schadenfreude

I feel like I've used that title before, but it seems that I have not. It's a german word that, like many other german words, encapsulates an idea. Schadenfreude is the feeling of joy at someone else's expense, or more mildly, the happiness that comes when you think "thank God that didn't happen to me." Either one is good.

Here's an example: Some good news for us broke suckers, and also welcome bad news for the oil speculators screwing us. (now that's schadenfreude.)

Lots of frisbee golf in the last couple of days; Derek and I shot 54 consecutive holes on Saturday. (I finished at -9, -9, and -8.) Heading out again as soon as I finish my blog/coffee, although the wind may thwart us before three rounds today.

Excellent week in poker; after taking a break for a month or so after a relentless string of bad beats, I decided to dip my toe back in the water. Playing only $11 single- and two-table tournaments (and Saturday night's $22 10k guaranteed, in which I flamed out), I'm up about $250 this week. I plan on riding my heater as far as it will take me.

I played a $5 live game with some kids I know on Friday night, and if I had known that the 'Phil' that was joining the game was who he was, I would never have played. I don't want to drop his last name, because he's the kind of guy that would Google himself frequently (if he were smart enough, which I seriously doubt), but we'll just say that this kid is not just a tool, not just a toolbox... not even a tool shed. He is the Tool Crib of the North. He immediately established himself as the chip leader when he knocked four players out of the game, and played a punishing, loose aggressive game for the remainder of the night. I clung to my shrinking stack until there were four of us left, whereupon I doubled through Phil twice and took him down in our third showdown. (MAXIMUM schadenfreude.) Finding myself in the final two, I should have offered to chop, for I was getting tired and my mind was already elsewhere. Alas, I took second place when I called the other guy's all-in and he drew a higher pair than mine.

A sportswriter for the Star Tribune just called out Brad Radke, widely considered to be one of the Twins' best pitchers (of which there are many), on Minnesota Public Radio. Apparently Johan Santana has pitched 8 wins when the combined score was 5 or less and the Twins won by a single run. (3-2, 2-1, 1-0). Radke has pitched 1, and has been heard complaining about how the hitting staff won't/can't hit for him. Howard's line: "Quit your bitchin' and just start pitchin'."