Clippers in trouble as Pablo Torre does investigative journalism and finds out that Steve Ballmer paid Kawhi $28m in a no-show job to get around salary cap
I hear you. I think that having dogs has helped get me off the couch.
For me, it started because both of our dogs wouldn't go out into the yard when the ground was wet. So, I determined that I was going to leash 'em up and walk them around the block. That's now the evening routine.
I also walk them in the morning on weekends and holidays after breakfast. Those walks are longer, often a mile or more.
It's something of a monster of expectations because the bigger dog now expects it of me in the evenings and whenever I'm not at work. The smaller dog sometimes hides when he doesn't want to go walking.
When we had a dog, I'd usually go on a walk between 1 and 2 miles. Sometimes I'd use the walk to get our <1 year old asleep at night in a backpack carrier.
it is interesting that despite all the great new communications tech that we have, a traditional walkie talkie is still a very viable thing in the world. you see it on the ski slopes, at the car dealer, almost anywhere you need to instantly get a hold of someone at short range
We use them on the Miata club drives. Allows the leader to call out turns and things in the road. We usually have 40+ cars so people in the middle have to relay messages because the mountains block the signal.
Trump punishes Colorado and rewards Alabama, well known center for rocket scientists, with relocating SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE FOOOOOOOOOOORCE there
Not sure if you were being sarcastic, but Huntsville Alabama is indeed a well known center for rocket scientists. Besides the Redstone Arsenal, it’s also the location of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
Discovered yesterday that, as a DirecTV and Disney+ subscriber, I get HULU for free. Woohoo! Watched the first episode of The Handmaid's Tale. Disturbing and excellent. 16/19. Can't wait to see how the story develops.
Also can't wait to see seasons 3 and 4 of Only Murders in the Building and to re-watch 24 and Sons of Anarchy. My TV life suddenly got much more interesting!
just finished re-watching these the last few days. i know they made some prequels, but it seemed open ended enough to eventually see some more sequels w/ a slightly different cast of characters.
How did Cal not get any votes at all? Is it that Oregon State is that bad? In my biased opinion, that win was a pretty complete one against an FBS opponent. Should've deserved some recognition.
On the other hand...maybe anonymity is a good thing.
Game played after 7:30 PM, 10:30 on the east coast, was played mostly after midnight. Not many voters saw it, and if they were still watching, were probably watching Utah. You get a lot of delayed effect of late west coast games.
I think we'll have to beat Minnesota and be 3-0 going into SDSU to maybe get a couple of votes. Then if we start 4-0 going into BC, sunshine pumpers activated!
Pre-season: "Cal is a dumpster fire because their offense went into the transfer portal, but I'm a national writer, so I've no time to actually find out what they got in".
After beating Oregon State: "OSU was a bunch of bums anyways"
After beating TSU: "Yawn. FCS"
After beating Minnesota: "Jet lag. They were exposed as bums after struggling against lowly Buffalo and beating cupcake Northwestern State".
After beating SDSU: "The Mountain West aint what it used to be"
After beating BC on the road: "On any given Saturday, the bottom of the conference can beat each other"
After beating Duke: "Duke was exposed as bums long time ago. Also, did you know California is a long ways away from NC?"
After beating UNC: "Even God and Belichick will struggle in their first season as HC"
After beating VA Tech on the Road: "This was a fluke. Won't ever happen again in a million years."
After beating UVA: "lol. UVA"
After beating Louisville: "Did you know that Cal and UC Berkeley are the same school?"
After beating Furd: "lol. Furd.
After beating SMU: "SMU came out flat"
After beating Clemson in the ACC championship: "Cal got lucky. No first round bye in the CFP for you because SEC's sixth best team is still better because SEC just means more"
After beating Texas in the 2nd round of CFP: "Texas was a broken team after they lost in the first game of the season and their confidence was shaken.
After beating Ohio State in the National Championship. "Cinderalla story completed for Cal. But let's start talking about the major changes in the offseason at these other teams because our ratings depend on it."
interesting thing/flashback that (mostly) cyclists will appreciate.
for background .. Campagnolo (Campy) is famous for keeping the thumb shifter all these years (until wireless shifting came along) on their derailleurs
it has been over 3+ years since i was regularly riding outside on my Wilier bike w/ Campy setup. i was going for an all-Italian racing bike vibe.
this weekend when i was out gravel riding w/ my wife i noticed that even after all this time when i want upshift on the rear derailleur i instinctively was looking for the thumb lever!
until the Cal game in Boston, i am taking a little trip and will probably not be on DBD much.
i leave tomorrow night for India for 2 weeks w/ traitor daughter and her boyfriend. then we go to Qatar for a few days. and i fly directly to Boston for the BC game.
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE
Two self professed mall-rates honor their departed friend with a tour of 16 malls in one day
https://www.phillyvoice.com/philly-malls-tour-shopping-king-of-prussia/
speaking of malls and 80's culture. i have tickets in the fall to see Bill and Ted perform Waiting for Godot in NYC
https://godotbroadway.com/
it is going to be Most Excellent!
Didn't Bill play Rosencrantz? Or was it Ted who played Guildenstern?
PRO
As if you needed another reason to dislike the NY Giants, the Koch Brothers family is buying a stake in them.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46151970/reports-koch-family-buy-stake-giants-10b-valuation
Clippers in trouble as Pablo Torre does investigative journalism and finds out that Steve Ballmer paid Kawhi $28m in a no-show job to get around salary cap
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/clippers-owner-gave-kawhi-leonard-a-phony-28-million-job-to-elude-salary-cap-report/ar-AA1LN6Yv
WALKIES
Every evening after dinner with the dogs.
i would probably walk more if i had dogs that walked me.
I hear you. I think that having dogs has helped get me off the couch.
For me, it started because both of our dogs wouldn't go out into the yard when the ground was wet. So, I determined that I was going to leash 'em up and walk them around the block. That's now the evening routine.
I also walk them in the morning on weekends and holidays after breakfast. Those walks are longer, often a mile or more.
It's something of a monster of expectations because the bigger dog now expects it of me in the evenings and whenever I'm not at work. The smaller dog sometimes hides when he doesn't want to go walking.
When we had a dog, I'd usually go on a walk between 1 and 2 miles. Sometimes I'd use the walk to get our <1 year old asleep at night in a backpack carrier.
once upon a time when i worked in Manhattan 5 days/wk i used to do plenty of walking ..
__ talkies
it is interesting that despite all the great new communications tech that we have, a traditional walkie talkie is still a very viable thing in the world. you see it on the ski slopes, at the car dealer, almost anywhere you need to instantly get a hold of someone at short range
We use them on the Miata club drives. Allows the leader to call out turns and things in the road. We usually have 40+ cars so people in the middle have to relay messages because the mountains block the signal.
CAL
POLITICS
Heathfood and fitness nut Ted Cruz criticizes JB Pritzker's diet. Still no real Epstein files
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lxxiozz7on2k
Trump punishes Colorado and rewards Alabama, well known center for rocket scientists, with relocating SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE FOOOOOOOOOOORCE there
Not sure if you were being sarcastic, but Huntsville Alabama is indeed a well known center for rocket scientists. Besides the Redstone Arsenal, it’s also the location of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-announce-space-command-headquarters-location/
I was gonna note that also. I learned a lot about Alabama and space history, watching for all mankind ;-)
Really? Maybe I'll have to watch For All Mankind now.
BTW, Space Camp is also in Huntsville.
We are so cooked
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5484579-kennedy-poll-medical-advice/
Congratulations, New Orleans. You're about to get US-taxpayer funded park trash cleanup by people shipped from everywhere and paid via overtime.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/09/03/new-orleans-troops/1331756930921/
At least they will already be in place for the next terrible hurricane.
DBD AV CLUB
Giorgio Armani dead at the age of 91
[NYT crossword spoiler alert]
Armani was one of the answers in the NYT crossword today
> High-end suit
Discovered yesterday that, as a DirecTV and Disney+ subscriber, I get HULU for free. Woohoo! Watched the first episode of The Handmaid's Tale. Disturbing and excellent. 16/19. Can't wait to see how the story develops.
Also can't wait to see seasons 3 and 4 of Only Murders in the Building and to re-watch 24 and Sons of Anarchy. My TV life suddenly got much more interesting!
Handmaid's Tale is coming soon to a country near you!
I loved 24. I remember there was 1 week when I was traveling and couldn't watch so I had to call my old college roommate to record it for me.
Hunger Games Mockingjay 1 and 2.
just finished re-watching these the last few days. i know they made some prequels, but it seemed open ended enough to eventually see some more sequels w/ a slightly different cast of characters.
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
Dave Portnoy in discussions with Big XII to get his stink over everything they do
https://www.on3.com/news/big-12-offers-dave-portnoy-barstool-sports-blank-canvas-for-engagement/
New AP Poll
ACC memebers include #5 Miami (1-0), #8 Clemson (0-1), #14 FSU (1-0), #17 SMU (1-0). Indiana falls 3 spots to #23 despite winning. #9 Notre Dame (0-1) is technically an independent for football. Also receiving votes: #28 GA Tech, #30 L'ville, Duke, Pitt, and [checks notes] Virginia. https://apnews.com/live/top-25-college-football-poll-9-2-2025
How did Cal not get any votes at all? Is it that Oregon State is that bad? In my biased opinion, that win was a pretty complete one against an FBS opponent. Should've deserved some recognition.
On the other hand...maybe anonymity is a good thing.
There are zero expectations for Cal to be good. That's what these early polls are mostly, preseason expectations.
Win games and we'll be in the poll.
Game played after 7:30 PM, 10:30 on the east coast, was played mostly after midnight. Not many voters saw it, and if they were still watching, were probably watching Utah. You get a lot of delayed effect of late west coast games.
my guess is that we have to string together a couple good weeks for people to start noticing
I think we'll have to beat Minnesota and be 3-0 going into SDSU to maybe get a couple of votes. Then if we start 4-0 going into BC, sunshine pumpers activated!
Pre-season: "Cal is a dumpster fire because their offense went into the transfer portal, but I'm a national writer, so I've no time to actually find out what they got in".
After beating Oregon State: "OSU was a bunch of bums anyways"
After beating TSU: "Yawn. FCS"
After beating Minnesota: "Jet lag. They were exposed as bums after struggling against lowly Buffalo and beating cupcake Northwestern State".
After beating SDSU: "The Mountain West aint what it used to be"
After beating BC on the road: "On any given Saturday, the bottom of the conference can beat each other"
After beating Duke: "Duke was exposed as bums long time ago. Also, did you know California is a long ways away from NC?"
After beating UNC: "Even God and Belichick will struggle in their first season as HC"
After beating VA Tech on the Road: "This was a fluke. Won't ever happen again in a million years."
After beating UVA: "lol. UVA"
After beating Louisville: "Did you know that Cal and UC Berkeley are the same school?"
After beating Furd: "lol. Furd.
After beating SMU: "SMU came out flat"
After beating Clemson in the ACC championship: "Cal got lucky. No first round bye in the CFP for you because SEC's sixth best team is still better because SEC just means more"
After beating Texas in the 2nd round of CFP: "Texas was a broken team after they lost in the first game of the season and their confidence was shaken.
After beating Ohio State in the National Championship. "Cinderalla story completed for Cal. But let's start talking about the major changes in the offseason at these other teams because our ratings depend on it."
muscle memory
I wonder if anyone makes little circles on their phone when making a call.
I don't even think about it. I still have a dial phone in the house, by the way. And yes, it works.
Ha! Younger Bears have NO idea what you are referencing.
Someone needs to make a dialer app that can do that.
interesting thing/flashback that (mostly) cyclists will appreciate.
for background .. Campagnolo (Campy) is famous for keeping the thumb shifter all these years (until wireless shifting came along) on their derailleurs
it has been over 3+ years since i was regularly riding outside on my Wilier bike w/ Campy setup. i was going for an all-Italian racing bike vibe.
this weekend when i was out gravel riding w/ my wife i noticed that even after all this time when i want upshift on the rear derailleur i instinctively was looking for the thumb lever!
upcoming travel
until the Cal game in Boston, i am taking a little trip and will probably not be on DBD much.
i leave tomorrow night for India for 2 weeks w/ traitor daughter and her boyfriend. then we go to Qatar for a few days. and i fly directly to Boston for the BC game.