Apropos to comments I made yesterday on AI destroying the online recipes. People trolled a supermarket's website recipe AI with recipes that had toxic ingredients and the AI took that info and spun out lots of other poisonous recipes
A steel fire (?!) at the port of Oakland has Berkeley smelling like a welding shop. "At least I'm not in Maui right now" is a thought I never thought I would think.
Take it out of its packaging, put it on a plate with paper towels under and over it and put it in the fridge over night. Why? In decades past, grocery stores would grind meat once on site. Now, they grind meat twice at central plants, which really, really breaks up the cell structure, releasing tons of water. Go ahead and look closely at your ground meat - it's not ground into mince - it's made into a paste that is shaped into "ground mince" shapes by the extrusion screen at the processor. There is so much water mixed in with the meat that your meat will boil in its own juices at 212 degrees for a long time and it won't go above the 300+ degrees necessary for the Maillard reaction to happen. Maillard reaction is the browning chemical reaction that tastes yummy. Your spaghetti Bolognese, chili, burgers, and other ground meat dishes will take a giant step up in quality.
Oh interesting. I'm going to have to try this. I've been buying ground beef at Whole Foods to make burgers after No 2 says their ground beef tastes much better. I think I usually get the 80/20.
I finally saw the video clip. I don't know that the hit was ruled a foul ball or a double or anything else. What makes you think it was ruled a foul ball?
I would assume it was a double not a foul ball. If I remember in the clip, one of the umpires holds his hands up, presumably to call time. Maybe that was misinterpreted as a foul ball call.
Though, Yoshida goes to grab the ball out of the light after turning around a couple of times looking for the ball. Since the umpires didn't walk over to confirm the ball was in the light, wouldn't the ball still be live? Unless the umpires already did call time which isn't shown.
An umpire holding his hands up can be interpreted as a foul call. It is more properly interpreted as signalling a dead ball, which a foul ball is by definition. In this case, the signal probably indicates that the ball is considered out of play, but *not* due to a throw by a defensive player. The ground rules may come into play if the ground rules address this specific situation. I'd bet you dollars to donuts that the ground rules do not address batted balls becoming lodged in a broken light on the scoreboard.
Therefore, there is a provision in MLB Rules which basically states that the umpires may rule on any situation not covered by the rules, which incorporates the ground rules by reference or inference. I would be inclined to believe that the umpires will refer back to the rules for a ball out of play and probably awarded the runner one base, in this case, 3rd base.
EDIT: I withdraw my comment below after having seen the video. It's not clear to me what the umpires ruled because I don't know from the video where the runner started (although I think the runner was on 2nd at the beginning of the play).
Interesting. I guess the thinking is that such a batted ball is by definition not a home run or a ground rule double because it didn't clear the Green Monster. Further, such batted ball does not rebound into the field of play where it can be played by a defender. Ergo, foul ball.
Any ball that becomes lodged in a fence or wall, or an opening in them, is a blocled ball, and that is a dead ball, hence the time call. It is a fair or foul ball based on whether the point at which it becomes blocked is in fair territory or not. Base awards for a blocked batted ball, or pitch, are governed by the base the batter and runners were at Time Of Pitch, not where they were at the time it became blocked. A thrown (not pitched) award for going out of play, blocked or otherwise, are governed by the position each runner was at at the time of the throw. Again, where they were when it became blocked not relevant. Umpire conferences on thrown balls are generally to review/verify last base occupied (timing play). A batted ball, the only verification would be runners starting position, which if the crew had somehow lost track (multiple runners, steal attempted, that could cause confusion) can be verified/resolved by the official scorer.
Wouldn't it be up to the umpires to decide if it's a ground rule double or single, depending on where the batter is, though I would assume it would be a double? Similar to a ball getting stuck in the ivy at Wrigley? Or the ball getting stuck between the padding on the fence.
Yes, it's up to the umpires to decide how to handle a situation not specifically addressed by MLB rules or the ground rules. I think that they will make a ruling based on the rules for a ball ruled out of play with the knowledge that a throw by a defensive player is *not* involved.
Do you like to gamble? Not as much as Phil Mickelson does. A book says that Mickelson lost $100m on over $1b worth of wagers. It also said that Mickelson tried to bet on matches he was playing in.
The Phillies win a magical game 7-0 at the expense of the Nats. Michael Lorenzen throws a no-hitter, the 14th in Phils history with his mom and wife in attendance. Nick Castellanos hits HR #200 with his son cheering him on. Wes Wilson - seven years and over 2,500 at bats in the minors - has his family in attendance for his debut in the Big Leagues. His hits a homer on the third pitch, leaving his dad with tears of pride.
Zack Gelof homered again and the pitching staff turned in one of the best performances of the season to help the Oakland Athletics to a 2-0 win over the Texas Rangers. The A’s avoid a sweep and end their homestand with a 3-2 record.
Austin Pruitt got the start as an opener, which was a role that he had struggled in, but he got through the first inning without incident, retiring the side in order. He issued a leadoff walk to Adolis Garcia to start the second, but retired the next three hitters in order.
The San Francisco Giants will only go as far as their pitching will take them. That’s the team’s grand design.
You might not like the team’s inactivity at the trade deadline, but it’s clear the choice was made to hold onto prospect inventory, hope a few guys in the lineup get hot, and the pitching continues to perform as it has since May 1st.
Bobby Miller pitched into the seventh inning for the first time, and the Dodgers bought themselves enough time to finally pounce in the eighth inning. David Peralta’s two-run single provided the only runs in the Dodgers’ 2-0 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Merrill Kelly matched Miller pitch for pitch, but the Diamondbacks' bullpen blinked first, and that ended up being enough, as the Dodger pen delivered three scoreless with Joe Kelly, Caleb Ferguson, and Evan Phillips.
ProPublica says Clarence Thomas had other billionaires shower him with gifts. Dude, go ahead and get an OnlyFans account like the rest of us if you're going to whore yourself out like that
A former NY DA who has experience doing the same thing speculates that the DOJ's subpeen of Twitter data is to prove that it was actually Donald Trump who posts inflammatory tweets pushing conspiracies that the election was stolen, which is critical to proving it was him who conspired and had motive.
Guy in Utah threatens to assassinate Biden on Facebook. The FBI pay him a visit. He told them to pound sand. He continued to post threatening messages. They returned and he was shot dead by the FBI. The FBI has not released details. Meanwhile, his church says he wouldn't hurt a fly.
Oregon's Secretary of State says she will enforce Measure 113 (passed in 2022) wording that is now included in the State Constitution that prohibits lawmakers from running for re-election if they have more than 10 unexcused absences. The GOP had been using boycotts to prevent a required quorum in the state legislature to prevent votes. Four GOP senators will lose their eligibility. Guess who's angry about that?
Also, the Oregon GOP is engaging in gaslighting. The language clearly applies to the term following the current term in which the member accumulates 10 unexcused absences.
But yes, the language could be clearer. "If a member accumulates 10 or more unexcused absences during their current term, they will be disqualified from running for re-election for the following term."
Absolutely one of my top 5 Cal players to watch. I’m embarrassed to admit my buddy stole his graded sociology paper from the pile, and I can assure you no one was doing his work for him cause that paper was something.
I’m just trying to play this out - Big 12 and Big 10 have stated no interest and ACC has stalled on Cal and Stanford. So absent those three I guess likeliest outcome is just independence in 2024? I think unlikely we lock in our losses by joining MWC. So we do some one off TV deal that nets us peanuts and then we wind up being unable to pay stadium debt with athletic Dept revenue, meaning we are cutting sports and raising student fees to pay for the stadium, while every good player we have transfers to Iowa State or wherever. Do I have that right?
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society:
I got this album on vinyl some time ago, and I didn't listen to it much until very recently. It might be their best ever album, the sound is awesome. Somehow my Dad missed buying that one - I think his earliest album was a mono.
I cannot stand ATL and IAH. Both are just interminable, too crowded, inconvenient for transfers and a clusterfuck in general.
I like SFO. I like DEN. BWI is surprisingly nice. The new MSY is really nice. MSP is good. Internationally, I don't really get the SIN love, but I am a fan of MAD.
Best: SNA--small, efficient, and rarely crowded, with the bonus of great views on takeoff
Worst: LAX (perpetually under construction, crowded inside and out), ORD (I always get delayed there), EWR (huge and crowded, with a giant, dystopian food court in the international terminal)
I live 10 minutes from SNA and I love the airport. I travel international often, but I would always fly SNA-SFO-destination instead of taking nonstop from LAX.
Worst airports: the really big ones. Miami, Newark, O'Hare. They are so large that if you're transiting through there, you can't risk a quick turnaround time on your stop because your connections gate might be really far away. So one has to pad in extra time. For me, it's not the airline that makes it bad, it's that I have to wait in one that makes it bad
Best: the medium city airports that are big enough to be serviced by major airlines, but small enough that it's only a handful of gates, a single check in, a small baggage claim, not crowded, and plenty of parking - like Boise, RDU, PDX...
RDU during my '90s grad school days was dowdy but amazing- 15 minutes to park, get through security, be at the gate. Not many direct flights though. Flew back for the Cal game there and was amazed at the transformation- gorgeous light filled terminal, still pretty quick through security.
Louisville airport was great in that it was a 10-15 min drive from my house, long term parking is just past short term parking (about a 5-10 min walk), and the TSA lines were usually super short (except Mon/Fri morning, and the day after Derby or Breeders Cup). I could theoretically leave my house just over 1 hour from takeoff and get to the gate.
the whole parking thing has gotten very expensive. expensive enough that for a 1 wk trip it is usually cheaper just to take an Uber to/from airport.
at NYC airports there are the official long term lots as well as a ton of off-airport lots that service your parking needs. i like the ones that drop you off at your gate, which helps if you are short on time.
When I take a trip and it isn't work, I just park at BART Millbrae. It's only $7/day and a 1 stop BART ride to the airport. Better than the $25/day long term parking at SFO.
I like the setup of Denver Airport. One stop for dropoff/pickup and check-in. You go to different terminals inside from there.
I think that's kind of what LAX is trying to do by building a transportation hub off site and a rail so that you don't have to drive into the terminals.
DEN feels like a million miles away from the city. not sure why it had to be that far away. maybe it is not actually that far, just feels that way because of all the empty space
I was in Portland, Oregon, last week and that airport (PDX) was surprisingly nice and BIG. I especially appreciated the Tillamook cheese outlet in the terminal.
I was supposed to go there in June but United cancelled the flight and couldn't get me out there for several days, so the whole trip was ultimately cancelled. I definitely missed out on the Tillamook outlet
One thing I liked was the light rail goes right to the airport. I could leave Louisville on the 6 AM flight (1 stop), take light rail to Hillsboro, and be at work around lunch time. Don't have to waste 1/2 a day of PTO. Unfortunately the shuttle from light rail to campus stops around 10 so I have to call my friend to get a ride.
I hate Newark. Especially having to leave security to go between United terminals. And that flights gets screwed up when the weather is sub-optimal. Of the large domestic airports I've visited, EWR is my most hated airport.
I wanted to go to the Polaris Lounge so I took a bus between United terminals after security. I don't fly EWR often (I'm always at SFO for layovers) but was the bus not available at the time? Or you hate that you have to take a bus to move between terminals?
Hmm..interesting. I guess I didn't know there was a bus between terminals. I just followed the signs to the other terminal. I don't fly through there often and usually I have at least 2 hours between flights so it usually isn't a time issue.
Oh okay. It's a little hidden. I remember I gave up going to the other terminal to use the lounge last year because I didn't want to go outside the security, but this year I saw the bus sign so I tried. It was still a hassle.
also, if you only have a few hours, you can get a taxi to the Red Iguana for some "killer Mexican food" . it is a short 10-15 min ride from the airport and exceptionally good food.
if i have to have a stopover (Delta hub) and the flexibility, i usually check times of flights to coordinate it with a possible meal there.
The domestic carriers seem to have universally dropped in quality over the last several years: delayed/cancelled flights, rebookings without notice, etc. I used to favor Southwest and United, but they've disappointed me repeatedly recently.
International carriers are still pretty good, even for short flights: British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM
Let's be clear - Spirit is a terrible airline. And so are all the others, except perhaps Delta. But the biggest issue I have is whether I get to my destination - either because my plans change, weather cancellation, or something else - which is not going to vary on airline significantly. Spirit maintains their planes just fine to be reliable enough. And if my plans change, which is perhaps 15% of the time, then current policy at most airlines is that I cannot get my money back because rescheduling fees are essentially the same price as the ticket. So I buy the cheapest ticket I can get and take my chances knowing that perhaps I will have to buy another ticket with my savings. I am essentially self-insuring my flight.
Has anyone flown JSX airlines? They give you a semi-private feel by having a private terminal. I've been thinking to use it from SNA to LAS ever since they partnered up with United, but I'm still going with Southwest because it's so much cheaper.
People always say United is such a bad airline, but personally I've never experienced anything bad. Instead they treat me really well. I've never been a 1K but I'm able to achieve Platinum every year.
I love ANA and Lufthansa too. ANA's first class is amazing but Business class is just as good. I'm not a fan of Air Canada but I don't have many experience with them.
The Lufthansa lounges are way better than the domestic United lounges, at least at SFO. I've never done Polaris but I assume those are way better.
I'm only premier gold, but I look forward to checking out the ANA lounge in Hanada in Jan. Will probably be my last since I'm not going to make status this year.
The Polaris at SFO is amazing. They have Russian River beers on tap. Polaris Lounge at LAX is the worst. Probably 10x smaller than the one at SFO.
ANA lounge in Haneda is nice. They have showers but the wait list is usually long.
ANA and Lufthansa gives lounge access to all Star Alliance gold members even on domestic coach class tickets unlike United, and their lounges are way better.
I think they're how JetBlue started, and a cut above Frontier. They're very much no-frills (pay extra for carry-on bags, no free drinks except for water) but not as cramped and unreliable as Spirit/Frontier
they have flights out of HPN (White Plains), so will see if that works out one of these days. HPN is the nice small airport only 20 min from the house.
we've done PVD to ORF several times and never had any issues. My one complaint is they only run one flight per day (and not every day) so sometimes the timing is inconvenient, and I imagine it's disastrous if there are any cancellations
personally i like the larger national carriers like Delta and United, specifically Delta.
i probably end up paying more for my loyalty and for the slightly better service and benefits, but it seems worth it compared to just shopping for the lowest fare on a budget airline.
the combo of credit car miles and status on Delta plus the fact that LGA/JFK are something of a hub for Delta, makes it easy to get non-stops to most destinations and get better than average treatment.
Apropos to comments I made yesterday on AI destroying the online recipes. People trolled a supermarket's website recipe AI with recipes that had toxic ingredients and the AI took that info and spun out lots of other poisonous recipes
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/10/pak-n-save-savey-meal-bot-ai-app-malfunction-recipes
Fire
Fire has killed 36 people in Lahaina as 271 buildings were damaged or destroyed
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/10/hawaii-fire-kills-people-lahaina-town-maui
Very, very sad, we've been to that place, bought a hat in a building I'm sure has burned down.
Terrible.
We were just there a month ago. It’s hard to comprehend.
A steel fire (?!) at the port of Oakland has Berkeley smelling like a welding shop. "At least I'm not in Maui right now" is a thought I never thought I would think.
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/fire-causes-heavy-smoke-near-port-of-oakland/
I blame Cugel
Schnitzer Steel - HA! People hate that guy!
What?!?!?!?!??!
He blames you.
We could smell it in Fremont/Newark
I took my wife and mother to Maui in 2021 - after two days with my mother I wanted to GTFO of the state of Hawaii.
Mrs. Slug is reporting that she won't be outside doing yard work due to rotten air quality as a result of the fire. Can't say I blame her.
Oh i was wondering what that smell was last night. To me it seemed like someone left a pan on the stove or the oven. This explains it.
Tom
Major
Drum (catch that baton!)
<Ted and Robin salute.gif>
GROUND
Meat
The secret to tasty ground meat is to hang it.
Take it out of its packaging, put it on a plate with paper towels under and over it and put it in the fridge over night. Why? In decades past, grocery stores would grind meat once on site. Now, they grind meat twice at central plants, which really, really breaks up the cell structure, releasing tons of water. Go ahead and look closely at your ground meat - it's not ground into mince - it's made into a paste that is shaped into "ground mince" shapes by the extrusion screen at the processor. There is so much water mixed in with the meat that your meat will boil in its own juices at 212 degrees for a long time and it won't go above the 300+ degrees necessary for the Maillard reaction to happen. Maillard reaction is the browning chemical reaction that tastes yummy. Your spaghetti Bolognese, chili, burgers, and other ground meat dishes will take a giant step up in quality.
Another great tip from the SGBear Culinary School. We just picked up some ground beef for burgers, so I'm going to try this
Oh interesting. I'm going to have to try this. I've been buying ground beef at Whole Foods to make burgers after No 2 says their ground beef tastes much better. I think I usually get the 80/20.
Puppets!
CONTROL
to Major Tom.
Ground Control to Major Tom
PRO
TIL: Fenway house rules dictate that a hit is counted as a foul ball if the Green Monster scoreboard eats it.
https://twitter.com/PeskyReport/status/1689420494305382400?
I finally saw the video clip. I don't know that the hit was ruled a foul ball or a double or anything else. What makes you think it was ruled a foul ball?
I would assume it was a double not a foul ball. If I remember in the clip, one of the umpires holds his hands up, presumably to call time. Maybe that was misinterpreted as a foul ball call.
Though, Yoshida goes to grab the ball out of the light after turning around a couple of times looking for the ball. Since the umpires didn't walk over to confirm the ball was in the light, wouldn't the ball still be live? Unless the umpires already did call time which isn't shown.
An umpire holding his hands up can be interpreted as a foul call. It is more properly interpreted as signalling a dead ball, which a foul ball is by definition. In this case, the signal probably indicates that the ball is considered out of play, but *not* due to a throw by a defensive player. The ground rules may come into play if the ground rules address this specific situation. I'd bet you dollars to donuts that the ground rules do not address batted balls becoming lodged in a broken light on the scoreboard.
Therefore, there is a provision in MLB Rules which basically states that the umpires may rule on any situation not covered by the rules, which incorporates the ground rules by reference or inference. I would be inclined to believe that the umpires will refer back to the rules for a ball out of play and probably awarded the runner one base, in this case, 3rd base.
EDIT: I withdraw my comment below after having seen the video. It's not clear to me what the umpires ruled because I don't know from the video where the runner started (although I think the runner was on 2nd at the beginning of the play).
Interesting. I guess the thinking is that such a batted ball is by definition not a home run or a ground rule double because it didn't clear the Green Monster. Further, such batted ball does not rebound into the field of play where it can be played by a defender. Ergo, foul ball.
Any ball that becomes lodged in a fence or wall, or an opening in them, is a blocled ball, and that is a dead ball, hence the time call. It is a fair or foul ball based on whether the point at which it becomes blocked is in fair territory or not. Base awards for a blocked batted ball, or pitch, are governed by the base the batter and runners were at Time Of Pitch, not where they were at the time it became blocked. A thrown (not pitched) award for going out of play, blocked or otherwise, are governed by the position each runner was at at the time of the throw. Again, where they were when it became blocked not relevant. Umpire conferences on thrown balls are generally to review/verify last base occupied (timing play). A batted ball, the only verification would be runners starting position, which if the crew had somehow lost track (multiple runners, steal attempted, that could cause confusion) can be verified/resolved by the official scorer.
Wouldn't it be up to the umpires to decide if it's a ground rule double or single, depending on where the batter is, though I would assume it would be a double? Similar to a ball getting stuck in the ivy at Wrigley? Or the ball getting stuck between the padding on the fence.
Yes, it's up to the umpires to decide how to handle a situation not specifically addressed by MLB rules or the ground rules. I think that they will make a ruling based on the rules for a ball ruled out of play with the knowledge that a throw by a defensive player is *not* involved.
[ESPN] Tottenham have accepted Bayern's $110m offer for Harry Kane. Kane now decides if he wants to accept or block the offer.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38165418/tottenham-bayern-agree-100m+-deal-kane-sources
Do you like to gamble? Not as much as Phil Mickelson does. A book says that Mickelson lost $100m on over $1b worth of wagers. It also said that Mickelson tried to bet on matches he was playing in.
https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/38166053/phil-mickelson-wagered-1-billion-tried-bet-ryder-cup-book-alleges
Besides being a reprehensible human being, Lefty also has a gambling addiction. I never would have guessed.
It also explains why Lefty signed on to LIV golf so quickly and early.
The Phillies win a magical game 7-0 at the expense of the Nats. Michael Lorenzen throws a no-hitter, the 14th in Phils history with his mom and wife in attendance. Nick Castellanos hits HR #200 with his son cheering him on. Wes Wilson - seven years and over 2,500 at bats in the minors - has his family in attendance for his debut in the Big Leagues. His hits a homer on the third pitch, leaving his dad with tears of pride.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1689441778015891456
https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1689085767421710337
https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1689414367840792577
I got home and turned on the TV just in time to see the last out.
Ex-Raider Henry Ruggs sentenced to 3-10 years in jail
https://www.fox5vegas.com/2023/08/09/former-raiders-player-ruggs-sentenced-3-10-years-prison-deadly-2021-dui-crash/
Ex-NFL DB Bashaud Breeland is intercepted with a lot of contraband
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38164053/ex-nfl-cb-breeland-faces-stolen-car-gun-charges-traffic-stop
A’s shut out Rangers 2-0 and avoid series sweep
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2023/8/9/23826590/athletics-vs-rangers-final-score
Zack Gelof homered again and the pitching staff turned in one of the best performances of the season to help the Oakland Athletics to a 2-0 win over the Texas Rangers. The A’s avoid a sweep and end their homestand with a 3-2 record.
Austin Pruitt got the start as an opener, which was a role that he had struggled in, but he got through the first inning without incident, retiring the side in order. He issued a leadoff walk to Adolis Garcia to start the second, but retired the next three hitters in order.
Yay!
Bullpen not perfect, Giants lose to Angels, 4-1
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2023/8/9/23826853/bullpen-not-perfect-giants-lose-to-angels-4-1-san-francisco-giants-final-score
The San Francisco Giants will only go as far as their pitching will take them. That’s the team’s grand design.
You might not like the team’s inactivity at the trade deadline, but it’s clear the choice was made to hold onto prospect inventory, hope a few guys in the lineup get hot, and the pitching continues to perform as it has since May 1st.
Tough to be perfect when you’re tasked with bullpen games 60% of the time.
Dodgers shutout Diamondbacks to cap 5-1 road trip
https://www.truebluela.com/2023/8/9/23826885/david-peralta-single-bobby-miller-scoreless-dodgers-diamondbacks
Bobby Miller pitched into the seventh inning for the first time, and the Dodgers bought themselves enough time to finally pounce in the eighth inning. David Peralta’s two-run single provided the only runs in the Dodgers’ 2-0 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Merrill Kelly matched Miller pitch for pitch, but the Diamondbacks' bullpen blinked first, and that ended up being enough, as the Dodger pen delivered three scoreless with Joe Kelly, Caleb Ferguson, and Evan Phillips.
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
According to news reports, Cal is definitely not, definitely is, or is still in consideration for the ACC
If the deadline is 8.15 to announce departure from ACC for 2024, how does that play into our chances?
Keeps fingers crossed 🤞
Today is a deadline at the ACC for schools to notify the conference if they plan to leave. 👀on FSU
it thought it was next Tuesday 8/15
SMU and the United Methodist Church are not so united
https://setexasrecord.com/stories/648005756-smu-attempt-to-split-from-methodist-church-hits-legal-snags-on-appeal
I did not expect "Notre Dame being good good guys" to be in my Cal Football bingo card
https://twitter.com/CFBHeather/status/1689622934849986560
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
ProPublica says Clarence Thomas had other billionaires shower him with gifts. Dude, go ahead and get an OnlyFans account like the rest of us if you're going to whore yourself out like that
https://www.alternet.org/news-politics/clarence-thomas-2663174649/
signing up to OnlyFans account now. need a scheme of what thing to sell ...
A former NY DA who has experience doing the same thing speculates that the DOJ's subpeen of Twitter data is to prove that it was actually Donald Trump who posts inflammatory tweets pushing conspiracies that the election was stolen, which is critical to proving it was him who conspired and had motive.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-twitter-january-6-search-warrant-1818835
Guy in Utah threatens to assassinate Biden on Facebook. The FBI pay him a visit. He told them to pound sand. He continued to post threatening messages. They returned and he was shot dead by the FBI. The FBI has not released details. Meanwhile, his church says he wouldn't hurt a fly.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66457089
Nothing about this incident would appear to be in anyone's best interests.
Oregon's Secretary of State says she will enforce Measure 113 (passed in 2022) wording that is now included in the State Constitution that prohibits lawmakers from running for re-election if they have more than 10 unexcused absences. The GOP had been using boycotts to prevent a required quorum in the state legislature to prevent votes. Four GOP senators will lose their eligibility. Guess who's angry about that?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/post-gop-walkout-oregon-elections-234127684.html
Also, the Oregon GOP is engaging in gaslighting. The language clearly applies to the term following the current term in which the member accumulates 10 unexcused absences.
But yes, the language could be clearer. "If a member accumulates 10 or more unexcused absences during their current term, they will be disqualified from running for re-election for the following term."
Sounds like another case of FAFO.
Unironically, Trump insults Bill Barr on a news interview for not weaponizing the DOJ more to benefit his political means
https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-calls-bill-barr-a-coward-for-not-prosecuting-his-enemies/
CAL
Rest in Power, Bears
Sean Dawkins passed away yesterday.
https://news.snbc13.com/sean-dawkins-seattle-seahawks-former-professional-football-player-died-at-52-death-obituary/
Oh no, he was my favorite Cal player.
Awful news. Definitely one of my favorite Cal players. I can still see him stretched way out in the air, coming down with the ball, always.
I remember his long TD reception in the '91 Cal/UW game.
Absolutely one of my top 5 Cal players to watch. I’m embarrassed to admit my buddy stole his graded sociology paper from the pile, and I can assure you no one was doing his work for him cause that paper was something.
sad to hear. i am 52 also, so it hits pretty close to home ..
plus he was THE receiver during the good of years for Cal football that we experienced as undergrads.
I am stunned. I can't believe that Sean Dawkins is gone. It's just not possible.
RIP, he was a terrific receiver at Cal, absolutely roasted U$C in '91. Had a decent pro career as well.
I’m just trying to play this out - Big 12 and Big 10 have stated no interest and ACC has stalled on Cal and Stanford. So absent those three I guess likeliest outcome is just independence in 2024? I think unlikely we lock in our losses by joining MWC. So we do some one off TV deal that nets us peanuts and then we wind up being unable to pay stadium debt with athletic Dept revenue, meaning we are cutting sports and raising student fees to pay for the stadium, while every good player we have transfers to Iowa State or wherever. Do I have that right?
Or they just nix athletics altogether.
Go Bears!!!
DBD AV CLUB
Gonna see Oppenheimer on IMAX this weekend.
The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society:
I got this album on vinyl some time ago, and I didn't listen to it much until very recently. It might be their best ever album, the sound is awesome. Somehow my Dad missed buying that one - I think his earliest album was a mono.
Arthur is just as good. Love both, but I tend to reach for Arthur first nowawadays.
I do like Arthur as well, but...
It IS their best album
Had this discussion in the WFC discord, need more input here
Best/worst airlines
Best/worst airports
I cannot stand ATL and IAH. Both are just interminable, too crowded, inconvenient for transfers and a clusterfuck in general.
I like SFO. I like DEN. BWI is surprisingly nice. The new MSY is really nice. MSP is good. Internationally, I don't really get the SIN love, but I am a fan of MAD.
airports
Best: SNA--small, efficient, and rarely crowded, with the bonus of great views on takeoff
Worst: LAX (perpetually under construction, crowded inside and out), ORD (I always get delayed there), EWR (huge and crowded, with a giant, dystopian food court in the international terminal)
i genuinely dont like LAX, being near SFO i for the most part get to avoid it
I will not fly through ORD…period.
If you can get a flight out of Long Beach instead of LAX, take it. Long Beach is infinitely better.
I live 10 minutes from SNA and I love the airport. I travel international often, but I would always fly SNA-SFO-destination instead of taking nonstop from LAX.
Worst airports: the really big ones. Miami, Newark, O'Hare. They are so large that if you're transiting through there, you can't risk a quick turnaround time on your stop because your connections gate might be really far away. So one has to pad in extra time. For me, it's not the airline that makes it bad, it's that I have to wait in one that makes it bad
Best: the medium city airports that are big enough to be serviced by major airlines, but small enough that it's only a handful of gates, a single check in, a small baggage claim, not crowded, and plenty of parking - like Boise, RDU, PDX...
RDU during my '90s grad school days was dowdy but amazing- 15 minutes to park, get through security, be at the gate. Not many direct flights though. Flew back for the Cal game there and was amazed at the transformation- gorgeous light filled terminal, still pretty quick through security.
Louisville airport was great in that it was a 10-15 min drive from my house, long term parking is just past short term parking (about a 5-10 min walk), and the TSA lines were usually super short (except Mon/Fri morning, and the day after Derby or Breeders Cup). I could theoretically leave my house just over 1 hour from takeoff and get to the gate.
the whole parking thing has gotten very expensive. expensive enough that for a 1 wk trip it is usually cheaper just to take an Uber to/from airport.
at NYC airports there are the official long term lots as well as a ton of off-airport lots that service your parking needs. i like the ones that drop you off at your gate, which helps if you are short on time.
When I take a trip and it isn't work, I just park at BART Millbrae. It's only $7/day and a 1 stop BART ride to the airport. Better than the $25/day long term parking at SFO.
Worst (domestic): Will not transit through IAH, all stop.
Avoid (international) FRA
Favorable: SFO (home base), DEN, ORD, CLT, RDU
Most exciting approach / landing: ASE
I like the setup of Denver Airport. One stop for dropoff/pickup and check-in. You go to different terminals inside from there.
I think that's kind of what LAX is trying to do by building a transportation hub off site and a rail so that you don't have to drive into the terminals.
DEN feels like a million miles away from the city. not sure why it had to be that far away. maybe it is not actually that far, just feels that way because of all the empty space
The old Denver airport used to be closer, as it was located in Stapleton. The new airport is way out on the plains.
Yeah it is far. I've only gotten outside once out of 100 times I've gone through that airport, but it did feel it was out in middle of nowhere.
that being said, if you are going straight to skiing, it is not bad.
you get on the interstate pretty quickly and can be at Vail in 2 hrs, Steamboat in 4 hrs, if roads are clear and traffic is minimal.
Oh that reminds me. I've gotten outside twice! I had forgotten about my only trip that DEN was my destination. We went to Beaver Creek.
I was in Portland, Oregon, last week and that airport (PDX) was surprisingly nice and BIG. I especially appreciated the Tillamook cheese outlet in the terminal.
I was supposed to go there in June but United cancelled the flight and couldn't get me out there for several days, so the whole trip was ultimately cancelled. I definitely missed out on the Tillamook outlet
One thing I liked was the light rail goes right to the airport. I could leave Louisville on the 6 AM flight (1 stop), take light rail to Hillsboro, and be at work around lunch time. Don't have to waste 1/2 a day of PTO. Unfortunately the shuttle from light rail to campus stops around 10 so I have to call my friend to get a ride.
thx. headed there in Sep on the way to the Cal-UW game.
MSP (Minneapolis) is one of my favorite airports. Great restaurants/food stands, services, shops I'd actually like to shop.
I agree. I don't actually shop, but they have nice stores. Very clean and nice airport. I like to eat at the lobster shack at MSP.
Newark is OK
Only one time - it was fucking BAD, the worst in our lives - but a long time ago - buses and rain.
I hate Newark. Especially having to leave security to go between United terminals. And that flights gets screwed up when the weather is sub-optimal. Of the large domestic airports I've visited, EWR is my most hated airport.
I wanted to go to the Polaris Lounge so I took a bus between United terminals after security. I don't fly EWR often (I'm always at SFO for layovers) but was the bus not available at the time? Or you hate that you have to take a bus to move between terminals?
Hmm..interesting. I guess I didn't know there was a bus between terminals. I just followed the signs to the other terminal. I don't fly through there often and usually I have at least 2 hours between flights so it usually isn't a time issue.
Oh okay. It's a little hidden. I remember I gave up going to the other terminal to use the lounge last year because I didn't want to go outside the security, but this year I saw the bus sign so I tried. It was still a hassle.
LGA .. used to suck, but the new terminals are nice.
the problem is that it is now a very long walk from car to gate.
ORD .. i like the United terminal
JAC - Jackson Hole, the best view from the airport. the Tetons are right there.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qA9hASUo8hBiPomy9
Mountains view from the new terminal at SLC is pretty great too (though can't beat Tetons).
i like SLC as an airport because it is incredibly convenient a skier.
you can get a 600a flight in NYC, land by 1000a and be on the slope that same day at somewhere amazing like Alta or Snowbird.
Alta even used to have a "free afternoon lift ticket by showing boarding pass" type deal.
also, if you only have a few hours, you can get a taxi to the Red Iguana for some "killer Mexican food" . it is a short 10-15 min ride from the airport and exceptionally good food.
if i have to have a stopover (Delta hub) and the flexibility, i usually check times of flights to coordinate it with a possible meal there.
I've tried to go a few times and consistently had a ~2 hour wait for a table there. Still haven't been!
I hate the long walk between B and C concourses in Terminal 1 for United at ORD.
You mean you don't want to take the walkway that extends to infinity?
Also having to walk to E/F (I think) to hop onto a small regional United jet. Was like 20 min from C to the end of E/F.
I think I've done a walk to F too. Ridiculously far.
airlines
The domestic carriers seem to have universally dropped in quality over the last several years: delayed/cancelled flights, rebookings without notice, etc. I used to favor Southwest and United, but they've disappointed me repeatedly recently.
International carriers are still pretty good, even for short flights: British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM
Hot Take: Spirit Airlines
Let's be clear - Spirit is a terrible airline. And so are all the others, except perhaps Delta. But the biggest issue I have is whether I get to my destination - either because my plans change, weather cancellation, or something else - which is not going to vary on airline significantly. Spirit maintains their planes just fine to be reliable enough. And if my plans change, which is perhaps 15% of the time, then current policy at most airlines is that I cannot get my money back because rescheduling fees are essentially the same price as the ticket. So I buy the cheapest ticket I can get and take my chances knowing that perhaps I will have to buy another ticket with my savings. I am essentially self-insuring my flight.
any reason you're not going with Southwest?
They are more expensive than Spirit where I live
Has anyone flown JSX airlines? They give you a semi-private feel by having a private terminal. I've been thinking to use it from SNA to LAS ever since they partnered up with United, but I'm still going with Southwest because it's so much cheaper.
I have. Several times. Good experience, but departure times not always the most convenient.
Nice.
Yeah I noticed the time was not convenient in the middle of the day.
People always say United is such a bad airline, but personally I've never experienced anything bad. Instead they treat me really well. I've never been a 1K but I'm able to achieve Platinum every year.
I love ANA and Lufthansa too. ANA's first class is amazing but Business class is just as good. I'm not a fan of Air Canada but I don't have many experience with them.
I’ll take my lounge guest access ;)
The Lufthansa lounges are way better than the domestic United lounges, at least at SFO. I've never done Polaris but I assume those are way better.
I'm only premier gold, but I look forward to checking out the ANA lounge in Hanada in Jan. Will probably be my last since I'm not going to make status this year.
I’m a SFO apologist so if I ever see those lounges I’ll report back. I’m just trying to make premier silver lol
The Polaris at SFO is amazing. They have Russian River beers on tap. Polaris Lounge at LAX is the worst. Probably 10x smaller than the one at SFO.
ANA lounge in Haneda is nice. They have showers but the wait list is usually long.
ANA and Lufthansa gives lounge access to all Star Alliance gold members even on domestic coach class tickets unlike United, and their lounges are way better.
United does allow Gold members with a regular coach ticket in the lounge when flying internationally. That's how I've seen the SFO sucky lounge.
big fan of a newcomer on the market, Breeze. Lots of nonstops between second tier airports, and they're making PVD one of their homebases
Is Breeze attempting to be an ultra low cost carrier ala Spirit Frontier? Or low cost Southwest, JetBlue. Mid like American? Or with Delta and United?
I think they're how JetBlue started, and a cut above Frontier. They're very much no-frills (pay extra for carry-on bags, no free drinks except for water) but not as cramped and unreliable as Spirit/Frontier
No 1 and his GF are trying it out from LAX to PVD non-stop in about a week and a half. Let's see how it goes.
they have flights out of HPN (White Plains), so will see if that works out one of these days. HPN is the nice small airport only 20 min from the house.
I saw that United stopped flying to HPN.
there is really nowhere on the list of places they fly aside from CHS or MSY that i think i want to go anytime soon.
only 5 destinations out of HPN
we've done PVD to ORF several times and never had any issues. My one complaint is they only run one flight per day (and not every day) so sometimes the timing is inconvenient, and I imagine it's disastrous if there are any cancellations
personally i like the larger national carriers like Delta and United, specifically Delta.
i probably end up paying more for my loyalty and for the slightly better service and benefits, but it seems worth it compared to just shopping for the lowest fare on a budget airline.
the combo of credit car miles and status on Delta plus the fact that LGA/JFK are something of a hub for Delta, makes it easy to get non-stops to most destinations and get better than average treatment.