Víðgelmir is the largest lava cave in Iceland and one of the largest lava caves in the world.
Víðgelmir is perhaps the best preserved cave of the well known caves in Iceland. This is due to ice buildup during the 1960s finally closed off the only access into Víðgelmir in 1972. It was re-opened in 1994 and closed the following year with a metal gate. As such you will still find lava formations that long since have been destroyed in other well known caves.
The Cave Víðgelmir is located in a lava field called Hallmundarhraun, which is the largest lava field in Borgarfjörður. Both the exact starting time and duration of the eruption are not known, but it has been estimated that the eruption lasted 1-4 years and the start of the eruption is usually set at around 900 AD.
I've also been inside a subterranean coal mine, which was probably bigger by volume, but the whole thing was only slightly taller than 6' tall. Being deep underground in pitch black and surrounded by hot earth is unnerving and not for the claustrophobic.
Same here. On a trip from Berkeley to New Braunfels in 1971. We drove through New Mexico (obviously) and stopped by Carlsbad Caverns. That wasn't even the highlight of the trip. Earlier we stopped at the Grand Canyon.
i think i have been to Carlsbad Caverns. dont really recall. it seems exactly the kind of place that my parents would want to stop off and see during a road trip
Louisville Mega Caverns. A huge underground Limestone cavern. They have a zip line course, aerial ropes course, and used to have a bike park. They have a Christmas lights show where you drive through the cavern. I believe they also have underground storage for boats and stuff like that. Constant temp and probably fairly dry.
Also Mammoth Caves in Central Ky. The largest underground cave system in the world I think.
From the current Trump trial: National Enquirer detailed a third "catch and kill" story that they bought in order to help Donald Trump get elected: one of TFG's former doormen alleged he had an illegitimate child - a story that the Enquirer said it vetted and deemed untrue. I mean, who would believe that?
Monday’s game between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets started out in ... well ... fashion. Let’s call it fashion. That’s what I wrote in my notes: just “fashion.”
Had the Giants lost, it would have been “ominous fashion.” Had the Giants won — a silly thing to pose as a hypothetical, seeing as how they did, in fact, win — it seemed likely to be “encouraging fashion.”
Why these dudes continue to use Doval in non-save situations when he’s proven to be consistently inefficient remains a mystery. Now you’ve probably lost him today.
When the was the last time Doval pitched? If he hasn't had a save opportunity in like 4 games, usually teams will have him pitch just to keep him sharp. Or if it was a tie game at home, you use him to keep the T9 scoreless because there isn't a save situation in extras.
oh then they used him in a non-save situation on Mon? Oh the top of the 9th. yeah a little crazy to use him there. Up 5-1. Guess they don't trust anyone else?
DENVER -- Jamal Murray didn't even see the biggest basket of his career. At least not live, he didn't.
Murray swished a step-back 15-footer over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit.
In the most crushing loss to the Nuggets yet, the Lakers watched a 20-point second-half lead crumble as they fell to Denver in Game 2 on Monday on a Jamal Murray buzzer-beater, 101-99, falling behind 2-0 in the series.
Anthony Davis put the Lakers on his back, scoring 32 points with 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. D’Angelo Russell, who has constantly struggled against the Nuggets, finally came to play, scoring 23 points and going 7-11 from behind the arc.
I only watched the last few min of the game. What a last few min. Jamal Murray's shot reminded me of Justin Cobb's shot against UofA. I know it's mostly due to injuries, but it's amazing Jamal Murray has never made an all-star game.
good frantic finish to Knicks-76ers game last night too. Knicks were down 5 with less that 45 sec. hit a 3, steal inbounds, hit another 3 after an offensive rebound. then sealed the game w/ 2 free throws.
too bad they didnt do it against the Pacers as revenge for that Reggie Miller performance.
JP Sears turned in another good performance on the mound and Zack Gelof provided the big hit late to help the Oakland Athletics to a 2-0 win over the New York Yankees.
Monday’s game started with some fireworks. Esteury Ruiz was hit by a pitch to start the game. Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt checked down to the first base umpire to see if Ruiz swung. Ruiz was awarded first base and Yankees manager Aaron Boone voiced his displeasure. Field microphones caught Wendelstedt telling Boone that he didn’t want to hear another word, but before the next pitch could be made, Wendelstedt ejected Boone from the game. Boone protested saying that it was a fan in the dugout seats that Wendelstedt heard.
Chicken Nugget on Netflix (17/19). WARNING: This show (imported from South Korea) is stupid. It's a comedy mystery about a girl who gets turned into a chicken nugget and how her father and his employee try to figure out how it happened and how to turn her back to a girl. My nearly-15-year-old son and I find it hilarious. My wife finds it, well, stupid. That's why it's so good. It does not apologize for being stupid.
Extremely Inappropriate on Netflix. Showa Era (mid-80s, bubble economy) Japanese school teacher gets on a bus that turns out to be a time machine and ends up in Reiwa Era (i.e., now). Some folks go back and forth between eras. Pokes fun at (and praises) both eras. And with musical numbers!
California junior outfielder Seth Gwynn and freshman pitcher Trey Newmann have been named the Pac-12 Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, after leading the Golden Bears to four wins and a sweep of No. 5 Oregon State, the conference office announced Monday.
It's a question everyone is asked at one point or another in their lifetime. In a kindergarten class, the question is answered easily with occupations like astronaut, chef, ballerina, teacher. But when that once abstract question becomes a present reality for college students, the answer holds more pressure and often more uncertainty. That's where Cal Athletics' Cameron Institute comes into play.
The Cameron Institute, built on a foundation of three pillars – career development, community engagement, and mental performance – provides resources and support for Cal student-athletes through a team of experts, something that very few collegiate athletic departments in the nation place as much emphasis on.
PULLMAN, Wash. – In the second round of the Pac-12 Championships on Monday, the California women's golf team finished 19 strokes better than it did the previous day, posting a 1-under-par 287 team score to move up to 10th place with 18 holes to go at Palouse Ridge Golf Club.
BERKELEY – Justin DiTolla, a longtime administrator with close to 15 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, has been named the first Associate Athletics Director for Name, Image and Likeness at Cal.
DiTolla has spent the past 2½ years as Cal's Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student Services, where he has worked closely with Cal student-athletes in their NIL endeavors. In his new role, DiTolla will manage all aspects of NIL at Cal, including advising and consulting with student-athletes, meeting with recruits, working with campus partners and other constituents, and providing additional resources to student-athletes to stimulate and execute NIL activities.
BERKELEY – The California baseball team begins its season-long seven-game road trip against Pacific on Tuesday in Stockton. The Golden Bears and Tigers are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and the contest will be streamed on ESPN+ at Klein Family Field.
The Bears (24-14) are riding an eight-game winning streak after sweeping No. 5 Oregon State at home over the weekend. Cal is 6-5 on the road this year.
BERKELEY –The 2024 Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship field was finalized Monday, setting up a first-round matchup between fourth-seeded California and fifth-seeded Washington on Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. in Tempe, Arizona.
The Golden Bears (22-11) split the two-match regular season series with the Huskies (18-13), winning the most recent meeting between the two programs this past weekend, 4-1.
I had the distinct honor and pleasure to meet Dr. Seaborg at birthday party for him put on by I believe the CAA. I think it was his 90th. The Cal Band was invited to perform and we were all given souvenir shot glasses from the event (I still have mine). On a side note, his last name is an anagram for "GO BEARS".
Seaborg is from Ishpeming, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula which is near Marquette MI. i gave a talk in the physics dept at U of Northern MI once, and it was cool to see a room and lecture hall dedicated to him.
Seaborg was the principal or co-discoverer of ten elements: plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium and element 106, which, while he was still living, was named seaborgium in his honor. He said about this naming, "This is the greatest honor ever bestowed upon me--even better, I think, than winning the Nobel Prize. Future students of chemistry, in learning about the periodic table, may have reason to ask why the element was named for me, and thereby learn more about my work."
The Federal Trade Commission banned noncompete agreements for most U.S. workers Tuesday with a new rule that will bar employers from enforcing clauses that restrict workers from switching employers within their industry, which the agency said suppresses wages and gums up labor markets.
The FTC voted 3 to 2 Tuesday to issue the rule it proposed more than a year ago. The new rule makes it illegal for employers to include the agreements in employment contracts and requires companies with active noncompete agreements to inform workers that they are void. The agency received more than 26,000 comments about the rule after it was proposed some 16 months ago. The rule will take effect after 180 days, although business groups have promised to challenge the rule in court, which could delay its implementation.
Scholars cite a body of research that shows the agreements suppress worker pay and entrepreneurship while also imposing costs on firms wanting to hire workers bound by the agreements. A Labor Department study published in June 2022 estimated that 18 percent of Americans are bound by noncompete agreements, while other research suggests it could be closer to 5o percent. They are used in a wide range of industries, including technology, hairstyling, medicine and even dance instruction, while imposing restrictions on both high- and low-wage earners.
The FTC estimates that banning noncompete agreements could create jobs for 30 million Americans and raise wages by nearly $300 billion per year.
Cavern
The headline photo is this.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181129-the-underground-cathedral-protecting-tokyo-from-floods
What’s the biggest subterranean space you’ve ever been in?
Probably Carlsbad Cavern, which isn't even in the top 10 biggest in the US
lava cave in Iceland - lava flows created a giant underground tunnel
https://www.husafell.com/activities/lava-cave-tour
Víðgelmir is the largest lava cave in Iceland and one of the largest lava caves in the world.
Víðgelmir is perhaps the best preserved cave of the well known caves in Iceland. This is due to ice buildup during the 1960s finally closed off the only access into Víðgelmir in 1972. It was re-opened in 1994 and closed the following year with a metal gate. As such you will still find lava formations that long since have been destroyed in other well known caves.
The Cave Víðgelmir is located in a lava field called Hallmundarhraun, which is the largest lava field in Borgarfjörður. Both the exact starting time and duration of the eruption are not known, but it has been estimated that the eruption lasted 1-4 years and the start of the eruption is usually set at around 900 AD.
Oh, that's right. You've reminded me that I've been inside Þríhnúkar volcano. It was enormous.
https://insidethevolcano.com/the-volcano
I've also been inside a subterranean coal mine, which was probably bigger by volume, but the whole thing was only slightly taller than 6' tall. Being deep underground in pitch black and surrounded by hot earth is unnerving and not for the claustrophobic.
Same here. On a trip from Berkeley to New Braunfels in 1971. We drove through New Mexico (obviously) and stopped by Carlsbad Caverns. That wasn't even the highlight of the trip. Earlier we stopped at the Grand Canyon.
i think i have been to Carlsbad Caverns. dont really recall. it seems exactly the kind of place that my parents would want to stop off and see during a road trip
It was a real tough park to hit with the sweet pup…our typical national park routine was disrupted and I’ll need a re-visit at some point.
Mines of Moria .. not actually.
it seems like the kind of place i have been from watching the movies so many times. and the new LotR series does an amazing job with it
i like how they make vintage travel posters of fictitious places like Moria and Tatooine.
https://printerval.com/moria-travel-poster-lord-of-the-rings-vintage-travel-poster-p12332250
Hmmm. Moscone Center? The entrance to the Louvre? Chatelet metro station? They're all pretty big.
Penn Station in NYC .. does that count? or the giant underground operation in Montreal.
Louisville Mega Caverns. A huge underground Limestone cavern. They have a zip line course, aerial ropes course, and used to have a bike park. They have a Christmas lights show where you drive through the cavern. I believe they also have underground storage for boats and stuff like that. Constant temp and probably fairly dry.
Also Mammoth Caves in Central Ky. The largest underground cave system in the world I think.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
From the current Trump trial: National Enquirer detailed a third "catch and kill" story that they bought in order to help Donald Trump get elected: one of TFG's former doormen alleged he had an illegitimate child - a story that the Enquirer said it vetted and deemed untrue. I mean, who would believe that?
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/04/23/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial/the-first-catch-and-kill-00153897
Haiti slides to toward anarchy
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68880579
PRO
Ferrari gets a new title corporate sponsor, but their cars won't run unless you change all the tires and cartridges all at the same time
https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/exclusive-ferrari-poised-to-announce-hewlett-packard-as-title-sponsor/
Keaton Winn and the Giants played a really solid baseball game*
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2024/4/22/24137862/giants-mets-scores-keaton-winn-michael-conforto-nick-ahmed-matt-chapman-jose-quintana
Monday’s game between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets started out in ... well ... fashion. Let’s call it fashion. That’s what I wrote in my notes: just “fashion.”
Had the Giants lost, it would have been “ominous fashion.” Had the Giants won — a silly thing to pose as a hypothetical, seeing as how they did, in fact, win — it seemed likely to be “encouraging fashion.”
Why these dudes continue to use Doval in non-save situations when he’s proven to be consistently inefficient remains a mystery. Now you’ve probably lost him today.
When the was the last time Doval pitched? If he hasn't had a save opportunity in like 4 games, usually teams will have him pitch just to keep him sharp. Or if it was a tie game at home, you use him to keep the T9 scoreless because there isn't a save situation in extras.
He threw 16 pitches Saturday.
oh then they used him in a non-save situation on Mon? Oh the top of the 9th. yeah a little crazy to use him there. Up 5-1. Guess they don't trust anyone else?
Jamal Murray buzzer-beater caps Nuggets' 20-point rally vs. Lakers
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40004320/jamal-murray-buzzer-beater-caps-nuggets-20-point-comeback-vs-lakers
DENVER -- Jamal Murray didn't even see the biggest basket of his career. At least not live, he didn't.
Murray swished a step-back 15-footer over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit.
Lakers collapse in fourth quarter, lose on buzzer beater to Nuggets
https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2024/4/22/24137880/lakers-vs-nuggets-final-score-recap-stats-lebron-james-anthony-davis-nikola-jokic-nba-playoffs
In the most crushing loss to the Nuggets yet, the Lakers watched a 20-point second-half lead crumble as they fell to Denver in Game 2 on Monday on a Jamal Murray buzzer-beater, 101-99, falling behind 2-0 in the series.
Anthony Davis put the Lakers on his back, scoring 32 points with 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. D’Angelo Russell, who has constantly struggled against the Nuggets, finally came to play, scoring 23 points and going 7-11 from behind the arc.
I only watched the last few min of the game. What a last few min. Jamal Murray's shot reminded me of Justin Cobb's shot against UofA. I know it's mostly due to injuries, but it's amazing Jamal Murray has never made an all-star game.
good frantic finish to Knicks-76ers game last night too. Knicks were down 5 with less that 45 sec. hit a 3, steal inbounds, hit another 3 after an offensive rebound. then sealed the game w/ 2 free throws.
too bad they didnt do it against the Pacers as revenge for that Reggie Miller performance.
diVincenzo - formerly on the Warriors - was the one who hit the game winning 3. good to see him doing well.
He's been on fire this whole season. Warriors could've used him, but he wouldn't be a starter so he wouldn't have been as effective.
JP Sears, Zack Gelof lead Athletics past Yankees, 2-0
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2024/4/22/24137314/athletics-vs-yankees-final-score-jp-sears-zack-gelof
JP Sears turned in another good performance on the mound and Zack Gelof provided the big hit late to help the Oakland Athletics to a 2-0 win over the New York Yankees.
Monday’s game started with some fireworks. Esteury Ruiz was hit by a pitch to start the game. Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt checked down to the first base umpire to see if Ruiz swung. Ruiz was awarded first base and Yankees manager Aaron Boone voiced his displeasure. Field microphones caught Wendelstedt telling Boone that he didn’t want to hear another word, but before the next pitch could be made, Wendelstedt ejected Boone from the game. Boone protested saying that it was a fan in the dugout seats that Wendelstedt heard.
DBD AV CLUB
Chicken Nugget on Netflix (17/19). WARNING: This show (imported from South Korea) is stupid. It's a comedy mystery about a girl who gets turned into a chicken nugget and how her father and his employee try to figure out how it happened and how to turn her back to a girl. My nearly-15-year-old son and I find it hilarious. My wife finds it, well, stupid. That's why it's so good. It does not apologize for being stupid.
There are plenty of stupid TV shows I watch. I just want to be entertained and don't necessarily care it's stupid.
Extremely Inappropriate on Netflix. Showa Era (mid-80s, bubble economy) Japanese school teacher gets on a bus that turns out to be a time machine and ends up in Reiwa Era (i.e., now). Some folks go back and forth between eras. Pokes fun at (and praises) both eras. And with musical numbers!
Pretty entertaining...16/19
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
Seattle Times says that UW knew about rape allegations against one of their RBs and still let him play
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/police-suggest-uw-athletics-staff-knew-about-discussed-tybo-rogers-rape-allegation/
CAL
Go Bears!!!
Ender Aguilar enters the portal as a grad transfer
https://twitter.com/farrellportal/status/1782786109841260991
[BASE] Cal Duo Earns Pac-12 Weekly Honors
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/22/baseball-cal-duo-earns-pac-12-weekly-honors.aspx
California junior outfielder Seth Gwynn and freshman pitcher Trey Newmann have been named the Pac-12 Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, after leading the Golden Bears to four wins and a sweep of No. 5 Oregon State, the conference office announced Monday.
[CAM INST] Planning For Tomorrow
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/22/cameron-institute-planning-for-tomorrow.aspx
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
It's a question everyone is asked at one point or another in their lifetime. In a kindergarten class, the question is answered easily with occupations like astronaut, chef, ballerina, teacher. But when that once abstract question becomes a present reality for college students, the answer holds more pressure and often more uncertainty. That's where Cal Athletics' Cameron Institute comes into play.
The Cameron Institute, built on a foundation of three pillars – career development, community engagement, and mental performance – provides resources and support for Cal student-athletes through a team of experts, something that very few collegiate athletic departments in the nation place as much emphasis on.
[WGOLF] Bears Improve On Day 2 At Pac-12 Championships
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/22/womens-golf-bears-improve-on-day-2-at-pac-12-championships.aspx
PULLMAN, Wash. – In the second round of the Pac-12 Championships on Monday, the California women's golf team finished 19 strokes better than it did the previous day, posting a 1-under-par 287 team score to move up to 10th place with 18 holes to go at Palouse Ridge Golf Club.
[NEWS] DiTolla To Oversee Cal's NIL Efforts
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/22/athletics-news-ditolla-to-oversee-cals-nil-efforts.aspx
BERKELEY – Justin DiTolla, a longtime administrator with close to 15 years of experience in intercollegiate athletics, has been named the first Associate Athletics Director for Name, Image and Likeness at Cal.
DiTolla has spent the past 2½ years as Cal's Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student Services, where he has worked closely with Cal student-athletes in their NIL endeavors. In his new role, DiTolla will manage all aspects of NIL at Cal, including advising and consulting with student-athletes, meeting with recruits, working with campus partners and other constituents, and providing additional resources to student-athletes to stimulate and execute NIL activities.
A compliance guy and a lawyer take over. Good. I don't want NIL to be an SEC-style alumni shakedown shop
[BASE] Bears Open Road Trip Against Pacific
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/22/baseball-bears-open-road-trip-against-pacific.aspx
BERKELEY – The California baseball team begins its season-long seven-game road trip against Pacific on Tuesday in Stockton. The Golden Bears and Tigers are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and the contest will be streamed on ESPN+ at Klein Family Field.
The Bears (24-14) are riding an eight-game winning streak after sweeping No. 5 Oregon State at home over the weekend. Cal is 6-5 on the road this year.
[BVB] Bears Set For Pac-12 Championship
https://calbears.com/news/2024/4/22/beach-volleyball-bears-set-for-pac-12-championship.aspx
BERKELEY –The 2024 Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship field was finalized Monday, setting up a first-round matchup between fourth-seeded California and fifth-seeded Washington on Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. in Tempe, Arizona.
The Golden Bears (22-11) split the two-match regular season series with the Huskies (18-13), winning the most recent meeting between the two programs this past weekend, 4-1.
OSKI DISCIPLE’S TRIVA FUN, A DAILY DBD FEATURE
During the late 1950s Glenn Seaborg went through a short-lived “beatnik” phase.
(All trivia verified by the International Trivia Foundation.)
I had the distinct honor and pleasure to meet Dr. Seaborg at birthday party for him put on by I believe the CAA. I think it was his 90th. The Cal Band was invited to perform and we were all given souvenir shot glasses from the event (I still have mine). On a side note, his last name is an anagram for "GO BEARS".
SEA BORG!
Seaborg is from Ishpeming, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula which is near Marquette MI. i gave a talk in the physics dept at U of Northern MI once, and it was cool to see a room and lecture hall dedicated to him.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/n5EAjSUiQgHggafp6
also, i heard him speak at some point while i was at Cal.
he mentioned that when he was Chancellor (1958–1961), it was the last time Cal football went to the Rose Bowl and basketball won national title.
... sounds like it coincided with his late 1950s short-lived “beatnik” phase.
Seaborg was the principal or co-discoverer of ten elements: plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium and element 106, which, while he was still living, was named seaborgium in his honor. He said about this naming, "This is the greatest honor ever bestowed upon me--even better, I think, than winning the Nobel Prize. Future students of chemistry, in learning about the periodic table, may have reason to ask why the element was named for me, and thereby learn more about my work."
Probably the Empire Mine in Grass Valley.
Governmental action -
From WaPo -
FTC bans noncompete agreements for workers
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/23/ftc-noncompete-agreements/
The Federal Trade Commission banned noncompete agreements for most U.S. workers Tuesday with a new rule that will bar employers from enforcing clauses that restrict workers from switching employers within their industry, which the agency said suppresses wages and gums up labor markets.
The FTC voted 3 to 2 Tuesday to issue the rule it proposed more than a year ago. The new rule makes it illegal for employers to include the agreements in employment contracts and requires companies with active noncompete agreements to inform workers that they are void. The agency received more than 26,000 comments about the rule after it was proposed some 16 months ago. The rule will take effect after 180 days, although business groups have promised to challenge the rule in court, which could delay its implementation.
Scholars cite a body of research that shows the agreements suppress worker pay and entrepreneurship while also imposing costs on firms wanting to hire workers bound by the agreements. A Labor Department study published in June 2022 estimated that 18 percent of Americans are bound by noncompete agreements, while other research suggests it could be closer to 5o percent. They are used in a wide range of industries, including technology, hairstyling, medicine and even dance instruction, while imposing restrictions on both high- and low-wage earners.
The FTC estimates that banning noncompete agreements could create jobs for 30 million Americans and raise wages by nearly $300 billion per year.
Good. My job just got a bit easier.
i have a non-compete with some very specific companies that represent the only real alternates i have if i want to stay in the current industry
Not anymore!
indeed. i always had heard that they were very hard to enforce so i wasnt too worried. party time now!
extra job security and flexibility i guess.
however i am not sure about this >> raise wages by nearly $300 billion per year.
as w/ all of these things .. the $$ have to come from somewhere
Been unenforceable in California for many years.