lollardfish

If you like sports at all, you must read:

The Brushback - A.L. Preview.

Examples:

(For the Red Sox):

Strength:
Defense. The Red Sox have gold glove winner Mike Lowell at third base, tiny person Alex Gonzalez at short, Mark Loretta at second base, and Kevin Youkilis at first base platooning with JT Snow. Last year they lost a lot of close games with shoddy defense. This year they’ve chosen to lose those games with shoddy offense.

(For the Twins):

Strength:
Torii Hunter is one of the games best centerfielders. Unfortunately he has fragile girl ankles that snap like twigs whenever he tries to make a catch. He would be wise to get them replaced now while he still has a few years left.

Rules for Music Parties - unfiltered by common courtesy. Sorry.

1. Be good. - Do stuff you actually know how to do.
2. If you aren't good, get better.
3. Blend. It is not acceptable to sing louder than the person leading the song (unless they need help). It is not acceptable to drone in monotones under people singing songs. And not all songs are singalongs.
4. Be honest with yourself. If you cannot sing, if you cannot hit the notes, please do not try to take leads. At least not more than one song every three parties. Same with lead musicians. I can't do guitar leads. Someone asks me to, I shake my head. I am trying to learn. Privately, where I can do no damage.
5. Be aware. Don't talk over people doing something pretty. Don't assume they do a song you do in exactly the same way you do. Try to follow.
6. A Capella is very dangerous. If you aren't really amazing, acapella sucks. People can't play along. There's no space for leads. And you are probably in violation of rules 1, 3, and 4. A lousy guitar player-singer is much less damaging to the circle than a decent acapella singer.
7. Stay with the mood. if you consistently find yourself unable to follow moods, learn more material. Not all songs are singalongs, but when people are singingalong and the mood is high, don't kick it in the shins.
8. Break the mood when it needs breaking.
9. This is a shared performance space. You are not in control. It is performance, so perform (it's not the same as singing in your shower. Sorry). It's also not a gig for you to do things exactly the way you'd like to on stage. You're leading, but not in control.
10. Break any of these rules KNOWINGLY anytime it seems right to you. Except the first one. Be good.

At a music party, everyone either adds or subtracts. I believe I used to add, barely, when I started out. Now I think I'm more of an addition to any given party (though I will always accept constructive feedback, gladly, delivered privately, with cake and pie, and some whiskey, and funny hats). But initially I had only one type of song (ballads), played too quietly, wasn't really aware of what was going on, got thrown when people did things I didn't expect during "my" songs, and so forth.

There are also two kinds of music parties (at least). One is egalitarian, where everyone participating is more important than quality. My rules only apply to the second type, where one is more concerned with making good music. Yes, I am aware that such thinking leads to the Snotty Elitist Music Parties of times past. But - people LIKED those parties. Sorry for those I've offended.

Edit: For another take, Read here.

For those wondering I'm safe in Northfield. Thanks for wondering. Took over 2 and a half hours.

I need a Dominicana #34 jersey.

I think I need an Antigriddle. You do too.

"How in the end, Once the city was captured, Alexius, put in the place of Alexius, was put to flight and blinded by Alexius, the paternal uncle of Alexius."

Or

Qualiterque ultimo, civitate capta, Alexius Alexio suppositus fugatus fuerit, et ab Alexio Alexii patruo exoculatus.

---

How many Alexiuses are there do you think?

It's Spring!

For the record, that's David Ortiz and Coco Crisp (yes, that's what they call him. No, it's not his given name). Get it?

Multas per gentes et multa per aequora vectus
Avdenio has miseras, frater, ad inferias
Ut te postremo donarem munere mortis
Et mutam nequiquam alloquerer cinerem.
Quandoquidem fortuna mihi tete abstulit ipsum,
Heu miser indigne frater adempte mihi,
Nunc tamen interea haec, prisco quae more parentum
Tradita sunt tristi munere ad inferias,
Accipe fraterno multum manantia fletu,
Atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.

Through many lands and many seas,
I have come, my brother, to this sad grave,
In order to render you Death's final duties,
And strive to converse with your ashes, though dumb.
Fortune has taken you, so undeservedly,
Alas my poor brother, stolen from me.
For now, as I furnish a dead man's last rite,
The funeral libation our fathers knew well,
Accept these fraternal tears at your gravesite.
My brother, Hail and Farewell.

(I lightly edited the translation from: Here. Too emotional to do it myself just now.)

309 For this was on seynt Valentynes day,
310 Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make,
311 Of every kinde, that men thenke may;
312 And that so huge a noyse gan they make,
313 That erthe and see, and tree, and every lake
314 So ful was, that unnethe was ther space
315 For me to stonde, so ful was al the place.

Cat needs home

Please continue to ask around.

This is my first time using Craig's list. I like it. There are multiple steps to ensure anonymity but also so that bots would have a hard time using it.