The Tropical storm came through here yesterday morning. It swerved west and we basically escaped everything except a modest amount of rain. However, went over my former lake house. Everyone at the lake lost their boats and docks as the water crested 16.5 feet above the spillway line. Thank goodness I sold. New owners are understandably pissed.
I've seen a timelapse of the Guadalupe rising where a low bridge crosses it. The river rises at least 12-15 feet in what seems like minutes. As you've probably read elsewhere, this is nothing new.
My mother's parents lived in New Braunfels. They moved there in 1970 and built a small house on the Comal near where it meets the Guadalupe.
In May 1972, my grandparents took a trip to Key West. While they were away a flood occurred. A rain storm hit the Guadalupe watershed. The river rose fast. The Comal empties into the Guadalupe. So, when the Guadalupe rose, so did the Comal. And it did so quickly in May 1972. In the middle of the night. A number of houses in the neighborhood were lifted off their foundations and floated away. Fortunately, the death toll was nothing like the recent storm (<20 people). But it impacted mostly the folks in the neighborhood on GuadaComa Drive and the surrounding streets. And it happened very, very quickly.
As if getting outscored by 23 runs over the weekend wasn’t bad enough for the Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had the shortest start of his career as the Dodgers were nearly shut out against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, losing 9-1.
The California men's tennis team placed six players – Alex Chang, Derrick Chen, Theo Dean, Fryderyk Lechno-Wasiutynski, Timofey Stepanov and Mikey Wright – on the 2025 All-ACC Academic Team, the conference announced Monday.
Academic requirements for being chosen are at least a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and 3.0 cumulative grade point average during one's academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
Six California women's tennis student-athletes were named to the 2025 All-ACC Academic Team, the conference announced Monday, with Jessica Alsola, Greta Greco Lucchina, Lan Mi, Mao Mushika, Berta Passola Folch and Naomi Xu honored for their work in the classroom.
Cal is one of six schools that had six student-athletes named to the All-ACC Academic Team. Academic requirements for selection are at least a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and 3.0 cumulative grade point average during one's academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
Twenty-five California swimming & diving student-athletes were named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team, the organization has announced.
Thirteen women's swimmers and 12 men earned the accolade, with 15 securing Second Team selections. The criteria to gain Second Team honors is to have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA and meet a "B" time standard for the NCAA championships or advance to a diving zone qualification meet.
BERKELEY – The California men's and women's golf teams will compete in the 2025 St Andrews Links Collegiate at the historic Old and Jubilee Courses in St Andrews, Scotland, on Oct. 13-15, Golf Channel and St Andrews Links Trust announced Monday.
Cal will be joined in the four-school field by Michigan State, Princeton and the University of St Andrews. It marks the first appearances in the event for the Golden Bears, Spartans and Tigers, and the second appearance for the hometown University of St Andrews. The three-day event will feature men's and women's teams from all four universities, with two days of stroke play on the Jubilee Course followed by a day of medal match play on the Old Course at St Andrews.
i appreciate that Costco might actually reduce packaging waste by buying bigger quantities. still i generally try to avoid buying in large quantities and recently trying to avoid as much packaging as possible.
i'll buy 3 separate peppers instead of the 3-pack that comes wrapped in plastics (Trader Joes). things like that.
agreed. i havent been in a long time, as in 10+ yrs.
that being said, my wife likes it for certain things. the problem is that if you just go for a couple things to save $$, you end up wasting a comparable amount of time.
Delivery, particularly same day delivery. Slight price increase, worth it not to spend the time driving & wandering big aisles plus limites picking up things we don't actually need.
Fubar Season 2 [17/19 Netflix] Arnold Schwarzenegger's spy series that sometimes spoof's his own action movies. They add in easter eggs from his old movies. In the last or 2nd to last episode his daugther asks him if he needs "Total Recall" to remember the activation code. Little things like that. It was an enjoyable watch.
Before USC and UCLA left the Pac-12, the Cal-USC rivalry was the longest continually played annual rivalry on the West Coast. IIRC, the unbroken streak in the series started in 1923.
In the World War II years (1942-1945) Cal played both USC and UCLA twice a year. Both teams in LA and both teams in Berkeley.
Flooding
The Tropical storm came through here yesterday morning. It swerved west and we basically escaped everything except a modest amount of rain. However, went over my former lake house. Everyone at the lake lost their boats and docks as the water crested 16.5 feet above the spillway line. Thank goodness I sold. New owners are understandably pissed.
16.5 feet above the spillway is an incredible amount of water. Torrential seems to be an understatement of massive proportions.
is it the same or different storm that did all the damage in TX?
The pictures of the Guadalupe River rising are crazy
I've seen a timelapse of the Guadalupe rising where a low bridge crosses it. The river rises at least 12-15 feet in what seems like minutes. As you've probably read elsewhere, this is nothing new.
My mother's parents lived in New Braunfels. They moved there in 1970 and built a small house on the Comal near where it meets the Guadalupe.
In May 1972, my grandparents took a trip to Key West. While they were away a flood occurred. A rain storm hit the Guadalupe watershed. The river rose fast. The Comal empties into the Guadalupe. So, when the Guadalupe rose, so did the Comal. And it did so quickly in May 1972. In the middle of the night. A number of houses in the neighborhood were lifted off their foundations and floated away. Fortunately, the death toll was nothing like the recent storm (<20 people). But it impacted mostly the folks in the neighborhood on GuadaComa Drive and the surrounding streets. And it happened very, very quickly.
Thoughts are with the family of Tyler Walker, former Cal great (mid-90’s) and, for a while, Giants’ closer. His brother, sister in-law and nephew are all missing pursuant to the flooding in TX. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/bay-area-family-giants-pitcher-missing-texas-flood-20759454.php
We’ve had lots of flood watches lately but not aware of any real flooding, at least in the nearby area. Maybe some out in the mountains to the west.
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE
Bowling balls
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2025/07/want-to-bowl-in-the-nude-in-pennsylvania-theres-an-event-coming-up-just-for-you.html
Good to have something to do while you're streaking.
PRO
But the Oakland Ballers win the off-day!
A's lose the off-day
Giants beat the Phillies 3-1.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto suffers shortest start of career, Brewers take the opener 9-1
https://www.truebluela.com/2025/7/7/24463420/dodgers-brewers-game-recap
As if getting outscored by 23 runs over the weekend wasn’t bad enough for the Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had the shortest start of his career as the Dodgers were nearly shut out against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, losing 9-1.
CAL
[MTEN] Cal Collects 6 All-ACC Academic Honors
https://calbears.com/news/2025/7/7/mens-tennis-cal-collects-6-all-acc-academic-honors.aspx
The California men's tennis team placed six players – Alex Chang, Derrick Chen, Theo Dean, Fryderyk Lechno-Wasiutynski, Timofey Stepanov and Mikey Wright – on the 2025 All-ACC Academic Team, the conference announced Monday.
Academic requirements for being chosen are at least a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and 3.0 cumulative grade point average during one's academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
[WTEN] 6 Bears Named To All-ACC Academic Team
https://calbears.com/news/2025/7/7/womens-tennis-6-bears-named-to-all-acc-academic-team.aspx
Six California women's tennis student-athletes were named to the 2025 All-ACC Academic Team, the conference announced Monday, with Jessica Alsola, Greta Greco Lucchina, Lan Mi, Mao Mushika, Berta Passola Folch and Naomi Xu honored for their work in the classroom.
Cal is one of six schools that had six student-athletes named to the All-ACC Academic Team. Academic requirements for selection are at least a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and 3.0 cumulative grade point average during one's academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
[MSWIM] Bears Named To CSCAA Scholar All-America Team
https://calbears.com/news/2025/7/7/mens-swimming-diving-bears-named-to-cscaa-scholar-all-america-team.aspx
Twenty-five California swimming & diving student-athletes were named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team, the organization has announced.
Thirteen women's swimmers and 12 men earned the accolade, with 15 securing Second Team selections. The criteria to gain Second Team honors is to have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA and meet a "B" time standard for the NCAA championships or advance to a diving zone qualification meet.
[MGOLF] Cal Golf To Compete In 2025 St Andrews Links Collegiate
https://calbears.com/news/2025/7/7/mens-golf-cal-golf-to-compete-in-2025-st-andrews-links-collegiate.aspx
BERKELEY – The California men's and women's golf teams will compete in the 2025 St Andrews Links Collegiate at the historic Old and Jubilee Courses in St Andrews, Scotland, on Oct. 13-15, Golf Channel and St Andrews Links Trust announced Monday.
Cal will be joined in the four-school field by Michigan State, Princeton and the University of St Andrews. It marks the first appearances in the event for the Golden Bears, Spartans and Tigers, and the second appearance for the hometown University of St Andrews. The three-day event will feature men's and women's teams from all four universities, with two days of stroke play on the Jubilee Course followed by a day of medal match play on the Old Course at St Andrews.
Everytime I read or see something about golf at St Andrews, I think about Robin Williams' golf bit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14NQIq4SrmY
AMERICAN-SIZED
people
Modern American houses are stupid big. Average house size in 1950 was under 1,000 feet. Which means half was smaller than that.
But modern Americans are bigger now too.
SUVs
Anything purchased at Costco.
i appreciate that Costco might actually reduce packaging waste by buying bigger quantities. still i generally try to avoid buying in large quantities and recently trying to avoid as much packaging as possible.
i'll buy 3 separate peppers instead of the 3-pack that comes wrapped in plastics (Trader Joes). things like that.
agreed. i havent been in a long time, as in 10+ yrs.
that being said, my wife likes it for certain things. the problem is that if you just go for a couple things to save $$, you end up wasting a comparable amount of time.
Delivery, particularly same day delivery. Slight price increase, worth it not to spend the time driving & wandering big aisles plus limites picking up things we don't actually need.
But... but... Costco dogs.
and samples
POLITICS
US Troops moved into LA's Macarthur Park and start arresting people.
https://apnews.com/article/california-immigration-raid-troops-military-2d81f5c35f9d11db9e32234e03480497
Except there was no one there to arrest. Just a storm trooper show of strength.
IRS said tax-free entities like churches can now endorse political candidates.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/us/politics/irs-churches-politics-endorse-candidates.html
DBD AV CLUB
Fubar Season 2 [17/19 Netflix] Arnold Schwarzenegger's spy series that sometimes spoof's his own action movies. They add in easter eggs from his old movies. In the last or 2nd to last episode his daugther asks him if he needs "Total Recall" to remember the activation code. Little things like that. It was an enjoyable watch.
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
college football rivalries .. Big Game ranked #29
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6469306/2025/07/07/best-college-football-rivalries-rankings-100/
Before USC and UCLA left the Pac-12, the Cal-USC rivalry was the longest continually played annual rivalry on the West Coast. IIRC, the unbroken streak in the series started in 1923.
In the World War II years (1942-1945) Cal played both USC and UCLA twice a year. Both teams in LA and both teams in Berkeley.
Cal UCLA at #66 .. i guess there wont be many of those game anymore
We have a non-conference series with them coming up.
I think we have them scheduled for 26-29.
Yeah. Should be interesting.