we were in Bavaria in Dec as well. we did not go to any concentration camps.
Nuremberg is supposed to have an interesting thing called the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds. it was under heavy construction so we missed this too.
we were in Bratislava (Slovakia) recently. the biggest monument in town, Slavín, commemorates the Russian liberation. it has become something of a controversial thing in modern times.
it is a burial ground as well for over 6000 soldiers
Slovakia has almost equal parts communist rule and democracy since independence. the older people are not sure which one is better, and thus there are still some strong pro-Russian sentiments.
Holocaust Remembrance Day: Auschwitz Director warns of fading memory
Former prisoners of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau view what is happening in the world today with concern. They ask themselves whether the most difficult lesson of their lives will continue to offer humanity any wisdom at all, says the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, in an interview with Vatican News on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The DBDs this week were inadverently setup as Paid Subs only. Yesterday's was changed later in the day and the scheduled ones for this week were also updated. Management apologizes for the oversight.
Mac McClung, the three-time defending NBA dunk contest champion, will not participate in the event next month, his father, Marcus McClung, told ESPN on Monday.
"Not going to be 4 in a row," Marcus McClung wrote in a text message. "Not one reason that I could say that was the main reason. In my opinion it is more like a bunch of reasons that just pointed to him not doing it."
Dubs sit Steph, Dray, Horford, Melton, Kuminga (knee bruise). So the best 5 players (including Jimmy Buckets) are out. Kept it close while the Timberwolves decided to screw around for the first 21 min of the game.
TUCSON- California men's golf jumped up the leaderboard, closing out the first day of the N.I.T. in a tie for fifth place, before play was suspended in the second round due to darkness.
Former Cal quarterback and Novato native Jared Goff will return to the Bay Area to participate in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games. The 7-on-7 flag football game that highlights the Pro Bowl Games schedule will take place at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Feb. 3 (5 pm PT, ESPN).
The Moscone Center roof is high enough and there probably won't be any bombs. And there aren't any skills completitions that require no roof. I don't think they have the kicker competition anymore.
California Football has announced its schedule for the 2026 regular season, which includes a season-opening matchup against UCLA and wraps up with a home game against Pittsburgh.
2026 marks the first year the ACC will implement a nine-game conference model for its members. Cal is one of 12 ACC teams to face nine conference opponents in 2026 as a part of the new scheduling parameters.
During a 10-day stretch of nice weather in Berkeley earlier this month, it was commonplace to see the Cal lacrosse team gathered in a circle in the middle of California Memorial Stadium talking for extended periods of time.
MILAN -- News that a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be present during the upcoming Winter Games has set off concern and confusion in Italy, where people have expressed outrage at the inclusion of an agency that has dominated headlines for leading the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
good enough to keep watching. slow developing. they really want you to sympathize w/ the lead character, a hedge knight that is abnormally tall and principled.
Starfleet Academy -- new Star Trek series. S1E1 - 13/19
this was solid. maybe i commented already. it looks like it is going to follow the standard pattern of today's TV shows in building up a world of characters that you are compelled to care aobut.
i sort of liked ye olde days of single standalone episodes where each one tackled some issue or moral dilemma. just being grumpy and old ..
Darian Mensah and Duke have agreed to a settlement of their dispute that will clear the way for the quarterback to transfer to another school, his agency announced Tuesday.
Mensah is expected to transfer to Miami now that his dispute with Duke has been resolved, sources tell ESPN.
I wonder how much he had to pay back to Dook. And if he did have to pay some of it back, he's probably still taxed on the full amount. It was rumored that his upcoming NIL with Dook was around 4 mil. So Miami must have offered 5+ for him to leave.
Brayden Burries, a freshman, scores 29 and comes up with with a crucial block to save Arizona in Provo in front of 18K-plus BYU Cougars fans. Wildcats stay undefeated.
The Arizona Cardinals interviewed former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in person for their head coaching vacancy, per source.
Rivera currently serves as the general manager for Cal football."
I’m just back from a walk. It’s still pretty dicey out. I measured 5 1/2 inches of snow on Sunday followed by a few hours of sleet and freezing rain so it was like an ice rink. I foolishly thought I might be able to do a short run yesterday but turned around after getting across the street and seeing how bad it was. On my walk today it was iffy getting out of the neighborhood but the business district sidewalks were fine. Safeway was lean on anything fresh and bottled water. Forecast is to stay below freezing until at least next Monday so not much is going to change.
Weather Channel had a reporter in Nashville for the storm and it looked bad. They had a reporter in DC who has a master’s in climatology from Cal and I thought about going by to give him a Go Bears but it was just too ugly out.
Russian liberation
we were in Bavaria in Dec as well. we did not go to any concentration camps.
Nuremberg is supposed to have an interesting thing called the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds. it was under heavy construction so we missed this too.
https://museums.nuernberg.de/documentation-center/
we were in Bratislava (Slovakia) recently. the biggest monument in town, Slavín, commemorates the Russian liberation. it has become something of a controversial thing in modern times.
it is a burial ground as well for over 6000 soldiers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slav%C3%ADn
Slovakia has almost equal parts communist rule and democracy since independence. the older people are not sure which one is better, and thus there are still some strong pro-Russian sentiments.
Thanks for remembering Auschwitz.
Holocaust Remembrance Day: Auschwitz Director warns of fading memory
Former prisoners of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau view what is happening in the world today with concern. They ask themselves whether the most difficult lesson of their lives will continue to offer humanity any wisdom at all, says the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, in an interview with Vatican News on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2026-01/holocaust-remembrance-day-auschwitz-museum-director-warns.html
DBD logistics
The DBDs this week were inadverently setup as Paid Subs only. Yesterday's was changed later in the day and the scheduled ones for this week were also updated. Management apologizes for the oversight.
Mgmt is blaming Claude since we are trying a new system to automate some part of the post creation process.
PRO
Season stats:
7 TDs
10 INTs
18.9 QBR
3-4 record
NFL says, Yup, Shedeur Sanders is a Pro Bowl QB!! HAHAHAHA
You know Deion is going to be saying his son is a Pro Bowl QB.
Sharks players have a shark tooth necklace presented to a player after each win.
https://x.com/SanJoseSharks/status/1991228600045940930
There won't be a 4-straight NBA slam dunk champ.
Three-time slam dunk champ Mac McClung skipping 2026 contest
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47736944/three-slam-dunk-champ-mac-mcclung-skipping-2026-contest
Mac McClung, the three-time defending NBA dunk contest champion, will not participate in the event next month, his father, Marcus McClung, told ESPN on Monday.
"Not going to be 4 in a row," Marcus McClung wrote in a text message. "Not one reason that I could say that was the main reason. In my opinion it is more like a bunch of reasons that just pointed to him not doing it."
Game 48 wrap: Teams contractually obligated to play game, Warriors rest everyone, get blown out in Minnesota (108-83)
https://dubnationhq.com/p/game-48-wrap-no-spoiler-title
Dubs sit Steph, Dray, Horford, Melton, Kuminga (knee bruise). So the best 5 players (including Jimmy Buckets) are out. Kept it close while the Timberwolves decided to screw around for the first 21 min of the game.
CAL
[MGOLF] Cal Surges Into Tie for Fifth on Day One of the NIT
https://calbears.com/news/2026/1/26/mens-golf-cal-surges-into-tie-for-fifth-on-day-one-of-the-nit.aspx
TUCSON- California men's golf jumped up the leaderboard, closing out the first day of the N.I.T. in a tie for fifth place, before play was suspended in the second round due to darkness.
[FB] Jared Goff Added To Pro Bowl Games
https://calbears.com/news/2026/1/26/football-jared-goff-added-to-pro-bowl-games.aspx
Former Cal quarterback and Novato native Jared Goff will return to the Bay Area to participate in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games. The 7-on-7 flag football game that highlights the Pro Bowl Games schedule will take place at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Feb. 3 (5 pm PT, ESPN).
I didn't know you could play football in the Moscone Center
Wasn't there supposed to be something at Memorial Stadium?
I did some quick search but couldn't find anything
Hmm...I guess I'm not remembering what it was.
Oh this is what it was. Celebrity flag football that weekend.
https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/celebrity-flag-football-2025/
The Moscone Center roof is high enough and there probably won't be any bombs. And there aren't any skills completitions that require no roof. I don't think they have the kicker competition anymore.
I saw the renderings then. That looks interesting. Is there punting in flag football?
You probably have to go on 4th. Or maybe 3rd if it's only 3 downs
[MBB] Cal Flies Off For First-Ever Visits To Florida State, Miami
https://calbears.com/news/2026/1/26/mens-basketball-cal-flies-off-for-first-ever-visits-to-florida-state-miami.aspx
BEAR BITES
• The Golden Bears (15-5, 3-4 ACC) head across the country for their next two ACC games this week.
• Cal first visits Florida State (8-12, 1-6 ACC) for a 7 p.m. ET meeting on Jan. 28 in Tallahassee
• The Bears then take on Miami (16-4, 5-2) in Coral Gables at 4 p.m. ET on Jan. 31.
• Both games will mark Cal's first-ever competition in Tallahassee and Coral Gables.
[FB] California Football Announces 2026 Schedule
https://calbears.com/news/2026/1/26/california-football-announces-2026-schedule.aspx
California Football has announced its schedule for the 2026 regular season, which includes a season-opening matchup against UCLA and wraps up with a home game against Pittsburgh.
2026 marks the first year the ACC will implement a nine-game conference model for its members. Cal is one of 12 ACC teams to face nine conference opponents in 2026 as a part of the new scheduling parameters.
[LAX] Circle Of Trust
https://calbears.com/news/2026/1/26/lacrosse-circle-of-trust.aspx
During a 10-day stretch of nice weather in Berkeley earlier this month, it was commonplace to see the Cal lacrosse team gathered in a circle in the middle of California Memorial Stadium talking for extended periods of time.
There was something special about that circle.
Politics
WTF?
ICE unit to fill security role at Winter Olympics in Milan
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/47742515/reports-ice-agents-security-role-milan-olympics
MILAN -- News that a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be present during the upcoming Winter Games has set off concern and confusion in Italy, where people have expressed outrage at the inclusion of an agency that has dominated headlines for leading the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
DBD AV CLUB
Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - HBO 10/19
good enough to keep watching. slow developing. they really want you to sympathize w/ the lead character, a hedge knight that is abnormally tall and principled.
Starfleet Academy -- new Star Trek series. S1E1 - 13/19
this was solid. maybe i commented already. it looks like it is going to follow the standard pattern of today's TV shows in building up a world of characters that you are compelled to care aobut.
i sort of liked ye olde days of single standalone episodes where each one tackled some issue or moral dilemma. just being grumpy and old ..
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
Darian Mensah, Duke settle dispute as QB eyes Miami transfer
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47743820/darian-mensah-duke-settle-dispute-qb-eyes-miami-transfer
Darian Mensah and Duke have agreed to a settlement of their dispute that will clear the way for the quarterback to transfer to another school, his agency announced Tuesday.
Mensah is expected to transfer to Miami now that his dispute with Duke has been resolved, sources tell ESPN.
I wonder how much he had to pay back to Dook. And if he did have to pay some of it back, he's probably still taxed on the full amount. It was rumored that his upcoming NIL with Dook was around 4 mil. So Miami must have offered 5+ for him to leave.
Brayden Burries, a freshman, scores 29 and comes up with with a crucial block to save Arizona in Provo in front of 18K-plus BYU Cougars fans. Wildcats stay undefeated.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401820816
Hello, long time no see. Did y'all know about this?
https://bsky.app/profile/diannarussini.bsky.social/post/3mdgt6ccdq22p
"This flew under the radar!
The Arizona Cardinals interviewed former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in person for their head coaching vacancy, per source.
Rivera currently serves as the general manager for Cal football."
Scootie!! How's retirement travel?
I just saw this on the WFC Discord. Ugh. Using Cal as a stepping stone to a better job.
How long before Tosh leaves? Although it does mean (hopefully) that Tosh leaves us in a better place, which I guess RR does if he leaves.
I’m just back from a walk. It’s still pretty dicey out. I measured 5 1/2 inches of snow on Sunday followed by a few hours of sleet and freezing rain so it was like an ice rink. I foolishly thought I might be able to do a short run yesterday but turned around after getting across the street and seeing how bad it was. On my walk today it was iffy getting out of the neighborhood but the business district sidewalks were fine. Safeway was lean on anything fresh and bottled water. Forecast is to stay below freezing until at least next Monday so not much is going to change.
Ooh...No 2 sent out pictures of Nashville (he's in ATL now and it wasn't bad there). Lots of trees and wires down from all the Ice.
Weather Channel had a reporter in Nashville for the storm and it looked bad. They had a reporter in DC who has a master’s in climatology from Cal and I thought about going by to give him a Go Bears but it was just too ugly out.