Welcome to the Daily Bear Dump, a Write for California community board where one can talk about anything – Cal-related or off-topic. Comment threads are sorted by topic. Anything is fine, so long as you’re generally civil.
I got recruited to play baseball at Trinity University in San Antonio…finally got a chance to check out the campus in August on the roadtrip home…regret not playing ball in college, but not sure I would have been happy there, TBH….
San Antonio is a nice city. I spent a bit of time quite near Trinity while Mrs. Strut attended officer basic training at Brooke Army Medical Center. I was intrigued but unfortunately didn’t explore the campus. Eclectic area though, with good food.
Perhaps my opinion was influenced by the expectedly oppressive August heat, my rundown and tired Airbnb neighborhood, and of course coming down with brutal COVID symptoms for the first time.
The Trinity Baseball team did in fact win the D3 NCAA Championship in 2016…
They are renovating the Long Library. You can see in the above picture that most of the books are removed, save for the first section that you see as you walk in. They are being restored and preserved since a lot of them are crumbling.
High School, Louisville. No 1 went there. In the 2000s they are the best HS football team in the state, and might have been No 1 in the nation for a year. Had a 33 game winning streak early 2010s.
Yes. It's part of a series called "Sphere within a Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro. He lived in the Bay area in the 60's including becoming an artist in residence at UC Berkeley. These sculptures are minorly famous. Later, Trinity College gave Pomodoro an honorary title/degree and he gifted them with one of his sculptures in 1982. That sculpture sits outside the previously named Berkeley Library at Trinity.
Coincidentally, Berkeley - the city in California - is named after its famed alumnus 17th/18th century Irish philosopher and Bishop of Cloyne (Anglican) George Berkeley. The library was also named after George Berkeley. However, Trinity denamed the library because George Berkeley - while a patron of children, the poor, philosophy ,and physics was apparently a fan of slavery.
I worked at both Doe (in a humanities graduate room) and at Moffitt as an undergrad. Doe is what you would expect a library to be at a first-rate university, especially the reading room. Moffitt was night club for undergrads without the booze. Both have places in my heart.
I worked at the Newspaper and MIcrofiche (now Microforms) room at Doe. Great job for a news junky and travel hound. Newspapers from EVERYWHERE. After seeing Saddam Hussein's face on every single front page of the Baghdad paper for years during the start of the nineties, I wasn't surprised he turned out to be a problem...
- Morrison Reading Room - not allowed to study, listen to CDs or records while reading or sleeping. a good place to get some midday rest. did this a lot
- Doe Library Graduate stacks - could always find a place underground away from people
- Music Library - could check out anything on CD that they had available. i would listen to and learn about classical music while studying.
- Bancroft Library - everyone told me that you should go at least one and have some excuse. turns out that the only copies of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead were there and you needed to be there to read it. not sure i needed special permission, just needed to ask for something that was not otherwise available.
Since about halfway through the season, the Mariners have been going down and down and down. Here is a summary of how the 2nd half of the season has gone.
The Oakland Athletics wrapped up their road trip with the rubber match of the three-game series against the Chicago Cubs today at Wrigley Field. The Cubs wore their traditional home pinstripe uniforms while the A’s donned their road grays.
If you’re upset that Marco Luciano has only started half of the San Francisco Giants games since his recent call-up, then grab a number and get in line somewhere behind me. If you wish the Giants would find a way to get more consistent at-bats for Jerar Encarnación, grab a number and get in another, equally-long line. If you wish that Luis Matos and/or Wade Meckler were in the Majors right now instead of in Sacramento, well ... there’s a number and a line for that, too. If you think Logan Webb (who leads the league in innings pitched), Tyler Rogers (who leads the Majors in appearances), and Ryan Walker (who is two appearances behind Rogers) should have been shut down for the health of their arms and the good of future seasons, that line’s right over there. Yeah, there. It’s hard to see with all the other lines, but you’ll find it. Grab a number and wander over there, someone will direct you to the right place.
The Dodgers offense continued its hot streak and Landon Knack added more evidence to his strong postseason case in an 8-4 win over the Marlins on Wednesday night at loanDepot Park in Miami.
Power was the calling card for the Dodgers on Wednesday, sequencing their three home runs in ascending order. Will Smith was first with a solo home run off the left field foul pole in the second inning for his fourth extra-base hit in his last six games.
Time to plug an as yet little known yet highly rated move about the 1982 Brewers, Just a Bit Outside. Directed by Sean Hanish, who was a friend of my late wife.
I’m not enough of a baseball fan to know why the 1982 team was so special.
Unless I miss my guess, that team was the Brewers' first and so far only World Series team. Harvey Kuenn, the Brewers manager, took over in mid-season. The Milwaukee Brewers lost the 1982 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3.
Craig Kimbrel is designated for assignment. He last pitched against the Giants two days ago, coming losing 4-0 in the top of the ninth and proceeded to give up six runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He has a career 1.01 WHIP, 2.59 ERA, 1265 Ks over 809.2 innings and 440 saves.
In typical fashion, he had his best week of the season when I was playing against him in fantasy baseball, and in the end it’s going to cost me $$$…as Mrs. Finkel eloquently stated, Kimbrel can go the route of Dan Marino from Ace Ventura…. ;-)
Ending the latest annual season-long experiment to make/get something out of him, but he is a loon, and it never seems to work in the long run. But because of those numbers, no one ever gives up until its too late.
BERKELEY – California volleyball welcomed Santa Clara to Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night and gave Golden Bear fans a treat in the team's 2024 home opener, defeating the Broncos (4-5) in straight sets, 25-10, 25-23, 25-19, to improve to 8-3 on the season.
After a strong performance at the Battle in the Bay Classic, the California men's tennis team sends Golden Bears to compete in the ITA All-American Championships and Sherwood Collegiate Cup. Alex Chang, Derrick Chen, Theo Dean, Carl Emil Overbeck, Timofey Stepanov and Mikey Wright will play at All-Americans, through which players can qualify for the NCAA individual championships. Chang – pulling double duty – Alex Aney, Jonathan Irwanto and Ethan Schiffman will play in the Southern California tournament.
BERKELEY - California cross country is set for its second meet of the season at the Roy Griak Invitational on Friday, hosted by the University of Minnesota. The Bears will travel to Falcon Heights, Minnesota, to race at the Les Bolstad Golf Course. The men will compete in the 8,000 meter-race at 8 a.m. PT followed by the women in the 6,000 meters. Both races will be broadcast live on the B1G+ and RunnerSpace.
The No. 6 California men's water polo team welcomes seven top-15 programs to Berkeley this weekend as it opens its 2024 home schedule hosting the Overnght MPSF Invitational. The field includes top-ranked MPSF schools No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 USC, all of which the Golden Bears defeated during last year's postseason en route to securing a third straight NCAA Championship. Cal is out to a 5-1 start to the season with two wins over top-10 foes, led by seniors Roberto Valera (19 goals) and Max Casabella (18).
BERKELEY – The California women's swimming & diving team takes part in its traditional season opener at the Queen of the Pool at Cal Poly's Anderson Aquatic Center on Friday.
Graduate student Isabelle Stadden is the two-time defending champion in the event, which features swimmers competing in the 100-yard race of the butterfly, breaststroke, individual medley, backstroke and freestyle. The swimmer with the best combined time will be named the Queen of the Pool.
BERKELEY – The California men's swimming & diving team looks to reclaim its place as national champions while extending its current streak of 14 consecutive top-two finishes as the 2024-25 season begins at Cal Poly in the annual King of the Pool duel in San Luis Obispo on Friday. Friday's meet is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. at the Anderson Aquatics Center.
Cal’s 1958 Rose Bowl squad sticks out like a sore thumb among the seasons preceding and following it. The Bears won a combined six games in the three years before the ’58 season. They won just six in the four years after. They were thus a combined 12-46-3 in the seven seasons surrounding their January 1, 1959 trip to Pasadena. In fact, in the fifteen years from 1953-1967, 1958 represented California’s only winning season.
Oski Disciple’s Bear Facts appears Tuesday through Thursday on the DBD throughout the 2024 college football season. This feature is brought to you by a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation.
September Surprise - GOP Candidate for NC Governor has dirt spilled about being on a porn site admitting he loves tranny porn, despite being vehemently anti-LGBTQ - and other disturbing comments for a guy who wants to be the state's highest official
"Our best estimates are that if Trump is within 2 points of Harris nationally then he will likely win in the Electoral College," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. "These data showing a Trump edge in the key counties and battleground states suggest that’s probably right."
Big game on ESPNU tonight. Edward Waters v Benedict. I’d never heard of either. Both are private historically black schools founded by religious folks.
There's a fun little documentary about Bucky the Wisconsin mascot. It's for rent or purchase on Itunes, but I imagine there's other ways to watch, but I highly recommend it.
Here's a cute little vignette of Bucky that is made more recently.
Trinity
I got recruited to play baseball at Trinity University in San Antonio…finally got a chance to check out the campus in August on the roadtrip home…regret not playing ball in college, but not sure I would have been happy there, TBH….
San Antonio is a nice city. I spent a bit of time quite near Trinity while Mrs. Strut attended officer basic training at Brooke Army Medical Center. I was intrigued but unfortunately didn’t explore the campus. Eclectic area though, with good food.
That’s fair.
Perhaps my opinion was influenced by the expectedly oppressive August heat, my rundown and tired Airbnb neighborhood, and of course coming down with brutal COVID symptoms for the first time.
The Trinity Baseball team did in fact win the D3 NCAA Championship in 2016…
College Library
as far as old libraries go, this is one of the best. all sorts of great dark wood, old books etc.
They are renovating the Long Library. You can see in the above picture that most of the books are removed, save for the first section that you see as you walk in. They are being restored and preserved since a lot of them are crumbling.
https://www.tcd.ie/old-library-campaign/faq/
High School, Louisville. No 1 went there. In the 2000s they are the best HS football team in the state, and might have been No 1 in the nation for a year. Had a 33 game winning streak early 2010s.
Does anybody know the story behind the matching gold death stars outside the Berkeley College at Trinity and on the Cal campus?
Yes. It's part of a series called "Sphere within a Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro. He lived in the Bay area in the 60's including becoming an artist in residence at UC Berkeley. These sculptures are minorly famous. Later, Trinity College gave Pomodoro an honorary title/degree and he gifted them with one of his sculptures in 1982. That sculpture sits outside the previously named Berkeley Library at Trinity.
Coincidentally, Berkeley - the city in California - is named after its famed alumnus 17th/18th century Irish philosopher and Bishop of Cloyne (Anglican) George Berkeley. The library was also named after George Berkeley. However, Trinity denamed the library because George Berkeley - while a patron of children, the poor, philosophy ,and physics was apparently a fan of slavery.
You sir, are a fountain of knowledge. Thank you. The denaming must have been very recent. I was there in 2022 and it was still Berkeley Library.
Library
Uris Library at Cornell is my favorite college library.
what was your favorite library at Cal?
I worked at both Doe (in a humanities graduate room) and at Moffitt as an undergrad. Doe is what you would expect a library to be at a first-rate university, especially the reading room. Moffitt was night club for undergrads without the booze. Both have places in my heart.
I worked at the Newspaper and MIcrofiche (now Microforms) room at Doe. Great job for a news junky and travel hound. Newspapers from EVERYWHERE. After seeing Saddam Hussein's face on every single front page of the Baghdad paper for years during the start of the nineties, I wasn't surprised he turned out to be a problem...
my top experiences
- Morrison Reading Room - not allowed to study, listen to CDs or records while reading or sleeping. a good place to get some midday rest. did this a lot
- Doe Library Graduate stacks - could always find a place underground away from people
- Music Library - could check out anything on CD that they had available. i would listen to and learn about classical music while studying.
- Bancroft Library - everyone told me that you should go at least one and have some excuse. turns out that the only copies of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead were there and you needed to be there to read it. not sure i needed special permission, just needed to ask for something that was not otherwise available.
PRO
Since about halfway through the season, the Mariners have been going down and down and down. Here is a summary of how the 2nd half of the season has gone.
https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1fkcxxc/julio_rodriguez_dodges_arozarenas_flying_bat_and
Yup. Such an unfortunate bonehead by Julio, who lost track of what was going on…THAT’S how you fall off a cliff as a team.
O’s have been equally mediocre. Only playing .500 since the end of May. But they were so good early that they are still number one wildcard.
Athletics defeat Cubs 5-3 in Chicago
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2024/9/18/24248488/athletics-cubs-basso-soderstrom
The Oakland Athletics wrapped up their road trip with the rubber match of the three-game series against the Chicago Cubs today at Wrigley Field. The Cubs wore their traditional home pinstripe uniforms while the A’s donned their road grays.
Giants extend streak of high-quality baseball to two games (Giants beat the Os 5-3)
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2024/9/18/24248565/giants-orioles-recap-mike-yastrzemski-michael-conforto-hayden-birdsong
If you’re upset that Marco Luciano has only started half of the San Francisco Giants games since his recent call-up, then grab a number and get in line somewhere behind me. If you wish the Giants would find a way to get more consistent at-bats for Jerar Encarnación, grab a number and get in another, equally-long line. If you wish that Luis Matos and/or Wade Meckler were in the Majors right now instead of in Sacramento, well ... there’s a number and a line for that, too. If you think Logan Webb (who leads the league in innings pitched), Tyler Rogers (who leads the Majors in appearances), and Ryan Walker (who is two appearances behind Rogers) should have been shut down for the health of their arms and the good of future seasons, that line’s right over there. Yeah, there. It’s hard to see with all the other lines, but you’ll find it. Grab a number and wander over there, someone will direct you to the right place.
Dodgers home runs back Landon Knack to smack Marlins
https://www.truebluela.com/2024/9/18/24248072/dodgers-home-runs-landon-knack-marlins
The Dodgers offense continued its hot streak and Landon Knack added more evidence to his strong postseason case in an 8-4 win over the Marlins on Wednesday night at loanDepot Park in Miami.
Power was the calling card for the Dodgers on Wednesday, sequencing their three home runs in ascending order. Will Smith was first with a solo home run off the left field foul pole in the second inning for his fourth extra-base hit in his last six games.
Brewers waited to uncork the celebratory champagne for Bob Uecker to make it down from the booth - who arrives in style
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1836596571212853713
Brewers old manager Craig Counsell decides to go to the Cubs. They don't make the playoffs and the Brewers do!
Time to plug an as yet little known yet highly rated move about the 1982 Brewers, Just a Bit Outside. Directed by Sean Hanish, who was a friend of my late wife.
I’m not enough of a baseball fan to know why the 1982 team was so special.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27489635/
Unless I miss my guess, that team was the Brewers' first and so far only World Series team. Harvey Kuenn, the Brewers manager, took over in mid-season. The Milwaukee Brewers lost the 1982 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3.
You would think the Brewers would celebrate with beer suds, not champagne.
Did they clench?
I know they have been on a hot streak and were a favorite.
https://media1.tenor.com/m/dhD_d1y1A7kAAAAC/nacho-libre-jack-black.gif
Hilarious.
WhiteSox have run out of ways to tell their fans they lost
https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1836552498229764210
Craig Kimbrel is designated for assignment. He last pitched against the Giants two days ago, coming losing 4-0 in the top of the ninth and proceeded to give up six runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He has a career 1.01 WHIP, 2.59 ERA, 1265 Ks over 809.2 innings and 440 saves.
In typical fashion, he had his best week of the season when I was playing against him in fantasy baseball, and in the end it’s going to cost me $$$…as Mrs. Finkel eloquently stated, Kimbrel can go the route of Dan Marino from Ace Ventura…. ;-)
Ending the latest annual season-long experiment to make/get something out of him, but he is a loon, and it never seems to work in the long run. But because of those numbers, no one ever gives up until its too late.
CAL
[VB] Bears Sweep Broncos In Home Opener
https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/18/volleyball-bears-sweep-broncos-in-home-opener.aspx
BERKELEY – California volleyball welcomed Santa Clara to Haas Pavilion on Wednesday night and gave Golden Bear fans a treat in the team's 2024 home opener, defeating the Broncos (4-5) in straight sets, 25-10, 25-23, 25-19, to improve to 8-3 on the season.
[MTEN] Bears Compete In Tulsa, SoCal
https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/18/mens-tennis-bears-compete-in-tulsa-socal.aspx
After a strong performance at the Battle in the Bay Classic, the California men's tennis team sends Golden Bears to compete in the ITA All-American Championships and Sherwood Collegiate Cup. Alex Chang, Derrick Chen, Theo Dean, Carl Emil Overbeck, Timofey Stepanov and Mikey Wright will play at All-Americans, through which players can qualify for the NCAA individual championships. Chang – pulling double duty – Alex Aney, Jonathan Irwanto and Ethan Schiffman will play in the Southern California tournament.
[XC] Bears Head To The Roy Griak Invitational
https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/18/cross-country-bears-head-to-the-roy-griak-invitational.aspx
BERKELEY - California cross country is set for its second meet of the season at the Roy Griak Invitational on Friday, hosted by the University of Minnesota. The Bears will travel to Falcon Heights, Minnesota, to race at the Les Bolstad Golf Course. The men will compete in the 8,000 meter-race at 8 a.m. PT followed by the women in the 6,000 meters. Both races will be broadcast live on the B1G+ and RunnerSpace.
[MPOLO] Bears Host Overnght MPSF Invitational
https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/18/mens-water-polo-bears-host-overnght-mpsf-invitational.aspx
The No. 6 California men's water polo team welcomes seven top-15 programs to Berkeley this weekend as it opens its 2024 home schedule hosting the Overnght MPSF Invitational. The field includes top-ranked MPSF schools No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 USC, all of which the Golden Bears defeated during last year's postseason en route to securing a third straight NCAA Championship. Cal is out to a 5-1 start to the season with two wins over top-10 foes, led by seniors Roberto Valera (19 goals) and Max Casabella (18).
[WSWIM] Bears Open 2024-25 Season At Queen Of The Pool
https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/18/womens-swimming-diving-bears-open-2024-25-season-at-queen-of-the-pool.aspx
BERKELEY – The California women's swimming & diving team takes part in its traditional season opener at the Queen of the Pool at Cal Poly's Anderson Aquatic Center on Friday.
Graduate student Isabelle Stadden is the two-time defending champion in the event, which features swimmers competing in the 100-yard race of the butterfly, breaststroke, individual medley, backstroke and freestyle. The swimmer with the best combined time will be named the Queen of the Pool.
Cal Men's Basketball: Meet The Bears - Mady Sissoko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_SFFEMjDLE&ab_channel=CalBears
Interested in seeing how he looks in a different O. The numbers have never really been there, but he’s never really had this kind of role.
[MSWIM] Bears Open Season in Annual King Of The Pool
https://calbears.com/news/2024/9/18/mens-swimming-diving-bears-open-2024-25-season-against-cal-poly-in-annual-king-of-the-pool.aspx
BERKELEY – The California men's swimming & diving team looks to reclaim its place as national champions while extending its current streak of 14 consecutive top-two finishes as the 2024-25 season begins at Cal Poly in the annual King of the Pool duel in San Luis Obispo on Friday. Friday's meet is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. at the Anderson Aquatics Center.
It’s time again for Oski Disciple’s Bear Facts.
Cal’s 1958 Rose Bowl squad sticks out like a sore thumb among the seasons preceding and following it. The Bears won a combined six games in the three years before the ’58 season. They won just six in the four years after. They were thus a combined 12-46-3 in the seven seasons surrounding their January 1, 1959 trip to Pasadena. In fact, in the fifteen years from 1953-1967, 1958 represented California’s only winning season.
Oski Disciple’s Bear Facts appears Tuesday through Thursday on the DBD throughout the 2024 college football season. This feature is brought to you by a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation.
I would call that a Blue and Gold Thumb!
Thank you, Oski D.
But somehow, this doesn't make me feel better.
All Cal football success is temporary and transitory, and the joy must be tempered.
We must strive to a state of Zen…uh, ness?
I want to crush our enemies and hear the lamentations as they writhe in the pain and agony of defeat. All in perpetuity.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
September Surprise - GOP Candidate for NC Governor has dirt spilled about being on a porn site admitting he loves tranny porn, despite being vehemently anti-LGBTQ - and other disturbing comments for a guy who wants to be the state's highest official
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/politics/kfile-mark-robinson-black-nazi-pro-slavery-porn-forum
Politico also reports his email address was in the cache leaked from Ashley Madison
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/19/north-carolina-lt-governor-mark-robinson-ashley-madison-00180107
color me surprised. (that more politician's haven't been outed from that leak)
Marist Poll:
Michigan: Harris +5
Wisconsin: Harris +1
Pennsylvania: tied
.
Quinnipiac poll:
Pennsylvania: Harris +6
Michigan: Harris: +5
Wisconsin: +1
Fox News reports Harris w/ 2 pt nationwide lead and says that Trump should win if it stays that close.
https://www.foxnews.com/official-polls/fox-news-poll-harris-tops-trump-two-points
"Our best estimates are that if Trump is within 2 points of Harris nationally then he will likely win in the Electoral College," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democrat Chris Anderson. "These data showing a Trump edge in the key counties and battleground states suggest that’s probably right."
Marist & Quinnipiac polls would indicate narrow Harris victory in electoral college
Oh, and just to confuse everyone, NYT/Siena shows the race tied nationally but Harris up in Pennsylvania:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/19/upshot/harris-trump-poll-pennsylvania.html
Emerson Poll:
Arizona: Trump +1
Georgia: Trump +3
Pennsylvania: Trump +1
Wisconsin: Trump +1
Michigan: Trump +2
North Carolina: Harris +1
Nevada: 0
Emerson poll would have Trump win 296:242
Performative theater starts as MAGA right flank threatens shutdown just before election.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4887533-mike-johnson-funding-bill-fails-house/
Never underestimate an American's willingness to vote against their own self-interest
https://twitter.com/Teamsters/status/1836463348269092918
People are amazing. and stupid.
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
South Alabama @ App State (-7.5) O/U 62.5
ESPN 7:30 pm Eastern / 4:30 pm Pacific
Big game on ESPNU tonight. Edward Waters v Benedict. I’d never heard of either. Both are private historically black schools founded by religious folks.
I wish we did something like this at Memorial Stadium https://youtu.be/SoXHXLYTAgs?si=ikuDf5QPxZZALNPM
There's a fun little documentary about Bucky the Wisconsin mascot. It's for rent or purchase on Itunes, but I imagine there's other ways to watch, but I highly recommend it.
Here's a cute little vignette of Bucky that is made more recently.
Apropos:
Virginia Tech - Enter Sandman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh93kmgZvUg
South Carolina - Sandstorm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTCDFjxCYI
Michigan - Mr. Brightside
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HIFsIGQOxY#t=61s
Those are all so cool. I love watching people having fun. I still like the Wisconsin one the most.
What songs would you choose?
Metallica's "Seek and Destroy" because of their Bay Area heritage
Prince's "1999"
MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" because we could probably get Hammer at some games
Metallica came up on local sports talk this morning because they are playing at Commanders stadium next spring and tix go on sale next week.
How about some E-40. He'll be here at the OSU game for Bay Area Appreciation Day.
Has to be Green Day. Boulevard of Broken Dreams
FSU should be Wake Me Up When September Ends
DBD AV CLUB
Just for fun, watch Being Bucky. About a 20 year old documentary about the Wisconsin mascot, Bucky. Pretty funny interaction with AD Barry Alvarez.
It's a hoot, eh?