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So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,757
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
One of my favorite bits in listening to old Brooklyn Dodgers broadcasts is Gladys Goodding's spirited organ rendition of the "Mexican Hat Dance" during the 7th Inning Stretch, punctuated by clapping from the crowd at appropriate moments, which comes across as far more enjoyable than any of the choreographed patriotism they force-feed us today. And as a kid, I loved the way John Kiley would rip thru the National Anthem on the Fenway Park Hammond in less than a minute.

If you must play the Anthem at a ball game -- and I see no reason why you must, any more than you should play "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" before calling Congress into session -- do it like that and get it over with so we can get on with the game.
 
Messages
10,939
Location
My mother's basement
My visits to ballparks have become less and less frequent as the years go by, for a few reasons, not the least of which are the light shows and exploding scoreboards and various other antics of that ilk.

Used to be that a baseball fan could avoid most of that by driving down to Tacoma, say, or Colorado Springs, and taking in a AAA game. But no, even there it’s getting to where the game itself is a secondary attraction.
 
Messages
12,017
Location
East of Los Angeles
One of my favorite bits in listening to old Brooklyn Dodgers broadcasts is Gladys Goodding's spirited organ rendition of the "Mexican Hat Dance" during the 7th Inning Stretch, punctuated by clapping from the crowd at appropriate moments, which comes across as far more enjoyable than any of the choreographed patriotism they force-feed us today. And as a kid, I loved the way John Kiley would rip thru the National Anthem on the Fenway Park Hammond in less than a minute.

If you must play the Anthem at a ball game -- and I see no reason why you must, any more than you should play "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" before calling Congress into session -- do it like that and get it over with so we can get on with the game.
I couldn't find an audio recording of Gladys Goodding's rendition of "The Mexican Hat Dance" online, but I found a recording of John Kiley's one minute rendition of the National Anthem, introduced by Sherm Feller:


The Anthem isn't a particularly long song to begin with, but one of the things I like about Mr. Kiley's rendition is that it doesn't feel rushed.
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,757
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
At one of the stations where I worked, we dubbed that exact recording to a cart and used it as the station signoff. Perfect performance with no bombast.

Gladys Goodding did a pretty good organ version of the Anthem at Ebbets Field, but loses points for singing along in a throaty operatic contralto, no doubt reinforced by nips from the flask she kept in her booth. But I'd even take that over the obnoxiously hyped versions you get today. When you get right down to it, it's a lousy song, and exaggerated performances only make it worse.

I also miss Sherm Feller, god bless him. He used to take out his false teeth before each game so they wouldn't click during his announcements, and he kept it clear and concise. "Number 6, Rico Petrocelli. Shortstop. Petrocelli." No hype, no hokum, no gawdawful stupid "walkup music." Just a simple clear announcement that told you what you needed to know without imposing itself on the game.
 

Bruce Wayne

My Mail is Forwarded Here
The look for the "inner beauty" thing. If it requires hammer and chisel and the wearing of hip waders or a hazmat suit to find it, no thank you. Mums, bless 'em, are often a fount of much fallacious wisdom, or in the very least, it was probably valid in a much kinder gentler time than our own.

My favorite nugget of "wisdom" from my mother regarding bullies was ignore them, don't give them the satisfaction. It takes two to make a fight. No Mum, all it takes is just one person or group with an ambitious, determined agenda to make a fight. Is there anything in the medicine cabinet for this shiner? :p


(Fortunately I never got beat up as a kid, but you get the idea :D)

I was only left alone from the wrath of the bullies when I almost went postal a couple of days after Columbine. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.
 

vitanola

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,254
Location
Gopher Prairie, MI
I couldn't find an audio recording of Gladys Goodding's rendition of "The Mexican Hat Dance" online, but I found a recording of John Kiley's one minute rendition of the National Anthem, introduced by Sherm Feller:


The Anthem isn't a particularly long song to begin with, but one of the things I like about Mr. Kiley's rendition is that it doesn't feel rushed.

I'm afraid that it seems to take an immigrant to do justice to our Anthem.


Beautifully sung, perfectly phrased, with no distracting embellishments.
This was recorded in May of '17, shortly after McCormack swore his oath of allegiance to the United States.
 

3fingers

One Too Many
Messages
1,797
Location
Illinois
The "Moviepass" thing. How do they get off starting a business that requires theatres to cooperate without even asking if they want to be involved? And then when something goes wrong with the card or the transaction won't go thru, we have to take the blame. Nuts to that.
It sounds like the end is near for this train wreck. From stock trading in the thousands per share to 80 cents on Friday. Whatever sheep were bankrolling it apparently have run out of fleece.
 
Messages
17,215
Location
New York City
It sounds like the end is near for this train wreck. From stock trading in the thousands per share to 80 cents on Friday. Whatever sheep were bankrolling it apparently have run out of fleece.

You are spot on. From MarketWatch:

MoviePass parent Helios and Matheson's stock continues plunge into fractional territory

Published: Aug 2, 2018 10:58 a.m. ET
By
TOMI KILGORE

Shares of MoviePass parent Helios & Matheson Analytics Inc. HMNY, -36.40%plummeted 40% in active morning trade Thursday, as prices continue to deteriorate into "cents" territory despite the large reverse stock split executed last week. The stock was trading around 14 cents, which in pre-split-adjusted terms would be 0.056 cents. The struggling company implemented a one-for-250 reverse split on July 25, meaning the stock's July 24 closing price increased from 8.5 cents to $21.25. The stock has plunged 99.3% since then. In comparison, the S&P 500 SPX, -0.06% is little changed since then.
 
Messages
12,734
Location
Northern California
I have remarked/complained before about jerks who talk so much and loud at concerts so as to drown out the band, but I really do not understand them. How is it that they are so clueless or wrapped up in themselves that they do not realize how completely annoying they are to those who want to hear the band? It did not matter if we were in the back or up front, there was always a group of idiots jabbering about nothing nonstop. I was amazed at how one lady was able to get any oxygen with the volume of garbage she spewed. She got louder and more clueless as the night went on. People, they’re the worst.
:D
 
Messages
12,017
Location
East of Los Angeles
The fact that no one seems capable of taking my blood pressure properly. I went to the doctor yesterday & the way they took it made my BP seem so high they wanted to admit me to the hospital. I have a nurse practitioner who takes my pressure manually & while high is still within the acceptable range.
In recent years the problem associated with having my blood pressure taken that I've experienced repeatedly is that the nurses want to suddenly have a casual chat with me. Talking, moving, even having a full bladder, can increase your blood pressure readings by 10 points resulting in a false reading, so for decades I was instructed to remain quiet and still during the test. So they sit me down, wrap the cuff around my arm, push the button, and then they want to know how my day is going? o_O
 

2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
In recent years the problem associated with having my blood pressure taken that I've experienced repeatedly is that the nurses want to suddenly have a casual chat with me. Talking, moving, even having a full bladder, can increase your blood pressure readings by 10 points resulting in a false reading, so for decades I was instructed to remain quiet and still during the test. So they sit me down, wrap the cuff around my arm, push the button, and then they want to know how my day is going? o_O

Youre making the mistake of keeping your eyes opened.

Shut eyes.JPG

This is me last time I went for a blood pressure test .
I shut my eyes and nobody asked me questions
...and if
they did, I simply ignored them.


In fact, they didn't even bother me and soon after I fell asleep.


BTW:
My blood pressure reading came out super low with barely a pulse. ;)
 
Last edited:
Messages
12,017
Location
East of Los Angeles
...This is me last time I went for a blood pressure test. I shut my eyes and nobody asked me questions...and if they did, I simply ignored them.

In fact, they didn't even bother me and soon after I fell asleep.

BTW:
My blood pressure reading came out super low with barely a pulse. ;)
Several years ago it became necessary for me to have a bone graft in preparation for a tooth replacement (upper left front tooth, post and crown). The nurse who assisted the surgeon during the procedure did all of the prep work, which included taking my blood pressure. After the procedure she took my blood pressure again, and with a puzzled expression on her face informed me that I would need to wait 5-10 minutes so she could take it again. When I asked why, still puzzled she said, "Because it's higher now than it was when you came in." Uh-huh. And? "Well, people are always nervous before a procedure like this, so their blood pressure is elevated. But after the procedure they're more relaxed, and their blood pressure is lower." I explained to her that I don't get nervous about procedures like that, that I had been relaxing on the table for the last hour while she and the surgeon did all the work, and that my blood pressure was now higher because I was moving and talking again. "But...it doesn't work that way." Sure enough, when she took my blood pressure reading again 10 minutes later it was indeed as low as it had been when I arrived. "Okay, you were right. I've been a nurse for 25 years, and I've never seen anything like it." :cool:

I liked her almost immediately, because during the prep work we were chatting about the procedure as she informed me about what I could expect. At one point I said, "Listen, we're both adults and I'm not the squeamish type. You're all very careful about using terms like 'graft bone' and 'donor bone', but it's cadaver bone, isn't it?" She started with, "Well...", paused for several seconds while trying to think of a clever way to get around my question, then answered simply, "Yes." This simple gesture informed me that she was reasonable, someone I could trust, and I appreciated it tremendously.
 
Last edited:

2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
Several years ago it became necessary for me to have a bone graft in preparation for a tooth replacement (upper left front tooth, post and crown). The nurse who assisted the surgeon during the procedure did all of the prep work, which included taking my blood pressure. After the procedure she took my blood pressure again, and with a puzzled expression on her face informed me that I would need to wait 5-10 minutes so she could take it again. When I asked why, still puzzled she said, "Because it's higher now than it was when you came in." Uh-huh. And? "Well, people are always nervous before a procedure like this, so their blood pressure is elevated. But after the procedure they're more relaxed, and their blood pressure is lower." I explained to her that I don't get nervous about procedures like that, that I had been relaxing on the table for the last hour while she and the surgeon did all the work, and that my blood pressure was now higher because I was moving and talking again. "But...it doesn't work that way." Sure enough, when she took my blood pressure reading again 10 minutes later it was indeed as low as it had been when I arrived. "Okay, you were right. I've been a nurse for 25 years, and I've never seen anything like it." :cool:


To Zombie_61

JK.png
I salute you!

from,
Screen Shot 2018-08-06 at 1.01.12 AM.png
I suffer a thousand deaths before I get to the dentist's chair. ;)
 
Messages
17,215
Location
New York City
Several years ago it became necessary for me to have a bone graft in preparation for a tooth replacement (upper left front tooth, post and crown). The nurse who assisted the surgeon during the procedure did all of the prep work, which included taking my blood pressure. After the procedure she took my blood pressure again, and with a puzzled expression on her face informed me that I would need to wait 5-10 minutes so she could take it again. When I asked why, still puzzled she said, "Because it's higher now than it was when you came in." Uh-huh. And? "Well, people are always nervous before a procedure like this, so their blood pressure is elevated. But after the procedure they're more relaxed, and their blood pressure is lower." I explained to her that I don't get nervous about procedures like that, that I had been relaxing on the table for the last hour while she and the surgeon did all the work, and that my blood pressure was now higher because I was moving and talking again. "But...it doesn't work that way." Sure enough, when she took my blood pressure reading again 10 minutes later it was indeed as low as it had been when I arrived. "Okay, you were right. I've been a nurse for 25 years, and I've never seen anything like it." :cool:

I liked her almost immediately, because during the prep work we were chatting about the procedure as she informed me about what I could expect. At one point I said, "Listen, we're both adults and I'm not the squeamish type. You're all very careful about using terms like 'graft bone' and 'donor bone', but it's cadaver bone, isn't it?" She started with, "Well...", paused for several seconds while trying to think of a clever way to get around my question, then answered simply, "Yes." This simple gesture informed me that she was reasonable, someone I could trust, and I appreciated it tremendously.

You would have made a heck of a test pilot or astronaut with nerves like that - nerves that go down, not up, before big events.
 
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Messages
12,972
Location
Germany
Oh man, I'm really glad, that the bags for my "antique" 90s Philips vacuum cleaner are indeed still in production by the same classic brand "Swirl" and at least available in classic department store and the electronic chainstores! This model is probably not a popular one, so, all the usual supermarkets and drugstores don't offer bags for this model range, neither classic brand, nor store brand. So, I simply took the train, visited department store in the next bigger city and got a package, hooray hooray. :cool:

These are the moments, when I'm enjoying classic brand. ;)
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,081
Location
London, UK
Mine is a variation of that: none on the sides and none on the top. I have had that style for 24 years. The day I became brave enough to give it a go was a great day for me.
:D

Me too. I spent four years tying to hide going prematurely bald with buzzcuts - going the full shave for the first time in June 06 was a liberation; I only wish I'd done it earlier.

Meanwhile, why do I have to see these stupid little plastic dental-floss things all over the sidewalk and parking lots the ground and the shore and every other place where I happen to look down. Who is so fastidious that they have to floss their teeth when they're walking down the street and yet such an insufferable ass that they have to throw the floss-thing down on the ground when they're done with it? The world is not your personal wastebasket, whoever you are. How bout you keep your dirty bathroom crap in your bathroom.

Similar here - except it's the self-consciously rebellious kids and their little aluminium laughing gas canisters. Because being a giggling idiot is what really makes the man feel threatened!

Oh, and if you see cute little juvenile raccoons? Don’t approach them, even if you believe they are orphaned. Tonya Harding has nothing on a momma raccoon.

That's one for the misremembered thread, Tonya Harding - it's amazing how many people believe she was the one who carried out the attack on Nancy Kerrigan herself, when in fact she was in a whole different city at the time.
 

Formeruser012523

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,466
Location
null
The fact that no one seems capable of taking my blood pressure properly. I went to the doctor yesterday & the way they took it made my BP seem so high they wanted to admit me to the hospital. I have a nurse practitioner who takes my pressure manually & while high is still within the acceptable range.

In recent years the problem associated with having my blood pressure taken that I've experienced repeatedly is that the nurses want to suddenly have a casual chat with me. Talking, moving, even having a full bladder, can increase your blood pressure readings by 10 points resulting in a false reading, so for decades I was instructed to remain quiet and still during the test. So they sit me down, wrap the cuff around my arm, push the button, and then they want to know how my day is going? o_O

Speaking of blood pressure, I went to the doctor this morning. They used the weirdest thing I've seen yet to take it. A cuff around my wrist that I had to hold to my chest, smaller than a cell phone. Before I could ask the nurse what it was, she walked off. No conversation, this time. And when it's high I've always heard that's called "White Coat Syndrome."
 

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