Random thoughts that are pointless and too dumb to say anywhere else thread: 2014

[logan82]

Only the ones that light themselves on fire if you don't clean them out.

[Thurston Fluff]

I planted emo grass in my yard. Now my lawn cuts itself.

[fondybrewfan]

So for some reason last night I found myself watching Sharknado 2. Really awesome watching the star of the movie cut a flying shark in half with a chain saw. The last scene of the movie with Tara Reid was just brilliant and incredibly disturbing. The actors probably have a ton of fun filming those types of flicks.

 

I wonder how much a movie like that can make? The advertising on Sci-Fi can only take them so far. I was too tired to watch the Sharktopus movie but it looked amazing.

[RobDeer 45]

I always have a tough time watching baseball in July and August. I'm crazy for it up until June, but then I fade away until the last month. Even with the Brewers in a good place, it's just hard for me to watch right now. I still follow box scores and check in but really can't watch a whole game. Anyone else go through this, or just me?

[Patrick425]

I never understood the popularity of Shark Week on Discovery. Yawn.

[TheEndless7]

I always have a tough time watching baseball in July and August. I'm crazy for it up until June, but then I fade away until the last month. Even with the Brewers in a good place, it's just hard for me to watch right now. I still follow box scores and check in but really can't watch a whole game. Anyone else go through this, or just me?

 

 

Me. April-All Star Break usually. And then after that I usually tune it out until around the last week of August. Not sure why. It's just been like that most years.

[JimH5]

Me too.

 

Baseball is a tough watch, and for me, it's all about the pace of play.

 

Growing up in the 1970s, it was uncommon for a game to take 3 hours. They started at 7:30, and were still often done before 10:00.

 

Now it's just so plodding.

 

They could shave off 20 minutes a game (enforce a pitch clock, speedier trips to the mound, one less commercial between innings) and not really impact the game.

 

Not sure the broadcasters would be too happy about that, though, as they benefit by having a longer tv show on their cable channels.

[TooLiveBrew]

I always have a tough time watching baseball in July and August. I'm crazy for it up until June, but then I fade away until the last month. Even with the Brewers in a good place, it's just hard for me to watch right now. I still follow box scores and check in but really can't watch a whole game. Anyone else go through this, or just me?

That's funny -- I'm the exact opposite. I'm obviously really fired up at the start of the season, but kinda fade off a little in late May/early June. Come mid-July or so, I can't get enough. I love these meaningful games in the dog days of summer... hopefully followed by even more meaningful games in September & October!

[RobDeer 45]

Funny! I thought I was going to get booed off the site! I think I just get really busy in July and Aug and I start getting that excitement for football. I'm very guilty of getting excited for the next sport when it's about to start.

[Patrick425]

The whole ALS Ice bucket challenge is entertaining, but I don't understand how it raises money, other than to maybe raise awareness. However, I don't know how many people that watch those videos are inspired to donate to ALS (or even know that is what it's all about). I'd like to see the person say "I now challenge so and so and if they do it I'll donate X amount to ALS" or something like that.

[bani1717]

I think the challenge is to either dump ice water on yourself when challenged or make a donation. Either way it is actually working to the tune of donations 20x what they were over the same period last year:

 

http://www.alsa.org/news/media/press-releases/ice-bucket-challenge-082114.html

[Patrick425]

I think the challenge is to either dump ice water on yourself when challenged or make a donation. Either way it is actually working to the tune of donations 20x what they were over the same period last year:

 

http://www.alsa.org/news/media/press-releases/ice-bucket-challenge-082114.html

 

I would hope that all the celebrities and sports stars that are getting ice water dumped on them are also making donations.

[TooLiveBrew]

I can't remember where I read it (online somewhere), but the ice bucket challenge awareness has apparently resulted in lots more donations for ALS research

[logan82]

I can't remember where I read it (online somewhere), but the ice bucket challenge awareness has apparently resulted in lots more donations for ALS research

At the expense of other charities.

[Invader3K]

 

That's arguable. I bet a lot of people wouldn't be donating to anything if it wasn't for the awareness this has raised.

[logan82]

 

That's arguable. I bet a lot of people wouldn't be donating to anything if it wasn't for the awareness this has raised.

Sure it's raised some money that otherwise wouldn't have been donated but I guarantee you that much of the money would have gone to other charities. My guess is that most of the money this has raised would have been donated somewhere anyway. I have no doubt this has raised awareness of ALS but they are taking money of of the pockets of other charities.

[jerichoholicninja]

 

That's arguable. I bet a lot of people wouldn't be donating to anything if it wasn't for the awareness this has raised.

Sure it's raised some money that otherwise wouldn't have been donated but I guarantee you that much of the money would have gone to other charities. My guess is that most of the money this has raised would have been donated somewhere anyway. I have no doubt this has raised awareness of ALS but they are taking money of of the pockets of other charities.

 

Money that is donated to any charity is money that could've went to a different charity, so I don't see what the problem is. Heck, the money raised for breast cancer is probably equal to all other money raised for diseases combined.

 

What bothers me is that people get all worked about whatever the disease/cause de jour is and it's forgotten about in a few weeks. Also, this is another excuse for people to post a video of themselves on the internet saying "look at me".

[RobDeer 45]

I agree, I do think a lot of people are doing it as a look at me moment. I'm not going to do it, even though I have been "challenged." I'm trying to come up with a creative way to not do a "look at me" and also donate money to something else..... Just haven't figured that out yet.

[Raw Biz]

I agree, I do think a lot of people are doing it as a look at me moment. I'm not going to do it, even though I have been "challenged." I'm trying to come up with a creative way to not do a "look at me" and also donate money to something else..... Just haven't figured that out yet.

 

This is my big problem as well. The vast majority of people are likely not donating. It's just the "cool" thing to do, posting a video. And the people that are donating will probably not give it a second thought or are only donating because, again, it's the thing to do now. I'm all for donating to charity and causes, and I'm glad that ALS has gotten a big boost because of it. However, I don't think people should be guilted into doing it.

 

Now people might say so what, ultimately money is being raised and that's a good thing. That's all well and good but like I said, most people likely won't give this a second thought. I've been giving to various charities and causes monthly for the past almost two years. I also like to spread the wealth, as I think donating to the smaller charities and smaller causes have a greater impact.

 

Because of that, IF people really want to do these videos, it should be the person picking a charity of their choice and "challenging" the next people to donate to a different charity. That way lots of charities would see an increase and people could also pick something that perhaps has affected them personally. ALS is a horrible disease for sure, and Lou Gehrig is my favorite all-time player, but I don't have a personal connection to the disease. However, my brother does have a rare disease that affects maybe 2,000 world-wide, yet is hardly known, even to medical professionals. By doing something like this, perhaps more people would become aware of the many horrible diseases facing humanity.

[JimH5]

I dislike the "raise awareness" aspect of many charities. Hashtag campaigns, products sold where a tiny portion of the proceeds go to charity, celebrity causes du jour. . . Awareness by itself isn't worth anything. The only thing that's essential is that they raise money--and every charity can always use way more than they currently get.

 

This seems like a very creative, very unique way of raising a lot of money to combat ALS. There doesn't seem to be a special interest profiting from the campaign. It just seems to have grown organically.

 

I get it, the preening for the camera is often self centered, and there's a lot of doing it just to be seen. And we all have a finite number of dollars to spend on a variety of things, and money spent on ALS maybe doesn't go to the American Red Cross, or Easter Seals, etc. But we need to find a cure for ALS, so what's wrong if the result is that they get more money to find the cure?

[hawing]

My brother's family called us out over the weekend. My response will likely be to not make a video and instead make a modest donation. I already make annual donations to a variety of charities that are important to me, and I'll likely keep an ALS donation in the same range as what I give to the others.

 

I like seeing ALS get more $, but I'm not into calling attention to myself or dragging anyone else into the same. Besides, most of the people I know who would be into this kind of attention have already done it.

[nate82]

I can't remember where I read it (online somewhere), but the ice bucket challenge awareness has apparently resulted in lots more donations for ALS research

At the expense of other charities.

 

Well thank you Captain Obvious.

 

http://c85c7a.medialib.glogster.com/media/53/537f75597185f0fb4a39358fda8272253cd7cfa992c1bea9fc5c6a9fe65a49c4/b.jpg

[Thurston Fluff]

Raising awareness always seemed to me to be code for "I really don't want to lift a finger to help but would like to feel like I am." Raising funds seems best done by actually giving funds.

[1992casey]

Don't operate a motorized recliner chair when it's too close to the wall.

[1992casey]

Paul McCartney's dad thought "yeah yeah yeah" was too American and suggested that the Beatles might want to sing "She Loves You Yes Yes Yes."