At work in downtown Oakland, we just got an email about northwest winds bringing wildfire smoke from the Point Fire in Sonoma County into the Bay Area.
I had the sudden realization that wildfire smoke will continue to be a concern going forward on a perennial basis. In part, this is a legacy of the policy of fire suppression that goes back decades, possibly a century or more. If fire managers had instead pursued a policy of controlled burns, I doubt that we would have had the nasty wildfire smoke events that we've endured over the last 10 years or more.
It's going to take decades before the effects of fire suppression policies are erased. Probably won't happen in my lifetime and I wonder if it will happen within my kids' lifetimes.
As the baseball disappeared into Wrigley’s left field bleachers, Thairo couldn’t help himself. The typically stoic second baseman clenched his fists and howled.
Oh wow...Giants came back. I flipped over for like 10 seconds and saw Ian Happ's 3 run homer to take the lead. Didn't know the Giants came back in the 9th.
James Paxton pitched his best game of the year, and it came at Coors Field of all places. That allowed the Dodgers to cruise while exhibiting some offensive patience in a 9-5 win over the Rockies in Monday night’s series opener in Denver.
Jaylen Brown wins Finals MVP as Celtics crush Mavs in game 5.
Brown earned his MVP award behind series averages of 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5 assists, while also consistently guarding Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
"I can't even put into words the emotions," Brown said. "It's just I'm blessed and I'm grateful. This was a full team effort. We had a great team. My teammates were great. They allowed me to lead us on both ends of ball, and we just came out and performed on our home floor. It's just amazing.
"You know, it could have gone to anybody. It could have gone to Jayson. Jayson, like I can't talk enough about his selflessness. ... I can't talk enough about his attitude. It's just how he approached not just this series or the Finals but just the playoffs in general. And we did it together as a team, and that was the most important thing."
Just saw an Olympians Made Here commercial about college students going onto the Olympics. A couple of seconds shot of Morikawa in a Cal visor and jacket.
INDIANAPOLIS – Former Golden Bear and Team USA captain Ryan Murphy punched his ticket to the Paris Olympic Games, winning the 100-meter backstroke on Monday evening at the 2024 United States Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The World Champion will make his third Olympic Games appearance later this summer. The 2016 gold medal winner took first in Monday's tightly contested finals with a time of 52.22. It is a season-best time for Murphy and the fastest time turned in by anyone this year.
BERKELEY – California women's basketball head coach Charmin Smith announced Monday that Heidi Heintz has been promoted to the role of associate head coach, following two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Golden Bears.
"Heidi was instrumental in helping us achieve the success that we had last season," Smith said. "The promotion is a testament to the work and dedication she has given to this program over the last two years. Our offense continues to blossom and she helped ink the No. 23-ranked recruiting class last year that will serve as the foundation for us as we usher in a new era in the ACC."
BERKELEY – California volleyball has released its complete 2024 schedule, highlighted by three nonconference matches against former Pac-12 foes and a strong ACC schedule that will allow the Golden Bears to test their progress against many of the nation's top teams. The complete fall schedule can be found here.
i count drive thru as long i stop somewhere, do something, eat a meal, etc. it doesnt have to be a dedicated trip to specifically do something of interest in the state.
even if i was "being strict" i would be at 46 instead of 48.
I would count driving through but obviously not a layover on a flight. I mean technically I've hit Georgia driving to Chattanooga where I-24 goes into Georgia for like 2 miles. But I've also been to ATL so I already would be counting Georgia.
But driving through the flyover states to drive across the country, to me, counts as having been there, even if I didn't stop to see any sites.
If I were 20 years younger I would say become a pilot. At this point it costs 100K+ to get a single engine pilots license here in the Bay Area and probably at least double to get to the point of being able to fly for an airline. And with the mandatory 65 year old retirement age, it wouldn't leave much time to actually fly for airlines. Though I have heard that pilots that age out of airlines just fly private jets for rich people or places like NetJet.
Hoping that my third novel will find a publisher. The first two I self-published, the second did rather well. Trying to find interest in novel number three meanwhile working on number four.
not to sound morbid or philosophical ... however i am continuously disappointed when i hope/dream for something. i have tried to give up doing so. instead i try to hope for nothing in particular and am happier as a result.
i am generally overall happy if there is a moment or two of happiness each day ..
Culinary school would be fun and hard, but at my age it doesn't seem like something I could transition to as a profession. The way you're doing it more as a personal growth seems a better use of the time.
The brother of a friend since elementary school retired from public school teaching and went to a culinary school of a local college. I guess he's always loved cooking and is looking to do this as a retirement job. Next time I see him I've got to see how that's going. Last time I saw him he said he's the oldest by far.
i love to cook. i am not at all intrigued by culinary school.
i met a young chef when i was in grad school who just opened up a little Moroccan restaurant in Bloomington when i first started. my future wife and i even had our first semi-real date there.
he said something like .. "going to culinary school will destroy your love of cooking"
there are certain things like cooking, woodworking, knowing fine wine, etc probably dont require going to school and being an enthusiast gets you a long way assuming you are not looking to get a job doing it
My youngest sister (Artemis) would probably share the sentiment about going to culinary school. She and her husband (Curt) are CIA alums, though he didn't finish. He is now a financial services manager. I don't know which firm he works for.
Artemis is now a director of food services (or some such title) at a hospital. She's had similar jobs at two or three other institutions in Northern New Jersey over the past 10-15 years. She cooks, but not for fun, the way Mom did. Mom was an amateur in the sense that she had little formal training. Nonetheless, Mom also directed food services for an elite girls' school in Somerset County.
Mrs Slug, who is an excellent cook, said the most intimidating thing she's ever done is cook for my mom and sisters.
EDIT: I will say that I have been remarkably lucky when it comes to food. All of the important women in my life have been excellent cooks or chefs.
I am debating whether to attend Institute of Culinary Education in FiDi next autumn while my kid is still in school and I am not yet retired and my mother in law is still alive to let me borrow her place in Brighton Beach. I am really debating whether I can pull off essentially having two jobs for a whole year and be away from my wife. It's a huge sacrifice in dollars, time, and effort for something that I have no intent of using professionally.
Fast and intelligent, bored and lonely, Cosmos has reason to regret his abilities, which often separate him from his Autobot friends. Alas, his skills are far too extraordinary to ignore.
Recommendations for streaming the ACC network? I’m reaching the fifth stage of Pac12 grief (“ACCeptance”), and trying to figure out how to watch the Bears moving forward.
I had Xfinity for years and mostly hung on to it because it had Pac-12 Network. Now that this is no longer a concern, I canceled with them and signed up for YouTube TV. Easy peasy.
Depending on where you live, the disadvantage of YouTube TV is that in a lot of areas they don't carry the local regional sports networks. They don't have any of the Bally Sports or Spectrum Sports channels, for example. In the Bay Area, you're fine . . . they have NBC Sports Bay Area and California. But elsewhere, if you care about watching the local teams you might need another option. If you really only care about major college sports, then YouTube should have you covered: all the ESPN and Fox Sports channels, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, and B1G Network.
I have xfinity and I think I get ACC network streaming on either the website or the app. I've been watching UNC BB games over the years so I think it should keep working. I believe paying for ESPN+ also allows you to stream all the games.
Other than that, I think others on here have something like youtube TV or one of the other pay streaming apps that will include ACC network.
I have mid-tier Xfinity and it says I need to pay for a sports package to get the ACC Network. I am anticipating that they might jettison the Pac-12 spots and bring in the ACC in the Bay Area in the default packages.
I think ACC Network will be put on the standard tier in the Bay Area at some point before football season. August 2nd is the official join date for Cal and Stanford, so maybe then.
Hmm...try watching through ESPN. At least for me, I can see most ACC Network games through ESPN. They're listed as separate ACC Network games but viewable through the app on a computer or a TV, or the ESPN website.
I have ESPN+ without cable or xfinity and I'm unable to watch ACC network content. That content appears in the menu, but when selected, it prompts me to enter my cable provider info. Same goes for SEC, MLB, etc.
I'll probably look into youtube TV when the time comes.
It's a little complicated, but I think you can view ACC Network Extra (ACCNx) overflow content on ESPN+, but if you want all the ACC Network content you need to have a paid TV subscription (cable, satellite, or streaming service) that has the ACC Network included.
Wildfire Smoke Advisory
At work in downtown Oakland, we just got an email about northwest winds bringing wildfire smoke from the Point Fire in Sonoma County into the Bay Area.
I had the sudden realization that wildfire smoke will continue to be a concern going forward on a perennial basis. In part, this is a legacy of the policy of fire suppression that goes back decades, possibly a century or more. If fire managers had instead pursued a policy of controlled burns, I doubt that we would have had the nasty wildfire smoke events that we've endured over the last 10 years or more.
It's going to take decades before the effects of fire suppression policies are erased. Probably won't happen in my lifetime and I wonder if it will happen within my kids' lifetimes.
PRO
Willie Mays just died.
Sad
Sad
Sad!
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/giants/article/willie-mays-dead-obituary-17815215.php
A's probably lose the off-day.
Thairo blows off some steam
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2024/6/18/24180867/mlb-giants-cubs-6-17-2024-recap-final-thairo-estrada-jordan-hicks
As the baseball disappeared into Wrigley’s left field bleachers, Thairo couldn’t help himself. The typically stoic second baseman clenched his fists and howled.
Oh wow...Giants came back. I flipped over for like 10 seconds and saw Ian Happ's 3 run homer to take the lead. Didn't know the Giants came back in the 9th.
James Paxton’s best game of the year comes at Coors Field
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/6/17/24180543/james-paxton-strikeouts-innings-dodgers-offense-rockies
James Paxton pitched his best game of the year, and it came at Coors Field of all places. That allowed the Dodgers to cruise while exhibiting some offensive patience in a 9-5 win over the Rockies in Monday night’s series opener in Denver.
Jaylen Brown wins Finals MVP as Celtics crush Mavs in game 5.
Brown earned his MVP award behind series averages of 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5 assists, while also consistently guarding Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40375053/celtics-stomp-mavericks-game-5-clinch-record-18th-nba-title
"I can't even put into words the emotions," Brown said. "It's just I'm blessed and I'm grateful. This was a full team effort. We had a great team. My teammates were great. They allowed me to lead us on both ends of ball, and we just came out and performed on our home floor. It's just amazing.
"You know, it could have gone to anybody. It could have gone to Jayson. Jayson, like I can't talk enough about his selflessness. ... I can't talk enough about his attitude. It's just how he approached not just this series or the Finals but just the playoffs in general. And we did it together as a team, and that was the most important thing."
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
CAL
Our new basketball court looks really good.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8XqnT8SIyn/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==
I don't know what to say about that ACC logo on the basket side of the charity stripe.
True
Just saw an Olympians Made Here commercial about college students going onto the Olympics. A couple of seconds shot of Morikawa in a Cal visor and jacket.
Apparently it was a commercial from March.
https://youtu.be/aB2vgmfabKo?t=15
[MSWIM] Ryan Murphy Punches Ticket To Paris
https://calbears.com/news/2024/6/17/mens-swimming-diving-ryan-murphy-punches-ticket-to-paris.aspx
INDIANAPOLIS – Former Golden Bear and Team USA captain Ryan Murphy punched his ticket to the Paris Olympic Games, winning the 100-meter backstroke on Monday evening at the 2024 United States Olympic Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The World Champion will make his third Olympic Games appearance later this summer. The 2016 gold medal winner took first in Monday's tightly contested finals with a time of 52.22. It is a season-best time for Murphy and the fastest time turned in by anyone this year.
[WBB] Heidi Heintz Promoted To Associate Head Coach
https://calbears.com/news/2024/6/17/womens-basketball-heidi-heintz-promoted-to-associate-head-coach.aspx
BERKELEY – California women's basketball head coach Charmin Smith announced Monday that Heidi Heintz has been promoted to the role of associate head coach, following two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Golden Bears.
"Heidi was instrumental in helping us achieve the success that we had last season," Smith said. "The promotion is a testament to the work and dedication she has given to this program over the last two years. Our offense continues to blossom and she helped ink the No. 23-ranked recruiting class last year that will serve as the foundation for us as we usher in a new era in the ACC."
[VB] Volleyball Announces 2024 Schedule
https://calbears.com/news/2024/6/17/volleyball-announces-2024-schedule.aspx
BERKELEY – California volleyball has released its complete 2024 schedule, highlighted by three nonconference matches against former Pac-12 foes and a strong ACC schedule that will allow the Golden Bears to test their progress against many of the nation's top teams. The complete fall schedule can be found here.
Go Bears!!!
What the heck is Quadball?
https://x.com/SickosCommittee/status/1802701596066726317?t=AcvE5fg3yKEEFdUYV1_k9Q&s=19
Ok, I found out that it is the renamed version of Quidditch
Tell the DBD something that you hope to achieve/do someday
Have a long, happy, fun and financially unstressful retirement. The less-than-two-year countdown is on and it may be accelerating to less-than-one.
Visit all 50 states with my family (with more than just a layover or drive-through). We're at 22. I'm personally at 26.
i count drive thru as long i stop somewhere, do something, eat a meal, etc. it doesnt have to be a dedicated trip to specifically do something of interest in the state.
even if i was "being strict" i would be at 46 instead of 48.
I would count driving through but obviously not a layover on a flight. I mean technically I've hit Georgia driving to Chattanooga where I-24 goes into Georgia for like 2 miles. But I've also been to ATL so I already would be counting Georgia.
But driving through the flyover states to drive across the country, to me, counts as having been there, even if I didn't stop to see any sites.
If I were 20 years younger I would say become a pilot. At this point it costs 100K+ to get a single engine pilots license here in the Bay Area and probably at least double to get to the point of being able to fly for an airline. And with the mandatory 65 year old retirement age, it wouldn't leave much time to actually fly for airlines. Though I have heard that pilots that age out of airlines just fly private jets for rich people or places like NetJet.
Hoping that my third novel will find a publisher. The first two I self-published, the second did rather well. Trying to find interest in novel number three meanwhile working on number four.
remind us again about the first 2. can i find them on Amazon or other normal channels?
Here's number two. Two scenes at Cal football games (1941) like the rest of the book it's historically accurate. https://www.amazon.com/Threat-Night-Uhka-Richard-Hourula/dp/B09246432V/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Wow. Looks good. Damned Nazis.
Your back reminds of Michael Connolly. I have read all his novels. Love that you worked Berkeley into the action. I can’t wait to read it.
not to sound morbid or philosophical ... however i am continuously disappointed when i hope/dream for something. i have tried to give up doing so. instead i try to hope for nothing in particular and am happier as a result.
i am generally overall happy if there is a moment or two of happiness each day ..
Three things I hope to do:
> Attend culinary school
> Live in Europe for a bit
> See and experience positive things in Auburn, Chestnut Hill, Blacksburg, Winston Salem, Syracuse, Gainesville
Culinary school is the biggest scam. Do not waste your money. There’s a reason why Le Cordon Bleu no longer does business in the US.
Culinary school would be fun and hard, but at my age it doesn't seem like something I could transition to as a profession. The way you're doing it more as a personal growth seems a better use of the time.
The brother of a friend since elementary school retired from public school teaching and went to a culinary school of a local college. I guess he's always loved cooking and is looking to do this as a retirement job. Next time I see him I've got to see how that's going. Last time I saw him he said he's the oldest by far.
i love to cook. i am not at all intrigued by culinary school.
i met a young chef when i was in grad school who just opened up a little Moroccan restaurant in Bloomington when i first started. my future wife and i even had our first semi-real date there.
he said something like .. "going to culinary school will destroy your love of cooking"
there are certain things like cooking, woodworking, knowing fine wine, etc probably dont require going to school and being an enthusiast gets you a long way assuming you are not looking to get a job doing it
My youngest sister (Artemis) would probably share the sentiment about going to culinary school. She and her husband (Curt) are CIA alums, though he didn't finish. He is now a financial services manager. I don't know which firm he works for.
Artemis is now a director of food services (or some such title) at a hospital. She's had similar jobs at two or three other institutions in Northern New Jersey over the past 10-15 years. She cooks, but not for fun, the way Mom did. Mom was an amateur in the sense that she had little formal training. Nonetheless, Mom also directed food services for an elite girls' school in Somerset County.
Mrs Slug, who is an excellent cook, said the most intimidating thing she's ever done is cook for my mom and sisters.
EDIT: I will say that I have been remarkably lucky when it comes to food. All of the important women in my life have been excellent cooks or chefs.
is the culinary school a soon-after-retirement possibility?
I am debating whether to attend Institute of Culinary Education in FiDi next autumn while my kid is still in school and I am not yet retired and my mother in law is still alive to let me borrow her place in Brighton Beach. I am really debating whether I can pull off essentially having two jobs for a whole year and be away from my wife. It's a huge sacrifice in dollars, time, and effort for something that I have no intent of using professionally.
you could live here for free if you want to cook for our family on a semi-regular basis!
we have a nice attic suite that is suitable for long term occupancy.
Reach
…should exceed one’s grasp.
"Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."
__ by Gloria Estefan still holds up 28 years later!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3EFOSJ4ZQc
An addition to the Kennedy Center a few years ago.
https://www.kennedy-center.org/reach/
" __ for the stars, but never leave your friends"
-- Cosmos (one of the early Transformers, Autobot spaceship looking robot)
that was my quote in senior yearbook.
Fast and intelligent, bored and lonely, Cosmos has reason to regret his abilities, which often separate him from his Autobot friends. Alas, his skills are far too extraordinary to ignore.
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Cosmos_(G1)
DBD AV CLUB
I may have already mentioned, but I loved Joe Montana: Cool Under Pressure streams on Peacock.
Recommendations for streaming the ACC network? I’m reaching the fifth stage of Pac12 grief (“ACCeptance”), and trying to figure out how to watch the Bears moving forward.
I had Xfinity for years and mostly hung on to it because it had Pac-12 Network. Now that this is no longer a concern, I canceled with them and signed up for YouTube TV. Easy peasy.
Depending on where you live, the disadvantage of YouTube TV is that in a lot of areas they don't carry the local regional sports networks. They don't have any of the Bally Sports or Spectrum Sports channels, for example. In the Bay Area, you're fine . . . they have NBC Sports Bay Area and California. But elsewhere, if you care about watching the local teams you might need another option. If you really only care about major college sports, then YouTube should have you covered: all the ESPN and Fox Sports channels, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, and B1G Network.
🏴☠️
I have xfinity and I think I get ACC network streaming on either the website or the app. I've been watching UNC BB games over the years so I think it should keep working. I believe paying for ESPN+ also allows you to stream all the games.
Other than that, I think others on here have something like youtube TV or one of the other pay streaming apps that will include ACC network.
I have mid-tier Xfinity and it says I need to pay for a sports package to get the ACC Network. I am anticipating that they might jettison the Pac-12 spots and bring in the ACC in the Bay Area in the default packages.
I think ACC Network will be put on the standard tier in the Bay Area at some point before football season. August 2nd is the official join date for Cal and Stanford, so maybe then.
I'm hoping they replace Pac-12 network with ACC Network.
Seems very likely.
Hmm...try watching through ESPN. At least for me, I can see most ACC Network games through ESPN. They're listed as separate ACC Network games but viewable through the app on a computer or a TV, or the ESPN website.
I just downloaded acc app to see what I can see with my credentials. This app is terribly slow and so frustrating.
I have ESPN+ without cable or xfinity and I'm unable to watch ACC network content. That content appears in the menu, but when selected, it prompts me to enter my cable provider info. Same goes for SEC, MLB, etc.
I'll probably look into youtube TV when the time comes.
It's a little complicated, but I think you can view ACC Network Extra (ACCNx) overflow content on ESPN+, but if you want all the ACC Network content you need to have a paid TV subscription (cable, satellite, or streaming service) that has the ACC Network included.
i was able to start watching w/ just my YouTubeTV login
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE