's B1G/ACC Challenge, they ran the table over the weekend in the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic in Orlando, albeit against (overall) weaker opponents. Now, they nipped Kentucky Friday afternoon, 2-1, and the Wildcats were ranked, and they beat Duke 5-1 in eight Innings. But the other three foes are non-BcS squads: South Alabama, Bradley and Lehigh. Much easier slate than Florida St. and Notre Dame. Still, five wins are five wins for the just-ranked Gophers, who go to their fourth tournament of the season, the San Diego Classic I (?) in, uh, San Diego. The five western schools they face include UCLA, who is considered to be a title contender, and Long Beach St. and Oregon St., both of whom received votes in last week's poll. So this slate is better than the Diamond 9, but worse than the ACC Challenge.
#-2: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -7). They're still flirting with disaster; upsetting Ohio St. in the Semis of next week's WCHA Final Faceoff would make me feel a lot better about them being on the right side of the PairWise. But they did what they had to do in their Quarterfinal sweep of St. Cloud St. at Ridder, crushing the Huskies by scores of 5-1 and 4-1. Now they face a resurgent Buckeyes program Saturday (courtesy of Head Coach Nadine Muzerall, and yes, she is One Of Us), and either Bemidji St. (the five-seed; they upset four-seed Minnesota-Duluth in three games) or top-seed Wisconsin for Sunday's Final. The U. made not make it to the title game, but at least they have the advantage of playing the Final Faceoff at home.
#-3: Twins (Re-Entry!). First Twins appearance in the WMNSS this season, and it's ... not a bad one. So now, they didn't get Yu Darvish, the unicorn signing that would have shown Twins fans and MLB Nation that this club was serious about spending and competing. (Darvish went to the Cubs instead; scuttlebutt says that the Cubs gave Darvish the fifth year that he wanted and the Twinks refused to grant.) But more than a week ago they did make a trade for a Pitcher, albeit one with a not-that-impressive stat sheet: Jake Odorizzi from the Tampa Bay Rays. Now, Odorizzi may not be a needle-mover, but frankly, this organization could use all the non-dead arms they can get. Add in that the only player the Twins had to trade was minor league infield prospect Jermaine Palacios, and you can see how the Bay Rays are in sell-now mode and is willing to be very flexible in trading away anything not nailed down to the Tropicana Field floor.
The Twins made waves -- well, OK, more like ripples -- again Sunday when Logan Morrison signed a one-year deal with the club. He also was with Tampa, and there is some talk that Odorizzi tried to recruit the man called LoMo up to Minnesota. How the Bay Rays didn't even attempt to sign Morrison, who lead the Bay Rays in Home Runs last year, is another sign that they are willing to be the small-market ballclub they always are. Meanwhile I think this is a great signing for Minnesota. You can never get too much pop in the current age of The Three True Outcomes. And although he probably will be the usual Designated Hitter in the lineup, if Miguel Sano, who has been dogged by an allegation of sexual abuse and came into Spring Training overweight, continues to be more of a liability than an asset, you have a mighty bat that should be able to compensate. All this for just $6.5 million. This is great for the team, collusion or no!
#-4: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: 0). Hmmm. They ruined Illinois' Senior Day yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, 84-75, to finish their regular season at 11-5 and 22-7 overall, just about their best record in a decade. But their own Senior Night was ruined Tuesday by Indiana, 82-70. The U. was without Guard Gadiva Hubbard, one of four players averaging double figures in Points, due to "medical reasons." Carlie Wagner did all she could, pouring in a season-high 34 Points and moving to third place all-time in Golden Gopher women's b-ball history in scoring (trailing only Rachel Banham and Lindsay Whalen), but it wasn't enough to stop the streaking Illini.
The home loss to the Hoosier hurt more than their road win over the Illini, according to ESPN.com's Charlie Creme; in his just released bracketology, the U. went from in to The Fourth-Last Team In. What this club needs to do then is to at least play up to their four-seed, their highest seed in a long time, in the Big Ten Tournament, which, like the men, will finish up the week before Selection Sunday. As the four-seed, they have earned a double-bye and will begin play in the Quarters Friday afternoon vs. either Iowa, Northwestern or Wisconsin.
#-5: Gopher baseball (Re-Entry!). Oh my God, I totally forgot about this team! They started their season last week, and I was going to put them into last week's survey, but I totally forgot!! Sorry, guys!!!
So OK, last week they started their season in Georgia, where they bookended a pair of victories at Kennesaw St. with defeats at Georgia Tech and Georgia St. This week, however, they swept the Snowbird Classic in Pt. Charlotte, Fla., destroying Boston College, Chicago St. and Mount St. Mary's by a combined score of 46-11. Wow.
I just read a blurb Baseball America gave about the Gophers. Once again, Manager John Anderson and crew are not projected to make the NCAA Tournament. The biggest hole is pitching -- all of it, starters and relievers. But the lineup is considered to be potent, as manifested in the outburst over the weekend. So we'll see how good this team is in their annual Dairy Queen Classic -- which, for at least this year, is couched under multi-team series vs. the Pac-12. In other words, this weekend brings the DQ/Big Ten-Pac-12 Challenge, something I have never seen before. The U. and two other B1G clubs, Illinois and Michigan St., will play Arizona, Washington and UCLA over the weekend. This is such a unique situation that I really want to go over to U.S. Bank Stadium and watch a tripleheader!
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4). They lost at Houston and pulled away from Chicago at Target Center, but that isn't the most important news this week. That, of course, is the meniscus injury to Alpha Dog Jimmy Butler during the loss to The Bastard San Diego Rockets.
First of all, I think this is a big, bad sign that Tom Thibodeau runs his guys way too hard and way too much. (Why he elicits blind faith from several of his former players when many other former players have seen their careers accelerate and then crash in a pile of broken legs is a mystery.) But, of course, this poses an on-court challenge to the team. Without the one proven superstar to lead them until at least the playoffs, will they fall apart? You have to remember that this squad has been so bad that they have been able to acquire first Andrew Wiggins and then Karl-Anthony Towns -- two players so good that they are considered to be superstars-in-waiting. If they are to reach their potential, this is their time to shine. They have to take Butler's example and show everyone that they deserve to be seen as Alpha Dogs too. And they will have to start proving it on the road: This week they go to Sacramento, Portland and Utah.
#-7: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). Tried to beat a Wisconsin team having an uncharacteristically bad year in Madison Monday, but they couldn't close it out in regulation, and the Badgers outscore the Goofer by ten in Overtime. Then, for Purdue's Senior Day yesterday/Sunday, the top-five-ranked Boilermakers had their way with Minnesota by a score of 84-60. But hey, at least they won their Senior Night game Wednesday, 86-82 over Iowa.
So the University of Minnesota men's team, which was ranked 15th in both preseason polls, finish the regular season 4-14 in-conference and 15-16 overall. They are the 11-seed in the B1G Tournament (being played in Madison Square Garden a year before the conference tournament is usually played) and have to play all five rounds to win the tourney and clinch an automatic birth in the NCAA Tournament. Yeah, it's unheard-of. They will play Rutgers, the worst team in the league, Wednesday evening, then Indiana the next night ... if they get that far.
#-8: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -2). OK. They went into Saturday night's tilt at Penn St., the final game of the regular season, needing only a point (a loss in Overtime or via Shootout), in order to host their first-round B1G playoff series. (At this point Notre Dame, in its first year in the Big Ten, has already won the regular season, the #1 seed, and the bye into the Semifinals.) But they couldn't muster even that, losing 5-2 and, with a 5-1 loss the night before, was swept out of Pegula Ice Arena and out of Mariucci for (likely) the rest of the year. They will have to go back into Pegula this weekend, however; the Golden Goofers are the 5-seed and the Nittany Lions are the 4-seed, so they'll do all of this again.
Meanwhile they have fallen into a tie for ninth in the PairWise. That's still on the good side of the bubble, but that can easily cave with a series loss this weekend and bad results everywhere else in College Hockey Nation. And so Head Coach Don Lucia, in his 19th year at the helm in Dinkytown, faces a challenge. In a year where the Frozen Four will be held in the Twin Cities, will his perennially underachieving team continue to underachieve, or will they match the talent shown on paper and start playing well? Seriously, this might be Lucia's final year if they keep losing.
I Think It's Time I Take A Shower
I believe it's been, get this, two weeks since I've taken a shower. Since my parents aren't here I'm not hounded into doing so, therefore I can revert to my schedule of taking a shower every weekend/Sunday. But I couldn't do it last weekend because I was sick and recovering from the flu. So, after I get done blogging about this, I'm taking a shower.
You're not weirded out, are you? Are you weirded out that I take a bit of pride in going two weeks without a shower?
You're not weirded out, are you? Are you weirded out that I take a bit of pride in going two weeks without a shower?
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Have I Bitched About Our Gas Can Yet? I Don't Think So, So I Will Now
We have a 5 gal. gas can to fill up our snowblower and lawnmower. Father somehow found an old-school gas can -- beat-up, metal, and doesn't have a long spout like modern-day, plastic cans do. Something like this is what we have.
And it pisses me the fuck off. Because there isn't a long spout (like this one), I'm fucking spilling gas all over the tanks -- the lawnmower in the summer, the snowblower in the winter. It got really bad yesterday, when I tried to fill up the snowplow before the blizzard really came. It got off to the side and onto the garage floor, but not inside the snowplow. And that shit will probably happen again after I get done with this blog post and finally plow the over six inches we got last night.
I really should buy a new gas can before they come home. I understand and respect vintage stuff. And as a gas can, it does its job of holding gas. I don't think it's leaking or anything. But its job is to dispense from itself into a machine, and it just isn't doing that. And so I need to get something that can dispense without spilling and wasting all the gas we bought.
And it pisses me the fuck off. Because there isn't a long spout (like this one), I'm fucking spilling gas all over the tanks -- the lawnmower in the summer, the snowblower in the winter. It got really bad yesterday, when I tried to fill up the snowplow before the blizzard really came. It got off to the side and onto the garage floor, but not inside the snowplow. And that shit will probably happen again after I get done with this blog post and finally plow the over six inches we got last night.
I really should buy a new gas can before they come home. I understand and respect vintage stuff. And as a gas can, it does its job of holding gas. I don't think it's leaking or anything. But its job is to dispense from itself into a machine, and it just isn't doing that. And so I need to get something that can dispense without spilling and wasting all the gas we bought.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
At Precisely The Wrong Fucking Goddamn Time
So the miracle didn't happen; as I write this, the first of the heavy snowfall from this snowstorm is falling. I am watching the Class A Girls' State High School Hockey Final right now, and I should be there, and I'm not, so I'm pissed.
Forecasts have been consistent that the snow will fly. There might even be "thundersnow," whatever that is. But as much as it's going to be -- I've seen as little as four inches and as much as ten -- it's supposed to only last from about 3 p.m. till about midnight. I saw a little begin at around 2:30 and then stop, then start again, and that is where we are. Anyway, this is a big but fast-moving storm. Nine hours and it's gone. But those nine goddamn hours encompass both finals of the hockey tournament; the Class A final began at 4, the Class AA begins at 7.
I think I went to the AA Final two years ago and got hooked. I wanted to go to last year's finals (which, unlike the boys, combine the finals of both classes in the same "session," so one ticket will get you both games spanning five hours or so), but I think because my parents were home, I didn't think I should do that. But they're not here, and so this would be perfect for me to be an adult and go out and do whatever I want. But this goddamn snowstorm is falling at precisely the wrong time, and so I will miss it. I figure I could brave the bad weather, but the forecasters say it'll get so bad -- one-to-two inches may fall an hour -- that driving is not recommended. I wish I were brave, but I am not.
And this time next year I'm guessing my folks will be home, so I won't be able to go next year, either. My best-laid plans, ruined because a snowstorm is happening at just the wrong goddamn time.
Forecasts have been consistent that the snow will fly. There might even be "thundersnow," whatever that is. But as much as it's going to be -- I've seen as little as four inches and as much as ten -- it's supposed to only last from about 3 p.m. till about midnight. I saw a little begin at around 2:30 and then stop, then start again, and that is where we are. Anyway, this is a big but fast-moving storm. Nine hours and it's gone. But those nine goddamn hours encompass both finals of the hockey tournament; the Class A final began at 4, the Class AA begins at 7.
I think I went to the AA Final two years ago and got hooked. I wanted to go to last year's finals (which, unlike the boys, combine the finals of both classes in the same "session," so one ticket will get you both games spanning five hours or so), but I think because my parents were home, I didn't think I should do that. But they're not here, and so this would be perfect for me to be an adult and go out and do whatever I want. But this goddamn snowstorm is falling at precisely the wrong time, and so I will miss it. I figure I could brave the bad weather, but the forecasters say it'll get so bad -- one-to-two inches may fall an hour -- that driving is not recommended. I wish I were brave, but I am not.
And this time next year I'm guessing my folks will be home, so I won't be able to go next year, either. My best-laid plans, ruined because a snowstorm is happening at just the wrong goddamn time.
They're Halfway Home, Goddammit
I haven't heard from my folks in a while. I don't miss them -- yeah, that sounds harsh, but it's true -- but it is still funny that I hadn't heard from them for, oh, five days at least. Plus there are some e-mails that they need to answer because I can't. The business of making sure their business is still going while they're away is like a second job to me, and sometimes I resent it.
Yesterday morning I was curious to see if there's a chance they'd contact me through WhatsApp. Before they left Father left me a copy of their itinerary. Whenever they're at sea, I can't reach them. (Well, I can, but according to our plan, talking on the phone while they're on a cruising ship costs five bucks a minute. No way.) I know they couldn't be at sea for five days, so I was wondering if they'd be on land yesterday or some time this weekend. So I scrolled down the list, looking for yesterday's date, saw that they were on land yesterday (and they did contact me later in the morning) ... and realized that of the two columns of dates and destinations, I had to go to the top of the second column to get yesterday's location. Crap, they're more than halfway home.
I don't miss them. Again, that sounds harsh, but it's true, I don't miss them. I have loved having the house to myself. I like the quiet. I like not hearing them bicker, if not outright argue. The only rattling of voices occurs in my head, where it should be. I like strewing my laundry on the floor to sort whites and coloreds and those that need to be washed in cold water versus those that need to be washed in warm. I like having the tie I wore for Super Bowl LII lying on the couch and no one giving me shit about it. I am living the bachelor life -- even better since I'm living at home rent-free -- and it's perfect.
I wonder if it's going to be like this, and if I'm going to feel the same way, once they are gone. I wonder about their impending demise (and I mean impending in an we're-all-gonna-die kind of way) and how it's going to feel knowing that they won't ever be back. Will I ever miss them? Will it hit me some random moment that they're gone for good, and will I then break down? Well, right now, buoyed by knowing (and getting bummed out) that they'll be back ... no, I don't think I'll miss them. Right now, as I type this, all I can think about is the nagging, the complaining, the yelling, the incessant expectation to go back to school or find a girlfriend. Every time I see I never live up to their expectations. I feel like a disappointment whenever I'm around them. And that's why it feels like such a relief when they're not around me.
So I am beyond sad -- I am in fact crestfallen -- that they are less than a month away (I think) from coming back home. At some point (not too soon) I have to tidy up things and get a stripper to clean the house. But until then I need to relax, stop and smell the roses, and be grateful of the time I have in the house I grew up in, alone.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Addendum To: The Fucking Snow Can Go Away Now
I have said in the past that snowstorms after New Year's are a little more tolerable than those before New Year's because the sun is stronger and therefore help in melting the snow. I'll have to reconsider that blanket statement after the 1-2-3 punch of winter precipitation we're getting this week.
Monday's ice storm is a curveball I would rather not see again in my lifetime. Sure, I got home OK, and the few inches of snow that fell after the ice storm is manageable. (I have not shoveled it at all. In retrospect I had time to do it Tuesday, but eh, why?) But when the liquid precip hit my windshield and immediate froze to ice, making me crank up the defroster in order for me to see while driving, that's when I freaked out. No thanks.
Then the first of a combo of storms hit last night. It actually came in later than I saw on the weather forecast, so when I got to my car, it was clear and I had a choice: Race home or enjoy a margarita for $2.22 at the Hard Rock Cafe. Hey, Margarita Day comes around only once a year, so I got a table and snorfed a marg in 45 minutes, at which time the storm came through and the snow was flying as I tried to make my way home. I was fine, and I didn't need to build in all that much time to drive to work this morning through side streets ... but still.
And then there's the whopper that's supposed to be coming tomorrow. Timing is very important. I really want to go to the X to see the championship games of both classes of the state girls' hockey tournaments. But last time I heard, the snow is coming in the afternoon and won't roll out until Sunday morning, at which eight goddamn inches might fall. I would have to stay the fuck home if it's going to hit then.
Which reminds me: I have a house party to go to tonight. I'd rather not plow, and I'm hoping that the sun that felt so warm in my face coming back to the building from my car will melt as much snow as a post-New Year's, climate change-assisted sun would. But I figure that I'll have to spend some time after I get home from work today plowing the four inches that fell instead of wait to plow a foot Sunday. Might break my snowblower if I wait.
Monday's ice storm is a curveball I would rather not see again in my lifetime. Sure, I got home OK, and the few inches of snow that fell after the ice storm is manageable. (I have not shoveled it at all. In retrospect I had time to do it Tuesday, but eh, why?) But when the liquid precip hit my windshield and immediate froze to ice, making me crank up the defroster in order for me to see while driving, that's when I freaked out. No thanks.
Then the first of a combo of storms hit last night. It actually came in later than I saw on the weather forecast, so when I got to my car, it was clear and I had a choice: Race home or enjoy a margarita for $2.22 at the Hard Rock Cafe. Hey, Margarita Day comes around only once a year, so I got a table and snorfed a marg in 45 minutes, at which time the storm came through and the snow was flying as I tried to make my way home. I was fine, and I didn't need to build in all that much time to drive to work this morning through side streets ... but still.
And then there's the whopper that's supposed to be coming tomorrow. Timing is very important. I really want to go to the X to see the championship games of both classes of the state girls' hockey tournaments. But last time I heard, the snow is coming in the afternoon and won't roll out until Sunday morning, at which eight goddamn inches might fall. I would have to stay the fuck home if it's going to hit then.
Which reminds me: I have a house party to go to tonight. I'd rather not plow, and I'm hoping that the sun that felt so warm in my face coming back to the building from my car will melt as much snow as a post-New Year's, climate change-assisted sun would. But I figure that I'll have to spend some time after I get home from work today plowing the four inches that fell instead of wait to plow a foot Sunday. Might break my snowblower if I wait.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Ripped Off For The Third Time In The Past Week (Subtitled: She Didn't Even Touch It!)
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Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Please, Please, Please Unblock Me From Your Twitter!
I wish my outlook on my day and myself didn't hinge on the approval of another, but right now, it does.
So I listen to The Stephanie Miller Show in the mornings. She had a executive producer who was with her for over a decade, Chris Lavoie. I always considered him to be the leveling agent to the rambunctious but at-times wild and unfocused Miller. In fact, there are some -- OK, many -- times that her mumbling becomes too much and her over-reliance on reading stories verbatim shows that she is unprepared and really doesn't know what she is talking about. That was when Lavoie would save her by injected his own cogent, elegant thoughts. Oftentimes he was the one who pumped politics into the show. Sometimes, he was the best part of it.
And that motherfucker blocked me on Twitter! OK, I'm getting ahead of myself. A couple years ago he left TSMS because, partly, he got burned out by the polarizing politics that was the focus of his job. It is around this time I am sure I tweeted him -- about what, I don't remember. But some time when he started his brand-new job, working PR for a casino, I tried seeing his feed, and it said that he blocked me.
For what? I don't remember what I tweeted to him. I probably forgot as soon as I sent it. But I am virtually certain that it wasn't enough for me to get blocked over -- I think. Again, I don't know. You'd have to ask him.
Well, he was on the show last week, and it was like old times: crisp, informative, and the time flew by. At the end of the show, Miller promoted Lavoie's Twitter feed, and then I was reminded that I couldn't follow him if I wanted to.
Frankly, I'm hurt. I really am sorry if I offended him. But I really don't know if I offended him and, if so, how, because I can't ask him because he blocked me. Then again, I certainly am not going to pine over him rejecting me. I mean, it's not like it's the end of the world. I'm not going to turn Republican over it, that would be ridiculous and knee-jerk. I really don't think what I could have said could be so bad as to be blocked, so if anything, this is on him for being a snowflake.
You know, come to think of it, this was a dick move by him. He may be a dick in real life. Wouldn't be the first time someone I admired from afar was rude or assholish up close. So, yeah, fuck him. Unless he unblocks me from his Twitter, in which case, I would be so over the moon!!!
So I listen to The Stephanie Miller Show in the mornings. She had a executive producer who was with her for over a decade, Chris Lavoie. I always considered him to be the leveling agent to the rambunctious but at-times wild and unfocused Miller. In fact, there are some -- OK, many -- times that her mumbling becomes too much and her over-reliance on reading stories verbatim shows that she is unprepared and really doesn't know what she is talking about. That was when Lavoie would save her by injected his own cogent, elegant thoughts. Oftentimes he was the one who pumped politics into the show. Sometimes, he was the best part of it.
And that motherfucker blocked me on Twitter! OK, I'm getting ahead of myself. A couple years ago he left TSMS because, partly, he got burned out by the polarizing politics that was the focus of his job. It is around this time I am sure I tweeted him -- about what, I don't remember. But some time when he started his brand-new job, working PR for a casino, I tried seeing his feed, and it said that he blocked me.
For what? I don't remember what I tweeted to him. I probably forgot as soon as I sent it. But I am virtually certain that it wasn't enough for me to get blocked over -- I think. Again, I don't know. You'd have to ask him.
Well, he was on the show last week, and it was like old times: crisp, informative, and the time flew by. At the end of the show, Miller promoted Lavoie's Twitter feed, and then I was reminded that I couldn't follow him if I wanted to.
Frankly, I'm hurt. I really am sorry if I offended him. But I really don't know if I offended him and, if so, how, because I can't ask him because he blocked me. Then again, I certainly am not going to pine over him rejecting me. I mean, it's not like it's the end of the world. I'm not going to turn Republican over it, that would be ridiculous and knee-jerk. I really don't think what I could have said could be so bad as to be blocked, so if anything, this is on him for being a snowflake.
You know, come to think of it, this was a dick move by him. He may be a dick in real life. Wouldn't be the first time someone I admired from afar was rude or assholish up close. So, yeah, fuck him. Unless he unblocks me from his Twitter, in which case, I would be so over the moon!!!
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
The Republican Brainwashing Continues To Work
We need to ban guns. Assault rifles and semi-automatic guns, of course, but handguns, too. And yes, we need better mental health care for people. But you know what? Maybe we should bar the mentally ill from getting guns first! Let's take care of the guns thing before the mental health thing!
But according to this poll just out from ABC News and the Washington Post, most people believe that mental health care would have been a more effective deterrent than banning guns. This despite studies and common sense. But it's been Republicans who have successfully took the bullet for the National Rifle Association again by deflecting our nation's gun nut problem by saying we need to take care of the sick instead, even though it's totally possible we could tackle both problems at the same time, and besides, they aren't going to do shit about mental health care anyway.
But yep, it's mental health. That's the problem. These Republican fuckers win again.
But according to this poll just out from ABC News and the Washington Post, most people believe that mental health care would have been a more effective deterrent than banning guns. This despite studies and common sense. But it's been Republicans who have successfully took the bullet for the National Rifle Association again by deflecting our nation's gun nut problem by saying we need to take care of the sick instead, even though it's totally possible we could tackle both problems at the same time, and besides, they aren't going to do shit about mental health care anyway.
But yep, it's mental health. That's the problem. These Republican fuckers win again.
Expenses Without Receipts
Starting from Monday, February 19:
- Well, I actually have receipts from then back to Wednesday, which was Valentine's Day. Since I'm a pathetic loser, I went to the place where all pathetic losers go: The strip club. I am scared because the owner of the place recently died, and the city of Minneapolis probably will not allow the license of the place to pass down to his son. I'm scared as heck that the days of my home away from home are numbered. Nevertheless, I had my coffee and tipped on-stage, and I got a lapdance from the the slender goth chick Valerie, the only one of the three strippers there who wasn't new to me. Total: $30.
- I believe I have been really good this cycle getting receipts. I have a lot of them, so I need to go to Caffetto one day to go through them. The reason I say that is I don't have an EWR from Valentine's Day back to Friday, February 9. Because of a late invitation to a place I've wanted to go to for some time, I went to a party in St. Paul, which is the apartment of *****a, where I got down with her. Well, we didn't do everything, but she kissed my dick! *****e* was also there -- it was billed as an intimate party, with only those two girls working -- but I didn't get anything from her. I fucked her in a one-on-one not too long ago, so I hope she understands I've been good to her. With tips for the alcohol and Girl Scout Cookies *****a bought I shelled out: $140.
- I hated that I was invited so late to that first party, and that I accepted this invitation, because I promised ***e* that I would nut under her hand at the party ***e* invited me to -- also on this night. I was going to come to her with a sad dog face, admit what I did, explain to her that this was the first time I let her touch me (it wasn't) and I wanted to make sure I went to her place for the first time ever, then beg for her forgiveness. But I didn't have to do that because when I got to this second party, in Minneapolis, ***e* wasn't there. Her friend, ******e (the one who, with ***e*, double-teamed me for the first time ever) told me that she had a family emergency and couldn't make it. Well, I don't have to beg my way out of an awkward situation. I did get three $20 dances from her. She got me hard, but I didn't whip out or anything because I just didn't have the money for that. I got there so late that by the time ******e and I were done with our trio of LDs and went back upstairs, the party was over and all the guys who were just watching TV in the living room were gone. That meant that all the other strippers there were too busy getting dressed for me to give my cover. Whew! At that party I spent just: $60.
- Went to Glam Doll afterward. Plus tip: $11.67.
- To Monday, February 5 ... it was the day after the Super Bowl, and someone I had met before the SB who said he was going to work the SB wanted to hang out after the SB because he was leaving Tuesday. Nice guy, interesting guy. I will say that he is so passionate about so many weird things that, well, beyond our shared genius status, I don't know how well we can get along. His friend tagged along with a beer with us because he also worked the game. He is also in the same line of work as I, and he sent me an application to get onto this online hiring hall. Haven't filled it out yet. Should. Oh, anyway, um, he was delayed at U.S. Bank Stadium (he still had work the day after the game?), and I didn't want to go home just to go back out. So I parked at My Favorite Stripclub (Non-Cover Division) and ate at Pappy's across the street. Gyro, fries, pop and tip: $10.62.
- I didn't just park at the strip bar just to park. I went in, too. Tips, coffee, and a dance from Lexi, the girl who recognized me at the place where my alumni club watches football games ... which also happens to be the place where I was going to after there to meet my newfound friend and his friend. Total: $30.
- I still beat them to this downtown hangout, so I got soup and a beer and waited for them. Oh, I need to thank my new friend for the stepladder. With tip: $13.
- Back to Groundhog Day: Thought there was a chance to see one of the hot babes I've friended on Facebook in person for Super Bowl Week festivities, but it was not to be. Instead I decided I needed to scope out the stadium because I didn't know where to report for the weekend. That didn't work because I still didn't know. But at least I got to go in and hear a part of Justin Timberlake's rehearsal. Even though I was both tired and cold, I went down to Nicollet Mall to catch Super Bowl Live one final time. I know the subsidies taxpayers gave to the NFL so we could host this are unfeasible. I still enjoyed the attention, and I think we acquitted ourselves nicely. To warm up I stopped by the downtown Five Guys, which was open till midnight every night of Super Bowl Week. Little Bacon Burger plus tip: $7.50
- Afterward I went to Glam Doll, where I wanted to wait this babe out, just in case she got back to me (she didn't), but people for whom I would be working for Super Bowl LII did (thank goodness). With tip, the donuts and pourover came to: $11.83.
Monday, February 19, 2018
A Weird Thing About Islanders Broadcasts
Since this is Presidents Day -- Happy Presidents Day -- there are sports games on in the afternoon. The NBA is still on All-Star Break, but the NHL have three matinees, and in the first, the Wild just beat the Islanders in Brooklyn in a game that started noon Central Daylight Time today.
But something I have noticed. I listened to the Islanders feed on Sirius XM just to hear the opposing point-of-view. I have listened to their broadcasts a couple times before. I have listened to other feeds from other, non-Minnesota teams, in all leagues, and I believe I am hearing either the syndicated feed (one where a third company simulcasts to all the radio stations that want to carry that team's broadcasts) or the feed of the flagship station, i.e. the station that is closest to the team's presupposed location and/or the biggest radio station in the affiliate network which has an outsized influence on the logistics of the broadcast and/or the personnel.
The Islanders seem to be different. The announcers have not ever said "... on the Islanders Radio Network," so what I'm hearing isn't a team network feed. And I don't hear call letters for any big New York-area radio station I'm familiar with, and I think I'm decent when it comes to recognizes New York station. Instead, I hear, and get this, "Radio Hofstra." You mean Hofstra, the university? Is the flagship radio station for the New York Islanders, a full-fledged National Hockey League a ... college radio station?
I mean, it's cool, I guess. But I think it's unheard-of. The main, and weirdest, difference I notice is that there are no straightforward commercials during breaks. Instead, every 30 seconds or so I hear, "This game is brought to you by (this company)," and then there is an announcement that "You're listening to the game on Radio Hofstra, the Radio Station Of The Year," and then there's a musical interlude that plays until a bumper from an Isles player bringing us back to the game. Weird.
Well, I will say that last year, the University of Minnesota women's basketball team finally got their games aired on the radio, but on the locally-run jazz station. They are member-supported, so they never run spots. (This year they moved to a commercial station.) So, like with the Islanders on Radio Hofstra, some announcer said, "You're listening to University of Minnesota women's basketball on Jazz 88 FM," followed by a bit of jazz music to fill the dead air, and then that fades out as we went back to the game.
This feels mom-and-pop. Not in a bad way, like it's poorly run. But in a good way, like the flagship station didn't have to pay millions of dollars for the rights to air this professional franchise. In turn, a low-watt FM station can say it's the station broadcasting a NHL franchise's games on the radio. It feels accessible, modest, humble -- all good things, and thus all anachronistic in this day and age of exploding prices for all things sports.
But something I have noticed. I listened to the Islanders feed on Sirius XM just to hear the opposing point-of-view. I have listened to their broadcasts a couple times before. I have listened to other feeds from other, non-Minnesota teams, in all leagues, and I believe I am hearing either the syndicated feed (one where a third company simulcasts to all the radio stations that want to carry that team's broadcasts) or the feed of the flagship station, i.e. the station that is closest to the team's presupposed location and/or the biggest radio station in the affiliate network which has an outsized influence on the logistics of the broadcast and/or the personnel.
The Islanders seem to be different. The announcers have not ever said "... on the Islanders Radio Network," so what I'm hearing isn't a team network feed. And I don't hear call letters for any big New York-area radio station I'm familiar with, and I think I'm decent when it comes to recognizes New York station. Instead, I hear, and get this, "Radio Hofstra." You mean Hofstra, the university? Is the flagship radio station for the New York Islanders, a full-fledged National Hockey League a ... college radio station?
I mean, it's cool, I guess. But I think it's unheard-of. The main, and weirdest, difference I notice is that there are no straightforward commercials during breaks. Instead, every 30 seconds or so I hear, "This game is brought to you by (this company)," and then there is an announcement that "You're listening to the game on Radio Hofstra, the Radio Station Of The Year," and then there's a musical interlude that plays until a bumper from an Isles player bringing us back to the game. Weird.
Well, I will say that last year, the University of Minnesota women's basketball team finally got their games aired on the radio, but on the locally-run jazz station. They are member-supported, so they never run spots. (This year they moved to a commercial station.) So, like with the Islanders on Radio Hofstra, some announcer said, "You're listening to University of Minnesota women's basketball on Jazz 88 FM," followed by a bit of jazz music to fill the dead air, and then that fades out as we went back to the game.
This feels mom-and-pop. Not in a bad way, like it's poorly run. But in a good way, like the flagship station didn't have to pay millions of dollars for the rights to air this professional franchise. In turn, a low-watt FM station can say it's the station broadcasting a NHL franchise's games on the radio. It feels accessible, modest, humble -- all good things, and thus all anachronistic in this day and age of exploding prices for all things sports.
The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey
#0: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -2). For a team on the outside of the NCAA Tournament but with a clear task to get on the inside of said tourney -- two games against ranked squads Michigan and Maryland, both at Williams Arena -- these women did exactly what they had to do, and thus took a decisive, confident step in to The Big Dance. On Wednesday they held off the 23rd-ranked Wolverines, 93-87, and yesterday (Sunday), against the tenth-ranked Terrapins (a squad they had never beaten, and oh yeah, whose Head Coach jilted the U. all those years ago [and no, I'm not over it]), they buried them by a score of 93-74.
One thing that might explain the resurgence of this squad is balance and contributions from players besides Carlie Wagner. Take a look at the box score for the win over Maryland. Wagner is one of four players who scored in double figures. The other three -- Kenisha Bell, Gadiva Hubbard, and Destiny Pitts -- are averaging double figures throughout the year. I doubt that happened last season. Don't exactly know the reason, but this could be Marlene Stollings's best coaching job at the U.
The Gophers have won four in a row, the last three are against ranked teams. They still have two matches this week to end the season -- Senior Night against Indiana Tuesday, then at Illinois Sunday -- and then there's the B1G Tournament. But get through that, and they've got to be in, right?
#-1: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -4). Beat Rider Friday in Lawrenceville, N.J., 32-12. That's great, but why in the hell are these guys winding up their season vs. a non-conference opponent? And why are they going to New Jersey a week after they were there to play Rutgers just seven days ago? Seems like a huge carbon footprint, but that's just me.
Big Ten Championships early next month.
#-2: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -3). In a two-game series at Mariucci, they beat Ohio St. Friday, 2-1, then, after a ridiculous eight-round Shootout, lose to the Buckeyes by the same score. (Or is the score 1-1 with Ohio St. getting the extra point? Why can't they just leave tie games as tie games?) They have maintained, if not slightly improved, their standing in the PairWise, and yet I feel underwhelmed yet again. They finish the season next weekend at Penn St. for two, then it's tournament time.
#-3: Timberwolves (Last Week: -6). An abbreviated screening week because this is All-Star Week. (Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns were there; congratulations to them. But while KAT poured in 17 for the losing Team Steph team, Jimmy Buckets did not play because he was sick.) Lost to Houston at home by 18 after the Rockets put their foot down in the Fourth Quarter. Then in the only game on Thursday and the final game for the NBA before the All-Star Break, after an emotional tribute to the late Flip Saunders, they outlasted The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers by eight.
For a team whose starters are ridden hard, that the club doesn't have to play until Friday is a good thing indeed. Unfortunately they get dumped into the deep water immediately; they visit the Rockets, then they immediately come home to host Chicago Saturday.
#-4: Wild (Last Week: -5). Saturday was a ridiculous day for Shootout losses. The afternoon before the U. male icers lost in an eight-round SO, the Mild fell to Anaheim, 3-2, after an eleven-round SO, the longest in Minnesota professional hockey history.
They beat the Rangers Tuesday, 3-2, but got blown out by Washington Thursday, 5-2, breaking a 13-game home streak where the Mild collected at least a point. As of press time they still have the final spot in the West. But they just finished a five-game homestand where they were expected to make some hay, and instead the squad finished 2-3. And now they have four games this screening week: Three games at the New York teams (including the Devils and Rangers back-to-back), then a Sunday night home date versus San Jose.
#-5: Gopher softball (Last Week: -1). Overall this wasn't a good screening week for local sports. That the last three teams all went winless is the reason why. I find it very shocking that Minnesota, after spending the past few years establishing itself as a very good power in softball, would somehow lose all four games in the B1G/ACC Challenge over the weekend in Tallahassee. Sure, the season is young. But I think this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this team is nothing like last year's team. In fact, this may very well be a rebuilding year. The club tries to get back on the beam in Orlando this weekend for the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic, where it will play five games vs. five schools over three days.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -7). I'm obsessed with winning the bracket pool, so I'm trying to find every tendency I can to suss out who will the national title. After looking through Kenpom and hearing about this weird quirk John Gasaway pointed out (although I don't know if he's the one who found it), Michigan St. may be in the best position of any team this season to win it all. And they demonstrated that by immolated the Golden Goofers at The Barn Tuesday by 30. Then again, for a team that has now lost eight straight and looks as though they have packed it in, beating the U. may not mean a whole lot.
Mercifully for the Goofers, the conference is ending its regular season a week early because the conference tournament is being held in Madison Square Garden, and the arena is reserved by the Big East Tournament the week of Selection Sunday. They host Iowa Wednesday, then finish their regular season at Purdue Sunday.
#-7: Gopher women's hockey (Re-Entry!). Now I'm officially worried -- about this team and about the direction of the program. Last weekend they got swept at Wisconsin to finish out their regular season. (Badgers probably got ringers from Canada. It's Wisconsin; they're cheating Republicans over there.) But it's the first time ever Wisky won all four regular season games over the Goofs. And even though the Badgers are, I think, top-ranked in the nation, these losses may have put the U. on the wrong side of the PairWise bubble, and frankly, that is unthinkable. I mean, how could a year get so bad that this happens? There are fewer than 40 clubs in top-flight women's hockey. How can you fall off this badly?
Worse yet, I'm not completely sure they'll get out of the first round of the WCHA Playoffs next week vs. St. Cloud St. Sure, it's a best-of-three, and all three games will be at Ridder. But a team struggling this bad could lose this series. That'll be embarrassing for the U. because the WCHA Final Faceoff is also at Ridder. And if the U. doesn't reach that, there's no way it makes the NCAA Tournament.
One thing that might explain the resurgence of this squad is balance and contributions from players besides Carlie Wagner. Take a look at the box score for the win over Maryland. Wagner is one of four players who scored in double figures. The other three -- Kenisha Bell, Gadiva Hubbard, and Destiny Pitts -- are averaging double figures throughout the year. I doubt that happened last season. Don't exactly know the reason, but this could be Marlene Stollings's best coaching job at the U.
The Gophers have won four in a row, the last three are against ranked teams. They still have two matches this week to end the season -- Senior Night against Indiana Tuesday, then at Illinois Sunday -- and then there's the B1G Tournament. But get through that, and they've got to be in, right?
#-1: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -4). Beat Rider Friday in Lawrenceville, N.J., 32-12. That's great, but why in the hell are these guys winding up their season vs. a non-conference opponent? And why are they going to New Jersey a week after they were there to play Rutgers just seven days ago? Seems like a huge carbon footprint, but that's just me.
Big Ten Championships early next month.
#-2: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -3). In a two-game series at Mariucci, they beat Ohio St. Friday, 2-1, then, after a ridiculous eight-round Shootout, lose to the Buckeyes by the same score. (Or is the score 1-1 with Ohio St. getting the extra point? Why can't they just leave tie games as tie games?) They have maintained, if not slightly improved, their standing in the PairWise, and yet I feel underwhelmed yet again. They finish the season next weekend at Penn St. for two, then it's tournament time.
#-3: Timberwolves (Last Week: -6). An abbreviated screening week because this is All-Star Week. (Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns were there; congratulations to them. But while KAT poured in 17 for the losing Team Steph team, Jimmy Buckets did not play because he was sick.) Lost to Houston at home by 18 after the Rockets put their foot down in the Fourth Quarter. Then in the only game on Thursday and the final game for the NBA before the All-Star Break, after an emotional tribute to the late Flip Saunders, they outlasted The Bastard Minneapolis Lakers by eight.
For a team whose starters are ridden hard, that the club doesn't have to play until Friday is a good thing indeed. Unfortunately they get dumped into the deep water immediately; they visit the Rockets, then they immediately come home to host Chicago Saturday.
#-4: Wild (Last Week: -5). Saturday was a ridiculous day for Shootout losses. The afternoon before the U. male icers lost in an eight-round SO, the Mild fell to Anaheim, 3-2, after an eleven-round SO, the longest in Minnesota professional hockey history.
They beat the Rangers Tuesday, 3-2, but got blown out by Washington Thursday, 5-2, breaking a 13-game home streak where the Mild collected at least a point. As of press time they still have the final spot in the West. But they just finished a five-game homestand where they were expected to make some hay, and instead the squad finished 2-3. And now they have four games this screening week: Three games at the New York teams (including the Devils and Rangers back-to-back), then a Sunday night home date versus San Jose.
#-5: Gopher softball (Last Week: -1). Overall this wasn't a good screening week for local sports. That the last three teams all went winless is the reason why. I find it very shocking that Minnesota, after spending the past few years establishing itself as a very good power in softball, would somehow lose all four games in the B1G/ACC Challenge over the weekend in Tallahassee. Sure, the season is young. But I think this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this team is nothing like last year's team. In fact, this may very well be a rebuilding year. The club tries to get back on the beam in Orlando this weekend for the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic, where it will play five games vs. five schools over three days.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -7). I'm obsessed with winning the bracket pool, so I'm trying to find every tendency I can to suss out who will the national title. After looking through Kenpom and hearing about this weird quirk John Gasaway pointed out (although I don't know if he's the one who found it), Michigan St. may be in the best position of any team this season to win it all. And they demonstrated that by immolated the Golden Goofers at The Barn Tuesday by 30. Then again, for a team that has now lost eight straight and looks as though they have packed it in, beating the U. may not mean a whole lot.
Mercifully for the Goofers, the conference is ending its regular season a week early because the conference tournament is being held in Madison Square Garden, and the arena is reserved by the Big East Tournament the week of Selection Sunday. They host Iowa Wednesday, then finish their regular season at Purdue Sunday.
#-7: Gopher women's hockey (Re-Entry!). Now I'm officially worried -- about this team and about the direction of the program. Last weekend they got swept at Wisconsin to finish out their regular season. (Badgers probably got ringers from Canada. It's Wisconsin; they're cheating Republicans over there.) But it's the first time ever Wisky won all four regular season games over the Goofs. And even though the Badgers are, I think, top-ranked in the nation, these losses may have put the U. on the wrong side of the PairWise bubble, and frankly, that is unthinkable. I mean, how could a year get so bad that this happens? There are fewer than 40 clubs in top-flight women's hockey. How can you fall off this badly?
Worse yet, I'm not completely sure they'll get out of the first round of the WCHA Playoffs next week vs. St. Cloud St. Sure, it's a best-of-three, and all three games will be at Ridder. But a team struggling this bad could lose this series. That'll be embarrassing for the U. because the WCHA Final Faceoff is also at Ridder. And if the U. doesn't reach that, there's no way it makes the NCAA Tournament.
Sunday, February 18, 2018
I Ached Like I Never Ached Before, I Think
Yep, it was the flu. After I wrote what I wrote yesterday, all I could do, instead of get up and go to the bank or exercise, was lie in my bed and think. The inflammatory aches got worse through the morning and afternoon. Combine that with my dry throat, the tightening in my stomach (thought about using my Culver's coupon, but nah, not hungry), the burgeoning nausea and me shitting water a few times, and yep, I know what this was. Had to cancel Can Can Wonderland last night, and I'm not going to get Grandmother's best friend sick today.
The last time I felt this sick was Christmas Eve 2015. I started feeling it at work. Went to Hooters to see my ATF there, and it took me a long time to eat my wings. I gutted out what I felt to go out with my friend, who had a coupon for a free meal downtown at the now-shuttered The Pint, but my appetite wasn't there, a sure sign of the flu. Wanted to go to Merlins Rest Pub afterward; I was out cold for, like, twelve hours instead.
I remember walking around with my friend that evening at how my joints hurt so bad. I probably thought then what I thought yesterday -- I have never felt this much pain before. I probably feel that way whenever I have the flu. But I'll say this: I don't remember tossing and turning in my bed every minute because I hurt so bad like I did most of yesterday and last night.
Sleep always seems to make things better, and even though I got about just eight hours of sleep last night (if I'm sick I usually sleep more), much of the inflammation is gone. My plumbing is no longer leaking, I'm generating saliva again, and even though I'm not hungry, I feel like I could eat something if I want. (I don't think I lost weight, a result of getting sick. I actually wish I did.) I think I can stay at home and eat salad today, just to make sure. I'm just glad the aches and pains are gone.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Fat, Unmotivated -- And Sick?
Look, they took the cookies and cake away, so I don't think I got fat as I thought I would at work yesterday. All I had was fish (well, cod, but it was Chinese New Year), tartar sauce, asparagus and corn for lunch, a little Pepsi to wash it down, and coffee in the late afternoon. I then went to the 5-8 to see if I could use my years-old coupon for a free Jucy Lucy (I couldn't -- I understand, but hey, Matt's invented the burger!). Came home, felt hungry, ate peanuts and a mini-Twix, and that was it.
But then I woke up so fat. Ugh. Even shitting everything I ate yesterday I still feel fat. And even though there are a lot of things I need to do today, including exercise, I ... just don't want to. I feel as though I have chills, like -- like I'm catching the flu. Oh, great. Was it that guy sitting next to me at the bar at the 5-8, coughing his whole way through? Damn, I hope it's not the flu.
I thought that I would actually lose weight because my parents wouldn't be here to shove food in my face. Quite the opposite, actually.
Friday, February 16, 2018
Where Did This Aggression Come From?
Looking back on yesterday (Thursday), I was passive-aggressive, defensive and confrontational, and I don't know why.
In the morning I had to get up early because I had physical therapy. Of course I stumbled out of the house late, and so I got to my appointment late. I still had to fill out a form when my therapist told me to come into the room, and he mentioned that "we were late." I believed that he implied that it was my fault for running late, so I got exasperated and apologized defensively. That's when I realized that I need his help in healing my back and so I apologized sincerely, and he said he was sorry if he sounded like a nag. OK, we're straight.
Coming home from work I altered my drive because there was an asshole driver who I had to cut off in order to merge onto a highway. I then thought he was going to go to the same exit as I was, so I went to the next exit over. I then got stuck behind two slow cars while making a left turn. I went over to the left, faster lane, thinking that I could pass them because they were taking a side street. They didn't, I screamed, "Shit!" and I merged inbetween the two, leaving very little room both ahead and behind me. I'm glad that the car behind me didn't travel down the same street I did, because he then would have known where I live.
Where did this aggression come from? There's nothing in my life right now that's weighing on my mind. Parents are gone and not in my hair. Work is going well. I'm not constipated or anything. Today is the Chinese New Year -- Happy New Year, by the way. And I've got a big dick. I did snap during the situations when I was in both of them. But beyond that, what am I so angry about?
I think I was born angry. I think that's the answer. Well, that and there are a couple other relatively trivial things I could say have been bothering me. I might blog post them later.
In the morning I had to get up early because I had physical therapy. Of course I stumbled out of the house late, and so I got to my appointment late. I still had to fill out a form when my therapist told me to come into the room, and he mentioned that "we were late." I believed that he implied that it was my fault for running late, so I got exasperated and apologized defensively. That's when I realized that I need his help in healing my back and so I apologized sincerely, and he said he was sorry if he sounded like a nag. OK, we're straight.
Coming home from work I altered my drive because there was an asshole driver who I had to cut off in order to merge onto a highway. I then thought he was going to go to the same exit as I was, so I went to the next exit over. I then got stuck behind two slow cars while making a left turn. I went over to the left, faster lane, thinking that I could pass them because they were taking a side street. They didn't, I screamed, "Shit!" and I merged inbetween the two, leaving very little room both ahead and behind me. I'm glad that the car behind me didn't travel down the same street I did, because he then would have known where I live.
Where did this aggression come from? There's nothing in my life right now that's weighing on my mind. Parents are gone and not in my hair. Work is going well. I'm not constipated or anything. Today is the Chinese New Year -- Happy New Year, by the way. And I've got a big dick. I did snap during the situations when I was in both of them. But beyond that, what am I so angry about?
I think I was born angry. I think that's the answer. Well, that and there are a couple other relatively trivial things I could say have been bothering me. I might blog post them later.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Fucking Overpaid For My Subway
Ah, God, this shit pisses me off.
I decide to eat fast food last (Wednesday) night, and I wanted to use one of my coupons that I've collected through the mail. The one expiring the quickest was the Subway one, so I go there to eat.
I had two coupons. I did not use the one that gets me a six-inch for three bucks; I use the one that gets me a footlong for six bucks instead, because I figure I can eat one half that evening and another half for dinner on a night I don't want to spend money. So I peruse the bright menu in this bright new Subway (the place looks good) and get a sub that gives me the most bang for my buck. It was a tie; several footlongs were eight bucks. So I chose the Cold Cut Combo because of its three meats. I kind of regretted it because the guy ahead of me had an order of four footlongs, all needing to be toasted, there was a family behind me, there were only two people working, and a Cold Cut Combo meant that the girl had to roll up three different kinds of meats -- as opposed to the similarly-priced Roast Beef, which, obviously, is only piece of meat.
I later regretted getting the sub for another reason. While watching the Olympics (Mikaela Shiffrin -- GOAT) a commercial for Subway came on. And it advertised five different footlongs for five bucks apiece. One of them was, you guessed it, the Cold Cut Combo.
I did not see this offer in the store. Neither employee mentioned it. And yet I used my coupon for a sub to pay six bucks when I really should have only paid five. Any other of the subs I thought about I should have taken because I don't think any of those subs are currently on sale for five bucks. I screwed myself (with the help of other people and other forces) out of a buck that I should not have given.
Yes, it's just a dollar. But since I overpaid by a dollar, I am mad as fucking hell, I really am. So I went online to that customer service website every fast food restaurant gives on their receipt and I told them as much. And I think I'm going to raise a damn stink about this until I get my dollar back or a coupon for a free sub or something, because I got fucked over, dammit.
I decide to eat fast food last (Wednesday) night, and I wanted to use one of my coupons that I've collected through the mail. The one expiring the quickest was the Subway one, so I go there to eat.
I had two coupons. I did not use the one that gets me a six-inch for three bucks; I use the one that gets me a footlong for six bucks instead, because I figure I can eat one half that evening and another half for dinner on a night I don't want to spend money. So I peruse the bright menu in this bright new Subway (the place looks good) and get a sub that gives me the most bang for my buck. It was a tie; several footlongs were eight bucks. So I chose the Cold Cut Combo because of its three meats. I kind of regretted it because the guy ahead of me had an order of four footlongs, all needing to be toasted, there was a family behind me, there were only two people working, and a Cold Cut Combo meant that the girl had to roll up three different kinds of meats -- as opposed to the similarly-priced Roast Beef, which, obviously, is only piece of meat.
I later regretted getting the sub for another reason. While watching the Olympics (Mikaela Shiffrin -- GOAT) a commercial for Subway came on. And it advertised five different footlongs for five bucks apiece. One of them was, you guessed it, the Cold Cut Combo.
I did not see this offer in the store. Neither employee mentioned it. And yet I used my coupon for a sub to pay six bucks when I really should have only paid five. Any other of the subs I thought about I should have taken because I don't think any of those subs are currently on sale for five bucks. I screwed myself (with the help of other people and other forces) out of a buck that I should not have given.
Yes, it's just a dollar. But since I overpaid by a dollar, I am mad as fucking hell, I really am. So I went online to that customer service website every fast food restaurant gives on their receipt and I told them as much. And I think I'm going to raise a damn stink about this until I get my dollar back or a coupon for a free sub or something, because I got fucked over, dammit.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
The Low-Information Voters On The Other Side Of My Cubicle
Happened just now, here at work.
Just heard of the school shooting in Florida. Praying for all those affected. Still mad as hell at Republicans who won't do shit about this. The NRA is a domestic terrorist organization. Rinse and repeat.
I got wind of this shooting from the people on the other side of the cube from me. I have heard them constantly, but I have never spoken to them because I am working under a different department than the one I am physically situated in. I've spoken to one person around this area. That's it.
Anyway, it appears that two people were getting ready to leave for the day. (So soon? These two must work early.) So I hear one of them saying that they caught the shooter, something I had already seen on my Twitter feed. I didn't follow the subsequent track of conversation between those two, but they started talking about the reporters who, according to her, ask dumb questions. "It's embarrassing!" she said. I'm paraphrasing, and briefly at that, but her point is she thinks the media sucks.
The other woman then jumps to, of all things, Shaun White. Last (Tuesday) night he pulled out a gold medal in the halfpipe. Thrilling. He's the GOAT. He also settled out of court with the drummer of his band who accused him of sexually harassing her. Both things appear to have happened. And that has created an awkward situation for White's post-competition press conference where the media, not wanting to be accused of avoiding the elephant in the room, asked him about the allegations and the settlement. It didn't go so well, and so he has apologized for his words.
Now, if I were a journalist, I honestly don't know if I would bring it up in a situation like this. But this nameless and faceless co-worker is bleepin' adamant about this. Paraphrasing again: "He just won the gold medal, and the reporters just started asking him questions about this stuff??? I mean, it's like, this is not the time! You're just making things awkward of everyone!"
Well shit, we don't want that, do we?
First of all, White is a public figure. He knows what he signed up for, he knows the questions will be coming. Second of all, once The Media gets done with their questions, he's still going to bask in the glory of his third gold medal in his fourth Winter Olympics. He'll get all the accolades -- from people who can parse his physical achievements from his sexual predation and people like this co-worker who, I'm guessing, doesn't really care about those accusations because, fuck, IT'S SHAUN WHITE!!!
And finally, this ignorant comment shows just how much lazy disdain people have for journalists, and for journalism. They are doing their job -- covering all the facets of a public figure who just completed a unique accomplishment. Not answering potentially thorny questions just because it'd be a buzzkill means they wouldn't be doing their job (and again, I have to admit that I probably would shirk away from the moment). This person on the other side said those questions are awkward because she feels they are awkward. And no right-thinking person should give a shit about that.
I don't think I can go as far to say that these two women are Trump voters. But they sure do paint The Media with a broad brush. They have made their minds up about journalists, yessirree, and they see them as nothing but stupid people getting in the way. #IStandWithTheMedia, but sure as hell these two don't. Ick.
Just heard of the school shooting in Florida. Praying for all those affected. Still mad as hell at Republicans who won't do shit about this. The NRA is a domestic terrorist organization. Rinse and repeat.
I got wind of this shooting from the people on the other side of the cube from me. I have heard them constantly, but I have never spoken to them because I am working under a different department than the one I am physically situated in. I've spoken to one person around this area. That's it.
Anyway, it appears that two people were getting ready to leave for the day. (So soon? These two must work early.) So I hear one of them saying that they caught the shooter, something I had already seen on my Twitter feed. I didn't follow the subsequent track of conversation between those two, but they started talking about the reporters who, according to her, ask dumb questions. "It's embarrassing!" she said. I'm paraphrasing, and briefly at that, but her point is she thinks the media sucks.
The other woman then jumps to, of all things, Shaun White. Last (Tuesday) night he pulled out a gold medal in the halfpipe. Thrilling. He's the GOAT. He also settled out of court with the drummer of his band who accused him of sexually harassing her. Both things appear to have happened. And that has created an awkward situation for White's post-competition press conference where the media, not wanting to be accused of avoiding the elephant in the room, asked him about the allegations and the settlement. It didn't go so well, and so he has apologized for his words.
Now, if I were a journalist, I honestly don't know if I would bring it up in a situation like this. But this nameless and faceless co-worker is bleepin' adamant about this. Paraphrasing again: "He just won the gold medal, and the reporters just started asking him questions about this stuff??? I mean, it's like, this is not the time! You're just making things awkward of everyone!"
Well shit, we don't want that, do we?
First of all, White is a public figure. He knows what he signed up for, he knows the questions will be coming. Second of all, once The Media gets done with their questions, he's still going to bask in the glory of his third gold medal in his fourth Winter Olympics. He'll get all the accolades -- from people who can parse his physical achievements from his sexual predation and people like this co-worker who, I'm guessing, doesn't really care about those accusations because, fuck, IT'S SHAUN WHITE!!!
And finally, this ignorant comment shows just how much lazy disdain people have for journalists, and for journalism. They are doing their job -- covering all the facets of a public figure who just completed a unique accomplishment. Not answering potentially thorny questions just because it'd be a buzzkill means they wouldn't be doing their job (and again, I have to admit that I probably would shirk away from the moment). This person on the other side said those questions are awkward because she feels they are awkward. And no right-thinking person should give a shit about that.
I don't think I can go as far to say that these two women are Trump voters. But they sure do paint The Media with a broad brush. They have made their minds up about journalists, yessirree, and they see them as nothing but stupid people getting in the way. #IStandWithTheMedia, but sure as hell these two don't. Ick.
Things I Need To Ask My Parents Once They Come To Shore
It is fun to not need to talk to your folks. But really, I have a lot of things I need to talk to them about, the sooner the better, and it's unfortunate that they are at sea most of this week. Once they get to dry land and get wi-fi, I need to contact them about these things.
(By the way, I blog post these less for you guys and more for me mentally getting my questions together so I don't forget anything.)
(By the way, I blog post these less for you guys and more for me mentally getting my questions together so I don't forget anything.)
- Can't pay the house insurance bill online.
- The law firm sent that bill again; I returned it again.
- TD Ameritrade has a gift card that needs to be claimed by the end of the month.
- Rental checks have come in; did they want me to send photos to them, like I think they said?
- Where are the ribs?
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Will I Lose My Job Soon?
I like my job, at least right now. All I do is load information onto a spreadsheet. My boss isn't breathing down my neck. I can eat when I want and poop when I want. And nothing has been asked of me.
And yet I'm scared that there are signs in the background that are slowly coming together to usher me out of this job. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I have to be as a temp. And the more I think about it, the more I believe that my boss is disappointed in my performance.
Two things that happened yesterday (Monday) makes me believe that. First is the, uh, second thing that happened during the workday, where my boss walked into my cubicle while I was sneak-reading something on the Internet. She came over because I e-mailed her a couple questions on some things. I knew that when I did that, there was a chance she would come over; she does that whenever I have something to ask her. Knowing that, I run the risk that she would catch me, but frankly, building a spreadsheet is so boring I am on the Internet a lot during my day. And yet whenever she does catch me (yesterday was not the first time), I feel stupid for getting myself in that position.
The second and more insidious sign (at least to me) that I could be a goner from this job starts with the nature of the questions I asked her. Not to tell you guys everything I do nor getting technical, but one of the questions I had concerned whether or not I needed to send a letter. When I went over to her cube and asked her, my boss reminded me of things that she told me before when I had a similar question. Worse than that, I get the feeling that she knew that I was not asking this question the first time.
It goes deeper than that. When I interviewed for this job, one of the things she stressed was critical thinking skills. And she has told me that trying to think through whether or not I should send a letter is one of the things I needed to figure out for myself. I don't think she completely ruled out me asking questions, but I don't believe asking the same question a second time is a good thing in her book. Moreover, asking her something at all may not, to her, be a good indication of critical thinking skills. And I've got to be honest; I'm just inputting information into a spreadsheet. I love it, but there is no critical thinking going on when I do that. There isn't thinking, period. It's so perfunctory that, well, I surf the Internet from time to time to escape the monotony.
Those circumstances, which may seem to be a pattern in my boss' eyes, might make her conclude that I need a lot more hand-holding than she thought I needed. Truthfully, I need more guidance on this. If she wants me to think through what needs to be done, I kind of need to have the tools to analyze the information I am laying down onto a spreadsheet. Right now, laying down info onto a spreadsheet is all I'm doing, and that's all I feel comfortable doing. But that might not be enough. Maybe she expected more from me.
Oh, one other cause for concern. There is a backlog of cases that she told me I had to tackle. And there were a lot, and they were growing in number. But starting yesterday/Monday, I noticed that I had to double back on where I last left the cases. That's when I realized that the total number of cases I needed to go through (or at least input into the spreadsheet) actually was going down. My boss didn't say anything about losing cases. And that scares me because that's my work. No more cases, no more work.
I brought this to my boss's attention. She didn't know exactly why that happened. I believe her. And yet I still feel as though I have to look elsewhere for my next job, which might need to come soon.
And yet I'm scared that there are signs in the background that are slowly coming together to usher me out of this job. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I have to be as a temp. And the more I think about it, the more I believe that my boss is disappointed in my performance.
Two things that happened yesterday (Monday) makes me believe that. First is the, uh, second thing that happened during the workday, where my boss walked into my cubicle while I was sneak-reading something on the Internet. She came over because I e-mailed her a couple questions on some things. I knew that when I did that, there was a chance she would come over; she does that whenever I have something to ask her. Knowing that, I run the risk that she would catch me, but frankly, building a spreadsheet is so boring I am on the Internet a lot during my day. And yet whenever she does catch me (yesterday was not the first time), I feel stupid for getting myself in that position.
The second and more insidious sign (at least to me) that I could be a goner from this job starts with the nature of the questions I asked her. Not to tell you guys everything I do nor getting technical, but one of the questions I had concerned whether or not I needed to send a letter. When I went over to her cube and asked her, my boss reminded me of things that she told me before when I had a similar question. Worse than that, I get the feeling that she knew that I was not asking this question the first time.
It goes deeper than that. When I interviewed for this job, one of the things she stressed was critical thinking skills. And she has told me that trying to think through whether or not I should send a letter is one of the things I needed to figure out for myself. I don't think she completely ruled out me asking questions, but I don't believe asking the same question a second time is a good thing in her book. Moreover, asking her something at all may not, to her, be a good indication of critical thinking skills. And I've got to be honest; I'm just inputting information into a spreadsheet. I love it, but there is no critical thinking going on when I do that. There isn't thinking, period. It's so perfunctory that, well, I surf the Internet from time to time to escape the monotony.
Those circumstances, which may seem to be a pattern in my boss' eyes, might make her conclude that I need a lot more hand-holding than she thought I needed. Truthfully, I need more guidance on this. If she wants me to think through what needs to be done, I kind of need to have the tools to analyze the information I am laying down onto a spreadsheet. Right now, laying down info onto a spreadsheet is all I'm doing, and that's all I feel comfortable doing. But that might not be enough. Maybe she expected more from me.
Oh, one other cause for concern. There is a backlog of cases that she told me I had to tackle. And there were a lot, and they were growing in number. But starting yesterday/Monday, I noticed that I had to double back on where I last left the cases. That's when I realized that the total number of cases I needed to go through (or at least input into the spreadsheet) actually was going down. My boss didn't say anything about losing cases. And that scares me because that's my work. No more cases, no more work.
I brought this to my boss's attention. She didn't know exactly why that happened. I believe her. And yet I still feel as though I have to look elsewhere for my next job, which might need to come soon.
Monday, February 12, 2018
The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey
#-1: Gopher softball (Re-Entry!). This has been a very good week overall for local sports, and the resurgence of several University of Minnesota teams, many of which had perfect screening weeks, is a throwback to what I usually see during this time of year. So picking a top team this WMNSS was a chore, and eventually I settled on relying on record. The softball team's perfect 5-0 start to begin the season at the UNLV SportCo Kickoff Classic, where they beat five different teams, is undeniable. Better yet was the last game, yesterday/Sunday afternoon vs. Creighton, where they were trailing 3-1 heading into the final inning and scored six Runs off the Bluejays to win it.
But nevertheless this is a program in transition. They are one year removed from both their historic and maybe their strangest season. That team notched a program high in wins and finished the regular season ranked #1 in the country. And yet they were neither given a national seed nor awarded hosting duties for the Regional. Instead they were deemed only the 17th-best team in the nation, forced to play at Alabama, and then promptly lost a pair of 1-0 heartbreakers to the host Crimson Tide, the first of which came in Nine Innings. After the season, Head Coach Jessica Allister left for her alma mater, Stanford, and Athletic Director Mark Coyle went outside the system to grab Jamie Trachsel from Iowa St. Oh, and you lose Sara Groenewegen, probably The Best Player In Gophers Softball History, too.
So what to make of all this? It's a hell of a start, sure. But you've got a club that will be hard-pressed to reach the heights of a year ago, and will do it under a new regime. And this may just be me, but when you can't justify national outrage of being snubbed and in fact prove the NCAA Selection Committee correct, you bear a cross that you damn well better get yourself down from this season. You've got Groenewegen's replacement as star on the team, Catcher Kendyl Lindaman, but you're still going to replace a lot.
The B1G/ACC Challenge apparently isn't just for basketball; it's for softball, too. This weekend they travel to Tallahassee to play a pair of alternating games against the host Seminoles and Notre Dame.
#-2: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -4). I'll expound on this if they actually reach the NCAA Tournament, but could this year be Marlene Stollings's best coaching job in Dinkytown? They outlasted a mediocre Purdue squad in West Lafayette Thursday, and then in the Cancer Game yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, they destroyed Penn St. by 33. They have won five of their last six, and that rise has put the U., at least according to Charlie Creme, on the precipice of The Big Dance as The Penultimate Team Out.
The opportunity/challenge comes this screening week. The rout of the Nittany Lions starts a four-game homestand, their last four games at The Barn this year. But the two games this week are against two teams Creme easily has in the field of 64: Michigan Wednesday, Maryland Sunday. The Gophers' momentum easily could stop this week. Or, they could propel themselves off the bubble and into the tournament this time next week.
#-5: Wild (Last Week: -1). Became so fixated on the Mild's 3-0 collapse to putrid Phoenix Thursday that I overlooked that this club crushed the Blues in St. Louis Tuesday. Then they followed that up with a convincing 3-0 victory at the X over Chicago Saturday. So for now they retain the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference, albeit a point ahead of L.A. and Anaheim and two points ahead of Colorado. What they should do -- what they need to do -- is get on a roll because they are in the midst of a five-game homestand. It finishes up this week: Rangers tomorrow (Tuesday), Washington Thursday, said Ducks Saturday.
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -2). The team's Jekyll-and-Hyde routine continues. They lose at Cleveland to the Cavs (pre-teardown) because of LeBron James's revelatory final 30 seconds, then choke away a late lead in Chicago. But Target Center? Well, it wasn't easy vs. The Most Dysfunctional Team In The NBA, but the Woofie Dogs outlasted Sacramento last (Sunday) night, 111-106, making it 13 in a row at home. And yes, they remain on track for a playoff spot.
The home streak will be tested, however; Houston comes to town Tuesday. The Team That Was Stolen From Us v.1.0 visits Thursday. Then there's a tough back-to-back: At the Rockets Friday, back home to face the Bulls Saturday.
#-7: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). OK. I understand that losing Amir Coffey to injury and Reggie Lynch to school-mandated suspension can hurt a team and ruin plans. But the best Head Coaches figure out a way to make do with what he has. Guys who get million-dollar contracts from their universities should figure out a way to make do. Chris Holtmann became HC of Ohio St. in the summer and has his Buckeyes at 13-1 in-conference and atop the Big Ten. Meanwhile, the Goofers, ranked 15th in both polls before the season began, now sit at 14-13 overall and 3-11 in the B1G after losses at home to Nebraska and on the road to Indiana (another retooling team, the Hoosiers crushed the U. by 24) have extended their current losing streak to seven games. Yes, Richard Pitino has had circumstances thrust upon him. But better coaches -- competent coaches -- don't tailspin this badly. It's only right that he's on the hot seat right now; next year, Pitino is playing for his job.
Tuesday they host Michigan St., ranked second in this week's AP poll. This has been the craziest season in college basketball in my lifetime. There literally is no favorite, and it looks as though any team can win it all this year. But I sure as hell know the Golden Goofers are going to lost to the Spartans at The Barn. I'll go out on a limb and say that.
But nevertheless this is a program in transition. They are one year removed from both their historic and maybe their strangest season. That team notched a program high in wins and finished the regular season ranked #1 in the country. And yet they were neither given a national seed nor awarded hosting duties for the Regional. Instead they were deemed only the 17th-best team in the nation, forced to play at Alabama, and then promptly lost a pair of 1-0 heartbreakers to the host Crimson Tide, the first of which came in Nine Innings. After the season, Head Coach Jessica Allister left for her alma mater, Stanford, and Athletic Director Mark Coyle went outside the system to grab Jamie Trachsel from Iowa St. Oh, and you lose Sara Groenewegen, probably The Best Player In Gophers Softball History, too.
So what to make of all this? It's a hell of a start, sure. But you've got a club that will be hard-pressed to reach the heights of a year ago, and will do it under a new regime. And this may just be me, but when you can't justify national outrage of being snubbed and in fact prove the NCAA Selection Committee correct, you bear a cross that you damn well better get yourself down from this season. You've got Groenewegen's replacement as star on the team, Catcher Kendyl Lindaman, but you're still going to replace a lot.
The B1G/ACC Challenge apparently isn't just for basketball; it's for softball, too. This weekend they travel to Tallahassee to play a pair of alternating games against the host Seminoles and Notre Dame.
#-2: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -4). I'll expound on this if they actually reach the NCAA Tournament, but could this year be Marlene Stollings's best coaching job in Dinkytown? They outlasted a mediocre Purdue squad in West Lafayette Thursday, and then in the Cancer Game yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, they destroyed Penn St. by 33. They have won five of their last six, and that rise has put the U., at least according to Charlie Creme, on the precipice of The Big Dance as The Penultimate Team Out.
The opportunity/challenge comes this screening week. The rout of the Nittany Lions starts a four-game homestand, their last four games at The Barn this year. But the two games this week are against two teams Creme easily has in the field of 64: Michigan Wednesday, Maryland Sunday. The Gophers' momentum easily could stop this week. Or, they could propel themselves off the bubble and into the tournament this time next week.
#-3: Gopher men's hockey (Re-Entry!). I still wonder if the men's hockey team should be second-best in the survey; it's that close. I gave the nod to the women's b-ball team because their week continues their upward momentum. The male icers going into Madison and sweeping Wisconsin by a combined score of 11-3 (saw a part of Saturday's 7-1 thrasing -- sweet) feels as though they are still treading water. (Also, going into this season, I would have expected the Gophs to beat Bucky Badger twice on the road.) Proof of that is in the PairWise, where they stay in a tie for ninth place despite the pair of road wins. So I think it's fair to say this club has some work to do to stay on the good side of the bubble.
They should be able to move the PairWise needle, however, this week: They host Ohio St., ranked sixth in the PairWise, for two.
They should be able to move the PairWise needle, however, this week: They host Ohio St., ranked sixth in the PairWise, for two.
#-4: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -5). Swept the easternmost schools in the B1G this week, halting their losing streak at four. But hey, wrestling has always been more of a Midwest/Great Plains sport; Easterners aren't really into grapplin'. Besides, although they outdistanced Rutgers Friday, 20-12, they had to hold on for dear life Sunday to defeat Maryland, 26-22. Not too long ago where the U. would've used both teams as mops.
Now this is weird. The squad is done with conference schedule. And yet they are not finished with their regular season schedule. Friday they travel to Lawrenceville, N.J. to have a dual meet with, of all teams, Rider. Rider? At the end of the season? Is this some deal between ADs? A make-good of some sort? Some need for teams to pad their schedules?
Now this is weird. The squad is done with conference schedule. And yet they are not finished with their regular season schedule. Friday they travel to Lawrenceville, N.J. to have a dual meet with, of all teams, Rider. Rider? At the end of the season? Is this some deal between ADs? A make-good of some sort? Some need for teams to pad their schedules?
#-5: Wild (Last Week: -1). Became so fixated on the Mild's 3-0 collapse to putrid Phoenix Thursday that I overlooked that this club crushed the Blues in St. Louis Tuesday. Then they followed that up with a convincing 3-0 victory at the X over Chicago Saturday. So for now they retain the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference, albeit a point ahead of L.A. and Anaheim and two points ahead of Colorado. What they should do -- what they need to do -- is get on a roll because they are in the midst of a five-game homestand. It finishes up this week: Rangers tomorrow (Tuesday), Washington Thursday, said Ducks Saturday.
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -2). The team's Jekyll-and-Hyde routine continues. They lose at Cleveland to the Cavs (pre-teardown) because of LeBron James's revelatory final 30 seconds, then choke away a late lead in Chicago. But Target Center? Well, it wasn't easy vs. The Most Dysfunctional Team In The NBA, but the Woofie Dogs outlasted Sacramento last (Sunday) night, 111-106, making it 13 in a row at home. And yes, they remain on track for a playoff spot.
The home streak will be tested, however; Houston comes to town Tuesday. The Team That Was Stolen From Us v.1.0 visits Thursday. Then there's a tough back-to-back: At the Rockets Friday, back home to face the Bulls Saturday.
#-7: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). OK. I understand that losing Amir Coffey to injury and Reggie Lynch to school-mandated suspension can hurt a team and ruin plans. But the best Head Coaches figure out a way to make do with what he has. Guys who get million-dollar contracts from their universities should figure out a way to make do. Chris Holtmann became HC of Ohio St. in the summer and has his Buckeyes at 13-1 in-conference and atop the Big Ten. Meanwhile, the Goofers, ranked 15th in both polls before the season began, now sit at 14-13 overall and 3-11 in the B1G after losses at home to Nebraska and on the road to Indiana (another retooling team, the Hoosiers crushed the U. by 24) have extended their current losing streak to seven games. Yes, Richard Pitino has had circumstances thrust upon him. But better coaches -- competent coaches -- don't tailspin this badly. It's only right that he's on the hot seat right now; next year, Pitino is playing for his job.
Tuesday they host Michigan St., ranked second in this week's AP poll. This has been the craziest season in college basketball in my lifetime. There literally is no favorite, and it looks as though any team can win it all this year. But I sure as hell know the Golden Goofers are going to lost to the Spartans at The Barn. I'll go out on a limb and say that.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Analyzing The 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Just remembered that this year's SI Swimsuit Issue is coming out this week, and I also remembered that I had not jotted down my thoughts on last year's SI, so I will do that right now.
You know, it might be my old age or the fact that I've now seen boobs and buttso last me a lifetime. But even though I will not say I feel a burden to buy the issue, it is becoming less and less risque for me to leaf through it because the photos aren't scandalous anymore. And that battens down my excitement for it, because even though all the girls in there are hot as hell, they're not showing anything that I haven't seen before. And they're not showing a whole lot. I mean, if I ever have to see another photo of a model covering her breasts with her hands, it'll be too soon.
Asses are another thing. Well, I've come around to understanding that everybody's ass is going to hang out nowadays. But it's still a somewhat-taboo body part to show, so even though all the bottoms all the models are wearing thongs -- I wonder if this means that all female swimsuits are now thongs ... mental note: Go to a beach this summer -- I will never pass up lookin' at ass. Notable hineys in the issue include Kate Upton's surprisingly slim one on Page 42, Nina Agdal thrusting her shapely ass once again on p. 78, Kate Bock turning in a second-consecutive butt-showing on a couple pages, Rookie Lais Ribeiro's sand-speckled ass on p. 119, and best of all, the strong, sturdy, big ass shown a couple times by my vote for Rookie Of The Year, Vita Sikordina, especially the one on 166.
Before writing this blog post I combed over the issue one final time. Maybe I've been trying too hard to find something to recommend to you guys, and I see a couple. I like, for example, that the one-piece Upton is wearing on Page 33 is cut out on the side so a bit of her big right tit is spilling off to the side of her swimsuit. And I've decided that the best picture in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is the one on Page 157, where Barbara Palvin -- come-hither look, back to the camera -- frames a bellyboard just under her real fine ass which has glued sand stuck to it.
Other than that, I've got to say that the edition is underwhelming. Hannah ... Jeter? I cannot stand that preening pretty boy who is carrying on John Henry's disastrous plan to operate the Miami Marlins on the cheap, and so I cannot abide by seeing his wife, either. Serena Williams is ripped, but I don't find her sexy. Eugenie Bouchard and Caroline Wozniacki are sexy, but they don't have great pictures in the issue -- and with one semi-exception on 134, neither shows ass. Two other athletes, gymnasts Aly Raisman and Simone Biles, are cut as fuck, but I can no longer look at these pictures knowing that Larry Nassar molested both of them.
And I need to set aside a paragraph for the special mother-and-daughters pictorial of Sports Illustrated SI Legend Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray Joel and Sailor Brinkley Cook. First of all, I have to say that Christie Brinkley can still get it. I mean, look at her figure on Page 13 and tell yourself she's fucking 63 in that. Meanwhile, I know that Cook will be in this year's issue, and she's got a toned and tanned body, but frankly, that face does nothing for me. Its cheekbones are flat and her eyes are small enough to just be dots on her face. Contrast that to her half-sister, Joel. Her body is a tad pudgier, although I would never kick that out of bed. But her face is beautiful, especially her big, round eyes, contoured eyelashes and wavy, long hair. I've got to admit I can see in her face the features of her father -- the ugly Piano Man himself, Billy Joel. Well, there's that.
So I guess that's it. Well, this Swimsuit Issue had three different covers of Kate Upton for sale, and I was able to find the one that I liked the most, the one with the "handbra" and her hair flowing freely. She does look great, and goddamn Justin Verlander for being able to motorboard and bite into those titties whenever he wants to.
Nevertheless, I'm hoping for a more arousing SI SI this year/week.
You know, it might be my old age or the fact that I've now seen boobs and buttso last me a lifetime. But even though I will not say I feel a burden to buy the issue, it is becoming less and less risque for me to leaf through it because the photos aren't scandalous anymore. And that battens down my excitement for it, because even though all the girls in there are hot as hell, they're not showing anything that I haven't seen before. And they're not showing a whole lot. I mean, if I ever have to see another photo of a model covering her breasts with her hands, it'll be too soon.
Asses are another thing. Well, I've come around to understanding that everybody's ass is going to hang out nowadays. But it's still a somewhat-taboo body part to show, so even though all the bottoms all the models are wearing thongs -- I wonder if this means that all female swimsuits are now thongs ... mental note: Go to a beach this summer -- I will never pass up lookin' at ass. Notable hineys in the issue include Kate Upton's surprisingly slim one on Page 42, Nina Agdal thrusting her shapely ass once again on p. 78, Kate Bock turning in a second-consecutive butt-showing on a couple pages, Rookie Lais Ribeiro's sand-speckled ass on p. 119, and best of all, the strong, sturdy, big ass shown a couple times by my vote for Rookie Of The Year, Vita Sikordina, especially the one on 166.
Before writing this blog post I combed over the issue one final time. Maybe I've been trying too hard to find something to recommend to you guys, and I see a couple. I like, for example, that the one-piece Upton is wearing on Page 33 is cut out on the side so a bit of her big right tit is spilling off to the side of her swimsuit. And I've decided that the best picture in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is the one on Page 157, where Barbara Palvin -- come-hither look, back to the camera -- frames a bellyboard just under her real fine ass which has glued sand stuck to it.
Other than that, I've got to say that the edition is underwhelming. Hannah ... Jeter? I cannot stand that preening pretty boy who is carrying on John Henry's disastrous plan to operate the Miami Marlins on the cheap, and so I cannot abide by seeing his wife, either. Serena Williams is ripped, but I don't find her sexy. Eugenie Bouchard and Caroline Wozniacki are sexy, but they don't have great pictures in the issue -- and with one semi-exception on 134, neither shows ass. Two other athletes, gymnasts Aly Raisman and Simone Biles, are cut as fuck, but I can no longer look at these pictures knowing that Larry Nassar molested both of them.
And I need to set aside a paragraph for the special mother-and-daughters pictorial of Sports Illustrated SI Legend Christie Brinkley, Alexa Ray Joel and Sailor Brinkley Cook. First of all, I have to say that Christie Brinkley can still get it. I mean, look at her figure on Page 13 and tell yourself she's fucking 63 in that. Meanwhile, I know that Cook will be in this year's issue, and she's got a toned and tanned body, but frankly, that face does nothing for me. Its cheekbones are flat and her eyes are small enough to just be dots on her face. Contrast that to her half-sister, Joel. Her body is a tad pudgier, although I would never kick that out of bed. But her face is beautiful, especially her big, round eyes, contoured eyelashes and wavy, long hair. I've got to admit I can see in her face the features of her father -- the ugly Piano Man himself, Billy Joel. Well, there's that.
So I guess that's it. Well, this Swimsuit Issue had three different covers of Kate Upton for sale, and I was able to find the one that I liked the most, the one with the "handbra" and her hair flowing freely. She does look great, and goddamn Justin Verlander for being able to motorboard and bite into those titties whenever he wants to.
Nevertheless, I'm hoping for a more arousing SI SI this year/week.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
She's Slipping Away
I've bitched from time to time about the vacuum of leadership with the alumni club. Right now it's me and this other person, and she is doing scholarships only. That is one hell of a duty, but that's all she does. So when it comes to other aspects of running this show, it's just me.
I still don't think I'm doing a very good job of running the club. I've admitted in the past to not organizing more events for the chapter. Another thing that I've let slip, something I think is/was important, was to get my scholarship chair administrative status for our Facebook page, the vehicle of social media I use most often to communicate with the members of the club. With administrative duties, she can moderate, approve members who want into the group, etc. I thought that as Scholarship Club, she is entitled to that power.
After realizing that I needed to do that, I sent her a message saying that I had just done so and apologized to her for not making her an administrator sooner. That had been some time ago. Well, this past week she sent me back a message saying that she actually gave back her administrative status because she didn't need nor want it. Huh?
Maybe she doesn't need it. But I do find it odd that someone who was so generous in taking on duties for the club had decided, after a couple years of coming on board, that she does not want a duty, one that, frankly, isn't taxing at all. Why is she doing this? And then I thought of something.
A sales representative with the Timberwolves e-mailed the alumni association and then me about arranging a ticket offer where we would go to a game with an opponent that also had a player from our alma mater. That was a great idea, and I was so glad that someone besides came up with an idea that the chapter could do, and then organized it. I thought it was a success even though six people didn't show up. Whatever.
Anyhoo, just before our Wolves game, this same rep sent me an offer in the morning: Two free tickets to another game that night. I had plans that night, so I posted on our Facebook about this offer. Two people asked to take them. The Scholarship Chair was first, provided that she find someone to take the other ticket.
As soon as I was sent this offer I started to panic. It wasn't because I couldn't take this offer for myself. I had two people want these tickets, and now I am in a position where I have to arbitrate which one gets it. And it wasn't as easy as "first one gets it" because the scholarship chair threw me the proviso that she needed to find someone first. In other words, she wanted it, and yet she kind of didn't reserve it, you know? And since the ticket rep dropped these damn tickets the day of the game, I needed to oversee to whom I would send the promotion code to pick up these tickets, which meant I had to check my e-mail and Facebook frequently to see when the Scholarship Chair could finally find her +1. This is hard to do because I have an iPhone 4. Not only is it so slow (and intentionally so) that it takes years to check my Facebook, the OS with the 4 is so old that Yahoo! Mail refuses to allow linkage to my e-mail from it. So I had to check Facebook through my laptop in the morning, and then take time out of my afternoon to check Facebook at the library.
In the afternoon I still hadn't heard from the schollie chair about the tickets. So instead of just letting the offer sit and potentially not giving the offer code and tickets to either person, I pushed the issue. I sent two messages to the chair, basically saying (and I paraphrase, of course): "Please let me know as soon as you can if you can use the tickets" ... "I have another person waiting, and I want to make sure she has time to use it if you don't." I didn't think it was too, uh ... forward? Aggressive? Confrontational?
Well, after several minutes I got a message from her. Paraphrasing again, she basically said, "Oh, sorry. You can give that person the tickets. I don't have one now, and I don't have time to find one because I work, ha-ha!" Now, it is just about impossible to glean tone and true feelings from messages and texts. But from the way she went from being enthusiastic to nonplussed about the tickets, and from the inexplicable explanation to give up the tickets (why say you want the tickets when you know you would need to fight through your busy schedule to find someone to go with you?), something seems off.
At least I got a definitive answer; I was able to give the code to the other person who wanted the free tix. But it seems to me that my Scholarship Chair did not like me pressing her on this issue. And with her not wanting to be a mod on our Facebook, I can now only come to one conclusion: She did not like my treatment of her with this situation, or my leadership in general, or the way that I am, and she finally got tired of dealing with me. We have scholarship applications to review. She had said in the past that she would gladly head the process. But the way things are trending, this might be the last year she is willing to do this. Hell, she might not want to do it right now. She might be that upset/unimpressed with me that she would just tell me that I have to do all of this on my own. And for what, free tickets?
I am scared to check whether or not we are still even friends on Facebook. That would be the definitive sign that she wants to slip away from any role in the club, and thus any connection with me. Man, I guess I shouldn't have pressed her on those tickets. But really, this is the last straw?
I still don't think I'm doing a very good job of running the club. I've admitted in the past to not organizing more events for the chapter. Another thing that I've let slip, something I think is/was important, was to get my scholarship chair administrative status for our Facebook page, the vehicle of social media I use most often to communicate with the members of the club. With administrative duties, she can moderate, approve members who want into the group, etc. I thought that as Scholarship Club, she is entitled to that power.
After realizing that I needed to do that, I sent her a message saying that I had just done so and apologized to her for not making her an administrator sooner. That had been some time ago. Well, this past week she sent me back a message saying that she actually gave back her administrative status because she didn't need nor want it. Huh?
Maybe she doesn't need it. But I do find it odd that someone who was so generous in taking on duties for the club had decided, after a couple years of coming on board, that she does not want a duty, one that, frankly, isn't taxing at all. Why is she doing this? And then I thought of something.
A sales representative with the Timberwolves e-mailed the alumni association and then me about arranging a ticket offer where we would go to a game with an opponent that also had a player from our alma mater. That was a great idea, and I was so glad that someone besides came up with an idea that the chapter could do, and then organized it. I thought it was a success even though six people didn't show up. Whatever.
Anyhoo, just before our Wolves game, this same rep sent me an offer in the morning: Two free tickets to another game that night. I had plans that night, so I posted on our Facebook about this offer. Two people asked to take them. The Scholarship Chair was first, provided that she find someone to take the other ticket.
As soon as I was sent this offer I started to panic. It wasn't because I couldn't take this offer for myself. I had two people want these tickets, and now I am in a position where I have to arbitrate which one gets it. And it wasn't as easy as "first one gets it" because the scholarship chair threw me the proviso that she needed to find someone first. In other words, she wanted it, and yet she kind of didn't reserve it, you know? And since the ticket rep dropped these damn tickets the day of the game, I needed to oversee to whom I would send the promotion code to pick up these tickets, which meant I had to check my e-mail and Facebook frequently to see when the Scholarship Chair could finally find her +1. This is hard to do because I have an iPhone 4. Not only is it so slow (and intentionally so) that it takes years to check my Facebook, the OS with the 4 is so old that Yahoo! Mail refuses to allow linkage to my e-mail from it. So I had to check Facebook through my laptop in the morning, and then take time out of my afternoon to check Facebook at the library.
In the afternoon I still hadn't heard from the schollie chair about the tickets. So instead of just letting the offer sit and potentially not giving the offer code and tickets to either person, I pushed the issue. I sent two messages to the chair, basically saying (and I paraphrase, of course): "Please let me know as soon as you can if you can use the tickets" ... "I have another person waiting, and I want to make sure she has time to use it if you don't." I didn't think it was too, uh ... forward? Aggressive? Confrontational?
Well, after several minutes I got a message from her. Paraphrasing again, she basically said, "Oh, sorry. You can give that person the tickets. I don't have one now, and I don't have time to find one because I work, ha-ha!" Now, it is just about impossible to glean tone and true feelings from messages and texts. But from the way she went from being enthusiastic to nonplussed about the tickets, and from the inexplicable explanation to give up the tickets (why say you want the tickets when you know you would need to fight through your busy schedule to find someone to go with you?), something seems off.
At least I got a definitive answer; I was able to give the code to the other person who wanted the free tix. But it seems to me that my Scholarship Chair did not like me pressing her on this issue. And with her not wanting to be a mod on our Facebook, I can now only come to one conclusion: She did not like my treatment of her with this situation, or my leadership in general, or the way that I am, and she finally got tired of dealing with me. We have scholarship applications to review. She had said in the past that she would gladly head the process. But the way things are trending, this might be the last year she is willing to do this. Hell, she might not want to do it right now. She might be that upset/unimpressed with me that she would just tell me that I have to do all of this on my own. And for what, free tickets?
I am scared to check whether or not we are still even friends on Facebook. That would be the definitive sign that she wants to slip away from any role in the club, and thus any connection with me. Man, I guess I shouldn't have pressed her on those tickets. But really, this is the last straw?
Friday, February 9, 2018
This Fucking Mild Team Pisses Me Off
These underachieving pricks have a 3-0 lead and then lose, 4-3, in Overtime, to The Worst Team In The National Hockey League, at home.
This club has not been able to shift above second gear all season. This is more proof that these guys just don't have it -- definitely not this season, probably ever.
Fuck these guys.
This club has not been able to shift above second gear all season. This is more proof that these guys just don't have it -- definitely not this season, probably ever.
Fuck these guys.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
A Night Of Chores ... Ah!
This is the first time since, I think, last Monday where all I did was go to work and then go home. Every other day in the past, oh, two weeks I have either needed to work, get chores down outside, met friends or fucked someone.
What greets me at home? Oh, just clothes that need to be washed, mail that needs to be opened, dishes that need to be washed and snow on the driveway that needs to be shoveled to the side. And you know what? For tonight, at least, I am relieved. I don't like doing these chores, but I got more and more annoyed with every night I have had to do something in the evening, allowing these chores to build up. I now have time to myself, and even if it is doing all of these things, I feel a sense of control. I am doing these things because I have no one I need to please or meet or be beholden to.
Oh. This also means I can eat leftovers and not spend any money today. I actually took time last night to prepare a salad to eat for lunch at work today. Since it was the Monday of last week since I last ate salad, the leftover cucumber got slimy. I have never seen cucumbers go bad, but hey, now I know. I cut away all the slimy parts and ate the rest, and as of now, I am still alive.
That's it.
What greets me at home? Oh, just clothes that need to be washed, mail that needs to be opened, dishes that need to be washed and snow on the driveway that needs to be shoveled to the side. And you know what? For tonight, at least, I am relieved. I don't like doing these chores, but I got more and more annoyed with every night I have had to do something in the evening, allowing these chores to build up. I now have time to myself, and even if it is doing all of these things, I feel a sense of control. I am doing these things because I have no one I need to please or meet or be beholden to.
Oh. This also means I can eat leftovers and not spend any money today. I actually took time last night to prepare a salad to eat for lunch at work today. Since it was the Monday of last week since I last ate salad, the leftover cucumber got slimy. I have never seen cucumbers go bad, but hey, now I know. I cut away all the slimy parts and ate the rest, and as of now, I am still alive.
That's it.
Bad Driver: AKA 675
Oh, you white ... bitch? Bastard? ... in the black ... Buick? Mercury? You flash your headlights at me like some European to make me step aside? And then when I refuse to and just start driving faster -- that helps you drive faster, right? Isn't that what you want to do, drive faster? -- and after I finally get past the blob of cars who you don't believe were driving fast enough for you, and after I finally make way for you -- you know, like a gentleman? -- by moving over, you just had to cut in front of me without turning on your turn signal. Oh, you fuck.
And as much as you think you were driving, you weren't driving fast enough for me to hunt your ass down and cut in front of you too. How do you like that? SUCK IT?!?!?!
Ahem. Got that out of my system.
And as much as you think you were driving, you weren't driving fast enough for me to hunt your ass down and cut in front of you too. How do you like that? SUCK IT?!?!?!
Ahem. Got that out of my system.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
The Fucking Snow Can Go Away Now
I think I've complained before about the snow in winter -- specifically, that there should be snow around Christmastime because that is how people usually picture the holiday, but after, say, New Year's Day it is absolutely pointless and in fact turns into nothing but an obstacle for living. Today reinforces that belief.
The snow actually started to fall last night, after I got out of the late screening of The Post. (Review: Important movie, very timely, yet I didn't think it was all that well done, or that exciting. B?) I heard there was a chance of snow on the radio on my way into work yesterday/Tuesday, but since I didn't watch the weather report on TV, I kind of shoved what I heard in the back of my mind, so this snowfall blindsided similarly to the inch of snow that fell Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, and the four damn inches of snow that really fucked me over Super Bowl Saturday. Every single time it snowed it made everything slippery on the road and screwed up my driving, whether it was to work, from work, meeting these guys at a brewery or going to *****e* to fuck her.
When I went to bed last night I set my alarm a little earlier so I could get out a little earlier, in case the roads were bad enough that Minnesota drivers decided to be cautious. But stupid, lazy me, I only got out to my car, like, three minutes earlier than usual, and those three minutes were eaten up because I had to clear my car of the snow that fell on it after I got home after the movie around 11:30. I got to work 15 minutes late, and remembering all the slow-and-go traffic I knew I would encounter because it happened Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, I don't know why in the hell I didn't make a more concerted effort to get up, say, 30 minutes earlier.
So yes, ultimately this is my fault. But damn, besides replenishing our water supply, there really is no real good reason for snow to fall in February, is there? We've been catching up on preciptation the last week, and I think it's enough.
The snow actually started to fall last night, after I got out of the late screening of The Post. (Review: Important movie, very timely, yet I didn't think it was all that well done, or that exciting. B?) I heard there was a chance of snow on the radio on my way into work yesterday/Tuesday, but since I didn't watch the weather report on TV, I kind of shoved what I heard in the back of my mind, so this snowfall blindsided similarly to the inch of snow that fell Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, and the four damn inches of snow that really fucked me over Super Bowl Saturday. Every single time it snowed it made everything slippery on the road and screwed up my driving, whether it was to work, from work, meeting these guys at a brewery or going to *****e* to fuck her.
When I went to bed last night I set my alarm a little earlier so I could get out a little earlier, in case the roads were bad enough that Minnesota drivers decided to be cautious. But stupid, lazy me, I only got out to my car, like, three minutes earlier than usual, and those three minutes were eaten up because I had to clear my car of the snow that fell on it after I got home after the movie around 11:30. I got to work 15 minutes late, and remembering all the slow-and-go traffic I knew I would encounter because it happened Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, I don't know why in the hell I didn't make a more concerted effort to get up, say, 30 minutes earlier.
So yes, ultimately this is my fault. But damn, besides replenishing our water supply, there really is no real good reason for snow to fall in February, is there? We've been catching up on preciptation the last week, and I think it's enough.
Fuckin' Eagles Thief
Honestly, I'm so blinded by anger at the Iggles asshole who stole a seat from U.S. Bank Stadium after the Super Bowl. I don't want to read any story to get the details -- I just saw a photo and a headline online -- because delving into the details will only piss me off even more.
This isn't just youthful indiscretion, especially since the fucker looks old. This is more than irrational exuberance, the way to memorialize your team's first-ever Super Bowl win. And this goes even beyond Iggles being Iggles. I think he sees Minnesotans as weak, as pushovers, as emasculated. So this asshole thinks he can just take a seat and fly home with it while flaunting and taunting Minnesotans all the way home. This shit is what serial killers do to their victims: Taking a piece of them as a sign they "own" them.
So the question then becomes: Why in the fuck aren't we arresting this son-of-a-bitch? If he's actively documenting his steps on social media, he'll be totally easy to find. And there has to be some law against taking U.S. Bank Stadium property. Why don't they fly over to his house with the FBI and arrest his ass? I'm serious! These Eagles pricks are a dochey bunch. If we just sit back and say, "Oh, we'll just replace the seat," that'll give carte blanche to other dickhead football fans to take even more seats. Those seats are paid for by taxpayer money. If this keeps up -- and it will if stadium officials don't go after this guy -- it'll eventually show up on the state budget.
This shit needs to be nipped in the bud, and now. Arrest him, extradite him back here, and prosecute this East Coast chump to the fullest extent of the law. Make an example out of this rude Eagles thief. Because if we don't stand up to bullies like him now, more of them are going to come and destroy property that we, the taxpayers of this state, paid for.
When the hell are we going to defend ourselves?
This isn't just youthful indiscretion, especially since the fucker looks old. This is more than irrational exuberance, the way to memorialize your team's first-ever Super Bowl win. And this goes even beyond Iggles being Iggles. I think he sees Minnesotans as weak, as pushovers, as emasculated. So this asshole thinks he can just take a seat and fly home with it while flaunting and taunting Minnesotans all the way home. This shit is what serial killers do to their victims: Taking a piece of them as a sign they "own" them.
So the question then becomes: Why in the fuck aren't we arresting this son-of-a-bitch? If he's actively documenting his steps on social media, he'll be totally easy to find. And there has to be some law against taking U.S. Bank Stadium property. Why don't they fly over to his house with the FBI and arrest his ass? I'm serious! These Eagles pricks are a dochey bunch. If we just sit back and say, "Oh, we'll just replace the seat," that'll give carte blanche to other dickhead football fans to take even more seats. Those seats are paid for by taxpayer money. If this keeps up -- and it will if stadium officials don't go after this guy -- it'll eventually show up on the state budget.
This shit needs to be nipped in the bud, and now. Arrest him, extradite him back here, and prosecute this East Coast chump to the fullest extent of the law. Make an example out of this rude Eagles thief. Because if we don't stand up to bullies like him now, more of them are going to come and destroy property that we, the taxpayers of this state, paid for.
When the hell are we going to defend ourselves?
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Puma Black Thermal Tights Just About Done
Yeah, the elastic around my waist is sagging, and even though there is a drawstring, my bulging belly has basically beat up these leggings to the point where I feel as though it's falling down to my thighs.
I would have switched this, but these are the only clean pair of thermal bottoms I have right now, which means it is time for me to wash my clothes. Oh, and also to buy a new pair. Oh! And to give these tights away.
I would have switched this, but these are the only clean pair of thermal bottoms I have right now, which means it is time for me to wash my clothes. Oh, and also to buy a new pair. Oh! And to give these tights away.
Monday, February 5, 2018
The Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey
#-1: Wild (Last Week: -4). Overall, this week is underwhelming. The performances for all six local teams continue to expose big and serious weaknesses in their efforts to win a title. So I am giving the top spot for the week to the Mild, which beat the BJs in a Shootout in Columbus, then came home to cool off the Las Vegas Golden Knights which have been rigged to give the expansion team a powerful roster in order to ensure a non-hockey market a good team from the outset, 5-2. They got crushed by The Bastard North Stars down there, 6-1, which really sucks. But this was a road game the night after beating Vegas at home, and since all the other teams in this survey turned in weaker weeks, this loss is the most forgivable.
For now they hold down the final playoff spot out west. They have a pair of Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday weeks coming up. First up: At St. Louis, then home to Arizona and Chicago.
#-2: Timberwolves (Last Week: -3). Hey, if this team could just play all their games at Target Center, they would be unstoppable. Unfortunately you can't do that, thus a pair of five-point losses to start off the screening week at Atlanta and Toronto on back-to-back nights. But once the Woofie Dogs got back to some home cookin', they handily beat Milwaukee and New Orleans to stretch their home winning streak to a dozen. Unfortunately, they strike back out on the road, albeit to face reeling Cleveland and Chicago, the team to which they sent Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine to extract Jimmy Butler. Then on Sunday they come home to face Sacramento.
#-3: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -1). This year remains upside-down; it's the pro teams trying to redeem the WMNSS while the Dinkytown teams are dragging down the local sports scene. The best among these this week are the lady icers, and even they managed just a split of road series with St. Cloud St. I could see the glass half-full with Saturday's 5-2 victory. But I want to find fault, so I have to dwell on this club blowing a two-Goal lead in the third period and then falling to the Huskies in a Shootout. Sure, they get a loser point, but they're still losers, and they remain firmly on the bubble heading into the final series of the year in two weeks. It's against Wisconsin, which was the #1 team in the land but got swept this weekend by resurrected Ohio St.
#-4: Gopher women's basketball (Re-Entry!). The U. lady ballers also split on the road. But they followed up a ten-point win at Wisconsin Wednesday with an eight-point defeat at Iowa Super Bowl Sunday despite Carlie Wagner reaching 2,000 points with the Gophers in that game. Charlie Creme still has this squad on the periphery of the NCAA Tournament, but I don't think they have any margin for error. They finish a three-game road trip Thursday against Purdue, then return to Williams to face Penn St. Sunday, the first of a four-game homestand.
#-5: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -6). Got crushed at Iowa Friday, 34-7. Mitch McKee won at 133, but the more notable story is unranked Brandon Krone not only beating 20th-ranked Mitch Bowman at 184 but winning via Major Decision. So hey, these guys didn't get shut out. They finish conference play this weekend out east -- Rutgers Friday, Maryland Sunday.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -5). Stick a fork in these guys, they're done. If I have more time next week I'll expound on the fate of Richard Pitino. But for this week let's just note that they got blown out at Iowa and then folded on a Three-Point Play in Overtime at Michigan. This week: Home to Nebraska, at Indiana.
For now they hold down the final playoff spot out west. They have a pair of Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday weeks coming up. First up: At St. Louis, then home to Arizona and Chicago.
#-2: Timberwolves (Last Week: -3). Hey, if this team could just play all their games at Target Center, they would be unstoppable. Unfortunately you can't do that, thus a pair of five-point losses to start off the screening week at Atlanta and Toronto on back-to-back nights. But once the Woofie Dogs got back to some home cookin', they handily beat Milwaukee and New Orleans to stretch their home winning streak to a dozen. Unfortunately, they strike back out on the road, albeit to face reeling Cleveland and Chicago, the team to which they sent Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine to extract Jimmy Butler. Then on Sunday they come home to face Sacramento.
#-3: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -1). This year remains upside-down; it's the pro teams trying to redeem the WMNSS while the Dinkytown teams are dragging down the local sports scene. The best among these this week are the lady icers, and even they managed just a split of road series with St. Cloud St. I could see the glass half-full with Saturday's 5-2 victory. But I want to find fault, so I have to dwell on this club blowing a two-Goal lead in the third period and then falling to the Huskies in a Shootout. Sure, they get a loser point, but they're still losers, and they remain firmly on the bubble heading into the final series of the year in two weeks. It's against Wisconsin, which was the #1 team in the land but got swept this weekend by resurrected Ohio St.
#-4: Gopher women's basketball (Re-Entry!). The U. lady ballers also split on the road. But they followed up a ten-point win at Wisconsin Wednesday with an eight-point defeat at Iowa Super Bowl Sunday despite Carlie Wagner reaching 2,000 points with the Gophers in that game. Charlie Creme still has this squad on the periphery of the NCAA Tournament, but I don't think they have any margin for error. They finish a three-game road trip Thursday against Purdue, then return to Williams to face Penn St. Sunday, the first of a four-game homestand.
#-5: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -6). Got crushed at Iowa Friday, 34-7. Mitch McKee won at 133, but the more notable story is unranked Brandon Krone not only beating 20th-ranked Mitch Bowman at 184 but winning via Major Decision. So hey, these guys didn't get shut out. They finish conference play this weekend out east -- Rutgers Friday, Maryland Sunday.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -5). Stick a fork in these guys, they're done. If I have more time next week I'll expound on the fate of Richard Pitino. But for this week let's just note that they got blown out at Iowa and then folded on a Three-Point Play in Overtime at Michigan. This week: Home to Nebraska, at Indiana.
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