DLD 12/18/08. Shake it like an Apricot picture.

by Apricot on Dec 18, 2008 11:14 AM PST Comment 121 comments

1. Intro

It has been a tumultuous time. Not only was Fanfest cancelled, but Apple left Macworld. I have some very deep (i.e., boring to you, but you know how to scroll, so quit whining, I only post twice a year) things to say about this, but first, let us clear our minds with the following:

Q: CONAN! What is good in life?

A: The Senior Hip Hop Choir.

(Really, go watch it.)

My first reaction was to flinch in horror, then embarrassment. The internet has trained us to be sent links to unreflective idiots on Youtube that we are expected to feel contempt for. But, soon came the realization that these are not stupid people, they know they are going to look ridiculous, you can see a few of them cracking up as they go. There is no chance anyone will think they are hip. So why do it? As they put it, and I believe it, it's a way to try to connect to generations well after their time, and to provoke strong reactions and conversation. The world is passing them by, and instead of refusing to see the change, they stick their heads out the window. So my reaction to the clip now is still a bit of horror, but also a lot of respect for the guts it took to make that and share it out.

2. Macworld

Now, Apple had a very long tradition of being a spectacle at Macworld, particularly the Jobs keynote. The loss of this tradition is a matter of indifference to most people, but to serious Appleheads, there is a sense of nostalgia and that the world is changing in scary ways. But Apple, A.J.R. (After Jobs's Return), has been a company that has made unusual, risky, tradition-wrecking corporate moves. This was the only way that a company on the brink of doom, a huge underdog, could survive and thrive. As Gruber says, Apple not only broke industry traditions, but seemed to go out of its way to break their own traditions.

Actually, when I was a pup, I had an Apple //e, a spectacular computer and perhaps the last, best computer which an geeky owner might be able to say they understood EVERYTHING about it, from machine language to the chips on the motherboard. I loved that computer. And Apple went out of its way to smash that tradition with the incompatible Mac. At the time (80s) I was fairly bitter about it and it took me many years to come around to buying my first Mac. But the products were compelling, so I caved in.

3. The Point, And I Do Have One

Now my point, and I do have one, is that the A's are similar in certain but not all ways. They are the plucky underdogs, they defy tradition and conventional wisdom and keep looking for the next edge. They toss aside the fan favorites out of cold numerical assessment, they swap away players at the hint of an inefficiency to exploit, they close the upper deck that has so many nice memories. And now they are scrapping Fanfest, which in all likelihood was NOT getting them any bump in tickets sold, and was a pain in the butt to put on. I feel uneasy at the change, but in reality, I never enjoyed Fanfest as much as I wanted to. The Q&A could never address anything meaty, and everything else was kind of a muddle. I do have a memory (was this a Fanfest?) of coming out of a theater (Paramount?) and seeing Macha handing me an A's DVD. I had a split second of wanting to find something clever or probing to say to him, but then I was quickly pushed out onto the street.

But here is the difference. Apple thrives by getting people to want to buy a product and to love it for its design, effectiveness or fashion. And viewed clinically, the A's do too. They thrive when people come to love their product: their players. The difference is that you get to keep your iPhone and cuddle it to sleep; you don't get to keep your shiny new Nick Swisher and his pointing up to his grandma, he gets traded as soon as possible. You don't keep your Haren and Harden. Even your misfit toys like Hatty and Marco are left behind. You get left with Bobby Crosby's ass, whose efforts you eye with contempt like some pathetic unreflective Youtube star's.

You know, people say you should root for the laundry, but that's idiotic. (Go rinse cycle, go go!) Sports is about emotional connections to people that you like striving under pressure and duress. When Marco Scutaro had another of his unlikely game-winning hits, it meant so much more, watching his struggle and blossom as a utility player (and it goes into another dimension if you've seen Player to Be Named Later). When Huddy outdueled Pedro, it felt extra good because you saw him come up and grow through the years. When Kendall kept on making those crazy painful suicidal plays, it meant more because you'd gotten to know him. When Hatty got that gamewinner off K-Rod, it meant so much more because it was Dad and it was dor-K.

I know the numbers pretty well that are driving the decisions. I know the A's are setting themselves up quite well for a long run in 2010 (with possible bonus play next year). Anyone who's seen my mathy posts in the past knows I don't think that Joe Morgan is right about the Enrons and nasty computers. But I feel for him, because I grew up in the 70s watching that brand of baseball. Where people didn't get paid ungodly sums (however deserved) and free agency and payroll differences didn't SEEM to shred teams of their identity. We miss what we think we remember about those times, when hustle counted and clever managing won games, not getting on base and waiting for the long ball.

I've been wrestling a bit with my relative indifference to the A's this year. I still want them to succeed, and I'm curious about the new players. But you know, I'd really just gotten to know my old players from the last ten years! And it makes it worse to come to AN and catch up, because my eye is drawn to the people that I know here from that time (how could I have missed Sal's dogsled manhunt for Thunderbutt?), and I think about the games and events we shared from that time (all those listed above). I can never forget coming to AN to process with others Kendall's Tag and reading McFood rambling about huge brass balls. I guess it's in the archives. And I don't care if it's good or bad for the team... I miss those players and I want them back, and I'm emotionally exhausted from caring for too many players in too short a time. I do find myself rooting for laundry this year and, well, it's hard to be too invested in how clothing performs.

So many of these kinds of posts are passive-aggressive bargaining ploys. "I won't support the A's anymore unless they change!" This isn't one of those. I understand why the A's are moving as they're moving. In fact, they'll be moving to Fremont, or San Jose, or Portland or Las Vegas soon. And maybe they'll be able to hang on to some players that we like. I know it's nothing personal: they did a cost-benefit analysis and it so happens I'm part of the cost.

We'll always have the archives. Until the New Depression takes the servers offline.

yours fruitfully, Apricot

9 recs | Comment 121 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

This is not a DLD. This is a wonderful post all its own.

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 18, 2008 11:20 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

What he said.

Excellent, and I thank you for the read. Made my dreary lunch taste somewhat better.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Dec 18, 2008 11:44 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

haha, I agree

but I have contemplated the fact the putting DLD in the title is one way to ensure a minimum of 3 recs :)

Based on the 8 this has, I doubt it needed the help…

by ohmangoAs on Dec 19, 2008 12:50 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That's silly.

And funny. Not to worry, the youthful statheads currently in vogue will one day have their stroll down nostalgia lane.

I love old people. Especially the ones that say exactly what’s on their mind and don’t give a rip who it pisses off.

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Dec 18, 2008 11:50 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Who you calling old, sucka!??!!!!!!

Nice post Apricot…………and I work for Apple, too. I know what you mean in both references. cheers!-MRod

by mrod on Dec 18, 2008 12:06 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

It took HUGE BRASS BALLS to post this DLD...

and I’m glad you did, because I mostly feel the same way. But I know when the season starts, I’ll start to invest myself emotionally in whatever players are showing flashes of brilliance, and I’ll start re-arranging my life so I can catch as many games as possible, and I’ll start checking in more and more often on AN, and I’ll be sad as hell when the season ends for the A’s.

Nice DLD, bud.

I blame Englishmajor.

by McFood on Dec 18, 2008 12:11 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

+1

You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}

by micdog2001 on Dec 18, 2008 12:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree that as the season rolls on I will probably become more engaged in the team.

You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}

by micdog2001 on Dec 18, 2008 12:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Mike Tyson

Former heavyweight champion, now just a heavyweight.

Of course this could be court-ordered weight gain; you can’t sexually harass women if you can’t catch them.

by JLaff on Dec 18, 2008 12:17 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Wolverine - x-men origins

http://www.myspace.com/x-menorigins

this movie looks awesome (if you are a comic book movie fan).

Gambit!!!

You have to include smiley faces - Poppy
;- ) :- ) :-O : -> : -] : -}

by micdog2001 on Dec 18, 2008 12:20 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Wolverines!!!

"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."

-Charles Manson

by kaweahkaweah on Dec 18, 2008 3:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

appleheads, statheads...

congratulations on buying into the image that apple has carefully created for itself.
a huge underdog? they control a massive chunk of the market with the ipod, even now that it is stagnating and rivals like the zune are catching up on the innovation front. their computers and iphone are not within the price range of the average consumer. that’s like calling mercedes an underdog because they have such a small share of the automobile market.

at least the billy beane personality cult was created more by accident.

i would say the two are opposites, style (design) vs substance (stats), overpriced toys so yuppies can feel superior vs good values (production / $) for statheads to feel superior.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Dec 18, 2008 12:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

The Oakland A's: The Asus Eee of baseball

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 18, 2008 12:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

+1 Apple the plucky underdog who refused to license its IT and acted far more like the greedy corporation than a little outfit called IBM

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Dec 18, 2008 12:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Uh oh, holy war time

Your dismissal of Apple as style over substance is off the mark. There’s a difference between products where a lot of effort is put into design strictly for show, and ones where a lot of effort is put into design so that they are easier or more pleasurable to use. I would never buy a Jaguar, a very nice-looking car but technically a piece of crap (or so I’m told). But I’m willing to pay some premium for a car with a comfortable driver’s seat, a well-designed control panel, or (of course) a more reliable engine under the hood.

I’ve found that Apple generally does a very good job with form-follows-function design. Their computers are far from perfect, but they’re well-engineered both under the hood (unix base) and from a user interface perspective. I have little interest in either geek chic or in conspicuous consumption, but I’m willing to pay extra for a quality product.

Thanks for tomorrow 'cause I've had enough

by andeux on Dec 18, 2008 1:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

fwiw

i initially used jaguar as my example, but i changed it to mercedes because i wasn’t trying to say apple products are crappy (although earlier generations of ipods did have battery issues).

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Dec 18, 2008 3:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

partly fair critique, partly ignorant

hey Xbox, long time no argue.

Apple is probably not an underdog now in personal electronics. Consider that piece of the discussion amended to refer to Apple 1997-2003 and about personal computers. But consider that when Apple entered the MP3 player market and (recently) the phone market, they WERE underdogs (objectively so… check out the conventional wisdom by professional observers). Just because they are a behemoth now doesn’t undermine the essential point I was trying to make. When you are behind in a market, you need to innovate.

Where you veer off completely is in dismissing their products as toys for superiority. Do some smug people like Apple’s cachet? Yes. Is Mac OS X a fantastic work environment? Yes. Does that mean only morons use Windows? No. Is calling it an overpriced toy wrong? Objectively so. Plenty of academics have purchased their computers for scientific and programming work. Ditto for students.

by Apricot on Dec 18, 2008 2:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't call Apple underdogs in the phone market.

People were literally lining up the day before their phone was released to get their hands on it.

by mikev on Dec 18, 2008 2:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

maybe

but it had been pre-announced 6 months before. The conventional wisdom was that

- the touchscreen keyboard would suck
- it was too ass-expensive
- it was limited to mediocre AT&T
- no 3rd party developer software meant doom

with some justification. No one (except Ballmer) could guarantee it would be a failure, but the sense was that Apple could look pretty foolish. Then the initial press coverage was about whether Apple was not making their sales projections, etc.

My point is that when you come in as an underdog, you have to try a lot of things differently.

- at home initialization
- ass-expensive but lower monthly data rates
- death-grip on 3rd party apps
- no physical keyboard
- no replaceable battery
etc.

by Apricot on Dec 18, 2008 2:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The no replaceable battery is a pretty fantastic scam, actually.

by mikev on Dec 18, 2008 3:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

As is the "no 3rd party" stuff

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Dec 18, 2008 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

xbx doesn't even like 2nd or 1st parties

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 19, 2008 10:18 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

"This party sucks...it really sucks..."

“Leave me alone, I’m going home. This party SUCKS!”

I blame Englishmajor.

by McFood on Dec 19, 2008 1:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

unless i'm mistaken, apricot was one of those people lining jup for the iphone release.

personally i’ll stick with a phone that has all the functionality i’ve gotten used to phones having, and an mp3 player with a decent sized hard drive.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Dec 18, 2008 3:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

nah

I had my wife do it. Payback for camping out at midnight for her damned Harry Potter book.

by Apricot on Dec 18, 2008 4:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

right, that’s what i said about the mp3 market. and because they are no longer behind in the market, they no longer need to innovate.

plenty of academics use their computers, sure, because they’re not the ones who have to pay for them.

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Dec 18, 2008 4:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

With a poke from The Primate, this is a repost from Poppy's yesterDLD. It does concern geezerdom, the dark side ...

Silly Rossmoor, part deux — shooting woodpeckers, when their HOA is infested with peckerwoods. Natty lion-lady unavailable for comment.

linkypoo

Woody sez: “Save a bird — Harvest a geezer!”

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 18, 2008 1:02 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

BTW, if you wanted to register dismay, you can seek “info” from “rossmoor” and they are a “com”-mercial enterprise.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 18, 2008 1:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No ice today.

It didn’t even get below freezing. How can a group of people be so wrong?

But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.

by Jennifer on Dec 18, 2008 1:08 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Expert, defined.

Ex = has-been

Spurt = drip, under pressure.

I’m here all week.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 18, 2008 1:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

good news

because they’re saying we’re about to get walloped here

"The Athletics at Fremont" is unusually bad

by ArakSOT on Dec 18, 2008 1:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

my flight is tomorrow

I better get out before the storm.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Dec 18, 2008 1:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

leave the sled dogs, will you?

"The Athletics at Fremont" is unusually bad

by ArakSOT on Dec 18, 2008 1:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

FAIL.

We now have thunder and lightning.

But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.

by Jennifer on Dec 18, 2008 4:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Any woodpeckers?

"...in baseball you wear a cap." -- george carlin

by Hot Cup Joe on Dec 19, 2008 10:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Count Five is now the Count Four :(

(tear)

Click here in case you’ve never had a Psychotic Reaction

"However, at Elias, I think they keep track of the amount of sunflower seeds spit in a dugout each night." - Brad Ziegler, 8/7/08

by doctorK on Dec 18, 2008 1:15 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I feel depressed … I feel so bad …

(but I suspect a geriatric reaction)

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 18, 2008 1:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

NO!!!

i hadn’t heard this news. that darkens my day…

BB should send scouts to watch cricket players.

by alea iacta est on Dec 18, 2008 1:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Frank Wren and Braves blackball Kinzer/Teller

When WIFN talk show host Bill Shanks prefaced a question by saying that he knew Wren couldn’t burn bridges with Kinzer and Tellem, Wren interjected, “That bridge is gone. I don’t have to worry about burning it. The bridge is gone.”

facepalm.jpg

by Zonis on Dec 18, 2008 1:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Whose birthday is it today?

Something with poison in it, I think, with poison in it … but attractive to the eye and soothing to the smell …

Poppy’s, Poppy’s …

HB, Pops!

Candy Cane

by Ice Cream on Dec 18, 2008 1:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Hey, happy birthday!

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Dec 18, 2008 2:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

POPPY!

Happy Birthday. Go out and do something fun with that 17% raise :)

If I don't comment on your comment how will you know you are completely wrong? -Rocktopus

by pam5981 on Dec 18, 2008 2:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Happy Birthday!

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Dec 18, 2008 2:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

AH!

Happy Birthday!

But he came back. And there was much rejoicing.

by Jennifer on Dec 18, 2008 2:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hippy whoop-de-doop(or whatever)...TO YOU!

Froopy loop-de-loop…TO YOU!

Skanky spanky wank!

Dear Poppy Flop!

Skizzy pizzy wiz…TO YOU!

And Manny’s pores!

I blame Englishmajor.

by McFood on Dec 18, 2008 2:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Happy Birthday, Poppy!

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Dec 18, 2008 3:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yay Poppy! Happy birthday!!

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Dec 18, 2008 3:13 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 18, 2008 3:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Happy birthday!

by walkoff baltimore chop on Dec 18, 2008 4:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Amazonian attack cat says

by Englishmajor on Dec 18, 2008 6:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

fyi to photo posters:

Dog knows I love posting photos — but I worry about whether large scale images will slow down the site. Blez?

You can control the size of the photo by putting a space after the second quotation mark in the link location, and then: height=xxx before the closing arrow >, where xxx is usually less than 200. The width automatically adjusts, for some reason.

So at height=200 the pic above becomes:

You can still read “fucking,” so you get the full effect for fewer pixels.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 19, 2008 8:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It wouldn't slow down the site exactly.

The picture is just being linked to, so no AN bandwidth is involved.

A large picture, however, must be loaded by the user’s browser which takes up some of their bandwith and makes the page load slower for them. Depending upon your connection speed (and the number of pictures on a page) this either matters or doesn’t.

Finally, I don’t believe using the height feature changes the size of the underlying image, and therefore has no effect on your speed concern. It does, however, reduce the size of the image and make it less disruptive of the posts (which is why I do it when I can).

In this case, I think Englishmajor’s size is better because I can’t make out the “fucking” especially clearly on your size, I just already know it’s there.

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Dec 19, 2008 10:47 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Ah yes December 18th, Birthday of the Stars

So many people were born on 12/18!

Happy Birthday!!!!!!! Hope you’ve had a wonderful day :)

"Don't be an ass!" --Bill King

by batgirl on Dec 18, 2008 7:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, all! :)

Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"

by Poppy on Dec 18, 2008 10:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Braves general manager Frank Wren said today the Braves have notified the baseball agency that represents Rafael Furcal that they intend never to do business with them again.

this deserves its own fan post..

by stranahanahan on Dec 18, 2008 1:57 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

You asked for it

You got it.

by mikev on Dec 18, 2008 2:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Toyota.

I blame Englishmajor.

by McFood on Dec 18, 2008 2:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/33741

by stranahanahan on Dec 18, 2008 1:57 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

A's prospect blogging!

Sean Haviland blogging at Ivy League to MLB. Haviland graduated from Harvard in 08 and was drafted in the 33rd round, 994th overall.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Dec 18, 2008 2:07 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

perhaps if the A's sign more Ivy Leaguers, it'll counter their ghetto rep

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 18, 2008 2:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe not

I went to said Ivy, and there was a guy in my class who went home to LA during vacation and robbed banks (and, IIRC, convenience stores) with a gang from his neighborhood. Then, after break, back to school for another semester of higher learning.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Dec 18, 2008 3:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

A true prodigy -- most of 'em need to go to their B-school to learn how to do that.

Fight fiercely, Hahvud!

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 18, 2008 3:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

he's now in investment banking, I presume

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 18, 2008 3:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Does bank robbery infer "ghetto"?

I think both city and country banks/convenience stores/feed stores get robbed.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Dec 18, 2008 5:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It may imply ghetto, or cause others to infer it

My memory was a little faulty — he robbed grocery stores and fast-food places. The gist of the story as the national press reported it was that he felt torn between his working-class neighborhood and his Ivy League world. Here’s the wikipedia page on him.

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Dec 18, 2008 6:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What an idiot.

He should have carried on with his Ivy league education. Then later on he could have bought all the liquor stores he wanted and robbed them at his leisure.

"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer

by alox on Dec 18, 2008 6:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks for the correction, Mr. Grammar.

Perhaps you can come to my job tomorrow, stand over my shoulder and critique that as well.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Dec 18, 2008 11:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If Nick's not free, I'll do it

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 19, 2008 10:19 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I've felt a weird, strange monkey feeling

here in my office all day…it’s a disturbance in the force, like thousands of monkeys, all judging me.

And a weird, strange monkey feeling is somewhere between The Eagles “Peaceful, Easy Feeling” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the feeling spectrum chart.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Dec 19, 2008 1:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It's More Than a Feeling

No, wait — Sal should be experiencing that.

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 19, 2008 1:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Smells like Boston.

I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico

by Leopold Bloom on Dec 19, 2008 2:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Rosenthal predicts Abreu will end up with A's

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/pgStory?contentId=8950370#sport=MLB&photo=8948646

McGwire belongs in the Hall so put him there

by streetisclosedin08 on Dec 18, 2008 2:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

wha?

Does anyone else think this is a remote possibility?

by Apricot on Dec 18, 2008 2:57 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Erm. I hope not?

by mikev on Dec 18, 2008 3:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it is a bad idea.

I would hope that this not even a remote possibility.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Dec 18, 2008 3:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

While he definitely seems like a Beane type of player...

uh, can he play 1B? Our outfield’s a little crowded right now.

Or even better, perhaps his lousy RF defense would translate well to SS? That’s thinking outside the box, BB!

"All your baserunner are belong to Greg Smith" ~ walk off bunt

by Philip Christy on Dec 18, 2008 3:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Apricot. You must post more often.

Also cartoons. Make more cartoons.

by whiteshoes40 on Dec 18, 2008 3:12 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

RIP, Lance Johnson

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 18, 2008 3:46 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Wow, I thought you meant the White Sox' slap-hitting CF

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Dec 18, 2008 4:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That sucks.

I had no idea he was in “Josey Wales”, one of my favorites ever.

by somebodyelse on Dec 18, 2008 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Jerry Crasnick on Abreu

Vinny Linkaroni

Hmmmmm, I would not have guessed this:

Abreu’s main offensive specialty — grinding out at-bats — also has to be seen consistently to be appreciated. Last year Abreu swung at the first pitch a major league-low 7.9 percent of the time. He also saw an average of 4.29 pitches per plate appearances, making him the third-most-selective hitter in the game behind Nick Swisher and Jack Cust.

"RIP: UserID: 553"

by Masaryk on Dec 18, 2008 4:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

He'd be solid if we didn't already have a DH.

by mikev on Dec 18, 2008 4:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

and if the whole team wasn't already pretty patient

I’m all for plate discipline, but in principle I like Beane’s idea the last several years about adding one or two swing-happy batters to the roster (the execution of the theory has been poor because the hitters have been poor).

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 18, 2008 4:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

DFA FTW!!!

"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin

by Helloooo 1st on Dec 18, 2008 6:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Okay, well let's see which GOOD swing happy batters are out there...

Uh… Vlad… Ichiro… um… er… well, shit.

by mikev on Dec 18, 2008 7:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Excellent read

thanks for something different

by easyraider on Dec 18, 2008 9:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

And my week is still going good!

An Apricot Sighting! :-D

Ray: "How fun is it to be up here playing in the Big Leagues?"
Gio: "It's *SUPER* fun!!!"

by Poppy on Dec 18, 2008 10:05 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

SONG TRIVIA (cuz it's Apricot, 2am and i got nuthin' else)

Anyone name this song?

“they want to get out of here
but they can’t find the exits
they cling to the cinema
and they can’t find security
then they finally got recognized
so they left in obscurity and misery”

Or this:

“In this town only one word rules,. the young were taught back in Sunday school..
But a lady will train a select few,. a lesson in life they know is taboo…”

Or this:

“Ah, push it
Ah, push it
Oooh, baby, baby
Baby, baby
Oooh, baby, baby
Baby, baby
Get up on this!”
Kudos to anyone who can name all three.

"The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" -Al Jourgensen

by easyrichboy on Dec 18, 2008 11:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Bored....I'll play

Guided by Voices
Malhavoc
Salt n Peppa

"RIP: UserID: 553"

by Masaryk on Dec 18, 2008 11:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

nice.

not tuff e’nuff?

"The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" -Al Jourgensen

by easyrichboy on Dec 18, 2008 11:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The Fabulous Thunderbirds!

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 19, 2008 7:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I always preferred the Tail Gators myself

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 19, 2008 10:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Just picked up thid tidbit form mlb.com

I was talking to my friend Kevin who runs a minor league blog for the Giants, sfdugout.com, and he was telling me about the following event that he attended at Giants HQ.According to a “McCovey Chronicles.com blog posted by someone in attendance for a "fireside chat” with season-ticket holders by Brian Sabean, the Giants’ general manager is really hustling to get Randy Johnson to accept a one-year contract." I think it is a done deal in my opinion. If I have a first hand acoount of this conversation taking place, chances are it is the real deal.

Enjoy…

Here is the link that was updated…

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081219&content_id=3722848&vkey=hotstove2008&fext=.jsp

by mrod on Dec 18, 2008 11:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Titles

Bright Paper Werewolves
Punishments
Push It

"RIP: UserID: 553"

by Masaryk on Dec 18, 2008 11:44 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

didja cheat

or actually know the songs?

"The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" -Al Jourgensen

by easyrichboy on Dec 19, 2008 12:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

try this:

“so precise!”

"The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" -Al Jourgensen

by easyrichboy on Dec 19, 2008 12:08 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I cheated on 2 of 3

"RIP: UserID: 553"

by Masaryk on Dec 19, 2008 12:09 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

not surprised- Malhavoc and GBV = you'd almost have to be in my house to hear them.

"The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" -Al Jourgensen

by easyrichboy on Dec 19, 2008 12:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I had Salt n Peppa

"RIP: UserID: 553"

by Masaryk on Dec 19, 2008 12:11 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

But, I learned about two new bands

so, thank you

"RIP: UserID: 553"

by Masaryk on Dec 19, 2008 12:13 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

2 weird bands....

…if you gain pleasure out of those two i salute you as a gourmet.

"The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" -Al Jourgensen

by easyrichboy on Dec 19, 2008 12:16 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Just to continue the geeky Mac Discussion

There are a few reasons why I absolutely hate Apple the Company (note the distinction between the company and its products)

1. Their ads are condescending, and often straight up LIES. For example, this ad treats a built-in webcam as some exclusive apple invention (as opposed to a $20 option on a PC that’s already $500 cheaper than the apple). Another great example, is this horribly ironic ad, where Apple dude criticizes PC for having too large an advertising budget. (oh cruel, OBVIOUS irony, using an ad to criticize ad spending, even as you advertise ten times as much as your competition) Sometimes I think Apple ads come with an implied shut off your brain prerequisite.

2. They design incompatibilities just to screw with you, as though they can somehow coerce you into staying with Apple. ITunes is junk on this front. God knows why Apple needs an “apple” key AND a control key, or why they have to take all control-key functions, and map them onto the apple key. Why can’t the mouse have two buttons again? Why can’t ringtones purchased from any source other than itunes be used? Why can’t I use my IPod as a hard drive, or link it to any (better) music software other than Itunes? For god’s sake, it’s unbelievable to me that there’s no anti-trust against Apple, considering how much bundling they do (Ipod-Itunes is the best example, and very similar to the PC-Windows bundling Microsoft got in trouble for)..

3. Their products are not priced well. Seriously, you can get laptops with the SAME components as Apple for literally half the price. I bought an HP with the same chipset, processor, and RAM as a comparable Macbook. The HP was 699, the macbook 1300. This is changing to some extent (I think the new macbook is more reasonably priced, slightly).

4. They’re arrogant. Calling your employees "Genius"es isn’t cute, its arrogant (especially since most of them are college students, often really inept). Note that BestBuy did a similar naming (Geek Squad) which conveyed the same concept, without the massive arrogance.

I like a lot of the innovations Apple comes out with. I seriously would buy a good number of Mac products. It’s just that so much of what they do annoys me to the point that its a cost to using their products. The IPhone is clearly the best phone in existence right now. But I can’t get myself to get one, because I know that every time they force something on me (however small, like the ringtone thing) I’ll get the feeling that I’m being manipulated, and controlled. If they’d just keep innovating as they have so far, and rely on a superior product selling itself (rather than bundling, and creating incompatibilities on purpose), I’d seriously buy more apple products (to the extent I could afford them).

End Rant. Feel free to ignore me.

by ohmangoAs on Dec 19, 2008 1:15 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

+a whole lot

Your point #2 is where I was going – far less articulately – above. I find it fascinating that in the early PC wars, the “garage business” ended up furiously protecting their system and preventing anyone else from improving upon it while the “evil corporate empire” opened their system up completely and allowed anyone with a good idea to improve their product.

Itunes, the ATT iPhone deal, and your ring-tones are all great examples of people cheerfully being manipulated by Apple’s PR. If Microsoft tried any of that the “OMG M$ sucks” reaction would be deafening.

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Dec 19, 2008 10:52 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

WTF?

Microsoft “opened their system up COMPLETELY and allowed ANYONE with a good idea to improve their product”?

Do you work for MS? Own stock in them?

You CANNOT be serious.

Were you paying attention when Neukom, the current boss of the Giants, worked for them? Have you paid attention to Ballmer’s career?

If you want to see a REAL example of OPENness, look at Unix. Look at what has been done, and what is being done in the Unix world: FreeBSD, Linux, EFF, the Gnu project, etc ad infinitum.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Dec 21, 2008 11:40 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

the ads

the PC guy is funny, the mac guy is a total douche… yet apple is paying for the ad!

think different: what do people like gandhi and kurosawa have to do with apple computers? also, think DIFFERENT??

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Dec 19, 2008 3:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Gandhi was an early designer on the Motorola 68000 project, and Kurosawa designed the hockey puck mouse for the iMac.

by Apricot on Dec 19, 2008 4:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

1. Ad campaign is a matter of taste, so go ahead and hate it.

2. Lots of ignorance mixed with decent points here. The Apple key has a long history dating back to my beloved Apple II series. Your ranting on that is sheer ignorance.

Control keys have special meaning dating back to terminals. You did need two sets of modifiers back then.

I use a four button mouse with my Mac. It’s not a big deal. My mother can’t handle two buttons. Are you saying she shouldn’t use computers? The default should be simple.

Ringtones: it’s to extract money. I think the idea of a personal ringtone is sort of dumb, but yes it’s a scam.

I used to use my iPod all the time as a hard drive. I haven’t purchased any recent models.

They lock you to iTunes to make money. Buy a Zune if that frustrates you.

There’s no monopoly that Apple has. If you want portable music, there are lots of non-Apple options.

3. Their products are priced very well in that they sell tons. Just cause you are not sold on the cost effectiveness doesn’t mean they need to cater to you. Comparing straight hardware is not the whole story.

4. You’re free to have your opinion about that.

They are definitely a Big Company trying to extract money out of you. Would I prefer a gorgeous well-designed free/cheap open-source computer system that worked? When that happens, I’ll be there. Until then, as a consumer I’ll have to pick from a field of flawed competitors.

by Apricot on Dec 19, 2008 3:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

"They lock you to iTunes to make money."

That’s the one that has pissed me off, and that strikes as more of a Microsoft than Apple tactic. The iPod is under-featured and fragile compared to its competition — so they try to tie you into it by putting a non-value-adding dingus onto itunes downloads so you’re locked into their hardware. That sucks, and is at-war with Apple’s former image in my mind of making money thru innovation, rather than gotcha tactics.

I bought a non-iPod mp3 player for a lot less than the comparable iPod, and it also had a radio and a mic feature, and more memory. I still saved money after buying a program ("tunebite") to remove the itunes dingus. And it’s lasted longer than any of its iPod ancestors, with no battery life problems.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 19, 2008 4:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

No, locking you into something that you can only use with their products and services

has always been Apple’s business model. Thats kind of what screwed them over and let Microsoft take the market in the first place.

facepalm.jpg

by Zonis on Dec 19, 2008 11:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Nods

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Dec 20, 2008 12:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the situations are different, based on "non-value-adding" nature of the restriction

I am not a mac-er, but I always understood that Apple’s OSs were more stable, more intuitive to use and generally superior to the bug-infested crap foisted on us by the $ofties. Therefore, it’s a feature — people seek it in making their pc purchases, Apple can charge more for it, and grow legion of geeky admirers who commune at MacWorld and swear by the product. No problem by me — niche marketing and consumer choice is served.

In the iPod situation, all they did was license and copy someone else’s IP, and insert a gotcha onto the iTunes that adds no value. It’s analogous to M/$‘s tying its OS to its browser for no good reason, other than extension of the Windows market dominance. In both cases, an inferior product was allowed to enjoy continued viability when other products were/are demonstrably better, and the buyers’ interests were ignored.

I want the iPod to have to compete even-up with my less-branded MP3 player. The result would be a better iPod — and then a better unbranded player, and then iPod, the way it’s spozed to be.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 21, 2008 10:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Apple OSs are more stable NOW

Since they switched over to using the kernel / core from the open source FreeBSD. Since they finally conceded that developing kernels is not something they do well.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Dec 21, 2008 11:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, yeah that --

.. and the frammis/gribblejack thing, of course.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 21, 2008 11:45 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Didn't Frammis Gribblejack start a handful of games for the A's in '97?

I'll send you a postcard from Space Mountain. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Dec 22, 2008 11:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Nah -- it was his half-brother Aramis.

The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus

by The Dogfather on Dec 22, 2008 12:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Modifier keys

All computers still have at least two and usually three different modifier keys – macs have control, command (apple), and the rarely-used option, while windows has control, alt, and the annoying windows key, and unix terminals had some combination of control, alt, meta, alt gr, super, and hyper Incidentally, the open-apple and closed-apple keys on the Apple //e corresponded to the two joystick buttons.

The ubiquitous use of modifier+ Z,X,C,V for Undo, Cut, Copy, and Paste originated with Apple, and was copied with the modifier key changed by windows, not the other way around as mango implies. And IMO, Apple got this one right, using their own modifier key for the new windowing commands rather than appropriating the control key which, as you say, already had a well-established use in terminals.

But I agree with him on the mouse. Multi-button mice have won in the marketplace, and Apple’s insistence on one-button as their default seems needlessly stubborn. And in general, the keyboard and mice that Apple ships with their computers have generally seemed second-rate to me, not up to their usual hardware standards.

Thanks for tomorrow 'cause I've had enough

by andeux on Dec 19, 2008 5:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs