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Cup of Coffee: January 30-31, 2010

I heard this morning that We are the World is going to be re-recorded to benefit Haitians. Hmm, where did that idea come from?

This entry was posted by SBG on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 7:01 am and is filed under Cup of Coffee categories and tags. It is one of 3329 entries by the author. We are no longer accepting Letters to the Editor on this post.

57 LTEs in response to Cup of Coffee: January 30-31, 2010

  • davidwatts
    January 30, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I ended up going to TwinsFest last night (it was a last minute thing). I had a blast. Although I didnt get any Twins autographs or pictures (the lines were a little too long for me) I did meet Bob Feller (!) and Rollie Fingers. That was pretty cool
    I'll have pics as soon as my friend forwards them to me

    • Milt on Tilt
      January 30, 2010 at 9:31 am

      did feller scold you for having too long of hair or too baggy of pants?

      • davidwatts
        January 30, 2010 at 9:52 am

        as a matter of fact he did!

        actually, he was very nice. He described the photo that was sitting at his booth (Yankee Stadium 3 hours before the game)

        • twayn
          January 30, 2010 at 10:03 am

          Rapid Robert is a true gentleman. My dad met him at a FCA event many years ago and always held him up as an example to me and my brothers. Speaking of which, my little bro called last night to offer me tickets to TwinsFest, so I'm taking my daughter tomorrow. She really wants to get Kevin Slowey's autograph. Cuddy, too. She's a little infatuated, I think.

      • AMR
        January 30, 2010 at 10:18 am

        I was scared of Feller, and the other famous guys that were sitting in another section... Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue, George Foster, and Two others I forget.

        • Milt on Tilt
          January 30, 2010 at 11:17 am

          mudcat and Fergie? At least that's whos there now. I'm currently listening to Bill Smith and it almost sounds as if punto and tolbert are the backup OFs. Hmmm

        • E-6
          January 30, 2010 at 8:38 pm

          Scared? Heh. I might've been when they were playing...

          It's cool (kewl?) that the club brings in the old guys who weren't Twins to these things. Is this new to The Festival?

          • AMR
            January 31, 2010 at 12:07 am

            I think I mis-remembered Joe Posnanski's Feller article. In my mind, he was crankier and more defiant about not being regarded as the best ever. Maybe I combined his story with Pete Rose and some other Pos stories.

            I've gone to Twinsfest every other year for the past 5. This is the first I noticed them. I don't think the club brings them in, I think they come in to sell autographs, like any other vendor. Feller had his own booth and the other five had another.

            My fear is: I've only had horrible experiences meeting famous (to me) people, except the lead singer of Ha Ha Tonka. Also, I was afraid I'd really screw up their histories, and piss them off and have them teach a whippersnapper like me a lesson. Next time, I'll resolve to get closer and see what they're charging at least.

            Rollie still has the moustache. Were he to shave it off, it'd be worse than Tom Selleck or Carl Weathers.

        • frightwig
          January 31, 2010 at 2:59 am

          You passed on the chance to talk to Rollie Fingers, not to mention George Foster, about stylish facial hair?

    • AMR
      January 30, 2010 at 10:15 am

      I went to Twinsfest, too. I had quite a fun time with a friend I haven't seen for about 6 months.

      Watched the Thome and Mauer interviews. On Thursday afternoon, I was hoping for an announcement at that time, but by Friday morning, I realised that wasn't going to happen.

      The only game-used jersey in my size (46) was a road grey Pridie #11 for $75.
      I was tempted by the road grey Dammann #75, but it was a size 48 (Dammann is the Bullpen Catcher). So were the Dickey #38s were also tempting. I like the Dickeys because if I look like any member of the Twins, it's Dickey and his wonderful beard.

      I was also hoping to find a Nieto #68... he was a September coaching callup last year, and I love his Dugout persona. But, he'd probably wear a 50 or so. I assume he's no longer the 6'1, 205 of his playing days.

      I was disappointed that none of the 2009 Throwback alts were available in the bargain bin... I was kindof hoping for a #63 (Gabino, but now that I look at his bio 6'3, 210 would need at least a size 48). I'm guessing that they were easier to sell random players' versions because they didn't have the names on the back. So that probably means I'll have a hard time getting a game-used 2010 alt (The beautiful one).

      I'm thinking the 2010 game-used ones in the new road grey will be nice next year.

      I did get two $5 shirts, one a jersey-shirt #22 Gomez. But when I got home, I realised it was a Youth Large, not an Adult Large, so I Immediately gave it to my sister-in-law, who was visiting. They also have $5 Redmonds, Cabreras, Credes, Bonsers, and Lirianos.

      I got my picture taken with TC Bear, and got him to sign two postcards, one for each of my kids. I was actually giddy. TC Bear's head is just so well done, I think he could get in a street fight and beat the crap out of people, and he'd still be real happy looking, we'd just laugh it off. The Target Mascot, Bullseye (of whom I assume we'll be seeing plenty at Target field) is a dead, lame mascot.

      Then, we saw Tony Oliva just walking around. He was smiling and talking to everyone, and letting them take pictures. I then realized that Oliva is the human version of TC Bear. I wonder if he's the inspiration.

      • meat
        January 30, 2010 at 10:35 am

        I met Tony O during a business man's special in 2004. He sat down right behind me and my old man, when we turned around to say hello we saw that he was sitting with Terry Ryan. Both those dudes were as friendly as could be, Tony O humored us by chatting a little while, after the 5th they got up and left. I never saw the man play but I'll always remember Mr. O chatting it up with a couple of regular Joe's at a ballgame.

  • brianS
    January 30, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    Ok, last one today. I promise. But you have to love a study of the impact of Yankee Stadium bat day on blunt trauma in northern New York City.

  • hungry joe
    January 31, 2010 at 12:05 am

    all right, everyone is free to breathe a sigh of relief:

    Reds Agree To Deal With Orlando Cabrera

    • cheaptoy
      January 31, 2010 at 12:21 pm

      I'll agree that McKinnie is a big douche, but that article was a bit... sensational, maybe? The wailing and gnashing of teeth about how hard its going to be for his teamates on the line is total crap. Are they not allowed to replace him with another player? I suppose this means the QB will only have a guard and no tackle whatsoever on his blind side.

      Also, negative points for improperly using "thrown under the bus". Where I work, and have worked, that phrase was used for passing the blame onto someone else to save your own ass, not skipping meaningless practices for a meaningless game.

      But yeah, it'll be a good day when the Vikings find McKinnie's eventual replacement.

      • cheaptoy
        January 31, 2010 at 12:24 pm

        Heh, I forgot that the Pro Bowl is today. Still though, if they had called me up yesterday, I'd have flown down to Hawaii to take his place. I could use that Pro Bowl check.

        • brianS
          January 31, 2010 at 2:39 pm

          You would have had a great time in Hawaii, but the Pro Bowl is in Miami today. Which is a big part of the problem.

          • ubelmann
            January 31, 2010 at 2:49 pm

            One sure-fire way to tell that it is simply a second-rate event is that ABC is showing a more or less standard regular season NBA game today and relegating the Pro Bore to ESPN.

          • cheaptoy
            January 31, 2010 at 4:28 pm

            Really? I actually thought the first step was moving the timing of the "event" followed by moving the location next year. I suck at the paying attention stuff, apparently.

            Still, they could have flown me to Hawaii and given me the money and I still wouldn't have complained.

      • AMR
        January 31, 2010 at 12:56 pm

        Yeah, throwing his teammates under the bus would be blaming them for him missing practice. "They gave me roofies!" or something like that. Or, "I was actually there but wearing [Player X]'s uniform because he was busy cheating on his wife."

      • frightwig
        January 31, 2010 at 11:41 pm

        that phrase was used for passing the blame onto someone else to save your own ass, not skipping meaningless practices for a meaningless game.

        I think the writer is referring to the NFC squad being left with just 2 OT's, thanks to McKinnie accepting a spot although he had no interest in preparing for the game. But, yeah, he misused the expression. He seems to think that "thrown under the bus" means the same thing as "left in the lurch."

  • twayn
    January 31, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    Eldest daughter and I just got home from TwinsFest. She got autographs from Laddie, the F-Bomb, and the Slow Hand, and I got pictures of all of them (along with Mudcat, Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers, George Foster, and Fergie). Also got pics of Kubel, Delmon, Koskie, and Pridie. Picked up a couple of $5 Bonser t-shirts for the kids, and some Delmon and Gardy bobbleheads for a buck apiece. Checked into season ticket prices (hey, I have a job now, I can at least dream about season tickets again). Tried the new hot dogs they'll be selling at the Bulls-eye (the bun is like a real bakery bun, nicely crusted and rather chewy - damn good) and generally just wandered around looking at stuff. I thought the HOF exhibits were great - Ty Cobb's glove, Cy Young's Cleveland Spiders jersey, Harmon's plaque, both WS trophies. All in all it was a great time for my first TwinsFest. Next year I think we'll go Friday night or early Saturday before the merchandise in the Pros Shop is so picked over. Also, my mind was a little boggled by the $2,000 price tag on a Joe Mauer game-worn jersey. For that price, I want to know that he wore it in the game, and that Miss America slept in it later that night.

  • ubelmann
    January 31, 2010 at 4:09 pm

    Jeff Van Gundy just claimed that KG has gotten away with more illegal screens than any player in the history of the game. Rebuttal?

    • brianS
      January 31, 2010 at 4:52 pm

      sounded pretty hyperbolic to me.

      At the same time, Garnett is just a shell of his former self. He's playing on 1.5 legs.

      • ubelmann
        January 31, 2010 at 6:45 pm

        Sometimes I wonder if someone in his position might have something to gain by taking the first 40-50 games of next season off just to let his body get as close to 100% as possible.

        I was only half paying attention to the game, but I was kind of wondering if maybe he's going to have to reinvent himself a bit to play with his various aches and pains. He seems to have the passing ability to be a rich man's skinny Vlade Divac, or something like that.

        • brianS
          February 1, 2010 at 12:08 am

          He's rapidly approaching Arvydas Sabonis (late Portland edition) mobility, sadly. But Arvydas could still shoot and pass from the high post.

        • frightwig
          February 1, 2010 at 12:29 am

          Of course it's hyperbolic, but it's true that a big part of KG's game is setting high screens, which often involve some shifting feet, elbows, and body checks.

          If the 1/22 game against Portland is an indication, he's already trying to be more of a low-post player now, at least on offense. That night I saw him calling for the ball on the low blocks more often than I could recall him doing ever before. We'll see if he can eventually make that work, since he's crippled and his only consistent move in the post is the pivot & fade-away. He'll have to accept that he can't effectively shadow a guy on defense anymore, too.

          It's a shame that he doesn't sit down until April, at least. Instead, he took off just 3 weeks to rest a knee that's obviously still bothering him. The Celtics don't need him to make the playoffs. What's the point of sending him out there on one leg every night through the winter? The games that really matter are in late spring.

          • ubelmann
            February 1, 2010 at 1:47 pm

            There's always a balancing act between giving it your all and pacing yourself, and KG has always been on the 100%-all-the-time extreme end of the spectrum. (I once suggested to a friend that it was possible that KG didn't take over at the end of games because he was doing so much to get the team to that point (at both ends of the floor) that he'd exerted himself more than the competition and that was enough to give the competition a slight edge. He scoffed, saying that no one has questioned KG's fitness, but at that level, I think you can only be so much more fit than the competition--if you go all-out all game against some guys who are pacing themselves, they could have an edge at the end of the game.) Anyway, that sort of attitude doesn't lend itself well to taking time off to heal up and picking your spots in the season, which is a shame, because KG could clearly use some extra time off.

  • cheaptoy
    January 31, 2010 at 6:30 pm

    When did The Learning Channel turn into The Exploitation Channel? Holy man, this channel teh sucks.

    • twayn
      January 31, 2010 at 8:51 pm

      It's been hard to watch for quite a while now, actually. And it gets worse during sweeps.

    • AMR
      February 1, 2010 at 7:43 am

      We watched the Duggar's show last night (after the kids were in bed) on account of us having the same due date as their baby that's now nearly two months old, and our is coming hopefully 6 weeks from now.

  • davidwatts
    January 31, 2010 at 7:42 pm

    following the trials and tribulations of one D-SPAN (via twitter)
    ====
    thisisdspan Eating Mexican in the airport. Not quite 5 star
    thisisdspan Lol ur right def gonna pay for eating Mexican at the airport
    thisisdspan Yea I'm fine! I'm trained not to use the bathroom in public places....
    thisisdspan I might crop dust though as I'm walking! I'm sorry but I gotta lol
    thisisdspan I can't do it!! I've been trying though! Minnesota will hate me if I let it rip
    thisisdspan Please don't put me in the category with Bert wit farting!!

    ====

  • davidwatts
    January 31, 2010 at 9:43 pm

    I have had the Grammys on in the background for most of the night. is it me, is Taylor Swift/Stevie Nicks duet of 'Rhiannon' the most upbeat song of the night? every song is slow slow..so depressing

    • E-6
      January 31, 2010 at 10:00 pm

      I'll have to take your word for it, wattsy. I was watching The Avett Brothers and Heartless Bastards on Austin City Limits.

      Great Simpson Music Moments at Pitchfork is well worth a look if you're a fan of the show and/or in need of a laugh.

      Quote: 5. "Wow! An awards statue! Awww, it's a Grammy." --Even a hotel bellhop realizes these things are pointless. (Tune in this Sunday to see the Dave Matthews Band win LP of the year! In 2010 no less.)

      • davidwatts
        January 31, 2010 at 10:10 pm

        that quote is from the episode where Homer is in a barbershop quartet. the Jeff Beck tribute to Les Paul was cool. Even though I don't care for the music, The Zac Brown Band had a nice diddy with Leon Russell (he is still alive!?!)