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You might have heard some news about the so-called Polar Vortex. Here is an interesting visualization...

https://twitter.com/NOAASatellites/status/1352350576743387137

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Back early 2015 I think it was one of the Polar Vortexes. I remember there was a day in Louisville that it didn't get above 0F. Probably the coldest winter I've been in.

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those polar vortex cold snaps are no joke

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Egyptology

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The discovery was made by a team led by Zahi Hawass. You have undoubtedly seen him before because he is, or rather was, the face of Egyptology. He was removed when Mubarak fell.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-zahi-hawass-72874123/

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He's a larger than life character - often taking credit for the work of other researchers in his Indiana Jones hat.

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oh we should get right on opening up all of those, what could go wrong?

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Geraldo Rivera is on a plane as we speak...

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Mummy's curse

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Remember what happened to Lord Carnarvon...just after he traveled to Egypt to witness Howard Carter's opening of Tut's tomb he died.

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Geraldo is already undead, so it might not matter.

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Socks

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Box

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Pandora's

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Knox

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, Amanda

IMO -- famous for being on trial with salacious details while being pretty, white, and young. If she was a black man, we wouldn't know her.

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I'm always amazed at people who are Amanda Knox stans. She plainly was treated extremely shabbily by the Italian authorities and yet it's not like she's ever been able to come up with an explanation other than "it wasn't me." Plus literally her first move was to try and pin it on an African immigrant, that instinct wasn't purely from fear of the Italian 5-0.

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I mean, she probably is innocent of the murder though, right?

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I have no idea. The only person who 1) knows for sure and 2) is clearly not lying is the victim. It's certainly possible that Ms Knox is innocent and just happens to be a racist jerk.

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I'd say it's very likely she's innocent, and the Italian courts eventually agreed.

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She certainly was subjected to outrageous conduct by the prosecutors.

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From what I've read, yes.

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I mean, I get the annoyance that a pretty white girl got so much attention for a wrongful conviction, attention that probably wouldn't go to a poor black person, but . . . it seems pretty clear to me that she got railroaded and deserved to be released.

The argument above, that "she's never been able to come up with an explanation" is kind of the problem. If you're falsely accused you don't have to come up with another explanation to prove your innocence. The prosecution has to provide the evidence, not the defendant. From what I can tell the evidence to connect Knox to the murder just wasn't there.

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This reminds a bit of the reaction to the insurrection at the Capitol, in that the white insurrectionist weren't beaten the way the BLM protesters have been. And while undoubtedly true, it ends up sounding like they are advocating for more police brutality.

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, Chuck

The pride of Juniata College and coach who seemed to always have a good but not great team

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

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Today in Covid-19

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My mom has an appointment to be vaccinated next Thursday (Moderna)

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Wow! Where is she?

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Oakland. Her normal medical facility started offering the shots yesterday to people over 65.

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It's about 1 year from the first outbreak last year in China - and for most of the summer and fall we were cruising along in normal life - however in the last week, a handful of new cases have popped up (not imported) - 9 new cases today. They just put temp monitors back in my office building on and checked health codes for the first time in like 7 months.

Otherwise, my parents got their first modena vaccine in Antioch on Wednesday. Next does in 20 days. My dad said his arm is a little sore but otherwise no side effects.

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my folks are nowhere near getting one in the greater Portland area...

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Assuming a sufficient supply can be secured (which will be no small thing), I'd expect them to get there's in March. But that could change without warning at any time.

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The Multnomah county web page suggested as much. I mean fair enough, you've got to wait your turn, it's just funny to me that because they're in poor health but ambulatory, they're waiting longer than they would otherwise. In some ways, being later in the line is a good thing in that regard.

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Taking my mom in a couple of hours to Pittsburg to get her first one. Going to see if it's the Pfizer one.

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WandaVision Episode 3

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Not enough answers were given, and we have to wait another week for more?

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Haven't seen it yet, watched episode 2 last night, which was interesting, could see what they're aiming at. After watching the first one, I was mystified what the point was, expert copy of The Dick Van Dyke show, but for what purpose?

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Fox

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Hannity had a chyron after Biden had been president for 34 hours "A Disastrous First Week"

I want to push him out onto an ice floe in the north atlantic.

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If we still have those. Most likely he will be eaten by a hungry polar bear that has lost its habitat.

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Our once crumbling, but hopefully slightly recovering democracy

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Articles of Impeachment go to the Senate on Monday

https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/12221

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Biden does more work in a day and a half than Trump had done in two years.

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Sure seems like it. This story made me see red:

"The Pentagon blocked members of President Joe Biden’s incoming administration from gaining access to critical information about current operations, including the troop drawdown in Afghanistan, upcoming special operations missions in Africa and the Covid-19 vaccine distribution program, according to new details provided by transition and defense officials.

The effort to obstruct the Biden team, led by senior White House appointees at the Pentagon, is unprecedented in modern presidential transitions and will hobble the new administration on key national security matters as it takes over positions in the Defense Department on Wednesday, the officials said."

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/20/biden-pentagon-transition-460768

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Pro

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The KC Royals coaching staff includes Terry Bradshaw and Rusty Kuntz. End of message.

https://www.mlb.com/royals/roster/coaches/

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Hank Aaron passes away at age 86.

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So sad, and it really angers me that Alex Jones is using this to spread the lie that the COVID vaccine, which Hank Aaron very publicly got when it first came out, is either lethal or of no use.

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I understand he died of a rare form of cancer. Nothing to do with Covid.

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🙄 Jesus, I mean he was also 86 - what a doofus.

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RIP Hank Aaron. A true class act.

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Rodgers vs. Brady. Epic.

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Look at that PGA leaderboard after the first round of this weeks tournament. Brandon Hagy first. Byeong Hun An second. Max Homa tied third. Go golfing Bears.

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Cal

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UCB grad students study racial bias created against Asian-Americans from Trump admin's attempt at "China Virus" branding.

https://www.psypost.org/2021/01/implicit-bias-against-asians-increased-after-trumps-secretary-of-state-and-others-popularized-chinese-virus-59335

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That's a big loss. I guess Wilcox could promote Sirmon to DC, but I wasn't particularly thrilled with the defense's performance once TDR took a step back.

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Sirmon was already DC, DeRuyter was having his contract run out. But Oregon's D just got a lot better IMO. Sigh...

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@yeah but he no longer has 3* players to overachieve@

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TDR at Oregon with Thibodeaux, Noah Sewell, and the Flowe brothers? That's gonna be a nasty defense these next couple of years.

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yeah, they're already fast & if they get even better at diagnosing / adapting, that's bad news.

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He better keep Browning on staff bc if TDR poaches him, goodbye west coast recruiting

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yeah but we got the 2nd tier Arizona guys LOCKED DOWN

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Wilcox taking a swing at Heyward at Oregon to come in...that would be pretty freaking delicious if he can pull it off

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Men's Basketball loses close game to UCLA

https://writeforcalifornia.com/p/cal-mens-basketball-live-thread-bears-591/comments

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Very close, if Hyder makes those lay-ups, I think we win.

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They need to learn from Steph on how to make contested layups against bigs. Although at least 2 were gimmies

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They were - the fast break, uncontested - that one hurt.

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Amazingly close, actually and we were up 55-54 with four minutes left. If we had drained a couple of more threes we could have pulled off the upset.

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Mainly the good thing is men's basketball is getting eminently watchable again.

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Interesting that it's happening without Bradley.

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