Random Thoughts That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Go Here

[pbot]

Watched a few minutes of the congressional baseball game last night, I never knew there was such a game before the shooting. Aside from the horrendous cspan camera work, was somewhat interesting to see normal people playing in a big league stadium and do the mental comparison of how they played/moved vs what we see daily in every MLB game.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Always fun when the shitty manager at the shitty restaurant tries to throw the waitress under the bus & her reaction when you share that news with her reveals clearly how full of shit the SOB was.

And I use the word "fun" entirely sarcastically here.

[stevew]

Seriously what.the.FUCK is up with all the Matress Firm stores. I just saw 3 within a mile in Pittsburgh. It's nuts.

[stevew]

RE the Congressional baseball game:

Would be hilarious if there was some under the radar effort by one of the parties to recruit someone like Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine or the like to seek a senate/house seat just for the purpose of the game. Maybe if someone like Billy Wagner suddenly benefits from a bunch of PAC dollars we will know something is up

[cuervo72]

Jim Bunning - Wikipedia

[INDalltheway]

Originally Posted by stevew

Seriously what.the.FUCK is up with all the Matress Firm stores. I just saw 3 within a mile in Pittsburgh. It's nuts.

They bought out competitors in Pittsburgh and unfortunately inherited their leases. It's an issue across the country, and stores are starting to close where it makes sense. *I work for Mattress Firm*

[stevew]

Oh no Ross...you're the devil

[albionmoonlight]

Having grown up less than an hour from Mississippi, I have no problem spelling it.

But, Lord, this Southern boy cannot spell Connecticut or Massachusetts without spell-check to save his life.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by INDalltheway

They bought out competitors in Pittsburgh and unfortunately inherited their leases. It's an issue across the country, and stores are starting to close where it makes sense. *I work for Mattress Firm*

I passed two across the street from each other this weekend. It's getting to Starbucks levels.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Butter

I passed two across the street from each other this weekend. It's getting to Starbucks levels.

Supposedly in Boise, according to an article I read, there are 4 within a mile of each other.

[JediKooter]

Not even trying to make fun of what happened with the Navy ship and its crewmen, but, is it me or does it seem like the US Navy has a unusually large amount of incidents with Japanese boats?

[INDalltheway]

Originally Posted by stevew

Supposedly in Boise, according to an article I read, there are 4 within a mile of each other.

It's bad in a lot of places. That is the issue with how the company grew (acquisitions). Stores have low overhead with typically only 1 associate per store. Sell a couple of beds a day and the stores are breaking pretty much even.

[Suicane75]

I miss when TV stations would sign off. Especially the ones that played America The Beautiful at 4am.

[Chief Rum]

Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" is a terrible, terrible song.

It has no redeeming melody. It has no memorable kick, other than that kick you wish to deliver to yourself for listening to it. Its lyrics are even less noteable. It doesn't even have the completist value of being some forgotten hit of an otherwise remarkable band--Harvey Danger is instantly forgettable.

And yet years and years after this song was released, it conitnues to find its way into throwback playback sets, in gyms, in restaurants, on the radio in your car.

I have always known on some level that I hate this worthless song, but the thought only truly came to fruition as I sat in the gym lockeroom tonight getting ready to leave and noticed that it was playing.

That is all.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" is a terrible, terrible song.

It has no redeeming melody. It has no memorable kick, other than that kick you wish to deliver to yourself for listening to it. Its lyrics are even less noteable. It doesn't even have the completist value of being some forgotten hit of an otherwise remarkable band--Harvey Danger is instantly forgettable.

And yet years and years after this song was released, it conitnues to find its way into throwback playback sets, in gyms, in restaurants, on the radio in your car.

I have always known on some level that I hate this worthless song, but the thought only truly came to fruition as I sat in the gym lockeroom tonight getting ready to leave and noticed that it was playing.

That is all.

Surprise! Best Rock Band tournament: Harvey Danger is seed #222.

OK, that's a lie.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" is a terrible, terrible song.

It's a song that I have a positive reaction too because it's the theme song to one of my favorite tv shows (British comedy Peep Show, season 2 onwards). So it doesnt matter how bad the song is, I hear it and I think "yay, Peep Show is coming on!". I'm ok with it because of the positive association.

Same thing with U2's "Beautiful Day". Used to be the theme show for Match of the Day soccer highlights on the BBC, so when I hear it I think "yay soccer!" instead of "booo Bono".

[albionmoonlight]

Why are people still trying to come up with "natural" mosquito repellents? Science has already solved this one. #TeamDEET

[stevew]

Bout fkn time Uber is building a tip line into the app. I do 50-100 rides a week so easily this should make me 3-400$ a month. At this point I only pick up Lyft from the airport cause with business travelers typically you get 5-10$ extra in tips.(with rates about exactly the same otherwise)

[stevew]

Oh and I never ask for/solicit/expect tips, but if they're feeling generous of course I'll take it. Heard "sorry I'd tip you, but I don't have any cash" far too many times.

[Barkeep49]

I think adding tips is 100% the right thing to do. It also means that I'm less likely to use it since it already left like a luxury good and it's now that much more expensive. But when I do use it I will tip. I'm curious to see what the tipping convention will be. It's a bit of the wild west even with taxis as a baseline comparison.

[albionmoonlight]

I don't like tipping in general--I wish that prices would just go up and people would get paid more. So I don't like to see it spreading.

(To be clear, I do tip 15-20% unless service was horrible. I just wish that the culture changed so that my bill was 20% higher and no tip was expected).

[albionmoonlight]

stevew--does/will the app tell the driver the tipping history of potential riders?

[stevew]

No. But you can go in and adjust ratings after the fact. So I *imagine* that there will be a lot of douches 1*ing non tippers way after the fact.

I basically 5* everyone unless I can tell you probably gave me a low rating. At this point I'm doing a lot more Lyfts so if I see I got a 3* or less, I'm retroactively giving a 1 to who I assume did it.

If u are going to tip, I'd probably go $1-2 dollars max for any ride and a few extra if it's a long ride time wise, but a short ride mileage wise. I literally make about 8-9 cents a minute in traffic.

[stevew]

Dola, pretty sure some guy was getting head in my back seat last night but I was not about to visually confirm.

[NobodyHere]

Georgia Apple Pie Moonshine is some good stuff

[QuikSand]

I'm mostly happy with the pack of Bombas socks I bought.

Problem is, the brand name is printed right across the toes. Making it the most insidious earworm ever.

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by stevew

Oh and I never ask for/solicit/expect tips, but if they're feeling generous of course I'll take it. Heard "sorry I'd tip you, but I don't have any cash" far too many times.

This drives me nuts as well. A few years back, my wife would raid my wallet for any cash I had so she would not have to go to the bank and take out cash for the snack machine at work. The problem was she never told me, and I figured that I was spending the money on some odds and ends while traveling. I made the decision to stop carrying cash. Now, since I travel in the Northeast and there are a ton of people you are supposed to tip for various things, it drives me nuts that I cannot include tips on my bill more.

[thesloppy]

Was there a sliver of time where Jack Earle Haley was a legit sex symbol? Cuz that's a remarkably ugly dude.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" is a terrible, terrible song.

It has no redeeming melody. It has no memorable kick, other than that kick you wish to deliver to yourself for listening to it. Its lyrics are even less noteable. It doesn't even have the completist value of being some forgotten hit of an otherwise remarkable band--Harvey Danger is instantly forgettable.

And yet years and years after this song was released, it conitnues to find its way into throwback playback sets, in gyms, in restaurants, on the radio in your car.

I have always known on some level that I hate this worthless song, but the thought only truly came to fruition as I sat in the gym lockeroom tonight getting ready to leave and noticed that it was playing.

That is all.

You're wrong. Or maybe my self-loathing has reached the point where I completely relate to it in every way.

[pbot]

After 20+ years, still amazes me when people expect/demand heavily discounted or free stuff from a veterinarian...just because an animal is involved. Vet hospitals are for profit businesses, have employees to pay, medical school loans to repay, insurance premiums, rent, equipment leases, etc.

Pets are expensive. Can't afford it....then don't get one (or more).

[stevew]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Was there a sliver of time where Jack Earle Haley was a legit sex symbol? Cuz that's a remarkably ugly dude.

Bad News Bears in Breaking Training was his peak I'm assuming

[stevew]

While most of the Little Debbie cakes are still on point, they've finally removed the last of the "good stuff" from the Swiss Rolls recipe and they are now trash. Not sure whatever ingredient it was that was keeping them relevant, but it has been replaced by something inferior.

[Suicane75]

I never understood the appeal of Devil Dogs. I felt like I always needed at least a full 32oz drink just to get those dry heaps down. I'd lick the cream out of the middle and throw the two sides away. They are the least "treat", treat ever.

Also, has anyone ever started typing a reply where your username should go, like I just did?

[JediKooter]

Originally Posted by stevew

Bad News Bears in Breaking Training was his peak I'm assuming

How about in Damnation Alley?

[lungs]

Originally Posted by pbot

After 20+ years, still amazes me when people expect/demand heavily discounted or free stuff from a veterinarian...just because an animal is involved. Vet hospitals are for profit businesses, have employees to pay, medical school loans to repay, insurance premiums, rent, equipment leases, etc.

Pets are expensive. Can't afford it....then don't get one (or more).

I've always had trouble grasping the disparity between large animal (farm animals) and small animal in terms of vet costs. I can get a major surgery done on a cow for less than $200.

I may be off base, but I've always figured that it's mostly the price people are willing to pay. When I've got 450 cows, and we're doing on average one or two surgeries a month, I sure as hell won't be doing these surgeries if they cost $2000 instead of $200.

I don't see it so much in the drug prices, they are what they are. Unless that same drug is suddenly administered to a human. Then you can mark it up 1000%.

[General Mike]

Why can't I find the Lil Debbie Star Crunches anymore?

[stevew]

RE: Breathsavers-
The "3 Hour Mints" type that are sold in a hockey puck type container are the ones that most closely resemble the OG type that people remember.

[nol]

I had definitely heard about the Bobby Bonilla deal as one of those weird sports contracts when I was younger, but I'd never realized until seeing something about it yesterday that the reason the Mets were doing those deferred money deals in the first place was for the owners to have more money up front to invest in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. That's hilarious and I have no idea how that had escaped me.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by lungs

I've always had trouble grasping the disparity between large animal (farm animals) and small animal in terms of vet costs. I can get a major surgery done on a cow for less than $200.

I may be off base, but I've always figured that it's mostly the price people are willing to pay. When I've got 450 cows, and we're doing on average one or two surgeries a month, I sure as hell won't be doing these surgeries if they cost $2000 instead of $200.

It kinda makes sense, if you assume that working on a cat is tougher just because it's smaller....like I imagine it's pretty easy to find whatever big-ass cow organ you're looking for, but trying to do the same thing with a kitten that fits in your hand must be much more difficult.

[stevew]

Isn't the upside(or downside?)to a cow surgery that if it's botched, you can always make a shitload of hamburgers? I know dairy cows aren't black Angus but still quite edible. A dead cat is just a lost family member.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

It kinda makes sense, if you assume that working on a cat is tougher just because it's smaller....like I imagine it's pretty easy to find whatever big-ass cow organ you're looking for, but trying to do the same thing with a kitten that fits in your hand must be much more difficult.

I'm thinking this.

[Warhammer]

Good grief, why do people not do what you advise them to do things, the way you told them to do it?

Just handed off the top sales territory at work, and my replacement through a lack of drive or having to do things his own way is going to thoroughly screw things up.

[pbot]

Originally Posted by lungs

I may be off base, but I've always figured that it's mostly the price people are willing to pay. When I've got 450 cows, and we're doing on average one or two surgeries a month, I sure as hell won't be doing these surgeries if they cost $2000 instead of $200.

There's a lot of truth in your statement. A lot of people treat pets as family members, and - at least in our area - will pay a lot of money to keep them healthy and comfortable. My family (aunt/uncle/cousin) owns a small dairy farm, they wouldn't pay thousands of dollars for a surgery for their cows. Frankly, they don't have the money to spend, they're doing good to pay the bills each month.

Originally Posted by thesloppy

It kinda makes sense, if you assume that working on a cat is tougher just because it's smaller....like I imagine it's pretty easy to find whatever big-ass cow organ you're looking for, but trying to do the same thing with a kitten that fits in your hand must be much more difficult.

From my conversations with the family vet, larger animals can be more difficult. Yes, it is easier to see the stuff inside, navigation and identification is more apparent, but there is also more tissue to work around/cut through and it often takes more brute force in a larger animal than a smaller one. She would much rather do surgery on a cat or small dog than an 80 lb dog.

[CU Tiger]

Not go mention you can physically move a dog around, hold a leg back etc. That's considerably toughie on a half ton cow

[bob]

I'm not sure I've ever received a really good gift...

I've received nice gifts before. But nothing that was really meaningful or showed that the giver really knew me.

[cuervo72]

On the subway the other day I saw what I believe was an eastern European couple. Girl was flat gorgeous, with a face I swear reminded me of someone I'd seen before (no, not from porn, like a 60s starlet or something). Guy of course was your typical tall, bump-nosed goofy looking eastern Euro dude.

I still fail to understand the genetics of that region.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by pbot

From my conversations with the family vet, larger animals can be more difficult. Yes, it is easier to see the stuff inside, navigation and identification is more apparent, but there is also more tissue to work around/cut through and it often takes more brute force in a larger animal than a smaller one. She would much rather do surgery on a cat or small dog than an 80 lb dog.

Interesting, thanks for some actual insight.

[lungs]

What it comes down to is that when I look at a cow, I look at her economic value. Your regular cow can range in value (depending on age, market, etc...) from $500-3000. You might hear of some pretty high value cows, $1 million or more, but that's not particularly relevant here.

If we are looking at a $1500 cow, the amount we are willing to stick into one individual is pretty limited. And then we start thinking about the return. Is it even worth it? Or would we be better off just putting her on a trailer and sending her to slaughter?

When you are dealing with a family pet, the only consideration that usually comes into play is ability to pay. And then in some cases that's not even a consideration.

I have tons of respect for veterinarians, but large animal vets even more so. Granted, they do see a nice chunk of change from me. My monthly vet bill usually runs $5-6000. But it takes a special kind to be a large animal vet and money is not usually the largest motivating factor in them.

[thesloppy]

This is kind of in poor taste, but despite the fact that this place sometimes seems like it's on life support, and though we've lost many of my favorites over the years, I feel like some of the more recent defections have actually made this place somewhat more pleasant and easygoing.

[cuervo72]

Man vs Food > Ginormous Food

Latter host not doing it for me.