i know people complain about high prices and high fees, but i personally love SeatGeek and StubHub because nothing is every truly sold out.
i had an interesting in experience in Berlin a few months ago as i was trying to get tix to a sold out show at the Berlin Philharmonic. it wasnt available on StubHub. it was only from talking to some local guys at a coffee shop that i discovered the ticket resale site even though i had tried looking online for an alternate.
Growing up, I remember it was not uncommon to see someone who had contracted polio sometime in their life. These days, it's really, really rare. I guess y'all are going to find out what that looks like again.
SF Giants have now won 9 of their last 10. That was the marker I choose to start hoping for a playoff berth. (It was also a game with 3 players ejected.)
FiatSlug, hoping you have time to update your analysis.
Two Giants were ejected after Rafael Devers homered in the first and Rockies starter Kyle Freeland lost his mind. But the replacements each got two hits and Logan Webb got his 13th win.
Since last Friday, the Giants are not just showing life, they’re looking to climb back into the playoffs race. But their percent chance of making the playoffs remains very, very low, indeed, at 2.3% as per ESPN.
The Giants are now tied with the Reds in the Wildcard standings at 70-69, but the Reds hold a slightly better chance of making the playoffs at 3.0% as per ESPN. Both the Giants and the Reds are 5 games back of the Mets (who currently hold the 3rd and final WC spot), 6 games back of the Padres (2nd WC spot), and 10 games back of the Cubs (1st WC spot).
These positions mean that since last Friday, the Giants have gained 2 games on the Reds, 1 game on the Mets, and 2 games on the Padres. There is no change in the Giants’ relative position to the Cubs.
With 23 games left to play, the task had changed a little – beat out the Reds over the remaining regular season and overhaul the Mets (5 games ahead) or the Padres (6 games ahead). This will not be an easy task.
If the Mets and the Reds were to win half of their remaining games (12 wins in 23 games), the Reds would end up 82-80, the Mets would end up 87-75. The Padres would need to win 11 of their last 23 to get to 87 wins.
To get to 88 wins, the Giants would need to win 18 of 23 games remaining, or a .783 winning percentage. Not impossible, just a daunting task.
And if the Reds or Mets get hot, it becomes that much harder, if not impossible. Realistically, the Giants would need to stay hot and for a team ahead of them in the standings to go cold. Very cold. That team might be the Padres only because the Padres seem to have stumbled lately. Let's see if they can recover.
The Giants need to keep up the pressure on the teams ahead of them by staying hot. The Giants need to be greedy against the Rockies (today), the Cards, and the D’backs in the 2 following series. No let up going into the 3-game set vs. the Dodgers (Sep. 12-14). If the Giants won 6 of their *next* 7 prior to hosting the Dodgers, the Giants would be 76-70 with 16 to play. They'd still need to win 12 of their last 16 to get to 88 wins, which I consider a low number of wins to gain entry to the playoffs.
If the Giants are within 3 games of the last wildcard spot on Sunday, September 14, they have a chance, but not a big one. The Giants schedule in the last 3.5 weeks isn't exactly a gauntlet, but it isn't a bunch of pushovers. They do have 7 games against the Dodgers (3 in SF, 4 in LA), but the other 16 games are -
DATE ___GIANTS____ ____REDS___ ____METS____ ___PADRES___
Sep. 3 at Rockies ____vs Blue Jays ___@ Tigers __ _ vs Orioles
Sep. 4 – OFF DAY ______OFF DAY ____ OFF DAY ____ OFF DAY
Sep. 5 at Cardinals ____vs Mets _____ at Reds _____ @ Rockies
Sep. 6 at Cardinals ____vs Mets _____ at Reds _____ @ Rockies
Sep. 7 at Cardinals ____vs Mets _____ at Reds _____ @ Rockies
Sep. 8 vs D’backs ____@ Padres ____ OFF DAY ___ vs Reds
Sep. 9 vs D’backs ____@ Padres ____ at Phillies ___ vs Reds
Sep. 10 vs D’backs ____@ Padres ___ at Phillies ___ vs Reds
Sep. 11 – OFF DAY ______OFF DAY __ at Phillies ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 12 vs Dodgers ___@ A’s ______ vs Rangers ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 13 vs Dodgers ___@ A’s ______ vs Rangers ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 14 vs Dodgers ___@ A’s ______ vs Rangers ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 15 at D’backs ___@ Cardinals ___ OFF DAY ___ OFF DAY
Sep. 16 at D’backs ___@ Cardinals ___ vs Padres ___@ Mets __
Sep. 17 at D’backs ___@ Cardinals ___ vs Padres ___@ Mets __
Sep. 18 at Dodgers ____vs Cubs ______ vs Padres ___@ Mets __
Next goal is that the Giants should win 8 of the next 10. Alas, like you say, a daunting task….If we take a Magic Number approach, would that be something like 18?
We got a nice new KitchenAid range with our house when we moved in. Unfortunately the buttons have shorted out, and a $300 panel replacement only fixed the problem until we used the oven again. Not very satisfied with the cost/quality tradeoffs I’m seeing for a new oven.
Steam combi-ovens are a bit of a luxury. For 98% of what you're cooking, you're trying to get rid of water, not keep it. And if you're keeping it, you're putting it in a covered pot or pan. Steam combis find their stride for bakers, who want the first 15 minutes of a baking cycle to be high humidity so that the rapid expansion of dough (i.e. "oven spring") is larger. It creates fluffier bread. I replicate a combi oven by literally tossing in a quarter cup of water into the pre-heated oven when I put a fresh loaf in there.
I had taken a baguette making class and the teacher said crack open the oven every 15 seconds and spritz in some water to get the hard crust. For my sourdough bread, I put it in a dutch oven which produces the hard crust.
Mrs Slug and I thought about a warming drawer when we renovated our kitchen in 2002. The point of it for us was that it allowed us to juggle space when we had multiple dishes that would come out of the oven, such as during Thanksgiving or another large gathering.
It could also be used to hold something from the stovetop or the oven if that was needed because people or things got held up. Never got one because we didn't really have the space for it.
SOLD OUT
i know people complain about high prices and high fees, but i personally love SeatGeek and StubHub because nothing is every truly sold out.
i had an interesting in experience in Berlin a few months ago as i was trying to get tix to a sold out show at the Berlin Philharmonic. it wasnt available on StubHub. it was only from talking to some local guys at a coffee shop that i discovered the ticket resale site even though i had tried looking online for an alternate.
POLITICS
probably politics ..
Florida Says It Plans to End All Vaccine Mandates
The state would be the first to scrap requirements that children be vaccinated to attend school, among other rules.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/us/florida-says-it-plans-to-end-all-vaccine-mandates.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Growing up, I remember it was not uncommon to see someone who had contracted polio sometime in their life. These days, it's really, really rare. I guess y'all are going to find out what that looks like again.
This is where RFK is going to try to take things nationally.
interestingly, no word of any of this on Fox News. you would think they would be rejoicing (?)
Maybe they're out sick.
DBD AV CLUB
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
PRO
SF Giants have now won 9 of their last 10. That was the marker I choose to start hoping for a playoff berth. (It was also a game with 3 players ejected.)
FiatSlug, hoping you have time to update your analysis.
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/san-francisco-giants-scores-standings-nl-west/100243/giants-survive-bench-clearing-brawl-ejections-in-7-4-win
Two Giants were ejected after Rafael Devers homered in the first and Rockies starter Kyle Freeland lost his mind. But the replacements each got two hits and Logan Webb got his 13th win.
Since last Friday, the Giants are not just showing life, they’re looking to climb back into the playoffs race. But their percent chance of making the playoffs remains very, very low, indeed, at 2.3% as per ESPN.
The Giants are now tied with the Reds in the Wildcard standings at 70-69, but the Reds hold a slightly better chance of making the playoffs at 3.0% as per ESPN. Both the Giants and the Reds are 5 games back of the Mets (who currently hold the 3rd and final WC spot), 6 games back of the Padres (2nd WC spot), and 10 games back of the Cubs (1st WC spot).
These positions mean that since last Friday, the Giants have gained 2 games on the Reds, 1 game on the Mets, and 2 games on the Padres. There is no change in the Giants’ relative position to the Cubs.
With 23 games left to play, the task had changed a little – beat out the Reds over the remaining regular season and overhaul the Mets (5 games ahead) or the Padres (6 games ahead). This will not be an easy task.
If the Mets and the Reds were to win half of their remaining games (12 wins in 23 games), the Reds would end up 82-80, the Mets would end up 87-75. The Padres would need to win 11 of their last 23 to get to 87 wins.
To get to 88 wins, the Giants would need to win 18 of 23 games remaining, or a .783 winning percentage. Not impossible, just a daunting task.
And if the Reds or Mets get hot, it becomes that much harder, if not impossible. Realistically, the Giants would need to stay hot and for a team ahead of them in the standings to go cold. Very cold. That team might be the Padres only because the Padres seem to have stumbled lately. Let's see if they can recover.
The Giants need to keep up the pressure on the teams ahead of them by staying hot. The Giants need to be greedy against the Rockies (today), the Cards, and the D’backs in the 2 following series. No let up going into the 3-game set vs. the Dodgers (Sep. 12-14). If the Giants won 6 of their *next* 7 prior to hosting the Dodgers, the Giants would be 76-70 with 16 to play. They'd still need to win 12 of their last 16 to get to 88 wins, which I consider a low number of wins to gain entry to the playoffs.
If the Giants are within 3 games of the last wildcard spot on Sunday, September 14, they have a chance, but not a big one. The Giants schedule in the last 3.5 weeks isn't exactly a gauntlet, but it isn't a bunch of pushovers. They do have 7 games against the Dodgers (3 in SF, 4 in LA), but the other 16 games are -
DATE ___GIANTS____ ____REDS___ ____METS____ ___PADRES___
Sep. 3 at Rockies ____vs Blue Jays ___@ Tigers __ _ vs Orioles
Sep. 4 – OFF DAY ______OFF DAY ____ OFF DAY ____ OFF DAY
Sep. 5 at Cardinals ____vs Mets _____ at Reds _____ @ Rockies
Sep. 6 at Cardinals ____vs Mets _____ at Reds _____ @ Rockies
Sep. 7 at Cardinals ____vs Mets _____ at Reds _____ @ Rockies
Sep. 8 vs D’backs ____@ Padres ____ OFF DAY ___ vs Reds
Sep. 9 vs D’backs ____@ Padres ____ at Phillies ___ vs Reds
Sep. 10 vs D’backs ____@ Padres ___ at Phillies ___ vs Reds
Sep. 11 – OFF DAY ______OFF DAY __ at Phillies ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 12 vs Dodgers ___@ A’s ______ vs Rangers ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 13 vs Dodgers ___@ A’s ______ vs Rangers ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 14 vs Dodgers ___@ A’s ______ vs Rangers ___ vs Rockies
Sep. 15 at D’backs ___@ Cardinals ___ OFF DAY ___ OFF DAY
Sep. 16 at D’backs ___@ Cardinals ___ vs Padres ___@ Mets __
Sep. 17 at D’backs ___@ Cardinals ___ vs Padres ___@ Mets __
Sep. 18 at Dodgers ____vs Cubs ______ vs Padres ___@ Mets __
Sep. 19 at Dodgers ____vs Cubs ____ @ Nationals __ @ Whites Sox
Sep. 20 at Dodgers ____vs Cubs ____ @ Nationals __ @ Whites Sox
Sep. 21 at Dodgers ____vs Cubs ____ @ Nationals __ @ Whites Sox
Sep. 22 vs Cardinals ___OFF DAY ____ OFF DAY ___ vs Brewers
Sep. 23 vs Cardinals ___vs Pirates ____ @ Cubs ___ vs Brewers
Sep. 24 vs Cardinals ___vs Pirates ____ @ Cubs ___ vs Brewers
Sep. 25 – OFF DAY _____vs Pirates ____ @ Cubs __ OFF DAY
Sep. 26 vs Rockies ____@ Brewers ___ @ Marlins __ vs D’backs
Sep. 27 vs Rockies ____@ Brewers ___ @ Marlins __ vs D’backs
Sep. 28 vs Rockies ____@ Brewers ___ @ Marlins __ vs D’backs
Awesome! Thank you.
Next goal is that the Giants should win 8 of the next 10. Alas, like you say, a daunting task….If we take a Magic Number approach, would that be something like 18?
Probably the only way they get there is if the Mets have a stunning collapse, which would indeed be the funniest result.
appliances
We got a nice new KitchenAid range with our house when we moved in. Unfortunately the buttons have shorted out, and a $300 panel replacement only fixed the problem until we used the oven again. Not very satisfied with the cost/quality tradeoffs I’m seeing for a new oven.
question for cooks .. the new house we are buying Burlington has a bunch of nice but different appliances all by Miele
- induction cooktop
- built in espresso machine
- dishwasher
- warming drawer
- multi purpose combi steam oven
anyone have experience w/ these steam oven things .. trying to see if we can get by w/o a microwave.
not exactly sure which model we are getting ..
https://www.mieleusa.com/category/1013128/combi-steam-ovens
also not exactly sure how and when we'll use the warming drawer. maybe i just put my espresso cups in there ??!!
Steam combi-ovens are a bit of a luxury. For 98% of what you're cooking, you're trying to get rid of water, not keep it. And if you're keeping it, you're putting it in a covered pot or pan. Steam combis find their stride for bakers, who want the first 15 minutes of a baking cycle to be high humidity so that the rapid expansion of dough (i.e. "oven spring") is larger. It creates fluffier bread. I replicate a combi oven by literally tossing in a quarter cup of water into the pre-heated oven when I put a fresh loaf in there.
I had taken a baguette making class and the teacher said crack open the oven every 15 seconds and spritz in some water to get the hard crust. For my sourdough bread, I put it in a dutch oven which produces the hard crust.
Mrs Slug and I thought about a warming drawer when we renovated our kitchen in 2002. The point of it for us was that it allowed us to juggle space when we had multiple dishes that would come out of the oven, such as during Thanksgiving or another large gathering.
It could also be used to hold something from the stovetop or the oven if that was needed because people or things got held up. Never got one because we didn't really have the space for it.
Cal
Go BEARS