Hey Lurkers!

Just thought I'd post this from Celticsblog.com.  Apparently they have a lot of anonymous visitors like we do.  Nice to know it's not just us.  

Bob, I don't see any post from Celticsblog. I bet you had to run for a train or an elephant and didn't have time to post it.

Sam

http://www.celticsblog.com/2015/1/25/7890361/hey-lurkers-dont-forget-that-you-can-write-comments-and-fanposts

It has been too long since I last called out the lurkers.  You know who you are.  You casual readers that stop by and read the fine articles and laugh at the comments and generally partake in the fine buffet of Celtics goodness on this site.  Yet, you humbly refrain from engaging in the frivolity yourselves.

You are like the guy that stops by the basketball court, watches a few games, and then goes on home thinking that you couldn't play with those guys.  Well, I'm the captain of the team, and I'm tossing you a ball.  We've got a spot open my friend.  You wanna play?

See, the thing that makes this site special is the community.  Yes, I know I'm brilliant and witty and obviously humble.  I realize that Kevin and wjsy and all the new writers are each Pulitzer bound someday.  But let me clue you in on a little secret.  There are lots of good Celtics writers who post on many different blogs.  So there has to be something else.

Community is the key to our success here.  It started out with this blog being the equivalent of a small sports pub where everyone knew your name. It grew and we lost some of that closeness, but we were also exposed to countless new voices that have entertained and educated us through the years. Now (10+ years later) we're about the size of a college stadium and I couldn't be prouder.  But I want to keep those seats packed with cheering fans.  I want to hear you rant, rave, laugh, cry, and whatever else comes to mind.

We strive to provide you with a safe environment to share your voice.  We moderate comments so that there won't be personal attacks that devolve into useless flame wars.  We also ask that you do not swear and generally treat each other with respect.  Again, all so that you can feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with fellow fans.

But we still need you (yes, YOU) to register an account, log in, and get talking.  Start with the comments.  Introduce yourself.  Tell us what you think of the rebuild.  Are you pro-tanking or anti-tanking (or do you think those labels are silly)?  Who's your favorite player (left) and why?  What kind of team would you like to see a year from now (or 3 years)?

If you find yourself needing more space to share your thoughts, I encourage you to start writing FanPosts.  We try to feature the best of them in the Featured FanPosts section and splash one up on the front page from time to time. I wish I could do more but that's where you come in.

Write! React! Engage!

Any questions? (Hint: to ask, you'll have to register)

________________________________________________________________

My note: I want to make clear the fact that these are not my words, they come from Jeff Clark over at CelticsBlog. With that said, the message is relevant for this forum as well,

"Community is the key to our success here."

gyso

sam wrote:Bob, I don't see any post from Celticsblog.  I bet you had to run for a train or an elephant and didn't have time to post it.

Sam

Sam,

Actually I did write quite a bit more after that as well as cut-and-paste the article.  Somehow it got lost in the shuffle.  One of the ongoing frustrations doing this via a tablet and not a laptop.

Btw, I had dinner at a charming little french bistro called La Cage du Coq in Vientiane last night (Laos has a very heavy french influence, more than Vietnam I think). The food was as good or better than the food I've had at bistros in France, which I have found to have wide variations in quality. I rated it 'excellent' in my Trip Advisor review (I am the first to have reviewed it). The soupe du jour was salmon and it was awesome, thick and rich without overbearing on the cream. A big bowl for 28,000 kip ($3.50). I'm not sure how he did it but the piece de resistance was the glaze he squeeze-bottled across the top. I think he caramelized the salmon skin and then put it into a blender with some balsamic vinegar until it was slightly gritty to produce textural contrast with the soup. Wow. I don't know why the chef, whom I was told is from south-Western France, is working in a bistro on a small side street in Laos but I'm glad he is.


bob



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Sounds tasty, Bob. Of course, it takes a discerning gourmand to pick the right restaurants.

Sam

I feel horrible... I'm falling into lurker status... I have seen so few games since moving to ga. That I don't think I can add much value to the discussions right now...

Things are slowly falling into place though.... we recently decided to stop being weird and bought a t.v. next up is Internet at the new house after closing.... just in time for the end of the season...

Matty wrote:I feel horrible... I'm falling into lurker status... I have seen so few games since moving to ga. That I don't think I can add much value to the discussions right now...

Things are slowly falling into place though.... we recently decided to stop being weird and bought a t.v.  next up is Internet at the new house after closing.... just in time for the end of the season...

Matty,

I'm right there with ya bro.  I have been on the road since 11/4/14.  I think I saw the first two,  maybe three, games of the season.  That's it.  I have been on a few Game On threads, reading what the board members are posting while letting ESPN feed me stats and commentary, but haven't actally SEEN a game in almost 3 months.

This board, like every other interactive operation, is about community.  This isn't a news organization where it is acceptable to to sit passively and let other people tell you what you should know and think.  If you know, tell.  If you don't know, ask.  I wrote something to that effect on the "Hey Lurkers!" thread but my tablet ate it, apparently.  

Remember your other ID?  Hooter Rooter?  Even if you cannot comment on game specifics (as I cannot and will not be able to until probably 2/20 at the earliest) you can still be here and comment or ask people who can and do have eyeballs on the games.

Woody Allen said "80% of life is just showing up".  Not a bad description of a board member here.  The remaining 20% can be reserved for table-clearing insights, pithy retorts and divine wisdom.


bob
P.S. Woody Allen also said "sex without love is a meaningless experience but as meaningless experiences go it's pretty damn good". Would that fall under "just showing up" or divine wisdom?


.

Divine wisdom for sure.....

I confess: sometimes I lurk here when I haven't seen a recent game and just want to know how we're doing. January is busy at work and with the collapse of wiziwig.eu, I haven't watched a complete game since Jeff Green left for Memphis. But thanks to the outstanding coverage and analysis here, I'm in the loop. I'm also on board with Danny's dealing, Brad's coaching and the results we're seeing on the court.
When Rondo left, I was disappointed, but when Green followed, it seemed we were already building a new team so let's do it from the ground, up. (Just finished paying for one kid's college and with a 3-year hiatus until the next round, I want League Pass for next year.)
In the meantime, keep up the good work, everyone! Hawk

hawksnestbeach wrote:I confess: sometimes I lurk here when I haven't seen a recent game and just want to know how we're doing. January is busy at work and with the collapse of wiziwig.eu, I haven't watched a complete game since Jeff Green left for Memphis. But thanks to the outstanding coverage and analysis here, I'm in the loop. I'm also on board with Danny's dealing, Brad's coaching and the results we're seeing on the court.
  When Rondo left, I was disappointed, but when Green followed, it seemed we were already building a new team so let's do it from the ground, up. (Just finished paying for one kid's college and with a 3-year hiatus until the next round, I want League Pass for next year.)
  In the meantime, keep up the good work, everyone! Hawk

hnb,

Try this link:

http://www.wiz1.net/schedule

It looks to be still active.

It always can be found in this thread:

League Pass and maybe other ways to watch the NBA and NBA-DL

https://samcelt.forumotion.net/t7653-league-pass-and-maybe-other-ways-to-watch-the-nba-and-nba-dl

"The soupe du jour was salmon and it was awesome, thick and rich without overbearing on the cream."

Just curious. Did you ask where the salmon came from?

Thanks, Gyso. In clips and print, I've kept up and I like the coaching, teamwork, work ethic I'm seeing. When everyone's fighting for a job - many not for the first time - it's impossible to tank. But with so many draft picks pending and the payroll under control, I like our position. Go Celtics! Hawk

Sloopjohnb wrote:"The soupe du jour was salmon and it was awesome, thick and rich without overbearing on the cream."

Just curious.  Did you ask where the salmon came from?

Sloop,

I did not, however I learned they are farming salmon in northern Vietnam (I homestayed in Sapa Province with a family that was building a salmon farm) because the rivers are nice and cold like the salmon like it.  I am not sure but would not be the surprised if they are doing that in northern Laos too.  Laos has a very heavy French influence, more than Vietnam's even, and the French are crazy for saumon fume  (smoked salmon).


bob


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That's interesting. I know that Vietnamese farmed catfish has driven American catfish farms out of business. I see it every where sold as "Basa."

I'd imagine that salmon are much more difficult to farm than catfish, especially in a place with a tropical climate.

I've always liked the coffee in Vietnamese restaurants. Thank god for colonialism and its legacy.

Hope you're having a great time in Laos.

Hooter,

Your comments are always welcome here. We all encounter various circumstances that determine just how we're best able to manifest our passion for the Celtics. There's no single type of board member that's the "right" kind. The only time I'm really concerned about non-posting by a member or non-member is if we're doing something that alienates that person. And, in such a case, I'd hope to hear about it so it may be addressed.

I hope you and your wife are enjoying the warmth of Georgia (you lucky people), and , if you get a chance, I wish you'd let me know how you guys are doing down there.

Go Celtics!

Sam

Sloopjohnb wrote:That's interesting.  I know that Vietnamese farmed catfish has driven American catfish farms out of business.  I see it every where sold as "Basa."

I'd imagine that salmon are much more difficult to farm than catfish, especially in a place with a tropical climate.

I've always liked the coffee in Vietnamese restaurants.  Thank god for colonialism and its legacy.

Hope you're having a great time in Laos.

Sloop,

The coffee in Vietnam is rocket fuel.  I went to Myanmar after that where "coffee" means Nescafe.  Seriously, Nescafe.

As far as colonialism goes, specifically where I am now (I know we did not thank God for colonialism in the States) another donation by the French to Indo-Chine (which includes Laos) is the baguette.   Bread can make or break  a sandwich and bread is something the French do exceedingly well.  If you have never been to France, do not be deceived into thinking the "French bread" we eat in the States is comparable to the real thing.  It's like the difference between firing a bullet and throwing it.  Ours is roughly the same size and shape as theirs, as the bullets resemble each other, but that's where the similarities begin to wane.  I'm not a big bread eater but that's because I don't live in France.

I'm having a great time in Laos.  It is not a convenient place to get around, but it is quite interesting.  I took  a 10 hour sleeper bus from Vientiane last night.  For perhaps the first time in all my travels in Asia on all my trips, there were open seats on the bus, so I "carpe diem-ed" and grabbed an unassigned berth.  It is a twin bed in width except not very long.  I'm a longitudinally-challenged 5'8" and, if I put my feet against the bottom of the berth and straightened out, I was just about 1" too tall.  Oh, btw, that twin bed-width 5'7" long berth?  That's for two people, not one.  After the sleeper bus, arriving at 7 am, I took a sitting bus for 3 hours to the pier where I took a boat out to where I am now, Don Det.  Don Det is an island in southern Laos in the triangle near Thailand (5 hour bus ride) and Cambodia (2 hours) called '4000 Islands'.  No paved roads, all dirt.  BEAUTIFUL sunset.

I posted this on Facebook, I'll cut-and-paste it here since it is relevant to this post:

"Lao Logic" means
1. Vegetarian pizza, with bacon. There were other pizzas offered that had veggies that were not described as 'vegetarian' but the meat was listed first. So it isn't just a translation error between 'vegetables' and 'vegetarian', it's that if there is more vegetables than meat, it's "vegetarian".
2. Pulling into a rest area to let the passengers have a 20 minute break and leave the engine running the whole time (@ > $4/gallon gas) but raising the hood so the engine doesn't overheat;
3. Asking the guesthouse if you can pay your bill with your Visa card, and they say "yes", so you pull out your card and they say "Sorry, but we only take Kip and Dollars". You say "But I just asked you if I could pay with my Visa card and you said I could" and they say "You CAN pay your bill with your Visa. All you have to do is go to the ATM machine and make a cash withdrawal using your card and then you can pay your bill".


bob
P.S. If the Vietnamese domination of the catfish market is a recent thing, would that make them Basa Nova?


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Harrr!!!

Sounds like a great time. Never been to Laos or Vietnam or Cambodia or the country once known as Burma or any other country that once constituted French Indo-China.

I was in China a few years ago where NBA playoff games are broadcast live (the time difference is 12 hours so I caught many games at 8:00 am).

The color commentary was sometimes memorable. One game Ray Allen drilled his third straight trey moving the announcer to say, "He just opens his hand and one hundred flowers bloom" (translation by my Chinese wife).

You won't hear that from Hubie Brown or even Van Gundy.

Here in NYC Vietnamese sandwiches--on a baugette-- are really popular. I've never tried them because I like the Pho so much--noodles and thin sliced beef in a broth made form oxtail.

But I will give them a try sometime.

Sloopjohnb wrote:Harrr!!!

Sounds like a great time.  Never been to Laos or Vietnam or Cambodia or the country once known as Burma or any other country that once constituted French Indo-China.

I was in China a few years ago where NBA playoff games are broadcast live (the time difference is 12 hours so I caught many games at 8:00 am).

The color commentary was sometimes  memorable.  One game Ray Allen drilled his third straight trey moving the announcer to say, "He just opens his hand and one hundred flowers bloom"  (translation by my Chinese wife).

You won't hear that from Hubie Brown or even Van Gundy.

Here in NYC Vietnamese sandwiches--on a baugette-- are really popular.  I've never tried them because I like the Pho so much--noodles and thin sliced beef in a broth made form oxtail.

But I will give them a try sometime.

Sloop,

Vietnamese sandwiches are called Banh Mi.  Acfually, Banh means bread of some kind and the next word tells you what kind of bread.  Is it cake?  Baguette style roll?  Cookie?  The traditional Banh Mi, though, is delicious.  I highly recommend them.

I have been living on soup this trip and I love Pho.  In fact, I stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant in Vientiane the other day and had Pho and fresh spring rolls.


bob


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Pho and spring rolls as a kick off? You're a man after my own heart. That's what I order 90% of the time.

The other 10% is squid with lemon grass. I will have to find space for the Banh Mi.

Bob,

If you're living primarily on soup and being so active, you must have dropped considerable weight; and you must be in pretty darned good shape. I'd like a picture of you with your cape and your big red ess.

Sam

sam wrote:Bob,

If you're living primarily on soup and being so active, you must have dropped considerable weight; and you must be in pretty darned good shape.  I'd like a picture of you with your cape and your big red ess.

Sam

Sam,

I bought a belt in Hue, Vietnam the first week of my trip, about 11/10/14, that was just barely not to big (I had to pull it in all the way to the last hole). I have since had to punch two new holes in it and am looking for a tool to put a 3rd one in now.

And you'd have to settle for my big red ass, not ess. Time waits for no man.


bob



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