147 Comments

For those who might be interested, there's a military discount for the California Classic at the Chase Center: https://am.ticketmaster.com/warriors/promotional-page?filterType=NTI1

Description: This is NBA Summer League happening right here at Chase Center! There are two days of basketball (July 2nd & 3rd), each day 4 teams will play (Miami Heat, LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings, and the Golden State Warriors). Tickets for this event will start at just $15 and are all in the lower level.

Expand full comment

Looks like they don't have this summer's roster yet.

Expand full comment

Lunch

Expand full comment

It was a perfect late Spring day so I took a peanut butter and honey sandwich and some animal crackers and sat out up at the zoo. I think I've reverted to my childhood.

Expand full comment

Had 2 leftover fried chicken thighs on a French sub sandwich, so tasty.

Expand full comment

DBD AV Club

Expand full comment

Dune Part 2 release date: 20 Oct 2023 as an in-theater movie

https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/dune-part-2-release-date-cast-plot-details/

Expand full comment

i misread it as 2022 first .. but i guess we have to wait a bit longer.

Expand full comment

The Warriors Championship Parade was top notch television, 19/19 WB

Expand full comment

Did you see Avi and Twist?

Expand full comment

I did not, but I wasn’t looking for people I know

Expand full comment

I guess Girls5 Ever season 2 finished, quite enjoyed it. The Other Two, season 2 was a lot better than season 1

Watched Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, which we found completely hysterical. 17/19WB so silly.

Expand full comment

I've been hearing good things about Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers.

Expand full comment

I did not enjoy it, and I was the target market (watched Chip and Dale a lot growing up, love the Lonely Island - especially Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping)

Expand full comment

Heh, that's funny, and a bit odd. I never watched any Chip & Dale, and when my daughter first suggested it a couple weeks ago, I thought she was being sarcastic. But we all thought it was very funny and enjoyable.

Expand full comment

Cha Cha Real Smooth - on Apple TV. Fun movie, maybe this year's Coda, but probably not going to get best picture nominations (basically a much much much better version of a feel-good TV movie)

Expand full comment

The Old Man - Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, on Hulu. First two episodes out - super fun old spy thriller - some touches of Taken, except they're coming after Jeff Bridges who is an old retired operator.

Expand full comment

Mars rover Curiosity finds these neat little stone spires that look like twigs

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220620.html

Expand full comment

Anyone know what going on with Under Armour lawsuit? Also the softball field renovations?

Expand full comment

in strange Under Armour news .. i order 2 consecutive gift cards and the orders were cancelled because they were "out of stock"!!

also you can only get physical gift cards, not electronic ones unless you just get one thru Amazon ...

Expand full comment

No actual news, but i have a very strong feeling that both parties are just going to let the contract continue on with as little activation as possible. UA isn't going to give Cal anything beyond the minimum requirements of the contract (basic uniforms + practice gear for all teams, but no special uniforms, no above and beyond marketing, etc) and Cal isn't going to let UA buy their way out early.

This is based on nothing - but I used to work for a different sports footwear and apparel company AND in foot wear/apparel licensing for a major sports league, so it's not completely out of my ass, just mostly.

Expand full comment

I've always liked the UA uniforms, so I don't mind if we stick with them a while longer.

Apparel variety seems to have taken a hit now that UA isn't making much (if any) Cal gear, but I have plenty of Cal shirts to hold me over until the university's next clothing deal.

Expand full comment

Beastmode!!

Expand full comment

Beastmode already has a license to manufacture and make Cal apparel.

But I don't think I would entrust actual football and basketball (and other sport) footwear to a small smart-up brand for the time being.

And we're getting (supposedly) $8.6 million a year from UA - I assume that a lot of that deal is in-kind, but there's no way that we're finding that sort of money from adidas, Jordan, Nike, Champion, Russell Athletic, New Balance

Expand full comment

Terrible. He was going to be in the same class with Rabb and Brown?

Expand full comment

Yeah, and Aaron Gordon.

Expand full comment

Elon Musk

Expand full comment

Musk highlights three reasons why he can't buy Twitter now - one of which is that he can't afford it. Hello class action lawsuit.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/21/elon-musk-says-3-issues-need-to-be-resolved-before-twitter-deal-closes.html

Expand full comment

The bot stuff is pretext. His financing was based on leveraging his Tesla shares, and that fell apart bc of market downturn, so he is trying to back out. He’s just kicking up dust so that he can settle for some type of payment to get out of the deal. He doesn’t want to be sued for damages in the amount of the full purchase price.

Expand full comment

I thought there was a $1B "penalty" for reneging on the deal.

Expand full comment

That's the break-up fee, which I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to pay. One of the rumors is that the financiers lined up were promised a spot as lead book runner for Space X, getting the lion's share of the IPO upside. Sort of a quid-pro-quo,

Expand full comment

Tesla is our generations DeLorean, right? I used to want one, but now I think I'll go in another direction.

Expand full comment

That’s not strictly fair, John DeLorean was a proper engineer, was head of Pontiac at 40 on the strength of the GTO, and was very successful as head of Chevrolet. Elon Musk is a much more accomplished flim flam artist though

Expand full comment

Since moving to Fremont a year ago, I am convinced that the turn signal package is an optional add-on to Tesla's, and most Tesla drivers do not choose to add it on when they purchase.

Expand full comment

I'm an always signaller and I will tell you that my left turn signal is more sensitive than my right one, I can gently tap the left and the "short signal" activates, for the right I have to do a full tap to get it to turn on. But there are times I hit the right one and realize it didn't engage

Expand full comment

I always signal as well, even on lane changes, but I did notice that the Miata requires the wheel to turn more than my Acura before the blinker resets. So on longer turns that aren't as sharp, like the Monument Blvd on ramp to 680S, I'm frequently the blinker idiot because I don't notice the blinker didn't reset until at least 2 miles down the freeway.

Expand full comment

Well I guess Tesla learned from BMW...

Expand full comment

I will NEVER buy a Tesla if I can help it.

I will do NOTHING consciously to enrich Elon Musk. Period.

Oh, yeah - Martin Eberhard is the true founder of Tesla.

Expand full comment

I agree with all of this.

Expand full comment

Well said.

Expand full comment

They've moved A LOT more units and have currently five models that you seen in the wild. There are a lot of EV options now and I'm sure there are many with a higher build quality since Teslas seem to be hit or miss with their quality control. That said my Model 3 is the best car I've owned and is a joy to drive. There are occasional software blips when updates rollout but they always seem to be resolved with the next update.

Expand full comment

Well - at least Tesla has moved a lot of people to driving EVs. Living in Dublin, CA - this place is Tesla town, sometimes I'll be driving and be completely surrounded by Teslas. I just had coffee with a friend who picked up his new Tesla, to go with his other Tesla. My parents next-door neighbors have 3 Teslas.

Expand full comment

This is probably the best thing about Tesla.

I feel like Tesla 2020 is basically the Prius of 2000. It is the “it” and status car of the Bay Area liberals.

Expand full comment

Tesla, the car driven by those who want to signal that they are 1) forward thinking; 2) care about the environment; and that 3) somehow their belief in the prior two has resulted in them having the wealth needed to buy a Tesla.

Expand full comment

"(Tesla) is the “it” and status car of the Bay Area liberals."

Talk about clueless people. No self-respecting liberal should ever buy a Tesla.

Unfortunately, I have a cousin who epitomizes this specific brand of cluelessness. He considers himself a liberal and yet he has a Tesla and he holds views that are at odds with his liberal stances. He is a "limousine liberal" without the money.

Expand full comment

This is true of many liberals who support Tesla.

Expand full comment

except the people with white Teslas... LMFS calls them the "poors" since that is the only color that doesn't cost extra

Expand full comment

I am considering a shift to an electric car but it sure as shit wont be a Tesla

Expand full comment

I’m looking at the Hyundai Ioniq or Kia EV6.

However, if money weren’t an issue I would get the Rivian SUV or truck.

Expand full comment

Hyundai has an intriguing set of EVs coming out soon: the 575hp Ioniq 5 N, the Ioniq 6 sedan, and probably the same wacky, high-performance version of the Ioniq 6 at some point in the future.

I like the Ioniq 5, but I wish it were about 10% smaller (more like a hatchback than a crossover).

Expand full comment

I like the new Ioniq 5 design much better than the older design. I also like they increased the size since I have a 2 year old and 4 year old which means I need more room for their car seats and other kids stuff.

Expand full comment

I don't like how many of the EVs are crossovers. I'd rather have a sedan or a small hatch, like the Sti hatch.

Expand full comment

If money wasn't an issue I'd get a 2013 Lexus LF-A

Expand full comment

I would like to change my answer to this.

Expand full comment

Luckily if you had the money you could still buy a new one from a dealer. I believe I read there are still unsold ones at various dealers.

Expand full comment

I had PHEVs in my "cars to buy" list, but it quickly became clear that there was zero chance of getting any that I was looking for (adventure small cross-over suv types) within the next six months and had to switch to a hybrid - ended up with a Hyundai Tucson hybrid.

Expand full comment

I've started noticing more around DC. But that may just be increased awareness. When my nephew and his GF were here he commented on the lack of them compared to LA.

Expand full comment

We’re lousy with the fucking things on this side of the river

Expand full comment

I see a reasonable number of electric cars around here, but I was quite surprised by how many I saw in LA last month. I even saw a couple electric motorcycles.

Expand full comment

I did notice in Nashville a lack of Teslas. Makes sense.

Expand full comment

His eldest - a trans-daughter - has filed to change her name and severs ties with her father because a) he's anti-trans and b) a dick in many other manners.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/elon-musks-child-seeks-name-change-reflect-gender-identity-sever-ties-rcna34479

Expand full comment

I went there for dinner once (about 8 years ago). Thought it was pretty good.

Expand full comment

(there are tons of better places - but even a mid HK seafood restaurant is pretty good)

Expand full comment

completely rando side bar for T...are you back in the States for good or are you going back to Shanghai? I just got global job responsibilities and 1 of my peeps is in Shanghai so likely will be visiting out there in the next year or two

Expand full comment

Back for good (and job hunting!)

Shanghai is likely to be under quarantine conditions for AT LEAST the next six months. You have all my contact info (don't you?) for tips and info for your visit. When Shanghai returns to normal, it's a pretty cool place.

Expand full comment

yeah, I figure it'll be a while before I go there

Expand full comment

Stickler

Expand full comment

Rattles in a car interior. They must be identified and vanquished immediately.

Expand full comment

I'm a stickler for a clean windshield, so much so that I get the windshield washer fluid low notice every two weeks or so. Living in a pollen filled valley with lots of leaf blowers certainly doesn't help.

Expand full comment

I've been like this forever, I'm always shocked when I see people driving with dirty windshields.

Expand full comment

This is me as well. Within the last year I have gone from being meh about windshield cleanliness to not tolerating small amounts of pollen and road dust because of the glare. Maybe I'm not a true stickler on this because I don't insist on a pristine windshield.

Expand full comment

I'm the same way with glasses, both normal and sun. I can't stand any sort of dirty glass messing with my vision. My wife is not like this and it is very hard to ride passenger in her car at times.

Expand full comment

Pot Sticklers, that's what my daughter used to call them.

Expand full comment

my wife is a stickler for a great many things. i am sure she thinks the same of me!

Expand full comment

OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

Expand full comment

J6 Committee: Trump ordered fake electors in AZ, GA, MI, PA, NM, NV, and WI to fabricate elector documents and send in their "votes" as if they were the authentic ones at a meeting on Jan 4th. Ron Johnson texts show he offered to give a slate of fake electors for MI and WI to Pence. Pence's office refused.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/06/21/jan-6-committee-hearings-live-updates-day-4/#link-5J7LZQ5WUJGZZBCU4C6XKFCL2U

Expand full comment

Triumph the Insult Dog arrested at the Capitol building

https://twitter.com/colbertlateshow/status/1539093249079517187

Expand full comment

more alarming that average it seems , but perhaps it is just another step the direction of crumbling ...

Texas Republicans Approve Far-Right Platform Declaring Biden’s Election Illegitimate

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/19/us/politics/texas-republicans-approve-far-right-platform-declaring-bidens-election-illegitimate.html

Expand full comment

They've also placed on their agenda a vote of secession

Expand full comment

they do that every few years. All talk as usual

Expand full comment

Not that it's anything more than political grandstanding and virtue signaling, but secession would go a long way towards helping Democrats with the House, Senate, and Presidency more consistently.

Expand full comment

I sometimes wonder what would have occurred if Lincoln had just let the South secede. Among other things, I think that may have allowed the Axis powers to prevail in WW2

Expand full comment

My thinking is as follows:

1. The CSA would tear itself apart within three decades as a "nation" founded on states' rights would not last.

2. The CSA or its constituent states would be slowly reincorporated into the United States as their economies would continue to fall far behind the United States.

3. The CSA would end up a third world nation with its insane inequities.

Expand full comment

Yeah the Axis powers would have prevailed because the Confederate States of America would have aligned with the Axis and kept the US from fully committing all of its resources to Europe and the Pacific.

Expand full comment

the question is what happens to all the post-1860 new states - Oregon was founded as a "whites-only" territory, and Utah might as well have been, so the physical relationship to the South obviously gets disconnected. I wonder if that just means Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico stay part of Mexico, or parts of Mexico? Do Utah and Oregon Territory (Washington, Idaho, Oregon) remain independent?

Expand full comment

To my knowledge, administration of the Territories went through the US government, who after the Treaty of Guadelupe and Oregon Treaty, owned title to these lands. The land never belonged to the Territories. This is a point that has to be reinforced continuously when people cry that designating a national monument or putting regulations on BLM or Forest Service land is a "government land grab." To the extent this land became part of the US proper, the title always was owned by the Government (this of course ignores Native claims to the land but you get the point).

Expand full comment

I was about to say that it was/is a government land grab of Native American lands but you covered that at the end.

Expand full comment

Why would those territories revert back to Mexico? No way would California have gone back to Mexico. California either would have joined the US or remained an independent nation and probably tried to grab portions of Arizona and PNW territories.

Expand full comment

Newsflash: California was already a part of the United States by 1860.

Expand full comment

With a US that doesn't have the full resources, maybe Mexico fights another war to reclaim territory.

Expand full comment

No, parts of Mexico? That's nuts.

Expand full comment

You're nuts.

Expand full comment

Arizona House Speaker will testify today how Gini Thomas, Trump, and Rudy Giuliani asked him to change Arizona election laws retroactively to allow Trump to win and appoint a different set of electors.

https://www.azfamily.com/2022/04/21/arizona-house-speaker-receives-award-refusing-overturn-2020-election-results/

Expand full comment

Heartbreaking: The Worst Person you Know just made a great point (the AZ House Speaker is a terrible terrible person, and just because he didn't help Trump with the election it's no redemption story)

Expand full comment

Trump allowed a documentary to be made about him and gave access from November through January. The J6 Committee have subpeen'd the raw footage and the film maker is cooperating.

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2022/06/21/scoop-jan-6-panel-subpoenas-unseen-trump-tapes-00040911

Expand full comment

Elsewhere in college

Expand full comment

Former Cal recruiting target Caleb Swanigan dead at 25. It was Cal or Purdue for him and he was a strong Cal lean to join Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb before he chose the Boilermakers after rumored heavy, heavy influence by his guardian. Sad news.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1539258872275271681?s=20&t=8LJtaX5hLcq6UcNnis9yBg

Expand full comment

Stanfurd loses the most lopsided College World Series game in 34 years to Arkansas 17-2.

Two days later, Auburn sent them home with a 6-2 victory.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/arkansas-football/arkansas-fans-troll-stanford-pitcher-after-previous-comments/

Expand full comment