I currently have Spotify after switching from Youtube Music (fka Google Music). Google Music kept serving up covers of a song and would repeatedly give her "Halo" by Beyonce every single time despite pushing the downvote button on the song. So we switched. Now I am served up the favorites of everybody who is on the shared family service, which means that I have a bunch of random French songs and some weird ass music that college kids like.
I'm using No 3's Sirius XM account to listen to music on my phone. It is pretty good. Lots of channels for different genres. I mainly use it at the gym. I've also used it walking in Europe using a VPN.
I have an old iPhone 4 that has lots of music that I use in my car. I put in a 3rd party bluetooth adapter in the Acura and the one I bought had a 30-pin iPhone connector so I can plug it in and charge and listen to music in the car.
Oh I think I've been to Ferrell's. Is that the one right across from the Chinese place on Hwy 1? I didn't try the Buttermilk bar there. I'll try that out the next time I'm there.
There's a few Chinese places on that part of Mission/Hwy 1 as I recall. My go-to was Tam's, which I think was on the same side of the street, about a block to the west.
I don't know those restaurants. My favorite was China Szechwan, which is now closed. It was on Cathcart St, just off the Pacific Garden Mall. Tampico was also near there, and Logos Bookshop.
Yes. Devils food from Happy Donuts at Gilman and San Pablo (best donut ever). Or a buttermilk from King pin. Or a Chocolate Old Fashioned from Johnny's in Lafayette.
The Making of a Chef - Michael Ruhlman (Book, 14/19 WB)
It's the culinary school predecessor to Anthony Bordain's more famous book "Kitchen Confidential" about restaurants. It's not for everyone, but if you're into food, it's a nice fly-on-the-wall view of what happens at the Culinary Institute of America.
My mom was part of a weeklong seminar at CIA. Mom headed up the food service of a private girl's school (HS level) in Somerset County, NJ. The school closed two years after Mom retired.
My youngest sister and her husband studied there. My youngest sister has had a career in food service as a chef and administrator in institutional settings (most recently at a small college in northern New Jersey). My BIL eventually went into a career in finance.
ELMO HEREBY DECLARES THAT HE WANTS TO SLASH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING BY ABOUT ONE-THIRD AND SELL YOU ON THE IDEA THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA BY SENDING YOU A SMALL BRIBE
Apropos to this, he claims that tens of millions of people are scamming Social Security saying by receiving benefits for people who are over 100 years old. Apart from being substantively false, he is hurting real people who rely on this. And yet, the elderly undoubtedly voted overwhelmingly for Trump.
The whole part where he is "finding fraud" because all the young bucks Elon has hired to witchhunt are too young to understand COBOL programming is the height of [chefskiss.gif]
Essentially, Trump just absorbed the CIA, FBI, the United States monetary policy, all oversight commissions, the SEC, NASA (you're welcome, Elon), Social Security, US Postal Office, and a bajillion other agencies. This is fine /s
ALSO HEREBY EMBEDDED IN THIS DOOZY IS THAT THE PRESIDENT USURPS PART OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM'S ROLE
"The President and the Attorney General (subject to the President’s supervision and control) will interpret the law for the executive branch, instead of having separate agencies adopt conflicting interpretations."
More evidence for Double D's (my youngest) observation that "major league" sports at the collegiate and professional levels are going all in on catering to the wealthy, the "middle class" (whatever that is) be damned.
The Durham Bulls used to be a cheap and easy way to catch some really good baseball. They've gotten really expensive. I may have to start watching non-revenue sports collegiate stuff.
I mean, really it doesn't say how much because that hasn't been determined yet. I suspect it will be at the top of the mid-major payouts but still well below the Power 4.
Yes, that's a fair point. But I'll remind you that when the major networks were in negotiations with the Power 4 conferences ballpark figures were often bandied about in the press. It wasn't until the details were released that the figures became specific.
GREENSBORO, N.C - The No. 3 California men's swimming & diving team opened the 2025 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships with a pair of relay wins on Tuesday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The meet began with three-meter dive prelims, where Joshua Thai earned a spot in the finals after scoring a 351.10. Jack Clark posted a 330.35 to place 11th, missing out on the finals cut.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 6 California women's swimming & diving team got its first-ever ACC Championship off to a successful start Tuesday, recording a pair of podium finishes at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The Golden Bears' 200-yard medley relay team of Isabelle Stadden (backstroke), Leah Polonsky (breaststroke), McKenna Stone (butterfly) and Mary-Ambre Moluh (freestyle), which entered the meet ranked No. 3 in the nation, was edged by Stanford to take second place with a time of 1:34.34. That was just .10 slower than the team's best mark of the season, which is also tied for fifth place all-time in the event at Cal.
Three event titles and four podium finishes earned senior Maddie Williams of the No. 6 California women's gymnastics team the ACC Gymnast of the Week award, the conference announced Tuesday.
Williams is the fourth different Golden Bear to earn the honor this season and Cal has won it six out of seven weeks, including the past four.
Coming off a home sweep of Boston College and Syracuse, the California women's basketball team (21-6, 9-5 ACC) heads East for its final ACC regular-season road trip to face Virginia (13-13, 5-9) at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT.
Head coach Meagan Owusu and the 20 Golden Bears that make up the No. 9 California beach volleyball team are set for their inaugural season as a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation program.
The MPSF, which began hosting beach volleyball this season, immediately became one of the top conferences in the sport with the seven programs on its roster accounting for all eight NCAA Championship titles.
The California softball team (6-2) heads to Cathedral City this week for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Golden Bears played in the event each of the past two seasons and have gone unbeaten, owning a 10-0 record.
Cal will begin the six-game week with a doubleheader Thursday against Oregon and Cal State Fullerton, followed by a single game against Washington on Friday, another doubleheader Saturday against Seattle and LMU before closing the weekend against Northwestern on Sunday.
BERKELEY – California women's water polo center Eszter Varró has been named the MPSF Newcomer of the Week, it was announced Tuesday morning.
The No. 4 Golden Bears' standout freshman had her best game of the early season, leading the way with five goals and six points in Cal's 18-11 win over No. 7 UC Davis on Saturday. It was the second consecutive hat trick and third multi-goal effort in eight games for the Hungarian.
Complain about or compliment your current music streaming service
I currently have Spotify after switching from Youtube Music (fka Google Music). Google Music kept serving up covers of a song and would repeatedly give her "Halo" by Beyonce every single time despite pushing the downvote button on the song. So we switched. Now I am served up the favorites of everybody who is on the shared family service, which means that I have a bunch of random French songs and some weird ass music that college kids like.
I'm using No 3's Sirius XM account to listen to music on my phone. It is pretty good. Lots of channels for different genres. I mainly use it at the gym. I've also used it walking in Europe using a VPN.
I have an old iPhone 4 that has lots of music that I use in my car. I put in a 3rd party bluetooth adapter in the Acura and the one I bought had a 30-pin iPhone connector so I can plug it in and charge and listen to music in the car.
It’s time once again for Oski Disciple’s Question of the Day.
In the military soldiers are often told to “stand down.” What the hell?
From Merriam-Webster.com
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand-down
stand-down
1 of 2
noun
ˈstan(d)-ˌdau̇n
: a relaxation of status of a military unit or force from an alert or operational posture
stand down
2 of 2
verb
stood down; standing down; stands down
intransitive verb
1: to leave the witness stand
2
chiefly British
a: to go off duty
b: to withdraw from a contest, a position of leadership, or a state of alert or readiness
transitive verb
: to remove from active duty
In December of 1944, it was judged safe to stand down the Home Guard … after four and a half years of guarding Britain against invasion.
—Anthony Bailey
Just because the phrase "stand down" triggered this memory -
The Beat - Stand Down Margaret (Extended Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORIYtJWowOE
Perhaps they're talking about the Australian armed forces.
ENJOY AN OCCASIONAL DONUT?
My fave is a Buttermilk Bar from Ferrell's Donuts on Mission St. in Santa Cruz.
I think a big part of that being my fave is being back in Santa Cruz, which doesn't happen very often.
That was a favorite late-night spot when I was at UCSC too.
Thirded, one of the few open late spots on the westside
Oh I think I've been to Ferrell's. Is that the one right across from the Chinese place on Hwy 1? I didn't try the Buttermilk bar there. I'll try that out the next time I'm there.
You're probably remembering the location correctly. There are three different donut places in Santa Cruz with "Ferrell's" in the name -
Ferrell's Donuts on Hwy 1 (aka Mission St.) and Fair Ave, Westside;
Ferrell's Donut House on Ocean St., soon after Hwy 17 ends; and
Original Ferrell's Donuts on 17th Ave. a block or two above Capitola Rd in the Live Oak district.
I've only ever been to the first two listed above.
The one I'm thinking of is down the hill from Campus, out near the Safeway that's out there. So probably the Westside one.
The location you describe is definitely Westside. U-Save Liquors was also near to that location.
There's a few Chinese places on that part of Mission/Hwy 1 as I recall. My go-to was Tam's, which I think was on the same side of the street, about a block to the west.
I don't know those restaurants. My favorite was China Szechwan, which is now closed. It was on Cathcart St, just off the Pacific Garden Mall. Tampico was also near there, and Logos Bookshop.
Yes. Devils food from Happy Donuts at Gilman and San Pablo (best donut ever). Or a buttermilk from King pin. Or a Chocolate Old Fashioned from Johnny's in Lafayette.
Am I supposed to? No, I'm pre-diabetic. Do I? Hell yeah I do. The custard-filled donuts from Publix are the bomb and cost only $0.90.
Publix bakery items really are a step above other groceries' bakeries.
On every occasion I can.
DAILY BEAR DUMP AV CLUB
The Making of a Chef - Michael Ruhlman (Book, 14/19 WB)
It's the culinary school predecessor to Anthony Bordain's more famous book "Kitchen Confidential" about restaurants. It's not for everyone, but if you're into food, it's a nice fly-on-the-wall view of what happens at the Culinary Institute of America.
My mom was part of a weeklong seminar at CIA. Mom headed up the food service of a private girl's school (HS level) in Somerset County, NJ. The school closed two years after Mom retired.
My youngest sister and her husband studied there. My youngest sister has had a career in food service as a chef and administrator in institutional settings (most recently at a small college in northern New Jersey). My BIL eventually went into a career in finance.
THE WACKY WORLD OF POLITICS
Has the General Strike been scheduled yet?
ELMO HEREBY DECLARES THAT HE WANTS TO SLASH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPENDING BY ABOUT ONE-THIRD AND SELL YOU ON THE IDEA THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA BY SENDING YOU A SMALL BRIBE
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/musk-doge-checks-00204813
Apropos to this, he claims that tens of millions of people are scamming Social Security saying by receiving benefits for people who are over 100 years old. Apart from being substantively false, he is hurting real people who rely on this. And yet, the elderly undoubtedly voted overwhelmingly for Trump.
https://apnews.com/article/social-security-payments-deceased-false-claims-doge-ed2885f5769f368853ac3615b4852cf7
The whole part where he is "finding fraud" because all the young bucks Elon has hired to witchhunt are too young to understand COBOL programming is the height of [chefskiss.gif]
Prices jump due to tariffs. In completely unrelated news, Trump says he has nothing to do with it and blames it on Biden
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/trump-declares-inflation-is-back-and-i-had-nothing-to-do-with-it/
TRUMP HEREBY DECLARES THAT THE INDEPENDENT FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE NO LONGER INDEPENDENT AND IT ALL REPORTS TO HIM AND HIS FECKLESS WHIMS
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-reins-in-independent-agencies-to-restore-a-government-that-answers-to-the-american-people/
Essentially, Trump just absorbed the CIA, FBI, the United States monetary policy, all oversight commissions, the SEC, NASA (you're welcome, Elon), Social Security, US Postal Office, and a bajillion other agencies. This is fine /s
This is an astounding level of grabbing, even for DT.
ALSO HEREBY EMBEDDED IN THIS DOOZY IS THAT THE PRESIDENT USURPS PART OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM'S ROLE
"The President and the Attorney General (subject to the President’s supervision and control) will interpret the law for the executive branch, instead of having separate agencies adopt conflicting interpretations."
PROFESSIONALS
Dodgers Dustin May said he was really close last season to rejoining the team and then his rehab was derailed by... [checks notes]... a salad.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2025-02-14/dustin-may-thankful-back-dodgers-surgery
The NFL lightly admits that they do have a bit of pro-Chiefs officiating bias
https://www.click2houston.com/sports/2025/02/18/nfl-overturns-texans-pro-bowl-runner-joe-mixons-25000-fine-for-comments-about-officiating-in-chiefs-playoff-game/
Breaking news: Richie Incognito is still a jerk
https://billswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/18/why-former-buffalo-bills-richie-incognito-back-nfl-headlines-bullygate-jonathan-martin-nfl/
Mets owner Steve Cohen absolutely stumped why fans are going to home games when the absolute cheapest seats are $70/each.
https://www.silive.com/mets/2025/02/the-issue-that-really-bothered-mets-owner-steve-cohen-last-season.html
More evidence for Double D's (my youngest) observation that "major league" sports at the collegiate and professional levels are going all in on catering to the wealthy, the "middle class" (whatever that is) be damned.
The Durham Bulls used to be a cheap and easy way to catch some really good baseball. They've gotten really expensive. I may have to start watching non-revenue sports collegiate stuff.
ELSWHERE IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
PAC-12 says they are reaaaaaaally close to a TV deal. [DrEvilSayingRiiiiiiiiiiight.gif]
https://frontofficesports.com/pac-12-media-deal-commissioner/
It didn't say how much.
I hope it's not more than what we get from acc
It didn't say how much because they don't want to be embarrassed by the paltry distribution to the conference schools.
I mean, really it doesn't say how much because that hasn't been determined yet. I suspect it will be at the top of the mid-major payouts but still well below the Power 4.
Yes, that's a fair point. But I'll remind you that when the major networks were in negotiations with the Power 4 conferences ballpark figures were often bandied about in the press. It wasn't until the details were released that the figures became specific.
<austin_powers_steam_roller.gif>
CAL
[WSWIM] Cal Sweeps Relay Races On Opening Day Of ACC Championships
https://calbears.com/news/2025/2/18/mens-swimming-diving-cal-sweeps-relay-races-on-opening-day-of-acc-championships.aspx
GREENSBORO, N.C - The No. 3 California men's swimming & diving team opened the 2025 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships with a pair of relay wins on Tuesday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The meet began with three-meter dive prelims, where Joshua Thai earned a spot in the finals after scoring a 351.10. Jack Clark posted a 330.35 to place 11th, missing out on the finals cut.
Is there nothing that Jack Clark can't do?
[WSWIM] No. 6 Bears Reach Podium On First Night Of ACC Championship
https://calbears.com/news/2025/2/18/womens-swimming-diving-no-6-bears-reach-podium-on-first-night-of-acc-championship.aspx
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 6 California women's swimming & diving team got its first-ever ACC Championship off to a successful start Tuesday, recording a pair of podium finishes at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The Golden Bears' 200-yard medley relay team of Isabelle Stadden (backstroke), Leah Polonsky (breaststroke), McKenna Stone (butterfly) and Mary-Ambre Moluh (freestyle), which entered the meet ranked No. 3 in the nation, was edged by Stanford to take second place with a time of 1:34.34. That was just .10 slower than the team's best mark of the season, which is also tied for fifth place all-time in the event at Cal.
Conference swimming and diving championship? [me, looking outside and see that it snowing]
Snowed lightly here for about an hour but it wasn’t making it to the ground.
[WGYM] Williams Named ACC Gymnast Of The Week
https://calbears.com/news/2025/2/18/womens-gymnastics-williams-named-acc-gymnast-of-the-week.aspx
Three event titles and four podium finishes earned senior Maddie Williams of the No. 6 California women's gymnastics team the ACC Gymnast of the Week award, the conference announced Tuesday.
Williams is the fourth different Golden Bear to earn the honor this season and Cal has won it six out of seven weeks, including the past four.
[WBB] Cal To Face Virginia In Final ACC Road Trip
https://calbears.com/news/2025/2/18/womens-basketball-cal-to-face-virginia-in-final-acc-road-trip.aspx
Coming off a home sweep of Boston College and Syracuse, the California women's basketball team (21-6, 9-5 ACC) heads East for its final ACC regular-season road trip to face Virginia (13-13, 5-9) at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT.
[BVB] Back In Camp: Beach Volleyball
https://calbears.com/news/2025/2/18/back-in-camp-beach-volleyball.aspx
Head coach Meagan Owusu and the 20 Golden Bears that make up the No. 9 California beach volleyball team are set for their inaugural season as a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation program.
The MPSF, which began hosting beach volleyball this season, immediately became one of the top conferences in the sport with the seven programs on its roster accounting for all eight NCAA Championship titles.
[SB] Cal Primed For Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
https://calbears.com/news/2025/2/18/softball-cal-primed-for-mary-nutter-collegiate-classic.aspx
The California softball team (6-2) heads to Cathedral City this week for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Golden Bears played in the event each of the past two seasons and have gone unbeaten, owning a 10-0 record.
Cal will begin the six-game week with a doubleheader Thursday against Oregon and Cal State Fullerton, followed by a single game against Washington on Friday, another doubleheader Saturday against Seattle and LMU before closing the weekend against Northwestern on Sunday.
[WPOLO] Varró Named MPSF Newcomer Of The Week
https://calbears.com/news/2025/2/18/womens-water-polo-varr-named-mpsf-newcomer-of-the-week.aspx
BERKELEY – California women's water polo center Eszter Varró has been named the MPSF Newcomer of the Week, it was announced Tuesday morning.
The No. 4 Golden Bears' standout freshman had her best game of the early season, leading the way with five goals and six points in Cal's 18-11 win over No. 7 UC Davis on Saturday. It was the second consecutive hat trick and third multi-goal effort in eight games for the Hungarian.