Saturday Night Off-season Open Thread 2025-14

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I am currently reading Practical Demonkeeping. It is the first book in the Christopher Moore Pine Cove series and I am enjoying it very much. It is also the second to last Christopher Moore book that I have not read. After I finish this, I will move on to Sacre Bleu and then I will have read every novel he has written and that has been published. That is, of course, until I meet him in person at the Vroman’s in Pasadena this month, pick up my copy of his newest book, and have him sign it.

So, aside from literary activities, what is there to talk about?

Current Events

The last time I did my monthly goals update, I realized that I am Alice and I have dropped down the rabbithole into Wonderland at work. The decisions getting made lately have been INSANE.

I decorated my office with Alice In Wonderland stickers and I have now added a jester’s puppet on a stick to accentuate just how ridiculous things are. Retirement cannot come soon enough.

***

Sports Update

The most important tournament in all sports rolls on. I speak, of course, of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Round 1 is nearly complete with the Minnesota North Stars hosting the Quebec Nordiques in a Game 7! Curiously, the game is being played in some weird Southern US city called “Dallas” and the sweaters are all different colours. Weird.

***

Goals Update

Since today is the first Saturday of May, I’m going to take advantage and provide the four-month update on where I am:

GOLF GOALS: Lower my Handicap Index to less than 21, Shoot an 18 hole score of 89 or better, Win a tournament, and finish in the top three of my club championship.

UPDATE: My Handicap Index started the year at 26.7. It is currently at 26.3. I got it as low as 25.7 but some older scores have dropped off. I did play today and I did well. If nothing weird happens, my handicap should go back to 26.0. I’m also doing well as far as accumulating points towards the club championships.

FITNESS GOALS: Do one NFL Combine Bench Press Rep (235 lbs), Get a PR of 300 in Squat, and run 2 miles in less than 23 minutes (Army standard for my age).

UPDATE: I did not start the workout program as planned. Therefore, my new PR attempts will be delayed. Again.

WORK GOALS: Get 5 non-performers to either quit, retire, or transfer, Get 3 mentees promoted, and institute a company-wide cost-saving measure.

UPDATE: 2 non-performers are gone and 1 mentee got her promotion. The cost-saving measure is in the process of being implemented with a final meeting scheduled for next week. I won’t claim it yet.

INTELLECTUAL GOALS: Read 5 Christopher Moore books, create a 7 episode minimum series of fiction, and do a creative visual project.

UPDATE: The first one is done and dusted. Y’all read the last chapter in my fiction series this month, so that second one is done and dusted. I am still in the process of getting a lunch scheduled with Brick to go over our visual project. I am hoping we can have DJ TAJ present so we can all collaborate on the project.

***

In this space, I will tell you what I’m drinking as I type this post. Today’s drink is: Earl Grey tea with Caramel Macchiato creamer.

***

Your weekly Psych gif:

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Your weekly hot girl pic:

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Your weekly music video:

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One last thing:

Hat tip to Brocky:

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ballsofsteelandfury
Balls somehow lost his bio and didn't realize it. He's now scrambling to write something clever and failing. He likes butts, boobs, most things that start with the letter B, and writing in the Second Person. Geelong, Toluca, Barcelona, and Steelers, in that order.
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DJ TAJ

You and “Brick pick a time and place and then it’s on!!

Kewpie-bong-bottle
BrettFavresColonoscopy

Ugh I can’t believe I stayed up for this

2Pack

Arrived back home so my usual time warp is back in place. Mixed results on goals is to be expected at our age. But great hustle staying after it. My trip to see Mom went well. Reconnected with my cousin after many years and had some great conversations. The deteriorating malls were disappointing. Many buy online now, so goes economics. The homestead is now fully tore up for renovation. My yard is a mess so that’s today’s project. Napoli and Inter both won so Marika’s boys remain on top by 3 with three to play. Oh and air travel blows dead hobos.

Gatoraids

Like women with big foreheads and we don’t care if

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-SHfpm5Bxk

also shout out to Christina Ricci

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Who’s ready to watch GWS-Sydney? WOOOOOO

BrettFavresColonoscopy

It is not clear if the Giants are woo ready

litre_cola

This is ugly.

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Can we get the Adam Sandler remote from Click and start over?

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Hey, back to a goal down….

Brick Meathook

One day if you Nickelbacks are good boys, I’ll take you to the Hollywood American Legion Post #43 to go boozing. That is my home legion post. It’s right next to the Hollywood Bowl and is a registered historic landmark. However, it has limited hours.

Culver City Post #46 is even better! They are always open!

Both places you can get hammered for $10 bucks, with tip.That’s how veterans roll.

Last edited 10 months ago by Brick Meathook
Mr. Ayo

*Dimebacks. We’re twice as good and totally worthy of your backwater VFWs.

Doktor Zymm

Maybe one day an even higher value coin, like a Sacajawea dollarback!

herodotus450

“So…. what do ya’ll think about John McCain?”

BrettFavresColonoscopy

“Is that the yipeecayay one or the dead one?”

Jimbo

Or John Mclane?

Horatio Cornblower

“Hey, what time is the Civil War reenactment?”

Gatoraids

if only being named Velvet made you as popular here as it made you on a submarine

Redshirt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1zl3kZ5AbE&pp=ygUTd2hpdGVzIG9ubHkgbGF1bmRyeQ%3D%3D

Not sure what is sadder: the fact that I laughed at this more than I should have or the fact that at one point in my life I was this kind of racially insensitive idiot.

Horatio Cornblower

I remember that from several years ago. I laughed my ass off.

fleshwound_NPG

me, 1999-2000: man, i hate the dallas stars

me, 2001: it was worth it!

me, 2019 and 2021: man, i hate peter deboer

me, 2022: it was worth it!

me, 2024-2025: man, i hate the dallas stars and peter deboer

me, 2026: ….hey, ive seen this one before (but fire GM chris mcfarland first, tho)

SonOfSpam

After a lengthy rain delay, the Braves-Dodgers game started at 10:20 PM Atlanta time. Imagine waiting around 6+ hours to watch the Dodgers kick your ass.

Jimbo

I’m watching, the good news is that there’s not enough fans in the stand left to do their racist tomahawk bs.

Horatio Cornblower

comment image

Just started reading this the other night. Appalachian Gothic about a family that lives on a bog and replenishes itself by burying each patriarch in the bog, after which. bog-wife is created and becomes the wife to the first-born son.

Well, the patriarch has passed and things are not going according to Hoyle. It’s a very good read so far.

Mr. Ayo

Could this image be any bigger?

Horatio Cornblower

I’m old and need large-print images.

Doktor Zymm

I’m nawt quite following the genetics here

Horatio Cornblower

(I’m pretty sure it’s fiction)

Gatoraids

doesn’t sound as gripping or as wet as the PAWG Wife

Sharkbait

Avs: Hey Mikko, we’re trading you to Carolina

Rantanencomment image

Mr. Ayo

Maybe one shouldn’t trade away a player like Rantanen

Mr. Ayo

Although I’ve really enjoyed Tits McGee behind the Dallas bench. Happy to know that’ll continue for another round at least.

Doktor Zymm

Any relation to Chesty LaRue?

Mr. Ayo

Doubtful, though no doubt inspired by her

Horatio Cornblower

Sacre Bleu is my second favorite Moore book, after Lamb.

Great story.

Mr. Ayo

Own goal! Stupid Dallas.

Fun fact: Dallas is the only NHL team to ever successfully eliminate the Kraken from the playoffs.

No so fun fact: Every other NHL team has successfully kept the Kraken out of the playoffs.

King Hippo

Will there b MOAR #KrakenFacts later, if we stays awake??

Mr. Ayo

Not with that attitude.

Horatio Cornblower

Just got back from Fenway. We did leave after the initial downpour. The radar looked ugly, the grounds crew was using tent spikes to hold the tarp down, and the weather alerts were talking about 60 mph wind and 3/4″ hail. We had a ten-minute window to make the 8 minute walk back to the car, or else face a projected 3 hours of rain, thunder, and lightning.

So we made it back to the car, on the way out of Boston there was a brief bout of rain, then the Sun came out and we saw a rainbow. They apparently restarted about an hour after we left, by which point I was comfortably ensconced in one of the best bars around,* enjoying a couple of hard-to-find beers and a dinner of mussels in a spicy sauce that is still affecting me, but which was delicious.

Solid day.

Mr. Ayo

Quitter

Horatio Cornblower

Tough, but fair.

Horatio Cornblower

*Forgot, the bar is Armsby Abbey in Worcester, MA.

Sharkbait

No invite?

Fr though Im in RI with the kids visiting my aunt. Next time you’re in town lmk

Horatio Cornblower

I had three tickets and my daughter and her boyfriend with me. if I get these tix again I’ll reach out.

Don T

Furthermo’,
comment image

Doktor Zymm

Life begins when a women stops having to worry about dating Leo DiCaprio

Mr. Ayo

Some real Melisandre flashbacks.

comment image

blaxabbath

She cared about keeping her man interested

Don T

40% non-performers gone, well done! What’s the plan for the Summer Offensive? Planting dynamite on folks around July 4 has been known to happen #JustSayin

litre_cola

I am shocked how sparsely attended the rugby 7’s is at LA Galaxy stadium.

Doktor Zymm

But 7s is the most fun form of rugby to watch live!

There at least gotta be Fijians there

SonOfSpam

Looks like Clippers are gonna follow the Lakers right on out.

Does anyone actually either like or hate the Clippers?

They’re like the Texans, but real.

blaxabbath

Did you guys know California has a Yolo County?

That is Y33T!

Mr. Ayo

I lived there, so yeah. They also have a city named Weed. But that’s north and in Siskiyou county.

Doktor Zymm

You only lived (there) once?

Mr. Ayo

The good news is I got this joke. The bad news is it took by a good 5 minutes to get it.

Redshirt

Sovereignty over Journalism. The one time I didn’t bet on the Kentucky Derby and a pick that I would’ve made won!

blaxabbath

It’s a sign. Time to return Hawaii to a sovereign country.

Redshirt

Justice for Liliʻuokalani!

yeah right

Goddamn right.

yeah right

SoCal folks, buddy coming into town tomorrow, not sure if he’s been to LA where should he go for breakfast?

litre_cola

By God that’s Bricks music!!!

Mr. Ayo

Velvet’s VFW

blaxabbath

Klimpys.

Jimbo

Nate N Al’s.

yeah right

Noted. Thanks.

scotchnaut

He should get on Sepulvuva and drive that for 4.5 hours, turn right when he feels like it and turn left at the third McDonalds. It’s easy peasy!

yeah right

Damn shame when a motherfucker has lived here for 33 years and don’t know where to go for breakfast.

Gumbygirl

I took myself to Sherman’s for breakfast yesterday. The inspector was here, so I had to leave for a couple of hours. It was great, and I brought home a gino Urmous hunk of coconut cake. I just polished it off, now I’m completely stuffed!

SonOfSpam

Twister is on some random channel right now, and it’s hilarious that there’s an “evil” storm chaser character. “He has too much money and technology.” And it’s Cary Elwes, always a plus for any movie.

SonOfSpam

Saw it in the theater when it came out, and it’s a fun watch. Like once.

Gumbygirl

Universal had a fun Twister thing.

Redshirt

I also like that the evil guy doesn’t have the “instinct” the good guy has. Screw Doppler Radar and Next Generation Satellites, this guy smell the tornados before their parent-storms have even formed!

Mr. Ayo

What a finish by Final Gambit. if he hadn’t got squeezed and spooked out the gate he really could have won it.

Gumbygirl

Jester head on a stick? I have just the thing [ rummages in her gallery] Here ya go!

1000003770
Gumbygirl

But he didn’t because he’s gray, you see.

Mr. Ayo

And now I’m down to zero (0) houses. Dammit.

Last edited 10 months ago by Mr. Ayo
yeah right

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