my very first LMYA soccer team in 2nd grade was Orinda-Moraga Disposal. we thought that going to Fudge Alley in Rheem at the end of the season for ice cream was about the best thing anyone could ever hope for.
here in Burlington we havent fully decided if we are going to pay for regular garbage pickup service. it is run by 2 separate private companies. there is also mandatory composting and no food scraps allowing in garbage but no pickup service (maybe you can bundle it w/ garbage service)
today i went down to the CSWD (Chittenden Solid Waste District) Drop-Off Center. i paid $8 to drop off 2 normal sized garbage bags of household stuff. that allowed me to drop off compost and an entire carload of cardboard boxes for free. if i didnt pay for garbage it would have cost me something nominal (like $2) to drop off just the recycling.
We have two separate private companies doing garbage and recycling pickup here, too. I think that's ridiculous. It means there's two sets of trucks driving down every street - it's so inefficient! The town should negotiate a contract with one of the companies.
You'd still have competition if trash collectors would have to bid for the town's contract. I suppose you could argue that private companies wouldn't have to pay union wages, so labor costs could be less.
But really, it's probably just that they don't want to raise taxes to make it a town service, even if every resident has to pay more for private service.
If you lived in Berkeley, it would be funded by your property taxes. And by "your" I mean that the charge incurred for your property appears on your property tax bill.
This is because Berkeley is a charter city, which means that it has services that are often duplicated at the county level, such as a Public Health Department.
Louisville Metro (original city before expansion) was the same way. Trash and recycling were part of your property tax. There wasn't composting back then. In the expansion area, they had their own garbage pickup using a private company. I remember my friend said they didn't even have the option to pay for recycling, just regular trash pickup.
Same here, as mandated by the county, which controls the contracts; reason being trash is weekly, but recycle is every other week. At least they give you a calendar showing which week is recycle and which is not. I do wonder what the recycle drivers do on the off weeks, since the schedule is county wide.
I dunno if you remember me commenting back in 2018 or thereabouts when my family went to Central America via Miami and the plane boarding area had an automated face recognition software that knew who you were nearly instantly and welcome you aboard by name without showing anything to it. I was like "uh oh, this is some Big Brother shit and it could be bad in the wrong hands". Well, I am 100% convinced that technology is now being used by I * C * E as they scan people's faces and know how to track people down. Things are bad.
I have seen plenty of videos of law enforcement walking up to cars and taking pictures of occupants. I have no doubt that it is being used for not good purposes.
US Rep Christian Menefee (TX-18) sworn in, nearly a year after the incumbent died. Partly because the district is urban Houston and partly because of gerrymandering, the district is usually a +40-60 point Democrat.
went to trivia night at local bar (Zero Gravity). needless to say we were closer to the bottom than not.
i dont actually enjoy bar trivia night so much because it is such obscure topics. also i dont keep up w/ pop culture as much as average so 4 out of 6 rounds usually i have nothing to say and barely understand the question.
i do like watching shows like Jeopardy! which seem a little more "knowledge based" -- for lack of a better word.
Oh, man...when we were in Auburn for the Cal game, me, Jimmy Chitwood, and another Cal fan friend hit up Thursday night trivia at that place called Skybar. It was taking candy from a baby, except the candy was free drinks.
We were winning free beers and shots five and ten at a time, but Jimmy C doesn't drink anymore and our other friend has dialed it back. I leaned into the challenge, but there was only so much one man can do!
With all these free beer/shot coupons, I started giving them out to Auburn students...all they had to do was say "Go Bears." That was a fun night...
The Pitt (19/19 HBO Max) - I finished the last few episodes yesterday. Wow what a ride. Such great writing. Non-stop action. I highly recommend this show if you like ER and want more action.
I don't love the idea of giving up the next eleventeen first round picks (or however many they're now discussing). Seems like they'd be damning themselves to a decade of futility, post Steph.
Steph is a once in a lifetime player, so I understand why they'd go all-in to chase one more title. But...he's also about to be 38 years old.
I've been wondering for the last two years when the quest ends.
It occurs to me that having had a truly once-in-a-lifetime player like Steph Curry is the front office and fan analog to "chasing the dragon" that was probably first linked to heroin use.
Maybe some will think the analogy is a bit over the top. I beg to differ.
I think the Warriors tried to but Dunleavy said if there isn't enough interest, there isn't much they can do. I think they just don't want to get fleeced.
yup that too. i think they still try to deal Kuminga and Butler for anything. But they'll have to attach picks. But it isn't like they're doing much with the picks they do have.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The LA Clippers and guard James Harden are working through whether the sides can find a deal by Thursday's NBA trade deadline, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday night.
PALOS VERDES - Senior Adora Liu shot a 1-over par 72 in the second round of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge, ending the day in a tie for eighth place on Monday.
Gotta get three out of the next four. Need to beat GaTech, then gotta win either against Clemson or the following Wednesday at Syracuse. Then have to win at BC on valentine's day.
Garbage
my very first LMYA soccer team in 2nd grade was Orinda-Moraga Disposal. we thought that going to Fudge Alley in Rheem at the end of the season for ice cream was about the best thing anyone could ever hope for.
I was Fudge Alley for basketball. The team picture was up until they closed down, late 2000s maybe.
here in Burlington we havent fully decided if we are going to pay for regular garbage pickup service. it is run by 2 separate private companies. there is also mandatory composting and no food scraps allowing in garbage but no pickup service (maybe you can bundle it w/ garbage service)
today i went down to the CSWD (Chittenden Solid Waste District) Drop-Off Center. i paid $8 to drop off 2 normal sized garbage bags of household stuff. that allowed me to drop off compost and an entire carload of cardboard boxes for free. if i didnt pay for garbage it would have cost me something nominal (like $2) to drop off just the recycling.
looks like you have to contract w/ a different company to get compost pickup (weekly or monthly)
We have two separate private companies doing garbage and recycling pickup here, too. I think that's ridiculous. It means there's two sets of trucks driving down every street - it's so inefficient! The town should negotiate a contract with one of the companies.
maybe the idea is that the competition keeps costs down? make the co's more efficient?
i agree it does seem kinda strange. i have only ever had "city pickup" of such things which means it is funded by taxpayers.
You'd still have competition if trash collectors would have to bid for the town's contract. I suppose you could argue that private companies wouldn't have to pay union wages, so labor costs could be less.
But really, it's probably just that they don't want to raise taxes to make it a town service, even if every resident has to pay more for private service.
If you lived in Berkeley, it would be funded by your property taxes. And by "your" I mean that the charge incurred for your property appears on your property tax bill.
This is because Berkeley is a charter city, which means that it has services that are often duplicated at the county level, such as a Public Health Department.
Louisville Metro (original city before expansion) was the same way. Trash and recycling were part of your property tax. There wasn't composting back then. In the expansion area, they had their own garbage pickup using a private company. I remember my friend said they didn't even have the option to pay for recycling, just regular trash pickup.
We have two sets of trucks even though it's one company--one truck for garbage/compost, one for recycle.
Three trucks in Seattle (trash, compost, biweekly recycling)
Same here, as mandated by the county, which controls the contracts; reason being trash is weekly, but recycle is every other week. At least they give you a calendar showing which week is recycle and which is not. I do wonder what the recycle drivers do on the off weeks, since the schedule is county wide.
POLITICS
I dunno if you remember me commenting back in 2018 or thereabouts when my family went to Central America via Miami and the plane boarding area had an automated face recognition software that knew who you were nearly instantly and welcome you aboard by name without showing anything to it. I was like "uh oh, this is some Big Brother shit and it could be bad in the wrong hands". Well, I am 100% convinced that technology is now being used by I * C * E as they scan people's faces and know how to track people down. Things are bad.
Apropos: there's a list and the King of Antifa is on it
https://bsky.app/profile/kenklippenstein.bsky.social/post/3mdw62pj46s2j
I think I saw a story about traffic cam being used by ICE.
I have seen plenty of videos of law enforcement walking up to cars and taking pictures of occupants. I have no doubt that it is being used for not good purposes.
NYT reported Trump dropped his half billion dollar demand from Harvard. So Trump got mad, posted on Truth, and is now asking for one billion dollars
https://apnews.com/article/trump-harvard-payment-ivy-league-1f0653854c0e6b7e387626d891820033
US Rep Christian Menefee (TX-18) sworn in, nearly a year after the incumbent died. Partly because the district is urban Houston and partly because of gerrymandering, the district is usually a +40-60 point Democrat.
Bar trivia
went to trivia night at local bar (Zero Gravity). needless to say we were closer to the bottom than not.
i dont actually enjoy bar trivia night so much because it is such obscure topics. also i dont keep up w/ pop culture as much as average so 4 out of 6 rounds usually i have nothing to say and barely understand the question.
i do like watching shows like Jeopardy! which seem a little more "knowledge based" -- for lack of a better word.
You clearly would not like Pop Culture Jeopardy, a show I watched one time.
Oh, man...when we were in Auburn for the Cal game, me, Jimmy Chitwood, and another Cal fan friend hit up Thursday night trivia at that place called Skybar. It was taking candy from a baby, except the candy was free drinks.
We were winning free beers and shots five and ten at a time, but Jimmy C doesn't drink anymore and our other friend has dialed it back. I leaned into the challenge, but there was only so much one man can do!
With all these free beer/shot coupons, I started giving them out to Auburn students...all they had to do was say "Go Bears." That was a fun night...
haha...that's great!
DBD AV Club
The Pitt (19/19 HBO Max) - I finished the last few episodes yesterday. Wow what a ride. Such great writing. Non-stop action. I highly recommend this show if you like ER and want more action.
DBD logistics
Sorry for the late post. There was miscommunications with admin. The CGB dictionary is going to be posted tomorrow. Currently being edited.
this will go down on your permanent record
Yoooooooo, Newellbany in the hooooooooouse.
We're slowing dragging people back into the DBD...
LFG!
Birthday
HBD to Newellbany's brother tomorrow!
happy birthday to HAG's sister. it is on my calendar as well
The Sugarcubes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQPm5wqMScE&list=RDqQPm5wqMScE&start_radio=1
February Birthdays
My mom, also turning 92.
Her great grandson, born 2/3/23. 😊
I like the 2/3/23 birthdate. Very cool.
His brother: 1/9/19. 😮
That's wild! That also makes it hard to forget.
💯
Me, my wife, and daughter; son came close but born late Jan. Season of cake
My MIL, who will be 92.
My BIL (sister's husband), who will be 65.
PRO
If the Seahawks win, Dicks will be extended
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/dicks-sporting-goods-extend-hours-if-seahawks-win-nfc-championship/XVEVGMYM35HVXKZITUVI6YXG3E
Dominos
Memphis trades Jaron Jackson Jr and 2 others to the Jazz for 4 + 3 first round picks.
It's been one year since the Mavs traded Luka to the Laker for three magic beans, one of those beans being a chronic injury risk
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47803831/one-year-luka-doncic-trade-lakers-say-a-good-spot
Vote for Pro Football Hall of Fame does not have happy ending for Rober Kraft
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47812233/sources-robert-kraft-not-voted-hall-fame-class-26
NFL to consider investigating itself over ties to Jeffrey Epstein. No prizes for predicting what happens next.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47809616/nfl-look-giants-co-owner-tisch-epstein-files-connection
Can the Warriors find a trade partner for Jimmy Butler and Kuminga? 2 more days.
I don't love the idea of giving up the next eleventeen first round picks (or however many they're now discussing). Seems like they'd be damning themselves to a decade of futility, post Steph.
Steph is a once in a lifetime player, so I understand why they'd go all-in to chase one more title. But...he's also about to be 38 years old.
I've been wondering for the last two years when the quest ends.
It occurs to me that having had a truly once-in-a-lifetime player like Steph Curry is the front office and fan analog to "chasing the dragon" that was probably first linked to heroin use.
Maybe some will think the analogy is a bit over the top. I beg to differ.
I'm tired of the Kuminga saga. It's past time to move on.
I think the Warriors tried to but Dunleavy said if there isn't enough interest, there isn't much they can do. I think they just don't want to get fleeced.
Yeah, they've been trying. But if the market for Kuminga is lower than what they would hope, that's another way of saying they're asking too much.
yup that too. i think they still try to deal Kuminga and Butler for anything. But they'll have to attach picks. But it isn't like they're doing much with the picks they do have.
Clippers have been rolling over their last 20 games. Naturally they want to trade James Harden??
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/47813040/clippers-james-harden-exploring-trade-sources-say
INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- The LA Clippers and guard James Harden are working through whether the sides can find a deal by Thursday's NBA trade deadline, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday night.
Sharks lose to the Blackhawks 6-3
CAL
Golden Bear royalty in the building 🐻
https://x.com/calfootball/status/2018463781454770399?s=46
[WGOLF] Liu Leads Bears at Therese Hession Regional Challenge
https://calbears.com/news/2026/2/2/womens-golf-liu-leads-bears-at-therese-hession-regional-challenge.aspx
PALOS VERDES - Senior Adora Liu shot a 1-over par 72 in the second round of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge, ending the day in a tie for eighth place on Monday.
[MBB] Cal Hosts Georgia Tech, No. 20/19 Clemson At Haas
https://calbears.com/news/2026/2/2/mens-basketball-cal-hosts-georgia-tech-no-20-19-clemson-at-haas.aspx
BEAR BITES
• The Golden Bears are back in Haas Pavilion looking to make it three straight ACC wins after last week's road split in Florida.
• Cal (16-6, 4-5 ACC) hosts Georgia Tech (11-11, 2-7) at 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday
• The Bears then turn to face No. 20/19 Clemson (18-4, 8-1) at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
• This will be both Georgia Tech's and Clemson's first-ever games at Haas Pavilion.
Gotta get three out of the next four. Need to beat GaTech, then gotta win either against Clemson or the following Wednesday at Syracuse. Then have to win at BC on valentine's day.
I'm gonna go to the Syracuse game in the dome next week to personally secure that dub. Mark it down.
Newllbany doing the needful!