Griddles

I just stumbled across this bit of triva that Wilco preformed "The Rainbow Connection" with Kermit The Frog. Anyone have a video of this? 

 https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Wilco

My very first concert when I was in the 6th grade. Someone I always loved introducing to other. Going to listen to some tonight.

My

That Fountain of Wayne's cover of Better Things is fantastic. I love the song, and had never heard their version. I have heard of the band, but never paid attention to them. Now I will dig into their catalogue.

 

I kinda freaked out when I read about Adam Schlesinger's death from COVID-19. We are the same age, and I was smack in the middle of fighting it off.

 

First symptoms appeared two weeks ago today - fatigue, body aches, and an odd sensation - like a cross between vertigo and being hooked up to a low-level electrical charge. Instead of light-headed, it felt like I was light-bodied. And this light-bodiedness came from inside my torso, and I felt it throughout my body. Never, never felt anything like it. Like something foreign had invaded my body. That lasted four days. Then, after that, four days of being a little more tired than usual. I thought I was through it.

 

I woke up Sunday with difficulty breathing. It got worse as the day went on, and I did a tele-health visit with a doctor (who happens to be a parent at the school where I work). Plan was to check in the next day, unless it got worse, in which case I would go to the ER. No sleep that night - every time I drifted off, I snapped awake because my regular breathing couldn't give me enough oxygen. Like sucking air through a straw, or having a good chunk of your lungs cut out.

 

I went to a COVID clinic on Monday. It was like a sci-fi movie set. Dr. visit in a parking lot, under a tent. The doctor went off to confer with other doctors about testing me. Because I am not over 60, I could not identify someone who I had come in contact with who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and I am usually in good health, I did not qualify, but he was certain I have it. When he came back to talk with me, the look in his eyes (and I could only see his eyes) was clear: this is a shit-show, we should clearly test you, but we cannot because we have to ration the tests. I never knew the eyes could tell so much. I had a chest x-ray. Then he consulted with other doctors about admitting me to the hospital. They decided not to, which turned out to be a good decision. My symptoms improved that evening, and I have gotten a little better each day since. I am self-quarantined in my house. My wife or kids drop off my meals outside my bedroom door, I facetime people who are in my own house, etc.

 

So what did I take away from this? That I was lucky it wasn't worse. That our health care folks really are heroes (I thanked every one of them effusively). That this virus is powerful. That our health care system is a crapshow, the doctors and nurses I interacted with know it, and they feel badly about it. That there are not nearly enough tests available. That this means our count is way under-reported (for instance, I am not counted in the statistics because I did not get tested, not to mention the people who have symptoms, but they do not rise to the level of needing to see a doctor). I learned that, yes, the toll on our economy is brutal, but the virus is way more brutal.

 

Stay at home if you can. Stay safe.

Sounds like what my wife is going through. Had slight chest pain last Sunday. Fever/cough Monday. Dr via video said she probably had it. No test available. Took it easy (no working/sleeping in) M-W. Felt better on Thursday, then nose dived Friday. Almost went to the ER. tele-doc said not to unless she couldn't talk cause they would just send her home. Saturday felt up to a walk around the block. Barely made it. In our small apartment not really an option for me not to get infected. I had a fever for a day about 2 weeks ago (? it all blends together); so hopefully I have already been through it. 

Just crazy to me that in a larger city (Denver) that there still are not really tests. We are pretty good at self containing (been using Instacart for 3 years anyway!) but had to leave last week to get TP. Should be set unless we decide to go as a mummy for Easter! 

Sending vibes to you Sarah and chckrh. 

Trying to stay positive here in Denver. Trying to spread the cheer by getting to-go beer and food from the places closest to us that have had to close. Heard of at least 1 place (Welton St Cafe) that had to fire their whole staff.  

My Dad is a Dr. in central Iowa. They had 9 test kits for the town of 15,000. He is waiting until the nursing homes he works for get it and then he does too. 

Thanks for the help. Sorry for the ads. I forgot that they do that pretty hard.

Hi, 

I have this table: 

https://www.highfashionhome.com/products/flourish-dining-table

It is wood, but painted white. It is looking less than stellar and only about 2 years old. I am a novice when it come to maintaining 'good' furniture. I have tried google, but to put it lightly there is too much information. Wax, polish, varnish, sealants oh my!   

Anyone a DIY'er who has had to spruce up painted wood who has advice? 

(PS it was a wedding present from our families)

I think my concern is that Biden will get the nomination because: "it his turn" or something similar. Everytime some (either party) gets the nomination because it's their turn they loose. Hilary, Romney, McCain, Kerry, Gore, Dole, even Mondale. Need some new blood I am generally libertarian, but the recent Republican party is full of crazy people. I would vote for Harris at this point as the best to win with a VP candidate who actually matter not Tim "who?" Kaine.

Music playback technology is still far less advanced then recording technology.  You might have the records or CDs and a great stereo system, but none of us have ever heard any of that music the way it sounds coming directly off the tape.  The most honest version of the music that exists, and the way it really sounds.  Maybe someday we will be able to.  And for that reason alone, those tapes are a huge loss and deserve to be preserved at least until that day comes.

 

The Limp Biscuit quip was hopefully in jest, and is a cheap shot.   In some cases, outtakes are actually full-length unreleased albums of original material that are as good as just about anything in an artist's catalog.  For example, the recent John Coltrane "Both Directions at Once" release.

But if we can't hear how it 'really' sounds, is that how it really sounds? If you can never hear something the way it was intended then it is no good to anyone. I would take a streamed Spotify version of Coltrane over one that I am only allowed to listen to on the world greatest sound system to 'really get the honest version'. 

So I read the article when it came out and I am at a loss really. I am not really sure why we should care? I am a librarian (by training) so understand the need for preservation, but I don't really think most people need to hear every out take of limp bizket or nearly anyone else. The article makes it pretty clear that only recently have record companies thought these were worth keeping and then only to endlessly issue 'remastered' versions of the same songs. Most people don't have the ear or equipment to hear the real difference between different formats or copies.

Just finished this: 

Depending on how long you have lived in Denver I live in 3 places: 5 Points, Curtis Park, or RiNo. I usually claim Curtis Park first to see if people know where that is. 

Read, "the lost city of the monkey good: a true story" and "Astrophysics for people in a hurry" on planes this weekend. Started "The buried giant" too. I started using my wife's Kindle and forgot how much I read when I can just turn the page to the next book instead of having to figure out what to read. (got all from my library too).

I work for a tech company in Denver. We just got aquired but I have not had any changes. I used to work for libraries and have my MLIS.

 

This is good news, right? How will it affect your job?

Yes good news, day to day nothing should change at all which is nice. 

Sendgrid?

 Yeah

Today my company went public.

Sorry if I am easily confused. 

So Hilary selling uranium to Russia, our sworn enemy, is bad. 

The other guy's campaign working closely with Russia, a country we should be closer to and work with, is okay. 

How can Russia be both our enemy when they work with Hilary and not that bad when they leak stuff the DNC emails? 

Guess its always a case of when my team does it we are clever, when they do it it is cheating. 

note: I don't think Hilary sold uranium, or think the other guy, himself, is smart enough to have colluded. 

The A.V. Club's decision to move to Kinja (whatever that means) has destroyed the site. Now it is difficult to navigate and the comments section is ruined. Cant they just leave well enough alone?

Noticed this too. Site is basically unusable now. going to have to find a new place for pop-culture news 

I was there too. Good shows by Wilco and The New Pornographers. Getting into the festival was nice and easy, pretty crappy getting an ID bracelet and beer lines. I didn't even bother getting a drink. MY brother in law and his wife spent most of the shows just waiting in line for booze. Some excuses about the chip reader being slow, but still seems a bit ridiculous. Hopefully they have it figured out for tonight.

I haven't seen WIlco live in a while and haven't really listened to their latest albums much, but the show reminded me why they are my favorite band. Though seeing them live always makes me wonder when they went from being alt-country to alt-jam band?   

No idea. We had been there twice and the guy helping us had to call the manager who gave us the go-a-head. There were even more expensive bottles just sitting on the shelves too. 

Today, I went to a liquor store looking for Blanton's Bourbon. I was told that they no longer stocked it on the shelf and only people who had shopped there at least 3 times could buy a bottle. Crazy, never heard of such a thing. 

Bought tickets last night. Figured as the entrance is right out side my door I didn't really have any excuse. 

This summer my wife and I took 2 week and went to France, Greece and Jordan. In France we saw 2 games for the Euros (Iceland v Hungry and Ukraine v Poland) and sat on the beach for a few days. We have both been to France before so mostly just relaxed and watched soccer. Then spent 36 sweltering hours in Athens. Saw the Parthenon and other ruins and some museums. Never been very high on on list, but now if we go back we can just skip right to the islands.  Then we went to Jordan. Saw Wadi Rum, place they filmed Lawrence of Arabia, (or those of you who like 'new' movies The Martian), guided by a local who lives there year round with his family. Then we went to Petra. We rode camels in from the back of the monument. It is more than just the one facade, which I didn't know about before we were walking there with our guide. Then spent the night at the Dead Sea. Got to float and rub some mud on us. It was probably the best trip I have ever been on. I would recommend it in a second to anyone. 

Besides that a few trips to family in Omaha, Chicago and Indianapolis and a work retreat to Mexico.  

I have started a visa application to move to New Zealand. Any kiwi's want to hire me or my wife, both have graduate degrees?!? 

Just thought of another one. My wife and I were in France this summer for the Euro's. Rented a car and were staying about 1 hour from the venue for the games we were seeing. Our car thankfully had GPS built in so that was great, until there was construction in Marseilles. After the game we were trying to get back to the highway out of town and the GPS and construction signs did not get along. We were both pretty jet lagged, but I am pretty good with directions and figuring out what the road signs meant. My wife by this time was pretty frazzled by lack of sleep so wasn't the most helpful. Anyway, I follow a sign to turn left to get to the interstate, my wife immediately yells, "Stop, your'e going the wrong way!" Which made me hit the brakes pretty hard. It took a second to realize that 1. yes it did appear that we were now on the left side of the road, but that 2. this was the correct way to go through the construction. 

Our trip back to the hotel after the second game was much less nerve racking. 

I was driving with my mother in rural Indiana maybe 15 years ago. It had rained really hard the night before and there were some large water puddles on the road. We had pulled into a gas station and were leaving. There was a really large, maybe the size of 2 cars, puddle right at the corner where the service station entrance met the road. My mother drove around it as you could not tell how deep the puddle was. The person behind us did not. The puddle was a bout 5 ft deep! I have since avoided any puddle I couldn't tell how deep it was.