Wednesday, February 29, 2012

MKM Open Thread (Feb. 29, 2012)

Welcome to your MKM Blog open thread for February 29, 2012, the day you got sick of reading warnings about alcohol's effect on short term memory and ohmigod, do you remember Silverchair?

Good leap morning, everyone. So, I appreciate all the passion expressed yesterday, but let me suggest a slight twist on etiquette. Sometimes, there's a bit of a piling on effect. Once someone has raised an intelligent, funny, or otherwise interesting critique of a comment, there's no need for others to chime in with "me too!!". Either add something to the discussion, which is fine, add a quick +1 to show support for the general proposition and move on, or make a joke about Uwe having some loathesome disease. We can all agree that's universal MKM code for "I agree with th point Raysism just made but who wants to be seen on the record agreeing with fucking Raysism.". I don't have any issue with well expressed passionately thought out positions, but it's boring when one person does that and, seeing it is safe, a bunch of others chime in with the exact same opinion.

Okay, enough of that. Back to Silverchair. See, I dont even have a problem.

Here's your fucking YouTube clip.


56 comments:

  1. Alright. I am 6 drinks in and have written 3000 words about why the Prius is a far superior car to the F430, and have 5 clever retorts already at my disposal for anyone who disagrees. I'm off to Jalopnik to raise Hell - WHO'S WITH ME?!?!

    [looks around]
    [sees no one, so raises own hand]
    [immediately handcuffs that hand to the desk where it cannot push "submit"]
    [chalks one up for the good angel]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. See, I'm not sure that would raise trouble there (frankly, I doubt it would get noticed, since it's not a gif of a rallied out 84 Carolla with the text I like!!! attached). They like weird cars, and that's very frustrated when I'm trying to get advice on paint to sample options for my Aventador.

      Delete
  2. Raysism, Your Official Commenter of the FortnightFebruary 29, 2012 at 7:51 AM

    Me too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Continuing the running conversation that I missed last night, or maybe it was this morning, I still haven't figured out what time zone blogspot is using...

    Are there any other runners out there besides Raysism? (Raysism, feel free to chime in as well) I ran my first marathon (a trail marathon, because I didn't know the difference when I signed up) two years ago because I had really let myself go since college and was tired of being such a piece of shit. I was training for another one last year but I broke my leg in August playing basketball on an off-day, so that put an end to the 2011 campaign. I was thinking about trying to run another one this year, but my doctor said the bone wouldn't be 100% until next August, so I am somewhat apprehensive. I'm back to running 5-8 miles a day 3x a week right now, but usually by the end of the week, my leg will get pretty sore at the sight of the break. I'm not a serious runner by any means, but it's a good way to stay in shape, so for those of you who know more about this type of thing than me, do you have any advice as to whether or not it would be advisable to attempt another marathon this year? I was considering registering, and if the pain gets to be too much, calling it off, but I tend to be stubborn with powering through injuries, so the reality is that I would probably just try to keep running anyway despite my better judgment.

    For what it's worth, I live in Wisconsin, and all of the marathons around here take place in late summer/early fall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Raysism, Your Official Commenter of the FortnightFebruary 29, 2012 at 8:57 AM

      Just so you know my general feeling on this question (which I get asked a lot), keep in mind that I run 40 to 50 miles a week, and I’m already worried that I don’t have enough time to get in shape to run well at the Disney marathon in January 2013. So I tend to take the very long view on this race, and advise others to do the same.

      But even putting aside my particular theories on running, it would be a colossal mistake for you to try a marathon this year. The pain/feeling you describe is probably a stress fracture. Any time you feel very localized pain, you need to pull it way back. I can’t imagine you getting to a starting line in 2012 with that kind of feeling.

      Have you tried pool running? That’s a good way to get in shape without aggravating a fracture (or healing fracture).

      Delete
    2. I cannot even imagine running a marathon with that type of pain hanging over me. By the time I ran my last one I was dying after every long practice run (I had to squat and work out a knee ache every 5 miles), and after the marathon I couldn't walk well for two weeks. Seriously, it just isn't worth it - store up your energy, rebuild your health, and go out next year.

      By the way, how did you break a leg playing basketball? I've broken my wrist (twice), but a leg is much harder to fracture ... if you don't have a long story that involves you kicking a 7 foot Russian wringer square in the balls, then feel free to make one up.

      Delete
    3. I actually did quite a bit of swimming before I was cleared to start running after the break. (it was an impact fracture of my fibula, but it didn't displace so I was able to avoid surgery) As soon as I was cleared to start running on a treadmill, that was the last of my work in the pool.

      I think part of the soreness might come from the fact that I probably pushed myself a little too hard early on in the recovery process, and I'm guessing that slowed down the healing a bit. Like I said, I'm stubborn and stupid when it comes to things like this. I usually don't feel any pain early on in the week (I've been doing 5-8-5 mile runs on M-W-Th respectively), with the occasional pickup basketball game mixed in on the weekends, but usually around Thursday I'll feel some soreness. I suppose I'll just start being more careful.

      I appreciate the feedback. In the back of my mind, I knew that it probably was a bad idea to try to do one this year, and having that verified by someone who knows what they're talking about helps confirm that.

      Delete
    4. @DubaiAtNight

      I wish I had a cool story, but the fracture was very low in my ankle. I was going up for a rebound, got checked pretty hard in the air by a reckless idiot who came flying in out of nowhere, (I'm 6'4, 165lbs - no joke, crazy metabolism - so I don't have the best center of gravity) and tried to land on my feet instead of just letting myself fall like I should have. My left foot came down on another guy's foot, and I must have just landed at the wrong ankle because it was somewhat of a fluke fracture. I actually thought it was a sprain and tried to run through it a couple of times before finally getting it checked out.

      Delete
    5. Just wanted to chime in with my two cents:

      I too let myself go a bit after college (combined with a knee injury that prevented me from playing soccer regularly for almost a year.) Anyway, this January I signed up for a 15 K, (Gasparilla) to force myself to get in shape. My girlfriend recently ran the Disney Marathon and gave me a pretty easy training schedule that I've stuck to.

      (Keep in mind this advice is coming from a novice, so feel free to disregard) I love the schedule because it basically consists of one short run, two medium runs, and one long run per week. Mixed in with that is cross-training and weight lifting. In previous times I've tried jogging to get in shape, I'd run 5 or 6 or 7 miles a few times a week and get burnt out after one or two weeks. I think mixing up the distance of my runs as well as the type of my workout has done wonders for my motivation.

      With an injury, working out/jogging can be painful and frustrating, and the last thing you want to do it have a setback. My recommendation would be to set a more easily achievable goal (half marathon), with the ultimate goal of running another marathon later.

      Delete
    6. Just wanted to echo what Raysism said. I run about 20/25 miles a week, and my experience is that pain like that could be a stress fracture. I'd probably dial it down a bit and wait until the doctor gives you the all-clear.

      Delete
    7. I appreciate it. I was actually cleared to run a couple of months ago, but under the condition that I take it easy at first, which I did for about three weeks. I'm essentially done seeing the specialist for it (I hope), but I'll probably reign it in a bit. Especially considering that this has helped solidify my decision not to run a marathon in 2012.

      Delete
    8. Don't listen to them! You should wear me while you run a marathon!

      Delete
  4. Good god I hate Silverchair, and that song in particular. Go to hell, IMG, go straight to hell.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jesus, they made other songs?

      Delete
    2. "The water out of the tap is very ... [wait for it - this is drama, folks, we can't rush it] ... [wait some more, it's worth it] ... [OK, ready] ... hard to drink."

      "IT'S HARD TO DRINK!!!"

      If it gets more real than that, then I don't want to hear it.

      Delete
    3. I think Israel's Son is a great song. Very Alice in Chains like sludge riff.

      Delete
    4. To be fair, the kid was, like, 14 when he wrote that (IIRC). Anorexic, too. Contrast with, say, "The placenta falls to the floor," a lyric written by an actual grown man with a topknot.

      Seriously, how unlikely is a morbidly-depressive anorexic Aussie? Seems pretty unlikely.

      Delete
    5. I think that line was a reaction to the people who, for some reason, insist on eating the placenta. The unspoken ending to that line was "...as opposed to the frying pan. Seriously, you people want protein and vitamins? Eat a steak and take some Flintstones chewables. Christ." That didn't fit in the beat of the song, though.

      Delete
    6. "the placenta fell to the floor" was a devastatingly stupid line. Seriously, it made me hate that whole album, even though I desperately wanted to like it because Live came out of nowhere with 3-4 great songs all at once.

      I know that Silverchair was very young, but I would have preferred that they matured just a bit before hitting the mainstream ... their songs were so good otherwise that it is a shame that their simplistic lyrics got in the way.

      Delete
    7. Live came out of nowhere with 3-4 great songs all at once...

      ... the first of which had a chorus that culminated in a singalong "Hey-ey! Now we won't be raped!"

      God bless the '90s.

      Delete
    8. They were young, sure, but I don't know that age would have changed the basic sound of the band, which was just...bad.

      Also, fun fact: one of my ex-girlfriends gave Ed Kowalczyk a blowjob!

      Delete
    9. @StF: Live had an overly earnest catalog that makes them and everyone who supported them look bad in retrospect. Is is really that surprising that I liked them?

      Seriously, their first album was absolutely top-notch for its time. In the rearview mirror it was ridiculous, but at the time the sound fit in perfectly with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and the like.

      @ Echo. meh. I got anal from James Iha behind a 7-11 ... you'll have to do better than that to impress me

      Delete
    10. Liars! Anyone who ever heard that solo album knows that Iha's a total catcher. And Kowalczyk lost his penis at age 13, in a horrific accident suffered while making terrible word salad.

      And hey, no apologies for who you liked/lived by/cut yourself to when you were younger-- my whole EXISTENCE is flawed, you guys.

      Delete
  5. Are there any other fat guys out there besides me? I've really let myself go since birth (I'm 5'11", 210lbs - no seriously, I really like dessert) and am relishing being a piece of shit. I love basketball but won't play in a rec league for fear of meeting new people, and having a 5 month old in the house means I walk out the front door about 3x a week. And two of those times are donut runs.

    For what it's worth, I live in Tennessee, and am actually considered quite fit. Hell, my BMI doesn't even crack 30.

    It seems like you can't swing a dead cat in here without hitting a couple of sexy, athletic lawyers. I just want someone to eat (a lot of) cheese with. Takers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. [checks eating and exercise habits]
      Give me three years!

      Delete
    2. I am NFL lineman sized, so yes. I'm 6'3 and I have a pretty big frame, but I weighed in at 335 this morning. I have a lot of muscle on there, but I'm probably about 32% body fat.

      I've been doing Crossfit for 2 years in the hopes that I would not have to change what I ate. I was down to 310 a year and a half ago after doing some sort of paleo/zone diet thing, but let myself go until about a month ago when I realized I was 345. I've been doing weight watchers (thanks Sir Charles!) and lost about 10 pounds since then. It feels different and more sustainable this time, so I'm hoping to join the land of the fitter soon. I would say that switching from a bunch of bench press/curls/etc lifting + the elliptical to Crossfit has been huge. I'm pretty damn strong now, which I like. I'd rather powerclean 200+ than run a 6 minute mile.

      I do think that I'll never be fit by BMI standards, but it's kind of a crock anyways. If I lose 80 pounds of fat and get to 250, I estimate I'll be like 10% bodyfat. 6'3 250 is a 31.2 BMI.

      Delete
    3. @BronzeHammer

      Fellow fat guy here. Frustrating as hell. At 6-ft, 210, I don't have a hard time shedding the pounds, but keeping them off is the hard part. My basic story is I'll resolve to quit drinking and get to the gym every day, which will work for about 2 weeks or so. In that time, Between not drinking and that, I can shed 10 pounds in a week and a half, no problem.

      Then, invariably, disaster strikes. Whether it be getting passed over for a promotion or (in Sunday's case) running into my ex-fiance and her super-fit/rich boyfriend, I tend to spiral with the whole 'health' thing, and find myself drinking 40s and eating cheetos on my couch until 4 a.m. every night for the next two weeks.

      Weird thing is, the rest of my body doesn't get fat, I just get a gut.

      I play in a men's baseball league and have been trying to get in shape for the season. If last week was any indication, I'm in trouble. I got legitimately winded throwing a 25-pitch bullpen session.

      Delete
    4. /Lowers eyes
      //Raises the hand without a danish in it

      Delete
    5. @VodkaBrunkinski

      This hit home on so many levels ... except that while I am also 6'/210 it is all legs, moobs and arms. So, you will not be surprised to hear me say that your ex doesn't deserve the satisfaction of seeing you spiral, and neither does your boss.

      And, if you can't get athletically ready for a baseball season, you could always come play left field or 1st base for the Astros.

      Delete
    6. @BronzeHammer

      Hey, learn to reply to the thread, moron.

      @Thirsty

      You're right. I mean, I was kidding, but I was actually super surprised I was .7 TUBBZ (BMI Units) away from obese. Jesus. I'm not in great shape, but that seems like a stretch. There's no way it can properly account for tall guys like you.

      @Vodka

      Good for you doing something about it. I just wish I had the foresight. Not to exercise, I mean, but to also pretend that I'm 6' tall.

      @STF

      I was actually double fisting donuts while I typed this, but you have to realize - you're going to get your keyboard dirty that way.

      Delete
    7. @BH - I re-read your original question. I feel like, if you're comfortable with where you are, and you're dealing with a 5 month old, and you'll ball a few times a week, then who cares, right? As long as your wife is happy. Plus, for Tennessee you're probably an Adonis. Do you have most of your teeth?

      I do think tall fat guys like myself have an inherent dislike for BMI and memorize the talking points against it.

      I personally just decided something had to be done because the wife and I are going to start on the kids soon, and I want to be in good shape for that.

      Delete
    8. @Thirsty

      Yeah I think you're right. I'm actually pretty tired of my shirts not fitting right, but other than that...meh. I hate nothing more than running. Even when I was in shape (high school), I couldn't stand it. But I haven't been to a doctor in a while, and I'm sure that mouthy know-it-all will have an opinion on the matter.

      Delete
    9. @BronzeHammer:

      That's cute, I remember when I only weighed 210 lbs.

      Delete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. For the record, I was attempting to jump on Gamboa's thread here:

    http://deadspin.com/5889216/lob-city-anthem-every-blake-griffin-dunk-from-the-first-half-of-the-nba-season-in-one-video

    I'm just an idiot.

    Without that clarification I just look like an asshole that took his idea tried to pass it as my own.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All good.

      I was just happy to start a pyramid, since I had nothing else.

      Delete
  8. @Raysism: Not to get all fanboy, but what kinda times are you running?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here are my fastest recent times (last couple of years or so):

      5K: 17:05
      10K: 36:10
      Half: 1:22
      Marathon: haven't run one in a while, but I did a 22 mile long run at 6:45/mile pace a year ago

      Delete
    2. Damn!

      Here's what I've got:
      5k: 19:30
      8k: 34:11
      10k: 44:28
      10m: 1:11:17

      /slinks away in shame

      Delete
    3. Here's something to cheer you up;

      5k: 27:00
      8K: 44:53 ( treadmill)
      Started Running: 2 months ago
      Used to box as lightweight: Yup
      Currently would be classified light-heavyweight: sigh...

      Delete
    4. No shame in any of that. There's always someone faster.

      Delete
    5. [solemnly nods]

      Delete
    6. That's what I say. Running is running whether you're fast or slow or somewhere in between.

      Delete
  9. Needs a little more Sandusky, and maybe a dash of grammar correction. But otherwise... c'est magnifique!

    (And from both ends... like a nice stomach flu!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great work from a starred commenter there. We need more of that like we need more Crohn's disease.

      Delete
  10. I have no idea how to comment on the Leitch & Grierson columns on Deadspin.

    I'm really out of my element there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's funny you said this. I typed something out, but then erased it because the main premise of the joke was "no one wants to read about movies here". I think I'll just sit them out.

      Delete
    2. I really wanted to make a Jonny Flynn joke, but couldn't get anything to work.

      It's astonishing how uncultured I am.

      Delete
    3. I made a joke, then redacted it, then put it back. I should have kept it redacted. Despite being Deadspin post, it seems very out of place among those comments.

      Delete
    4. I also really wanted to make a Jonny Flynn joke, and forced something terrible after trying for 30 minutes anyways. In the end it won't matter, it's getting real serious in that thread with cross-postage responses.

      Delete
  11. pink in the armor nominee:

    here

    unless there's something more to this joke that I'm just not getting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's gotta be this one. http://deadspin.com/5889329/tiger-woods-does-not-want-to-discuss-whether-he-wanted-to-be-a-navy-seal?comment=47488188#comments

      Delete
  12. http://gawker.com/5889519/dutch-killing-squads-will-make-housecalls-if-you-ask-nicely?comment=47510876#comments

    Did I make a dumb joke (or 2)? Yes. But this is so Gawker-y I had to share.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is awesome. I feel like there are Gawker commenters hanging for a reply from you.

      Delete
    2. That was great. The sound of that joke sailing over their heads is wonderful.

      Delete