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Puzzles

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today was the hardest WaPo Mini Meta ever for me. Went thru all the clues once and got none...gradually filled it in, but had one cell wrong.

A time of 2:56, which is by far the longest it's ever taken.

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author

Something Italian

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Cal’s offense

🤌🏼 garbagio 🤌🏼

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Our kickers for sure! (Are Italian, not garbage)

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Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022

Ah, un entrambi d’poco... sigh...

Longhetto has missed two huge kicks in the past two weeks....

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Great film directors. Fellini, Antonioni, De Sica, Rossellini, Bertolucci, Pasolini and Visconti.

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How about Sergio Leone? His films are good and bad. Some are ugly too.

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Not a fan.

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The music on g b & the ugly reminds me of Cal's offense...

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Fellini first is correct.

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Sep 22, 2022Liked by SGBear

After the ND game on Saturday, a group of us went to dinner at a little Italian place called Sunny Italy Cafe in South Bend. I swear it was one of, if not the, best Italian dinners I've ever had. Little mom-and-pop place with a wonderful variety of traditional Italian dishes. One of the appetizers we received was off-the-menu because our host knows the owner. Italian roast chicken was among the best chicken (not just Italian chicken) I've ever had. Obviously, most of the people at dinner there that night were Notre Dame fans, but they were still tremendously friendly and even tolerated our group's rendition of Sons of California after they sung a ND song.

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Chicago has great Italian food. i cant remember anywhere specific, but have had some great meals.

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Great French as well, best I had in 3 nights.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Schiaparelli

"Among Schiaparelli's contributions are his telescopic observations of Mars. In his initial observations, he named the "seas" and "continents" of Mars. During the planet's "great opposition" of 1877, he observed a dense network of linear structures on the surface of Mars, which he called canali in Italian, meaning "channels", but the term was mistranslated into English as "canals."

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author

Something with caramel in it

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See's Scotchmallows, my favorite "fancy" candy.

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I'm a sucker for Toffifays even if they may offer the worst value amongst all candies.

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Sugar daddies - the candy where you could lose a tooth or a filling if you bit down on the caramel.

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Big Daddies too. I used to put 'em in the microwave for a few secs to soften them.

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Proper caramel - browned sugar - is simultaneously one of the easiest to make and one of the easiest to screw up.

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Rolo

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A candy that punches above its weight imo

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Rolos are severely underrated.

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author

Squid Ink

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I used Custom Ink to get hoodies for my start up back in the day

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Duende in Oakland used to have a squid ink fideua on the menu. It was delicious.

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squid ink pasta is a family favorite. if it is on the menu at an Italian place, we usually order it.

i have some at home too for special occasions.

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author

You and I have similar tastes. We like umami with a bit o' funkiness in it.

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hong kong's famed Tung Po restaurant closed after 30 years in business - not pandemic related, but procedural related - apparently they sub-leased part of their restaurant out. I am confused as to why this required closing the restaurant instead of just like a fine or something.

One of the most famous restaurants in HK, it was one of those places that both tourists and HK residents flocked to in equal measure (I sent TBB and her brother there), located on the sixth floor of a market, they had lots of beer, lots of seafood and one of their signature dishes was this not-very-chinese squid ink pasta

The pasta looked like this

https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/tung-po-seafood-restaurants-famous-squid-ink-spaghetti-java-road-picture-id1197813843?s=612x612

Here's the now closed restaurant

https://youtu.be/spJC8Rdn1OY?t=327

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I had squid ink pasta in some tourist trap restaurant in Venice (redundant?) and it was really rather tasty

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it was good, despite the mosquito that decided to take a swim in my bowl of beer

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author

Kidney stones

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Never had any, but I did enjoy gallstones for about a year before I was finally forced to admit that the crippling abdominal pain was probably not an ulcer.

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author

Trampoline

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Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022

About the only kid investment that the kids do not outgrow and is fun for adults.

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A good free agent that sucked once signed to a hometown team and then was good again after he/she left

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author

The best frosting to go with chocolate cake

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Cream cheese

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chocolate frosting is the right answer

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whipped ganache

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Buttercream fudge

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buttercream.

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Insomnia

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Watching a Musgrave offense is the cure for it

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I’ll take “Empty Sets In The Face of Massive Pressure With TE’s As Decoys” for $800, Mayim.

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Double Jeopardy!

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Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022

If you're plagued by it, it's no fun. If you're not, you can't imagine.

Mere sleep deprivation doesn't count. It's not the same thing.

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cookies. I've never had them so I don't know if they are good, but seems like every college campus has one.

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the best thing about Insomnia cookies are that they are open LATE and they deliver.

they are perfectly decent cookies, nothing special

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author

They are ok, but their angle is that they're warm ala Mrs. Fields. They are

consistently undercooked, leading to mushy cookies. I think the problem is that their instruction process tell them to put a sheet of cookies in straight from the fridge rather than letting them warm up at room temperature for 20 minutes.

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Seems reasonable to let them warm up.

Another option would be to turn off the oven but let them continue to bake for another 5 minutes before pulling the cookies out.

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author
Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022Author

I asked the manager at the one on UNC's campus if it is drunk/stoned students who buy late night. They said hospitals are by far their biggest customers.

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author

Canal

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I enjoy using the C&O canal path as an simplifying decision for going for walks in the summer

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When I was a small lad (like 4?) my parents got this idea that it would be fun to rent a canal longboat for a short holiday and convinced my aunt to come along. Even I remember that it just rained constantly, but I was the only one (including the dog) who didn’t end up in the drink at some point. My folks had some 8mm film of the trip and between the sweaters / raincoat / life jacket I looked like a pale blond Ewok. (You could argue I still do only I don’t need the layers and the life jacket)

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Venice (both Italy and of America)

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Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022

A friend of mine got really drunk in Venice on peach bellinis and barfed it out into the canal. It kind of spread out along the water’s surface in a really gross way. I think that is the second grossest barfing incident I have witnessed, with the grossest being my friend’s cousin barfing onto the grill at a Korean BBQ place in Seoul. Some happy mental images for the lunch hour!

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Root...

Floss your teeth every day, yo

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Yes, 100%

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My brother and his wife finished the C&O canal part of their bike trip yesterday. On toward Pittsburgh on the GAP trail today.

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panama

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we had a Panamanian co-worker at my job in Houston, and whenever he did anything, me and another co-worker would say "oh that's Canal style" and make weird hand motions that indicated a canal.

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OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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This story about a candidate who once called for the repeal of the 19th amendment is less surprising when you see where he went to college. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/politics/john-gibbs-womens-suffrage-19th-amendment-kfile/index.html

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Financial fraud charges against Trump puts light on abusive tax scheme

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/22/financial-fraud-trump-tax-00058178

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I ♥️ WH Twitter Intern

https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1572673696904654848

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Definitely not an intern, It's Megan Coyne - she has her own wiki page and she used to do the same job for the state of New Jersey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Coyne

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Oh interesting -- she just started in August, which is right when the WH account started getting spicy. Good job, Ms. Coyne.

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I'm glad they finally decided to let Gen-Z own the twitter and start with the clapbacks.

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Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022Author

Trump says some crazy shit on Hannity

https://twitter.com/BGrueskin/status/1572769756515532803

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Well that wraps it up then. He declassified them with the power of his mind.

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author

DBD AV Club

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Kitchen Nightmares. I've been binging them as a guilty pleasure. They are formulaic and predictable, so you don't need much before it gets repetitive. However, the one with Amy's Baking Company and the one where it goes opposite to their formula (trying to get a great chef to quit trying so hard) are gold.

https://youtu.be/W5O7TRTpesM

https://youtu.be/iXJNyDorfmM

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House of the Dragon. Enjoyed it thoroughly. Narrower scope than GoT, which allows for a more digestible story. Finale was a bit disappointing for me, but I get that they got to follow on the book storyline. (HBO, 17/19, WB)

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Finale? First season is 10 episodes I thought

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This will probably sound weird, but i have never seen a series via streaming service that wasn't fully released because I was out of the US for 2 decades. I am perpetually catching up years after others have seen it. I have never watched the Wire, Sopranos, or even most of Seinfeld or Friends. It never occurred to me that I would ever watch a series as it got released.

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Whoa!

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Eh, ok 14/19 IMO

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Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022Author

Our Flag Means Death (rest of S1). It's aight. But some tropes got way overused and it got repetitive. It's more light sketch comedy than great series. Nick Kroll and Kristen Schall we're highlights. (12/19, WB but would call a cab immediately afterwards)

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Andor on Disney+ is excellent. Micheal Clayton in Space.

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I’m looking forward to this - pretty much all I needed to see was Diego Luna back, never mind Stellen Starsgard and the various character actors in the mix

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It's what I was hoping Boba Fett would be (and wasn't)

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Michael Clayton was brilliant....a far better movie than WR....

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Eh, sadly, I liked the movie (after this?) but my wife really did not.

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Elsewhere in college

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https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-going-stoic-with-my-week

Canzano introduces an interesting concept I hadn't heard of before; that Cal has a bandwagon.

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I like the stoicism on that thread.

"Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back."

-Marcus Aurelius

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Tarheels QB apologizes for saying something offensive/true

https://www.wralsportsfan.com/unc-qb-maye-apologizes-for-comments-about-nc-state/20485228/

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I heard about this. I can't believe that they made him apologize for that. It's a kid talking trash about an in-state rival. It wasn't even what most people would call "offensive" in any way, shape or form.

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PRO

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No 1 and I are going to Yankees Red Sox tonight. We seemed to get our tickets cheap. 2nd row, upper deck, inside 3B for $38 each.

Hopefully we'll get to see 61 and maybe even 62.

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You lose one finals the the Warriors and then get suspended.

Sources: Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka facing disciplinary action for relationship with member of franchise's staff

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34639780/boston-celtics-coach-ime-udoka-facing-potential-disciplinary-action-team-violation-sources-say

Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka is facing disciplinary action that is expected to include a significant suspension for his role in a consensual intimate relationship with a woman who is a member of the franchise's staff, sources told ESPN on Wednesday night.

The relationship was considered a violation of the organization's guidelines, and a decision on the length of that suspension is expected to come as soon as Thursday, sources said. While no final decision has been made, internal discussions have included scenarios that would keep Udoka out for the entirety of the 2022-23 season, sources said.

It isn't believed that Udoka's job is in jeopardy, sources said.

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They say he’s gonna get a year suspension for the affair...his partner is Nia Long...

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That's just it. People don't cheat because of their current partner or even because of the person they're cheating with . . . it's something more about them, wanting more power or excitement or whatever.

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There used to be an Ashley Madison billboard in Soma that said “Life is short, have an affair.” Like it’s a hobby! Lol

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“The hobby” is a euphemism for a related but different thing, I believe.

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I saw the vague Tweets about this last night and wondered how bad the scandal would be.

Turns out . . . not THAT bad.

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power dynamics (if the rumors are true) in terms of workplace and staffing positions aren't very good. In some companies I've been in, stuff like this is supposed to be disclosed and the lower level employee would get transferred to different work position.

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Sure, it's not GOOD . . . I was just nervous there would be some physical abuse or direct harassment involved (though I guess we could still find out about that).

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And the guy likely to take over has a domestic violence charge during college.

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A's beat the Mariners 2-1

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Yup! Great starting pitcher!

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Tony Kemp comes through again.

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This is a lost and thoroughly forgettable season, but through this abyss, Tony Kemp has solidified his standing as one of my all-time favorite A's. He's just the best dude.

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Don't just think of him!

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Key to victory: play the Rockies

https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2022/9/21/23366218/giants-rockies-recap-logan-webb-jason-vosler

t’s a common thing with starting pitchers. Prior to trotting out to the mound to start the inning, the manager pulls them aside and let’s them know: we’ll give you a chance, but if you allow a hit, it’s over. Sometimes it isn’t even said. If you’re sauntering out for the eighth inning of a 3-2 game and have thrown 107 pitches, you understand that the moment you dabble in non-outs, your night is over.

But it usually comes late. It usually comes when the pitch count is high, or the results have been questionable.

What I’ve never seen is that directive being given to a starting pitcher in the first inning.

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Welcome to the world (and era) of "openers".

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Dodger bats manage three hits in loss to Arizona

https://www.truebluela.com/2022/9/21/23366411/dodger-offense-silent-loss-arizona

Playing three games in two days must be tough. Following a double-header on Tuesday, the Dodger offense failed to show up on Wednesday as the team fell 6-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It was truly an abysmal night for the Dodger offense. Despite entering the game with a 5.01 ERA on the season, Madison Bumgarner silenced the Los Angeles bats. Bumgarner allowed a total of one hit, a long-ball off the bat of Mookie Betts in the fourth, over six innings while striking out five.

The Dodgers would not get another hit until the ninth inning, when Trea Turner reached on an infield single and Freddie Freeman followed with a single of his own. Those three hits, along with walks to Trayce Thompson in the fifth and Austin Barnes in the eighth, would be the only base runners for the Dodgers all night.

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Good thing the Dodgers strung a few wins together earlier in the season before they ran into this Diamondback juggernaut.

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Not just the dbacks but the pirates have won like 4-6 or 5-6 from them.

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CAL

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Cal football trivia fun fact. Sponsored by Power Bar.

Ken Wiedemann (1967-69) is the Golden Bears’ all-time leader in career interceptions with sixteen despite playing only three years (freshmen were not eligible at the time) and missing most of his senior campaign through injury. Playing on the freshmen team in 1966, Ken had five interceptions.

Cal trivia fun fact appears on DBD every Tuesday and Thursday during the football season.

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Sep 22, 2022Liked by SGBear

Just because I haven't checked in here yet this week to say this...it was GREAT to see many of you in South Bend!

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Go Bears!!!

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Our field sponsor, crypto exchange FTX is raising $1 billion in a new financing round at a valuation of $32 billion according to NY Times' Dealbook.

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I have a decidedly jaundiced view of crypto. These guys are criminals in my book because they're just a different version of a Ponzi scheme. Why government thinks they should be regulated and not prosecuted tells me that they just don't have the resources or the political will to do what's necessary.

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Powerful name-brand VC's have pumped billions into the space (Blockchain and crypto) so it won't be allowed to fail. The SEC's regulatory baseball bat is only so big.

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That's just stupid on so many levels.

Are you telling me that only the SEC can prosecute a Ponzi scheme?

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One billion in dogecoin?

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I think it's dollars. Oh, and I hope we didn't take crypto for the sponsorship payment.

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But it would be on brand if we did

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Knowlton was glad to be in possession of 15 dogecoins at one point

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[VB] Bears Keep It Close In Big Spike

https://calbears.com/news/2022/9/21/volleyball-bears-keep-it-close-in-big-spike.aspx

Team 1 2 3 F

Stanford 25 25 25 (3)

California 23 21 22 (0)

BERKELEY – California volleyball (7-4) welcomed No. 5 Stanford on Wednesday night to a rowdy Haas Pavilion, eager to demonstrate that this year's Bears had taken some major steps forward. The Cardinal (6-3), who entered the match leading the all-time series by a margin of 81-13, unleashed the full might of its offensive power against the defensive-minded Bears, never hitting below .310 in any of its three sets; regardless, although Cal lost, 0-3, the final score did little to tell the story of the night's fiery competition.

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What the heck happened to our volleyball program? They failed to win a conference match last season, and in fact won very few sets. This season they've already lost to Utah Valley and we have to be happy with playing Furd tough when losing in three sets. Doesn't seem that long ago that Carli Lloyd and Tarah Murrey were leading us to the final four and we regularly made the NCAAs.

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I presume that Cal needs to recruit SoCal better. In California it also doesn't help that Cal doesn't field a men's volleyball team. It's hard to be taken seriously as a volleyball school if the men play at the club level. You can get away with it in the midwest/east, but not in CA.

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Sep 22, 2022·edited Sep 22, 2022

Men's Volleyball won't be a varsity team because of Title IX.

Stated differently: if you expand the athletic opportunities for men, you have to also expand the athletic opportunities for women.

Not sure how it would work from there because it could potentially trigger compliance w/Title IX being moved from Prong 2 (continual expansion of opportunities for the under-represented sex) to Prong 1 (proportional representation).

At some point over a very long period of time (multiple decades), everyone will comply with Title IX under Prong 1, at least in theory.

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I get all that. I don't think Cal will ever add men's varsity volleyball. Even without Title IX, I don't see Cal adding another non-revenue sport. I'm just saying that the lack of varsity men's volleyball will always be a burden that the women's team will have to bear because it means Cal is not a real volleyball school.

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I wasn't aware that there were "volleyball schools".

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