Random thoughts that are pointless and too dumb to say anywhere else thread: 2009 (May – Dec.)

[TracyThom]

Textbooks are too expensive. They should be included when you register for the class. There like a hidden $500 extra fee.

Textbooks are also too expensive when you only use the $85 textbook a few times during the entire semester. I always hated that. Many times I went without buying the textbook and ended up borrowing it from neighbors.

[mothershipconnection]

UWEC did textbook rental - you paid nothing for books unless you damaged them. Once I got to grad school, I wanted to keep my books because they relate to my profession and I sometimes use them as a reference, but nobody wants a $200 undergrad statistics manual.

[NeedMoreFans]

Buy them used on Amazon, then resell them when you don't need them anymore. You save tons of money, and get a lot more back than you do at the bookstores.

[GAME05]

i've discovered that the school library carries at least one copy of all the textbooks needed for class.

[ewizabeff]

When I was taking classes, I lived by www.campusbooks.com. It's an aggregator that searches all the book websites for new and used books. You can create a "backpack" with all your books and find out what it will cost to buy them all from the same place, or if you bought each book where it was listed for the lowest price.

[Brewbadger]

Amazon is the cheapest route. Plus, if you spend enough, you often get free shipping. As for the textbook at the library routine, at any bigger university, there's no way you could get by with a single measly book at the library. With 500 students in some lectures, there's many who try to use the library provided one, and it's usually unavailable.

[Patrick425]

I don't get haiku. What's the magic to 5-7-5? Is there some sort of rhythm there that I'm missing. Why not 6-8-6 or 4-7-6 or 7-5-7 or anything else?

[hawing]

At the top of the hour just now, the Weather Channel's "on the 8s" music was Frankenstein by the Edgar Winter Group.

They should really save that music for a stormy night with a big squall line coming - not a "areas of fog / low 55" evening.

[hawing]

I'm discovering that a campus with flu-like symptoms going around is not a great place for a hypochondriac.

[GAME05]

my racist sand crab died.

[Nottso]

my racist sand crab died.

Why's it gotta be about race? This is just another case of "the man tryin' ta keep a crustacean down."

[hawing]

For last night's game, we dug out an old scorebook that had room to score one more game. We therefore filled the book last night.

 

Today I was looking through the other games in the book, mostly from 1998, and darned if we didn't happen to score the Brant Brown game. I don't remember having the scorebook along, but I'm glad we did that one. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[jazzytrav]

Fake News Story Win

[hawing]

At my library, I once got a reference question from an interlibrary loan office (not in Wisconsin) asking for help with the citation of an Onion article: "Why Don't You Just Shut Up?" This was before they had a online presence, so the only suggestion I had for the caller was to contact The Onion directly. We got the call in the first place because we have a full collection of The Onion (on microfilm).

 

The caller did not seem to realize The Onion is satirical; either that, or she was hoaxing me (and if so, was doing a good job).

[wallus]

I never understood why they call doing something well in football "making a play".

[TheCrew07]

I never understood why they call doing something well in football "making a play".

It's easier to say he "made a play" than "he got off the ball, beat the block, flattened down the line in pursuit, and made a sure tackle for a loss." While football is simple on the surface, on offense you block and defense you tackle, there's more to it than that when describing the action. Sometimes I'll say "nice hit" or "great catch", it just depends on the complexity of the play.

 

Sometimes I say it for a great defensive play in baseball too, that play Escobar made going to his right where he smoothly got the ball off in one step to get the out at first had us talking about "the play" for a couple of days. It was the most fantastic non diving play I've seen in a long time.

[wallus]

I never understood why they call doing something well in football "making a play".

It's easier to say he "made a play" than "he got off the ball, beat the block, flattened down the line in pursuit, and made a sure tackle for a loss." While football is simple on the surface, on offense you block and defense you tackle, there's more to it than that when describing the action. Sometimes I'll say "nice hit" or "great catch", it just depends on the complexity of the play.

 

Sometimes I say it for a great defensive play in baseball too, that play Escobar made going to his right where he smoothly got the ball off in one step to get the out at first had us talking about "the play" for a couple of days. It was the most fantastic non diving play I've seen in a long time.

 

I realize it is easier to say that but they could at least come up with something that actually makes sense.

[Invader3K]

On a similar note, I always thought he phrase "play action" was kind of an odd one.

[Diskono]

I never understood why they call doing something well in football "making a play".

You're either making a play, or merely making a football move.

[And That]

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[Patrick425]

On a similar note, I always thought he phrase "play action" was kind of an odd one.

I find a lot of the terms in football odd and confusing especially since I never played organized football. "Play action" is a good example. Some others:

 

Crack back block

Flanker

nickle (back, coverage, defense)

dime - this one is really confusing because it really has nothing to do with the number 10 (does it?)

tackle (as a noun, not a verb - how can someone on offense be a tackle?)

Quarterback, Halfback, Fullback - not so much the names, but where they line up. In the normal eye formation - Shouldn't the guy behind the quarterback be the halfback and then the guy behind him be the fullback (logically).

Draw play

Flat

Post Pattern

Bubble screen

Tailback - why does there need to be 3 different terms for the same position? (half back, running back)

Trap block

Off Tackle

 

I'm always amazed when I'm watching a game with someone who is more knowledgeable about football that I am (does not take much), and they know right away if there are not enough or too many men on the field (how?) or they say something like "Wow did you see that Block?!"..uhh no..I was watching the guy with the ball.

[Diskono]

The kicking team comes on. Its first down, and I can't believe it.

 

 

 

 

...its a fake!

[PeaveyFury]

Draw play

 

Post Pattern

 

These two are pretty easy to explain: draw plays start as a fake pass, followed by a late handoff designed to 'draw' the defensive line into the pass protection up the field from the run.

 

Post patterns are simply receivers running up the field and then running for the goal post.

[Baldkin]

Actually, post pattern comes from the days when the goalposts were still on the field of play, and the receiver would use them to brush off the defender.

[1992casey]

Jayson Werth's grandfather was a Milwaukee Brewer.