Welcome to the DBD, a W4C community board. You never know what we’ll talk about. Weird stuff. How awesome/terrible oatmeal cookies are. What about the worst hotel you’ve ever stayed at?
Other than the tidbit about how she regularly bad mouth Stanford and UCLA that was kind of funny, the rest was heartbreaking to read. I do kind of wonder if Teri's behaviors got worse (more god-like) after she and the team have relatively struggled to return to the pinnacle of college swimming (even when Cal had been the runner-up in recent years, they really had no chance at the title). Given how much student-athletes transfer on the regular now, it was hard to know why the people toward the end of the roster moved on to different programs. Teri catering to her stars had created the facade that everything is fine.
It really reads like that - not excusing her behavior - but trying to get back to the Natalie Coughlin mountain top. Sheds some light onto why Cal women swimmers come back to campus and train with Dave Durden instead.
To be fair, Durden's track record is so good that it made sense for Coughlin and Franklin to try to train with him at what turned out to be the tail ends of their swimming careers.
What's weird was that McKeever actually had the reputation for a more holistic approach with the retreats before the season and the annual Hawaiian training period (while the Cal men train in elevation in Colorado). The retreats, according to this article, is not as relaxing as they sounded on paper.
The timing couldn't be worse for Athletics. Just this past Saturday I received a solicitation in the mail to donate to Cal Athletics with a prominent plea from Knowlton.
I wonder how many other folks who received the same solicitation will have read the article.
Read the whole article. Ugh. I used to teach college. I can't imagine ever talking to a student the way McKeever does, no matter how disappointed I was in them. Obviously she has to go, and Knowlton and some of the other admins should be replaced by people who are committed to preventing abuses, not to winning at all costs. It sounds like some of the lower ranking admins did their jobs, but the brass just blew them off.
Well that story is horrific. IIRC the women's head soccer coach (McGuire) was recently accused of similar things and nothing happened to him. McKeever, McGuire, and Knowlton should be fired immediately without further delay.
When I was in Portland, I caught up with an ol' high school friend. Her job was to censure partner products that were sold on the Walmart.com website. I told her that she isn't the world's sole judge of what is in bad taste, but she did have decent market share.
Oh no, that's horrible. Has always been my favorite Cal player. I recently re-watched the 2004 Oregon game because it came up on youtube, and they could not cover him.
A hostel in Nepal. Plywood board with no mattress. Door closed via a piece of scrap wood nailed to the door. Corrugated metal roof. No insulation. Outdoor latrine that emptied into a pig pen. If you're polite, you wait so you avoid doing your business on top of the pigs' heads. It should surprise nobody that I got one of the worst cases of food poisoning there and was delirious for 3 days. No, there was no other choice to stay.
oh man, i just thought of where i stayed at Mt Everest basecamp, it wasn't really a hotel but there were 4 latrines for like 1000 people. I made sure to get up early and use it before 900 other people.
sounds like Coachella, where we encountered a mountain peaking ABOVE the toilet seat. We decided all festivals would be VIP moving forward based on that alone.
National park hotels are a mess right now. Just got back from Yellowstone and they're very short on labor. They apparently rely heavily on foreign students.
That being said, it's better than a tent (I am not outdoorsy).
Nice...the pups and I were in in Yellowstone earlier this month, stayed between Livingston and Gardiner.
The National Parks are a mess in so many ways right now. We got shut out at Mt. Rainier 10 days ago because of staffing...all entrances but 1 were closed.
I got nothin for you here. Worst was probably a $25 room in Rome when I was a student that had pillows filled with straw, but it was still safe and fine and we all survived.
back when I was a Motel shopping rookie, I decided that a place in Monterrey that was convenient to the aquarium and cheap to fit our then budget was the best choice. The Candle Bay Inn, sounds great! Unfortunately it was right next to an adult bookstore/sex toy shop and my young children got to ask us some really fun questions. So that was cool and educational
A few years back there was a half hearted attempt among some of my college friends to have a reunion by renting a place at Pajaro Dunes, if memory serves the combination of scheduling issues and a dispute about paying by the head or the room sank the whole thing. We probably should have tried a smaller group
There's a Motel 6 in Arlington, TX that I used on a cross-country move in 2010 with the old red dog back when she was the only one around...12 years ago, pet friendly hotels were much tougher to find, and Motel 6's were pretty much my most consistent option...nowadays, La Quinta Inn and Suites are usually a somewhat safe bet. For the most part, they were OK, with options in Baltimore, Atlanta and Houston all serving me well enough...affordable, no bed bug bites, etc. Our usual routine would involve me leaving the pup to go knock out a ballpark like Camden, Turner Field or Minute Maid Park, and return to the hotel with the 3 y.o. vizsla curled up on the bed waiting for me happily.
So, we show up at this less-than-stellar looking Motel 6 in a sparse, tired-looking neighborhood about a mile from the Ballpark at Arlington. Based on the motel's appearance, I head over to check out the Rangers with a fair amount of trepidation (side note, I found the Ballpark at Arlington to be a pretty cool ballpark, IMO...I enjoyed it much more than the Globe Life Field HSB, hag, Newellbany and I visited post-TCU, though likely because I downgrade dome stadiums on principle). Following the game, however, upon returning back to the room, I find the red dog lying uncomfortably on the linoleum tile over by the sink just outside of the bathroom, with an apprehensive, almost scolding look in her eyes. Upon prodding, she refused to even jump up on the bed, which told me all I needed to know about this room. I went out to the Jeep and grabbed the Aerobed, and we slept on the air mattress over by the bathroom sink.
There's no telling what was in, or had taken place on, that bed, but it couldn't have been good. It's also the last Motel 6 I've stayed in.
I did go to a game at the previous ballpark in 2019. I liked the Tiger Stadium like right field bleachers and it was not domed. So it was better than Globe Life. Though I did like that each level at Globe Life doesn't have as many rows which allows the higher decks to sit closer to the field.
I understand with the heat that a climate-controlled dome provides a more enjoyable fan experience, but for my money, those 6:50 starts at the Ballpark were delightful, and the park had a more classic field.
Border towns are sketchy everywhere. . . a Thai border town that borders Malaysia's strictest/most militant province is super high sketchy.
I arrived too late to make the border crossing into Malaysia so I spent in the night at a railway side hotel in Su-ngai Kolok. I felt like everyone had a knife. There was a giant bug - as wide as my foot, that I was able to hit with a flip flop from about 8 feet away. Like g.oso, I slept in my clothes and on top of the bed sheets - it was like 95 degrees and 100% humidity anyways and slept fitfully until the call to prayer hte next morning at like 5:30am - I got up, got the hell out of there, caught a motorcycle taxi to the border, walked across, and there was like an A&W like 50 feet from the border, I almost fell to me knees in happiness, despite my preferring Thailand to Malaysia like 10 out of 10 times, I was so happy to get out of that town.
During a flight to Europe in 08 I had a connection in Atlanta that I missed due to a tropical storm not allowing my plane being able to land on time. We got diverted to Augusta to refuel and then sat on the runway until Atlanta’s runway was reopened. The hotel that they put me in for the night near the airport was terrible.
During a cross country trip back in 2003, we ran into all kinds of bad weather up and down the east coast. We had planned on camping our way across the country but nature had other plans. On our way back we passed through Louisville and ended up at a motel so bad we slept in our sleeping bags on top of the bed. I had gone to the lobby to get ice and there was a plain clothes cop just hanging out in the lobby talking with the receptionist. And he was there all night.
Hotel Pennsylvania in NYC. Stayed there over a decade ago with some friends, and it was pretty rough. We would quietly and ominously sing lines from the Eagles' Hotel California in the elevators and halls, swapping the name of the state, to warn other guests. Got a few laughs.
Haha Reeds, Point Arena - private joke with the wife since she picked it out, and it was nothing like she thought it would be. Great view of the dumpsters.
Wanna say in Siwa Oasis - bed was stuffed straw covered with a sheet. When I woke up my cell phone had been stolen. But then again it cost $3 a night. Kudos if you know where this is.
Sans cable, I bought the season on Amazon but the episodes dont become available until after midnight (east coast), so I watch on Tuesday nights. Been looking forward to this one since the previous one was all cryptic and cliff-hangery.
The 19 year old read that & thought it was fair - although I’m always fascinated when reviewers are opining about the stage of the artist’s career & what they should be doing, I think Mr Styles may yet survive
The 19 y.o. - the bigger of the Harry fans in the under 21 section of the house - apparently feels it could have been more imaginative; I think it sounds like what you’d come up with if you’d spent most of a year and change sitting around playing music with friends during kind of shit time like say a pandemic, which is in fact what it was. She didn’t appreciate my detailed analogy to the change between Phantom Power and Love Kraft by the Super Furry Animals due to the Iraq War, teenagers eh?
The modern pentathalon - which was updated in 1912 from the classic running/wrestling/long jump/javelin/discus to fencing/swimming/riding/running/shooting to simulate cavalry officer skills - will replace riding with [checks notes]... American Ninja Warrior for the 2028 Olympics.
Modern pentathlon was updated based on Swiss military training. I would have thought that the further update would replace riding with something like drone (small remote controlled one) flying or something like that.
Nope. On purpose. They are doing an obstacle course for one of the disciplines for the Pentathlon. Walls, rings, swings, crawls, wheel rigs, angled ladders. tsunami curved wall... I mean, I guess it might be closer to Tough Mudder or Spartan Race without the mud...
in the 1900 Paris Olympics there was a sort of similar Obstacle Race.
The 200m Obstacle Race was a combination of a swimming event and an obstacle race - the competitors had to climb over a pole, then scramble over a row of boats, and then swim under another row of boats...All this was done in the River Seine, so the competitors also had to contend with the current.
It feels like it has been a series of games dominated by one team or the other, even Game 3 which had a short Boston almost comeback was by and large controlled Miami. After every game I change my mind on who I'd rather the Dubs face, but Boston definitely feels more complete, sooooo Go Miami!
Yeah definitely, particularly if Smart is healthy.
FET: I stopped by the Warriors team store yesterday at Chase Center. I had not been over there in a while; it is a gleaming new city (though waterfront itself still junky, they need to make a park). It is interesting to see how well the urban renewal project was done in that area in comparison to how poorly it was done in mid market area.
My Pads are playing and doing much better than I thought they would, especially when you consider all the injuries we had to start the season and Tatis still out.
Machado early favorite for MVP...guess he decided to try harder after that initial, seemingly disinterested 2019 season in the Gaslamp where he underperformed despite a juiced ball. He's been much better since...serious Ewing Theory vibes with Tatis out?
Machado has been killing it. Is Hosmer taking PEDs because he has had a good start to his season at the plate. Myers has also been clutch at the plate but he remains a liability in the field with some errors.
I think I heard that Melvin talked with Hosmer and basically told him he's his guy at first. I guess the confidence the manager had him made him more comfortable and he started producing.
Man the Padres 2 previous coaches were so bad. Preller's average for good managers (so far) is only .333.
I blame Tommy Pham...that guy is not a major league ball player, yet managed to secure nearly 500 AB's for an underachieving Padres team last year while needing a late surge to finish at .229.
This year, he's moved on and is inexplicably hitting 3rd for Cincinnati, batting .221...in news that should surprise no one, the Reds find themselves 17-games under .500 and are already 13.5 games back before Memorial Day.
Despite being 10 games over .500, Jayce Tingler's in-game management and decision making left a lot to be desired.
He's definitely killing the ball. I'm also curious what happens when Tatis returns. I definitely thought the team should've made/strongly recommended him to have surgery on his shoulder when they started to drop from contention last year. If it keeps popping out, he'll need to get it at some point, and recovery to full strength on the shoulder will take a year.
Tatis still has yet to field ground balls off the bat, and is not even catching full speed throws yet. It's unknown when he'll even be able to swing a bat....he's probably at least another 5-7 weeks away, despite the Pads initially saying he 'could' miss up to 3 months, which put his return back then at mid-June. He's likely gonna blow right past that - probably won't be back until mid-July...he really focked that wrist up, to say nothing of the shoulder issues that seemingly went unaddressed.
If that shoulder pops out even one time once he's back, it may end up being a completely lost year for El Nino...his inability to communicate with the team during the lockout seems to really have hurt.
He's only made 3 starts, and is back on the IL now with a triceps, which is troublesome given the previous arm trouble. But prior to going back on the shelf, he had 3 starts, getting the W in the 3rd after Melvin purposely ramped up his pitch count. He looked solid pre-IL. Manaea has been a steady addition, tho...
I'm down on Snell as both a person and a ballplayer, but he has good stuff. When he's on, he's dominant, but the pitch counts get him and it's often a grind just to get him through 5. That Cy Young year definitely seems to be the exception, rather than the rule.
Well, they made it close, getting the tying run to second in the ninth, but the A’s lost the series opener in Seattle, losing to the Mariners 7-6 on a cold Monday night.
Oakland collected 12 hits and a pair of walks on their way to six runs, but the rookie starting pitcher, who had been pretty good in his first few starts, coughed up more, allowing seven. They’ve now lost to the Mariners 13 straight times, tying a record for most consecutive losses against one team in A’s history. At least the bullpen didn’t give up a run.
After both starting pitchers traded a pair of zero’s to start this game, the bats got going. Seattle struck first on a Julio Rodriguez 3-run shot on a slider that didn’t slide to give the Mariners the lead in the bottom of the third against A’s starter Zach Logue. That was the first of three home runs against the rookie tonight.
Forgive me for quoting a show that everyone watches but no one admits to liking, but I take in every San Francisco Giants game, which means about 250 times a year Wilmer Flores comes to bat at Oracle Park and I’ll be there for youuuuuuuuu comes blasting through the park speakers loud enough to make it into my apartment, and so I’ve got Friends on the brain.
Yep. The Giants were indeed just cruising along against the New York Mets, thanks to a much-needed hit from Evan Longoria (who went 2-4 with a double), and one of the more impressive Giant swings of the season: Brandon Crawford taking on dead center with ease, against a lefty who, in his career, had surrendered just three home runs to left-handed hitters in 129 plate appearances.
We knew the Dodgers facing the Nationals was a mismatch, but the nature of baseball is that anything can happen on a given day in a long season. But Monday saw the extreme version of both teams, a 10-1 rout for the road team at Nationals Park.
As great as the Dodgers offense was, scoring in double digits for the fifth time this season, the headliner was Tyler Anderson, who retired his first 16 batters faced and pitched eight scoreless innings.
Anderson’s bid for a perfect game was broken up by a César Hernández double in the sixth inning. Alcides Escobar followed with a single to center field, but Hernández had to make sure it was caught before advancing, and didn’t score on the play. That mattered even more two pitches later when a ground ball up the middle became an inning-ending double play, keeping the Nationals off the board.
Fire Starkey New England road trip extravaganza in late July/early August: Staying in: York Harbor, ME; Bar Harbor, ME; Wilton, ME; Burlington, VT (2 nights); East Haddam, CT (2 nights); East Orleans, MA (2 nights), Falmouth, MA. Lots of driving but me and the missus like to do that and I gave her 5 nights at the end near beaches so she is happy. Should be interesting.
Nice FS...that sounds like a fun trip. If you get a chance to swing through Woodstock, VT on your drive from Burlington down to CT, check it out. Delightful little hamlet...
that's quite an itinerary. in my old age i prefer to just hang in one place longer but if this is all new to you, it should be a good "sampler platter" of the northeast.
I don't think it needs to be repealed, just properly implemented. So obvious to me that the SC is a political body when decisions are made in a Republican manner, not a constitutional one. Well regulated militia?
Those words plus it was always interpreted that way so stare decisis as well. But why leave this open to the interpretation of goons? Just repeal the motherfucker.
Don’t you have a kid? Disney+ is the go to for my 4 year old since she likes Bluey and a few other Disney cartoon shows and movies. KPBS kids is also a great streaming service for people with young kids.
Personally, Apple Music and sometimes Apple TV. I think the family get the most use out of HBO Max & Disney +, as the content on Netflix becomes less compelling
(Amazon Prime would be next, but could make an argument for it being in 5th based on volume. Apple has better original material, even if there isn't that much of it.)
I’m up in Klamath for work this week. I went up to Crescent City last night for dinner and saw a local wearing their Great Seal of Jefferson t-shirt. It is beautiful up here.
Golden, there's a river crossing near there over the Klamath River up on 101 that features matching statues of golden bears guarding the bridge...just delightful...I snapped a shot on one of my roadtrips, check it out if you're in the neighborhood.
I drove over that bridge yesterday and saw those beautiful 4 Golden Bears greeting this Golden Bear. I plan on taking a picture with them tomorrow. I’m actually just up the road from them, as I am staying on the Yurok Reservation. Salmon bake tomorrow night with the tribe.
I’ve been to a few tribal salmon bakes, one in Oregon and one in Alaska and both tribes did them similar.
They are basically just a bunch of freshly caught salmon on sticks and over a big pit fire. While the salmon are cooking the tribes have done traditional dances associated with salmon and their importance to their culture.
Crescent City is an interesting little town, we had to keep our boat there for a couple months when it was down for some repairs. Great scenery, one of the most beautiful beaches (albeit cold and windy AF), good seafood and a very cheap and well maintained harbor that has been twice destroyed by tsunamis
Also the redwoods park just outside of town is like entering a different world, I guess it was the forrest that inspires Endor (or so the locals claim). Also if you ever see a car commercial with redwoods it was likely filmed in Crescent City (or so the locals claim)
Spent a few days in Smith River enjoying seashore a few weeks back. Drove up to Brookings with friends to get sushi. In the sushi place, I was the only Asian person there. Including the staff.
It was a bit Americanized. Namely, portions were big. Tempura vegetables were cut into huge chunks.
Yesterday I wrote of my recalled peanut butter. The CVS that was closest to me was shut down just over a month ago. When I ran by this morning I noticed they finally got the milk out of the refrigerator last night. I think I would rather take my chances with the peanut butter than milk that has bee sitting around for a month.
CAL
Go Bears!!!
[WTEN] Cal's Haley Giavara upset Lisa Marie Rioux in the first round of the NCAA women's singles championship. 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Cal's Jessica Alsola fell to Dook's highly ranked Chloe Beck 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
https://calbears.com/news/2022/5/23/womens-tennis-haley-giavara-wins-ncaa-singles-opener.aspx
very very bad news about McKeever's behavior as Cal swim coach
Cal Berkeley swimmers allege coach Teri McKeever bullied and verbally abused them for years
Swimmers describe a toxic culture that led to a number mental health issues and an unresponsive administration.
By Scott M. Reid
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/05/24/cal-swimmers-allege-coach-teri-mckeever-bullied-and-verbally-abused-them-for-years/
Other than the tidbit about how she regularly bad mouth Stanford and UCLA that was kind of funny, the rest was heartbreaking to read. I do kind of wonder if Teri's behaviors got worse (more god-like) after she and the team have relatively struggled to return to the pinnacle of college swimming (even when Cal had been the runner-up in recent years, they really had no chance at the title). Given how much student-athletes transfer on the regular now, it was hard to know why the people toward the end of the roster moved on to different programs. Teri catering to her stars had created the facade that everything is fine.
It really reads like that - not excusing her behavior - but trying to get back to the Natalie Coughlin mountain top. Sheds some light onto why Cal women swimmers come back to campus and train with Dave Durden instead.
To be fair, Durden's track record is so good that it made sense for Coughlin and Franklin to try to train with him at what turned out to be the tail ends of their swimming careers.
What's weird was that McKeever actually had the reputation for a more holistic approach with the retreats before the season and the annual Hawaiian training period (while the Cal men train in elevation in Colorado). The retreats, according to this article, is not as relaxing as they sounded on paper.
Yeeeeesh. This is bad.
Further evidence that the Cal Athletics administration is out to lunch.
The timing couldn't be worse for Athletics. Just this past Saturday I received a solicitation in the mail to donate to Cal Athletics with a prominent plea from Knowlton.
I wonder how many other folks who received the same solicitation will have read the article.
I looked at that, tore it in half and promptly placed it in the trash bin
Entirely unacceptable behavior from McKeever, Knowlton, and anyone else in admin who could have put sand in McKeever's gears, but didn't.
Merely reviewing policies and procedures isn't effective discipline - it's a [expletive] slap on the wrist.
mcKeever's gotta go. and of course the AD doesn't care. fire them both
And Fox too, while we're at it.
In all seriousness, though, this is bad and needs to be addressed immediately.
Read the whole article. Ugh. I used to teach college. I can't imagine ever talking to a student the way McKeever does, no matter how disappointed I was in them. Obviously she has to go, and Knowlton and some of the other admins should be replaced by people who are committed to preventing abuses, not to winning at all costs. It sounds like some of the lower ranking admins did their jobs, but the brass just blew them off.
Well this sucks. How the hell could administration just sweep it under the rug given the length and amount of abuse?!
Well that story is horrific. IIRC the women's head soccer coach (McGuire) was recently accused of similar things and nothing happened to him. McKeever, McGuire, and Knowlton should be fired immediately without further delay.
jeeeeebus this is so bad
it has everything: god-complex coach, ineffectual beauracray, impressionable students....what a disaster
oh this is shitty
On the positive side, it probably stays cool in summer.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/213-N-Mason-St-Deer-Creek-IL-61733/5323272_zpid/
PENDING! Which one of you weirdos bought it?
Surprisingly easy to heat, well suited to agoraphobes and bunker enthusiasts
"built in wine cellar"
"tornado safe"
The whole thing!
Walmart pulls Great Value's "Juneteenth" ice cream
https://twitter.com/WRAL/status/1529067207275208704
When I was in Portland, I caught up with an ol' high school friend. Her job was to censure partner products that were sold on the Walmart.com website. I told her that she isn't the world's sole judge of what is in bad taste, but she did have decent market share.
Geoff McArthur is fighting the battle for his life. He has rapidly spreading non-Hodgkin diffuse large b-cell lymphoma.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/vn23zr-lets-help-geoff-mcarthur-kick-cancer
Donated. That's exactly the same disease I had when I was a little younger than he is now, but mine was caught at stage 1 and never spread.
Really sad news.
donated!
:/
Oh no, that's horrible. Has always been my favorite Cal player. I recently re-watched the 2004 Oregon game because it came up on youtube, and they could not cover him.
Also had an unforgettable performance in the 2003 Big Game. A Cal record 16 receptions for 245 yards and two TDs.
159 donations so far.
Worst hotel
A hostel in Nepal. Plywood board with no mattress. Door closed via a piece of scrap wood nailed to the door. Corrugated metal roof. No insulation. Outdoor latrine that emptied into a pig pen. If you're polite, you wait so you avoid doing your business on top of the pigs' heads. It should surprise nobody that I got one of the worst cases of food poisoning there and was delirious for 3 days. No, there was no other choice to stay.
oh man, i just thought of where i stayed at Mt Everest basecamp, it wasn't really a hotel but there were 4 latrines for like 1000 people. I made sure to get up early and use it before 900 other people.
sounds like Coachella, where we encountered a mountain peaking ABOVE the toilet seat. We decided all festivals would be VIP moving forward based on that alone.
Impressive bowel control T....nice work.
We have a winner.
National park hotels are a mess right now. Just got back from Yellowstone and they're very short on labor. They apparently rely heavily on foreign students.
That being said, it's better than a tent (I am not outdoorsy).
Nice...the pups and I were in in Yellowstone earlier this month, stayed between Livingston and Gardiner.
The National Parks are a mess in so many ways right now. We got shut out at Mt. Rainier 10 days ago because of staffing...all entrances but 1 were closed.
I got nothin for you here. Worst was probably a $25 room in Rome when I was a student that had pillows filled with straw, but it was still safe and fine and we all survived.
back when I was a Motel shopping rookie, I decided that a place in Monterrey that was convenient to the aquarium and cheap to fit our then budget was the best choice. The Candle Bay Inn, sounds great! Unfortunately it was right next to an adult bookstore/sex toy shop and my young children got to ask us some really fun questions. So that was cool and educational
Heh, every time we visited Monterey, we were staying at Pajaro Dunes. I really should have bought one of those in 2009.
A few years back there was a half hearted attempt among some of my college friends to have a reunion by renting a place at Pajaro Dunes, if memory serves the combination of scheduling issues and a dispute about paying by the head or the room sank the whole thing. We probably should have tried a smaller group
Newellbany & Dr. Mrs. would probably say that such an establishment is why their kids were even here in the first place…what say you, FS?
that place was dirty and filthy...so yeah, maybe!
the adult bookstore in my neighborhood closed in february, end of an era
well it's reno so I'm sure the next closest adult bookstore to you isn't that much farther away
that's the problem they're a dying breed
reno's changing man
Who is this changing man of which you speak?
we all are fiatslug we all are
Electronic competition, faced by other paper-based products.
sounds like you should be frequenting them more often to help save them
i am the cause of the loss i lament
I can’t join in here, the worst I’ve got is a couple of hotels that were like a decade overdue for a deep clean.
There's a Motel 6 in Arlington, TX that I used on a cross-country move in 2010 with the old red dog back when she was the only one around...12 years ago, pet friendly hotels were much tougher to find, and Motel 6's were pretty much my most consistent option...nowadays, La Quinta Inn and Suites are usually a somewhat safe bet. For the most part, they were OK, with options in Baltimore, Atlanta and Houston all serving me well enough...affordable, no bed bug bites, etc. Our usual routine would involve me leaving the pup to go knock out a ballpark like Camden, Turner Field or Minute Maid Park, and return to the hotel with the 3 y.o. vizsla curled up on the bed waiting for me happily.
So, we show up at this less-than-stellar looking Motel 6 in a sparse, tired-looking neighborhood about a mile from the Ballpark at Arlington. Based on the motel's appearance, I head over to check out the Rangers with a fair amount of trepidation (side note, I found the Ballpark at Arlington to be a pretty cool ballpark, IMO...I enjoyed it much more than the Globe Life Field HSB, hag, Newellbany and I visited post-TCU, though likely because I downgrade dome stadiums on principle). Following the game, however, upon returning back to the room, I find the red dog lying uncomfortably on the linoleum tile over by the sink just outside of the bathroom, with an apprehensive, almost scolding look in her eyes. Upon prodding, she refused to even jump up on the bed, which told me all I needed to know about this room. I went out to the Jeep and grabbed the Aerobed, and we slept on the air mattress over by the bathroom sink.
There's no telling what was in, or had taken place on, that bed, but it couldn't have been good. It's also the last Motel 6 I've stayed in.
I did go to a game at the previous ballpark in 2019. I liked the Tiger Stadium like right field bleachers and it was not domed. So it was better than Globe Life. Though I did like that each level at Globe Life doesn't have as many rows which allows the higher decks to sit closer to the field.
I understand with the heat that a climate-controlled dome provides a more enjoyable fan experience, but for my money, those 6:50 starts at the Ballpark were delightful, and the park had a more classic field.
Border towns are sketchy everywhere. . . a Thai border town that borders Malaysia's strictest/most militant province is super high sketchy.
I arrived too late to make the border crossing into Malaysia so I spent in the night at a railway side hotel in Su-ngai Kolok. I felt like everyone had a knife. There was a giant bug - as wide as my foot, that I was able to hit with a flip flop from about 8 feet away. Like g.oso, I slept in my clothes and on top of the bed sheets - it was like 95 degrees and 100% humidity anyways and slept fitfully until the call to prayer hte next morning at like 5:30am - I got up, got the hell out of there, caught a motorcycle taxi to the border, walked across, and there was like an A&W like 50 feet from the border, I almost fell to me knees in happiness, despite my preferring Thailand to Malaysia like 10 out of 10 times, I was so happy to get out of that town.
Do hostels count? If so, the Friends Hostel in Paris would be up there.
I've stayed at couple places where you paid by sliding money under the bulletproof window.
During a flight to Europe in 08 I had a connection in Atlanta that I missed due to a tropical storm not allowing my plane being able to land on time. We got diverted to Augusta to refuel and then sat on the runway until Atlanta’s runway was reopened. The hotel that they put me in for the night near the airport was terrible.
During a cross country trip back in 2003, we ran into all kinds of bad weather up and down the east coast. We had planned on camping our way across the country but nature had other plans. On our way back we passed through Louisville and ended up at a motel so bad we slept in our sleeping bags on top of the bed. I had gone to the lobby to get ice and there was a plain clothes cop just hanging out in the lobby talking with the receptionist. And he was there all night.
"if you're a cop, you have to tell me"
I blame HAG
You must have been on the south end of Louisville.
Hotel Pennsylvania in NYC. Stayed there over a decade ago with some friends, and it was pretty rough. We would quietly and ominously sing lines from the Eagles' Hotel California in the elevators and halls, swapping the name of the state, to warn other guests. Got a few laughs.
Oh god you'd think anything in that area of NYC would have some standards, but yeah that place was the worst.
Haha Reeds, Point Arena - private joke with the wife since she picked it out, and it was nothing like she thought it would be. Great view of the dumpsters.
Funny, reading these horror stories this one just doesn't fit.
Some motel in Cloverdale. Floor boards were bowing so bad we thought that we were going to fall through them.
Wanna say in Siwa Oasis - bed was stuffed straw covered with a sheet. When I woke up my cell phone had been stolen. But then again it cost $3 a night. Kudos if you know where this is.
Yeah, I was the one who stole your cell phone.
DBD AV Club
Better Call Saul midseason finale
Well, that was tense...
Sans cable, I bought the season on Amazon but the episodes dont become available until after midnight (east coast), so I watch on Tuesday nights. Been looking forward to this one since the previous one was all cryptic and cliff-hangery.
I’ve been staying ahead of the inevitable and listening to the new Harry Styles album. I like it idc idc mock away
WaPo had a review today.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/05/23/harry-styles-harrys-house-album-review/
Savage
The 19 year old read that & thought it was fair - although I’m always fascinated when reviewers are opining about the stage of the artist’s career & what they should be doing, I think Mr Styles may yet survive
Harry Styles? Never heard of him.
he's like a modern day franz liszt, you remember franz liszt
🙄
o by the time liszt was coming out you weren't as connected to pop music
harry styles is like orpheus
His child birth sketch on SNL was silly but funny.
https://youtu.be/Sg0xiULgVTw
You’re old 😂😂😂😂😂😂
star of Dunkirk!
Star? I think not.
Google "Dunkirk Cast" and see what the first name is.
The 19 y.o. - the bigger of the Harry fans in the under 21 section of the house - apparently feels it could have been more imaginative; I think it sounds like what you’d come up with if you’d spent most of a year and change sitting around playing music with friends during kind of shit time like say a pandemic, which is in fact what it was. She didn’t appreciate my detailed analogy to the change between Phantom Power and Love Kraft by the Super Furry Animals due to the Iraq War, teenagers eh?
Almost caught up on Barry, it continues to be amazing.
We Own This City is so good and also so depressing to watch.
I feel like the murder detective story is an attempt at some sort of balance.
Are you referring to the homicide detective storyline with Marlo?
Yes
Elsewhere in college
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
Head trauma may make you forget things that have happened over the last 18 months
https://twitter.com/accountablegop/status/1529104369928785920
If you want to replicate Oswald Cobblepot's look, start popping some tags
https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1528900838214840320
Anaheim Mayor resigns as he's caught in a corruption scandal involving shaking down The Angels.
https://voiceofoc.org/2022/05/anaheim-mayor-harry-sidhu-resigns-after-fbi-reveals-anaheim-corruption-probe/
windia
If only there was a simple, cheap, low-risk way to prevent pregnancies that you could carry around in your wallet. Nah... that's crazy talk.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/05/state-rep-floats-mandatory-vasectomies-for-all-boys-as-his-state-nears-nations-strictest-abortion-law.html
Not a good look:
https://twitter.com/i/events/1528793898243371008
What kind of fucked up Trump-speak is that? We show support by not showing support?
https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/news/sfpd-makes-announcement-regarding-2022-pride-parade-22-068
eh, they are being banned from marching in uniform in the parade.
It's a serious issue, otherwise someone might joke about marching in, uh, birthday uniforms, which would seem to be in style with the parade.
KellyAnne Conway: Yes. Trump lost
Obligatory money-grubbing political book. There's facts and alternate facts...
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/24/kellyanne-conway-yes-trump-lost-00034625
PRO
The modern pentathalon - which was updated in 1912 from the classic running/wrestling/long jump/javelin/discus to fencing/swimming/riding/running/shooting to simulate cavalry officer skills - will replace riding with [checks notes]... American Ninja Warrior for the 2028 Olympics.
https://www.uipmworld.org/news/new-5th-discipline-update-test-event-launched
Modern pentathlon was updated based on Swiss military training. I would have thought that the further update would replace riding with something like drone (small remote controlled one) flying or something like that.
Can they bring back the tug-o-war?
SGB, I think you must be multitasking. You typed "American Ninja Warrior" which surely was meant for some other email or post?
Nope. On purpose. They are doing an obstacle course for one of the disciplines for the Pentathlon. Walls, rings, swings, crawls, wheel rigs, angled ladders. tsunami curved wall... I mean, I guess it might be closer to Tough Mudder or Spartan Race without the mud...
in the 1900 Paris Olympics there was a sort of similar Obstacle Race.
The 200m Obstacle Race was a combination of a swimming event and an obstacle race - the competitors had to climb over a pole, then scramble over a row of boats, and then swim under another row of boats...All this was done in the River Seine, so the competitors also had to contend with the current.
https://www.topendsports.com/events/discontinued/obstacle.htm
True olympians would demand mud
True olympians would demand naked wrestling
There’s already a sword event
Josh Donaldson has already had an interesting week.
https://www.mlb.com/news/josh-donaldson-suspension-may-23-2022
Miami opens the game with a nearly 9-minute field goal drought en route to loss to Boston
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1528943074205999105
Boston is definitely the more dangerous team, methinks.
It feels like it has been a series of games dominated by one team or the other, even Game 3 which had a short Boston almost comeback was by and large controlled Miami. After every game I change my mind on who I'd rather the Dubs face, but Boston definitely feels more complete, sooooo Go Miami!
Yeah definitely, particularly if Smart is healthy.
FET: I stopped by the Warriors team store yesterday at Chase Center. I had not been over there in a while; it is a gleaming new city (though waterfront itself still junky, they need to make a park). It is interesting to see how well the urban renewal project was done in that area in comparison to how poorly it was done in mid market area.
My Pads are playing and doing much better than I thought they would, especially when you consider all the injuries we had to start the season and Tatis still out.
Machado early favorite for MVP...guess he decided to try harder after that initial, seemingly disinterested 2019 season in the Gaslamp where he underperformed despite a juiced ball. He's been much better since...serious Ewing Theory vibes with Tatis out?
Machado has been killing it. Is Hosmer taking PEDs because he has had a good start to his season at the plate. Myers has also been clutch at the plate but he remains a liability in the field with some errors.
I think I heard that Melvin talked with Hosmer and basically told him he's his guy at first. I guess the confidence the manager had him made him more comfortable and he started producing.
Man the Padres 2 previous coaches were so bad. Preller's average for good managers (so far) is only .333.
I blame Tommy Pham...that guy is not a major league ball player, yet managed to secure nearly 500 AB's for an underachieving Padres team last year while needing a late surge to finish at .229.
This year, he's moved on and is inexplicably hitting 3rd for Cincinnati, batting .221...in news that should surprise no one, the Reds find themselves 17-games under .500 and are already 13.5 games back before Memorial Day.
Despite being 10 games over .500, Jayce Tingler's in-game management and decision making left a lot to be desired.
Tingler was so bad.
He's definitely killing the ball. I'm also curious what happens when Tatis returns. I definitely thought the team should've made/strongly recommended him to have surgery on his shoulder when they started to drop from contention last year. If it keeps popping out, he'll need to get it at some point, and recovery to full strength on the shoulder will take a year.
Yep, he should have had surgery last season.
Tatis still has yet to field ground balls off the bat, and is not even catching full speed throws yet. It's unknown when he'll even be able to swing a bat....he's probably at least another 5-7 weeks away, despite the Pads initially saying he 'could' miss up to 3 months, which put his return back then at mid-June. He's likely gonna blow right past that - probably won't be back until mid-July...he really focked that wrist up, to say nothing of the shoulder issues that seemingly went unaddressed.
If that shoulder pops out even one time once he's back, it may end up being a completely lost year for El Nino...his inability to communicate with the team during the lockout seems to really have hurt.
They're looking pretty good. I haven't been paying attention to how Clevinger's been since he came back.
He's only made 3 starts, and is back on the IL now with a triceps, which is troublesome given the previous arm trouble. But prior to going back on the shelf, he had 3 starts, getting the W in the 3rd after Melvin purposely ramped up his pitch count. He looked solid pre-IL. Manaea has been a steady addition, tho...
I’ve been traveling for vacation and work so I didn’t realize he is back on the IL.
We get Snell back, not sure if that is good or bad. Snell was the probably the most disappointing player in a disappointing season last year.
I thought Snell started to turn it around maybe July or Aug. Maybe once the Padres started losing he reverted back to being not so good.
You’re right, he did start to turn it around at that time but the Pads were done and no longer really in contention.
I'm down on Snell as both a person and a ballplayer, but he has good stuff. When he's on, he's dominant, but the pitch counts get him and it's often a grind just to get him through 5. That Cy Young year definitely seems to be the exception, rather than the rule.
Clevinger's back on the IL? Ouch. Snell just came back off though didn't he?
Yes, Snell goes tonight v Burnes, his 2nd start back.
I’ve only seen him pitch once, that was against Cleveland, it was his first game back and he looked good. I believe he gave up 2 runs.
Game #44: A’s score runs, allow more in 7-6 loss to Mariners
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2022/5/23/23139027/game-44-as-loss-to-mariners-logue
Well, they made it close, getting the tying run to second in the ninth, but the A’s lost the series opener in Seattle, losing to the Mariners 7-6 on a cold Monday night.
Oakland collected 12 hits and a pair of walks on their way to six runs, but the rookie starting pitcher, who had been pretty good in his first few starts, coughed up more, allowing seven. They’ve now lost to the Mariners 13 straight times, tying a record for most consecutive losses against one team in A’s history. At least the bullpen didn’t give up a run.
After both starting pitchers traded a pair of zero’s to start this game, the bats got going. Seattle struck first on a Julio Rodriguez 3-run shot on a slider that didn’t slide to give the Mariners the lead in the bottom of the third against A’s starter Zach Logue. That was the first of three home runs against the rookie tonight.
One bad inning can rot the whole barrel
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2022/5/23/23139037/giants-mets-recap-darin-ruf-alex-cobb-pete-alonso
Forgive me for quoting a show that everyone watches but no one admits to liking, but I take in every San Francisco Giants game, which means about 250 times a year Wilmer Flores comes to bat at Oracle Park and I’ll be there for youuuuuuuuu comes blasting through the park speakers loud enough to make it into my apartment, and so I’ve got Friends on the brain.
Yep. The Giants were indeed just cruising along against the New York Mets, thanks to a much-needed hit from Evan Longoria (who went 2-4 with a double), and one of the more impressive Giant swings of the season: Brandon Crawford taking on dead center with ease, against a lefty who, in his career, had surrendered just three home runs to left-handed hitters in 129 plate appearances.
The Gigantes are really going through some things right now.
I can only hope the Giants are regressing to the team we all expected them to be last season.
I think they settle around 85-90 wins, which is probably good enough for a wild card berth. They're just in a bad stretch right now.
Tyler Anderson spotless in Dodgers’ rout of Nationals
https://www.truebluela.com/2022/5/23/23138907/tyler-anderson-mookie-betts-freddie-freeman-dodgers-nationals
We knew the Dodgers facing the Nationals was a mismatch, but the nature of baseball is that anything can happen on a given day in a long season. But Monday saw the extreme version of both teams, a 10-1 rout for the road team at Nationals Park.
As great as the Dodgers offense was, scoring in double digits for the fifth time this season, the headliner was Tyler Anderson, who retired his first 16 batters faced and pitched eight scoreless innings.
Anderson’s bid for a perfect game was broken up by a César Hernández double in the sixth inning. Alcides Escobar followed with a single to center field, but Hernández had to make sure it was caught before advancing, and didn’t score on the play. That mattered even more two pitches later when a ground ball up the middle became an inning-ending double play, keeping the Nationals off the board.
GBBR. It was a perfect game until the 6th!
GBBR. I started talking about the perfect game in the 5th so blame me.
Fire Starkey New England road trip extravaganza in late July/early August: Staying in: York Harbor, ME; Bar Harbor, ME; Wilton, ME; Burlington, VT (2 nights); East Haddam, CT (2 nights); East Orleans, MA (2 nights), Falmouth, MA. Lots of driving but me and the missus like to do that and I gave her 5 nights at the end near beaches so she is happy. Should be interesting.
Nice FS...that sounds like a fun trip. If you get a chance to swing through Woodstock, VT on your drive from Burlington down to CT, check it out. Delightful little hamlet...
that's quite an itinerary. in my old age i prefer to just hang in one place longer but if this is all new to you, it should be a good "sampler platter" of the northeast.
it is and we tend to do this sort of thing on our road trips. Get a taste the first time, then target specific areas if we go back
This trip sounds like a lot of fun.
not gonna crash on DMoney's couch?
we're going to try to see him the day we drive over to the Cape. Co-ordinating schedules
The Sacred 2nd Amendment got its monthly child blood sacrifice.
2A should be repealed and reversed. It is a public policy disaster, especially with the steroids that Scalia fed it.
I don't think it needs to be repealed, just properly implemented. So obvious to me that the SC is a political body when decisions are made in a Republican manner, not a constitutional one. Well regulated militia?
Those words plus it was always interpreted that way so stare decisis as well. But why leave this open to the interpretation of goons? Just repeal the motherfucker.
what the fuck
This country is in a bad place right now.
My guess is it is another replacement theory inspired type killing.
Rate your top 5 streaming services right today
HBO Max
...
...
Netflix
Amazon Prime
HBO Max
Amazon
Netflix
I don't think I use any other streaming services
Don’t you have a kid? Disney+ is the go to for my 4 year old since she likes Bluey and a few other Disney cartoon shows and movies. KPBS kids is also a great streaming service for people with young kids.
Cf-98 is almost 2 but doesn't watch much tv. Although the missus once in a while "borrows" our neighbor's Disney+ login info to watch something
HBOMax, Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Netflix
I forgot HBO
Personally, Apple Music and sometimes Apple TV. I think the family get the most use out of HBO Max & Disney +, as the content on Netflix becomes less compelling
1. HBO Max
2. Disney+
3. Hulu
4. Netflix
5. AppleTV+
(Amazon Prime would be next, but could make an argument for it being in 5th based on volume. Apple has better original material, even if there isn't that much of it.)
Spotify, HBO, YouTube (does that count if I only use the free version?), Hulu, Netflix
Criterion Channel, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime (in that order)
Spotify
HBO Max
Hulu
Netflix
I guess Amazon? I don't think I've ever actually used it.
HBO Max
Disney+
Apple+
Netflix
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime has the worse UI of all the streaming services and needs to be updated.
Netflix, Apple+ Disney+ Hulu, Prime.
I’m up in Klamath for work this week. I went up to Crescent City last night for dinner and saw a local wearing their Great Seal of Jefferson t-shirt. It is beautiful up here.
Golden, there's a river crossing near there over the Klamath River up on 101 that features matching statues of golden bears guarding the bridge...just delightful...I snapped a shot on one of my roadtrips, check it out if you're in the neighborhood.
I drove over that bridge yesterday and saw those beautiful 4 Golden Bears greeting this Golden Bear. I plan on taking a picture with them tomorrow. I’m actually just up the road from them, as I am staying on the Yurok Reservation. Salmon bake tomorrow night with the tribe.
How cool! My limited knowledge of Yurok is from linguistics classes. May I ask what the salmon bake will entail?
I’ve been to a few tribal salmon bakes, one in Oregon and one in Alaska and both tribes did them similar.
They are basically just a bunch of freshly caught salmon on sticks and over a big pit fire. While the salmon are cooking the tribes have done traditional dances associated with salmon and their importance to their culture.
Awesome!
Crescent City is an interesting little town, we had to keep our boat there for a couple months when it was down for some repairs. Great scenery, one of the most beautiful beaches (albeit cold and windy AF), good seafood and a very cheap and well maintained harbor that has been twice destroyed by tsunamis
Also the redwoods park just outside of town is like entering a different world, I guess it was the forrest that inspires Endor (or so the locals claim). Also if you ever see a car commercial with redwoods it was likely filmed in Crescent City (or so the locals claim)
Spent a few days in Smith River enjoying seashore a few weeks back. Drove up to Brookings with friends to get sushi. In the sushi place, I was the only Asian person there. Including the staff.
It was a bit Americanized. Namely, portions were big. Tempura vegetables were cut into huge chunks.
My nephew bought a home in CC just a couple weeks ago.
I liked Crescent City, much nicer than I imagined it.
Yesterday I wrote of my recalled peanut butter. The CVS that was closest to me was shut down just over a month ago. When I ran by this morning I noticed they finally got the milk out of the refrigerator last night. I think I would rather take my chances with the peanut butter than milk that has bee sitting around for a month.
Yikes