The term is derived from the name of the town of Spa, Belgium, whose name is known back from Roman times, when the location was called Aquae Spadanae, sometimes incorrectly connected to the Latin word “spargere” meaning to scatter, sprinkle or moisten.
I need to add some new retaining walls in my backyard. My old retaining wall was built on 78 and they used river rock from the San Diego river and now it is starting to fall apart and collapse.
Dirt, some palm trees, a white ash tree, a hibiscus plant and small plants. My backyard has a small incline that slopes up to my neighbors backyard. It is somewhat terraced so I have 3 retaining walls that hold up each terrace.
When I was visiting my sister in Rancho Penasquitos back in Dec, I was introduced to a terrifying possibility....my 1 year old Brittany spaniel pup was able to leap up onto the top of my sister & bro-in-law’s 5 foot retaining wall and ran up their incline...I have a 5’ fence at my house, so the eventuality that Jonesy will some day leap over it to freedom is like seeing a CHP car hiding along your favorite shortcut route that you almost always speed on...is today a Jimmy Shaker day? (Ransom movie reference).
I spent several hours over the weekend installing new switches: dimmers, motion sensors, and timers. While 3-pole dimmers are trickier, the others are pretty easy to install. Honestly, the game changer is having motion sensors in the powder room, pantry, closets, and laundry room. It brings me an unusual amount of joy to have my life automatically lit - partly because I installed it, partly because it's a cheap application of cool technology, and partly because I'm easily amused.
The anthology my short story is in is a finalist in the Swoonies...but I'm not sure what the winners get...bragging rights? Pasting this here in case anyone has some free time to vote, but it's also a long form, so it might not be worth it! (You can skip through other pages until you get to the Romance Anthology page, and the anthology is Friends to Lovers Vol. 1) https://www.theswoonawards.com/2022/01/31/the-2021-swoon-awards-finals-round/
Chicken & pork kebabs, tabouli, yogurt salad and pita bread paired with a rather awesome 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape. (bought in 2017 from Last Bottle madness sale) Chocolate chip cookies for afters (if we doing a theme, it would have been baklava or something).
Ran a high end wine store back in NY and I always loved when we scored 10 cases of Chateauneuf du Pape that Robert Parker/Wine Spectator/Tanzer would give a 90+ rating to....we'd shoot through those cases so quickly because everyone loved saying the name....Chateauneuf du Pape!!!! We always said it like Philip Seymour Hoffman's Lester Bangs would say "Iggy Pop" in Almost Famous....
I may have figured out a key to making the dough easier to spread out. Make it a day or two before, wrap in saran wrap, put it in the fridge, then take it out an hour before making the pizza. Usually I make it the same day and I wonder if proofing it in the fridge after the rise makes the gluten more stretchy. That or the altitude makes it more stretchy.
What I do after it is kneaded in the kitchenaid is put it in a glass bowl and cover it. Then I leave it for like 6 hours to rise. If I make it that afternoon, it doesn't seem to stretch as well as when I premade it before going up to Tahoe. I don't know if it specifically was that I wrapped it in the fridge for 2 days after rising for 6 hours or not. Maybe it was coincidence, but I'm going to try it again the next time I make it to see what happens.
we always make the Liege-style wafels w/ the pearl sugar in the batter on the morning of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege bike race - late April, the last of the Spring Classics.
Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful male riders in the history of competitive cycling. His victories include an unequalled eleven Grand Tours (five Tours of France, five Tours of Italy, and a Tour of Spain), all five Monuments, setting the hour record, three World Championships, every major one-day race other than Paris–Tours, and extensive victories on the track.
I have a friend who took a tour that cycled the TdF route a few days before the actual race came through. Kind of cool (but you have to be in some kind of shape to pull that off -- she used to be the top ranked triathlete in the Netherlands).
i have seen those and *wish* i was in that kind of shape.
realistically, i would be happy enough just doing one or two of the famous mountain passes during a weeklong semi-cycling vacation. if it works out this summer, the plan is to be at the Tour in the Alps on Bastille day.
I'm not a massive cycling fan but I always watch some stages of the TdF when it's happening - I would love to take a few days to watch some of the mountain stages.
Watching Donald Gibb (Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds) walk around Hong Kong drinking Olympias cements Ray Jackson as one of my all-time favorite side-kick characters of all-time.
I live 5 minutes from Santa Barbara City College and though I can't speak to this first hand, thankfully, I would argue that this area is in the running for JCVD Capital of the World...kinda like Santa Carla was for vampires in the OG Lost Boys movie....
the series of supermarket attacks in the early-to-mid-80s that resulted in something like 30 people being murdered, but nobody was ever identified formally or charged: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41734059
Boris Johnson has spent the afternoon getting his ass absolutely handed to him by the House of Commons over the numerous parties hosted at Downing Street in contravention of lockdown rules, and there is real speculation that he might not make it to spring.
I am starting to think that my original prediction - that it would amount to nothing - might be wrong. In my dream world, this will also be the end of the career of the egregious Cressida Dick.
one of the things I've found mildly interesting about "passenger rail" youtube is the extent to which people go to former Soviet bloc states to ride the rails. I can't tell if it's because there's still more rail service there, proportionally speaking, because there's less homogenization of manufacturers as in the EU, or more simply because there haven't been as many travel restrictions.
I think there is an interest in the bloc countries because they have been so inaccessible for so long, and there is still a lot of uncertainty about travel (whether its legit or just lack of familiarity doesn't matter, it's still a thing), and rail gives the impression of getting you to the right (or least a right) place, whereas other methods open you up to winding up in the wrong place at the wrong time due to lack of familiarity with a very different culture/language/legal/etc. world.
Yeah, but: better to go out on top, he did have a great season, but if he comes back all it takes is one injury and I think he would regret ending it that way; also he's 45.
I wouldn't be surprised if Brady feels slighted that he didn't control how his "retirement" story broke and said "F-you all," I'm coming back for one more go round....tell me that wouldn't be the most Tom Brady thing ever???
There was a noticeable shift from playing behind to keep the KC receivers in front of them as much as possible, to avoid giving up the big play, to playing beside to in front of them, taking more chances, but also being actually in position to make a play on the ball. It resulted in break-ups and some inaccurate throws, probably as Mahomes realized he didn't have a clean target. Risk was rewarded. Credit the Bengals, you don't always see that. (Although dropping 8, or 7 + a spy, countered some of the risk.)
Look for them to bring a similar game plan to SoFi v. the LAR. DeMeco did the Rams a favor by bringing pressure, as Stafford is one of the best QBs v the blitz in the NFL.
Especially the last couple drives in regulation, putting a spy on Mahomes was such a simple idea but something (if I recall correctly) the Bills neglected to do.
It’s almost like Mahomes spent the entire 2H kicking himself for his bonehead play at the end of the first half when he didn’t get points...like an IF that boots a ball then it’s in his head....
It felt like in a race where you are neck and neck and one guy just has a higher gear he can kick up to and so he just puts the hammer down on the home stretch and you are like damn why am I so short
Bad Jimmy seems to always show up about midway through the 4th quarter.
The Rams knew this, sold out to stop the run, forcing Garoppolo to beat them. That's a strategy that worked for the Rams and should have worked for Dallas and Green Bay.
It did work for GB. The Niners special teams and Deebo won that game. The Niners got into FG range, not on a big 3rd down pass by Jimmy but a big run by Deebo. Jimmy did lead a scoring TD drive at all in that game.
You'd love Deebo to at least have gotten a touch on the crucial series near midfield. I also don't love the punt at 4th & 2 when your D's been getting gashed...read the room, Kyle.
I tend to agree, my friend. 3 blown 4thQ leads of 10+ points in SB/NFCCG are not flukes.
I'm a big Trey Lance fan and fear Kyle is going to absolutely ruin him. It's no surprise or secret that Shanahan preferred Mac Jones. The game plan in Lance's 1st start at Arizona was abysmal, same as 1H v HOU in his 2nd - he used him as a running back...it was brutal. My only hope is they can capitalize on the play calling rhythm KS & TL got into starting with the 2 minute drill at the end of 1H...if they can, they have a chance.
Looking at Kyle's QB's tho one thing is clear - he does not like guys to go off script....never has. Cousins, the Matts (Ryan & Schaub), Hoyer, Garoppolo, Beatherd, Mullins, etc. - robotic, immobile, quick-read pocket passers...puppets with narcissistic Shanahan pulling the strings.
People point to RGIII in Washington, but Mike & his ego were still very much involved in the day to day, as were LaFleur and McVay. Plus, the Shanahans ran him into the ground...wrecked his career.
This NFCCG appearance probably bought Shanahan another 4 seasons....we'll see if he can win with a mobile QB, though the jury is out.
I just don't see the case for why Shanahan can't win in SF. He's already made it to a Super Bowl and came very close to making another one. This is with a mediocre QB who always gets hurt as his #1. I don't understand this thought to write off what could happen if Lance is what they think he is.
Jimmy ended his San Francisco tenure in the most Garoppolo way possible...1 for his last 7 with 2 batted down, no 1st downs, and an embarrassing, game-sealing interception that will be featured on QB blooper reels on the JumboTron during timeouts for years to come.
Kyle Shanahan has now blown three 4Q leads of 10 or more with predictable, ultra-conservative, Justin Wilcox-type playcalling. Deebo Samuel’s final touch came with over 12 minutes remaining. Kyle has to be better.
It is on Jimmy G, he cost the Niners a SB win and now a SB appearance. He can’t make a play to win a big game when needed. If the pocket and offensive conditions aren’t perfect he falls apart.
Which was not the case when he first joined the Niners. That first run of games he started, he was able to move around and make good throws on the run. That part of his game has disappeared (maybe because of all the injuries).
Give me a break, Cugel. Garoppolo was awful in the 4Q. It’s an indefensible position...you can’t continue to make excuses for him.
Agreed tho...even if he doesn’t throw that laughable pick, there’s zero chance he converts 4th & 13 once Donald, Von & crew smelled blood in the water...
The bigger whiff tho was on the atrocious, 2nd to last drive where he went 3 & out with a delay of game penalty.
I blame him for the last two drives on which he couldn't do anything. The play before the INT, when he made a useless sideline throw guaranteed to lose yardage, was arguably worse. And it set up the situation where he was going to panic and throw a pick.
Jimmy just has too many times when it seems like he doesn't understand the situation, where the pass rush is, where the coverage is, etc. Is he the only reason they lost? No. But he showed why you can't trust him in a big spot.
That's a fairer criticism - I'm not defending him per se, but it's a team sport, and as the game went on, the Rams D-line became more effective when he dropped back to pass.
SF o-line is where the next-step upgrade is needed. Couldn't establish the run, and couldn't keep a clean pocket. Admittedly, it was a fierce Ram defense they were contending with, but that's the barrier between contender and breaking thru for the 49ers. An inexperienced QB in place of an experienced but limited Jimmy G isn't going to go a lot further if the run isn't a more reliable threat against the best defenses, and as long as the pocket is fragile. It could also get said inexperienced QB that does not immediately remind anyone of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen.
Of course it’s a team sport...that is the classic, go-to excuse for QB apologists when the quarterback fails to make the proper reads and throws, as Garoppolo repeatedly does. Check the film - there were plays to be made on the final two drives...he did not make them, and actually looked inept in failing to do so.
He’s a script dependent QB that’s easily rattled by pressure...always has been. Given 2 different chances to send his team to the Super Bowl, he instead looked like Drew Lock.
Again, he did not lose the game for them, but he sure didn’t win it, either.
I cannot believe they blew that lead. My wife and I, both rooting for the Rams, reluctantly agreed that the game was pretty much over when the 49ers went up 17-7.
It should’ve been…Kyle takes a page out of the Justin Wilcox book of turtling, tho that’s gonna happen when you don’t trust your quarterback to not make a critical mistake.
Going backwards yardage-wise, and failing to get even one 1st down on the 2 biggest drives of your season was typical Jimmy G and is why he’s a mediocre-at-best NFL QB. He wasn’t up for the moment.
The whole league is aware of his massive limitations and wildly inconsistent tendencies, so much so that it was a talking point for broadcasters & analysts. They’ll be lucky to get a 2nd…more likely a 3rd for him.
Pittsburgh, Denver, Indy seem like decent options….
Respectfully disagree...Tartt's muff hurts, but it does not absolve Garoppolo and his inept play down the stretch of the NFC Championship Game. Championship players make championship plays...he didn't.
Per Josh Dubow of AP: Jimmy Garoppolo went 3 for 9 for 30 yards and INT in 4th quarter. In 6 playoff starts Garoppolo has a 28.0 passer rating in the 4th, ranking last among 69 QBs w/ 30+ 4th quarter passes in playoffs since 1991.
Make that pick, and turn it into even a FG, and the late 4th qtr "problem" never presents itself. I don't disagree that Jimmy G is not a premier late in a big game QB, but avoiding needing one has benefits as well.
Agreed...things get absolutely much, much easier if Q makes that pick. No doubt...plus, the very next play was the 30 yarder to ODB, plus 15 for the Ward late hit - huge momentum swing on a 45 yard play.
This is why it's so hard to win consistently at an elite level with a QB like Jimmy G, tho....it CAN be done (Dilfer, Eli Manning, etc.), but you need EVERYONE to make plays...there's very little margin for error.
Every single QB that's ever put on a helmet is better with a lead, or at least when the game goes according to the script. But to win a Super Bowl, your QB is inevitably going to have to make big plays...Garoppolo flat out doesn't, especially in this postseason.
This is the problem with Jimmy G. He is terrible in the 4th quarter of playoff games. If you’re down in the 4th and need a game winning or tying drive with Jimmy G, you know it is over.
Baby, If you’ve ever wondered,
Wondered whatever became of me
I’m living on the air in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, W K R P.
Got tired of packin’ and unpackin’,
Town to town up and down the dial.
Maybe you and me were never meant to be
Just maybe think of me once in a while.
I’m at W K R P in Cincinnati.
There was some very high quality sit com comedy in that show.
"Booooger"
I just saw him in Clue during my recent watch...he was good...
Oh the humanity!!
"As Gawd is my witness, I thought that turkeys could fly!"
Two best lines in the whole series.
Although I loved when he tried to pronounce Chi Chi Rodriguez.
"Les Nessman and the News!"
"Chye Chye Rod-ri-gwez"
hahahaha that episode slayed me.
DBD Home Improvement
I need to add some new retaining walls in my backyard. My old retaining wall was built on 78 and they used river rock from the San Diego river and now it is starting to fall apart and collapse.
what is is trying to hold up? Do you know if a foundation was built?
Dirt, some palm trees, a white ash tree, a hibiscus plant and small plants. My backyard has a small incline that slopes up to my neighbors backyard. It is somewhat terraced so I have 3 retaining walls that hold up each terrace.
When I was visiting my sister in Rancho Penasquitos back in Dec, I was introduced to a terrifying possibility....my 1 year old Brittany spaniel pup was able to leap up onto the top of my sister & bro-in-law’s 5 foot retaining wall and ran up their incline...I have a 5’ fence at my house, so the eventuality that Jonesy will some day leap over it to freedom is like seeing a CHP car hiding along your favorite shortcut route that you almost always speed on...is today a Jimmy Shaker day? (Ransom movie reference).
I spent several hours over the weekend installing new switches: dimmers, motion sensors, and timers. While 3-pole dimmers are trickier, the others are pretty easy to install. Honestly, the game changer is having motion sensors in the powder room, pantry, closets, and laundry room. It brings me an unusual amount of joy to have my life automatically lit - partly because I installed it, partly because it's a cheap application of cool technology, and partly because I'm easily amused.
It's code here in California now.
What's code? Motion sensors?
Yes, auto turn-off, not everywhere, but in some places - bathrooms being one.
Have you heard of the hodag? Apparently, it sends you a portrait if you sign up for its fan club http://explorerhinelander.com/hodag-fan-club/
looks like the Gruffalo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gruffalo
The anthology my short story is in is a finalist in the Swoonies...but I'm not sure what the winners get...bragging rights? Pasting this here in case anyone has some free time to vote, but it's also a long form, so it might not be worth it! (You can skip through other pages until you get to the Romance Anthology page, and the anthology is Friends to Lovers Vol. 1) https://www.theswoonawards.com/2022/01/31/the-2021-swoon-awards-finals-round/
Voted. I didn't vote for anything else so they don't get any bonus points.
Voted and ditto as HAG
Thank you!
aw thanks!!!
DBD test kitchen
Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and my family is planning to order from here: https://wojiahunancuisine.com/
🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯
Year of the cat?
tiger i think .. unless you knew that
Ooh...this place looks good. HSB and I went to R&G Lounge before the Warriors game.
we also got some free t-shirts and red envelopes (with no money) at the game for Lunar New Year celebration
Oh I left the red envelopes under our seats.
Take off that red...envelope.
i looked for them, but someone took them i think
Nice!
did you go to Fenton's? we sort of thought about it a bit too late. we would have had to have ice cream before our Chinese lunch in SF
Scootie and I are rescheduling our dessert date, but I did get Mitchell's on Saturday.
Chicken & pork kebabs, tabouli, yogurt salad and pita bread paired with a rather awesome 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape. (bought in 2017 from Last Bottle madness sale) Chocolate chip cookies for afters (if we doing a theme, it would have been baklava or something).
Ran a high end wine store back in NY and I always loved when we scored 10 cases of Chateauneuf du Pape that Robert Parker/Wine Spectator/Tanzer would give a 90+ rating to....we'd shoot through those cases so quickly because everyone loved saying the name....Chateauneuf du Pape!!!! We always said it like Philip Seymour Hoffman's Lester Bangs would say "Iggy Pop" in Almost Famous....
Makes a cameo in the Beastie Boys song “Body Movin’”.
pan fried breaded pork cutlet with caper lemon sauce and gratin of white beans last night.
the lady friend had a glass of Gruner and I a ginger beer
Watched a Guy’s Grocery Games to calm down after the Niner L, and someone made a ramen dish....now I got a hankering.
Any suggestions...I haven’t made in years.
Good roasted pork bone broth is the game changer.
https://www.seriouseats.com/rich-and-creamy-tonkotsu-ramen-broth-from-scratch-recipe
I really want to make this. One of these days. Need to find a butcher to get the bones.
a bit dated, but now that i am home from SF/Tahoe trip i will say that HAG makes some pretty good pizzas in his Ooni.
we took the Ooni up to Tahoe and it worked out great. maybe next tailgate ..
I may have figured out a key to making the dough easier to spread out. Make it a day or two before, wrap in saran wrap, put it in the fridge, then take it out an hour before making the pizza. Usually I make it the same day and I wonder if proofing it in the fridge after the rise makes the gluten more stretchy. That or the altitude makes it more stretchy.
Try giving it time to proof before you saran it and then put it in the fridge...then let it get to room temp before you roll it out.
We made our own dough at the Italian restaurant I ran in Phoenix and that worked well!
What I do after it is kneaded in the kitchenaid is put it in a glass bowl and cover it. Then I leave it for like 6 hours to rise. If I make it that afternoon, it doesn't seem to stretch as well as when I premade it before going up to Tahoe. I don't know if it specifically was that I wrapped it in the fridge for 2 days after rising for 6 hours or not. Maybe it was coincidence, but I'm going to try it again the next time I make it to see what happens.
There may be something to the 2 days...our sweet spot was definitely make the night before and roll it out the next...
Hmm...ok maybe I'll try the day before then.
Beanbags
Something Belgian
Waffles
we always make the Liege-style wafels w/ the pearl sugar in the batter on the morning of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege bike race - late April, the last of the Spring Classics.
cycling .. while not quite Belgian, they are obsessed with it.
Eddy Merckx is the GOAT of cycling and has many records that may never be broken.
would be fun to take a cycling vacation, ride a lot of cobblestones and drink some good beers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_Merckx
Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful male riders in the history of competitive cycling. His victories include an unequalled eleven Grand Tours (five Tours of France, five Tours of Italy, and a Tour of Spain), all five Monuments, setting the hour record, three World Championships, every major one-day race other than Paris–Tours, and extensive victories on the track.
I have a friend who took a tour that cycled the TdF route a few days before the actual race came through. Kind of cool (but you have to be in some kind of shape to pull that off -- she used to be the top ranked triathlete in the Netherlands).
i have seen those and *wish* i was in that kind of shape.
realistically, i would be happy enough just doing one or two of the famous mountain passes during a weeklong semi-cycling vacation. if it works out this summer, the plan is to be at the Tour in the Alps on Bastille day.
I'm not a massive cycling fan but I always watch some stages of the TdF when it's happening - I would love to take a few days to watch some of the mountain stages.
Beer… Great stuff at The Trappist in Oakland.
which sadly closed last month
Nooo
Trappist Westvleteren is brewed by the monks of the Sint-Sixtus abbey
Belgian beer is best beer
Rodenbach - barrel-aged sour beers in the Flemish red style.
this one is my favorite
JCVD
Bloodsport is in my top-5 all time movies
I’m really surprised Hollywood hasn’t tried to reboot this yet.
Fight to surviiiiiiive!
https://youtu.be/JjdzaxI5isY
Watching Donald Gibb (Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds) walk around Hong Kong drinking Olympias cements Ray Jackson as one of my all-time favorite side-kick characters of all-time.
My young heart broke when Chong Li stomped him out and taunted Frank with his Harley bandana. Was a huge relief he pulled through in the end.
I agree and had the same reaction.
Bolo Yeung is an all-time great antagonist...
dude seeing him awake at the end of the movie was more emotional than 95% of other movies I've seen
the mystery of what "JCVD" stands for is cleared up!
The Muscles From Brussels....
I thought JCVD meant Junior College Venereal Disease so I would say this is better
I live 5 minutes from Santa Barbara City College and though I can't speak to this first hand, thankfully, I would argue that this area is in the running for JCVD Capital of the World...kinda like Santa Carla was for vampires in the OG Lost Boys movie....
the series of supermarket attacks in the early-to-mid-80s that resulted in something like 30 people being murdered, but nobody was ever identified formally or charged: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41734059
Spa
Onsen
i am a big fan of all the ways of getting hot and sweaty .. dry or steamy.
the best is when there is a pile of soft fluffy snow outside to jump in as you alternate hot/cold therapy which is apparently good for you.
Lived for 10 years in Saratoga Springs, NY, affectionately known as the Spa because of the mineral springs found there.
Sounds different with a Southern accent. Someone once told my spouse “SehDOAHnah has all the best SPIES.”
The photo above is a real. I took it at a mall in Singapore. Unsurprisingly, the place went out of business.
https://xavvy-licious.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-kids-spa-1st-specialty-spa-in.html
one of the more interesting tracks in the F1 calendar, even when it's not rained out
Moisten
Elsewhere in college
'22 Pac-12 Transfer Portal, to date.
Transfer portal out:
Arizona 19
ASU 10
Cal 8
CU 20
OU 13
OSU 4
Furd 8
UCLA 14
USC 21
Utah 5
UW 14
WSU 21
Transfer portal in:
Arizona 7
ASU 8
Cal 3
CU 5
OU 4
OSU 1
Furd 1
UCLA 7
USC 12
Utah 3
UW 4
WSU 4
Tommy Christakos' younger sister scored this gem of a goal
https://twitter.com/PHXRisingYouth/status/1487276873109291008
Today in Covid
FDA gives full approval for Moderna vaccine. Also, TIL that it's called "Spikevax"
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/health/moderna-covid-vaccine-fda-approval/index.html
The latest unproven treatment is [spins wheel]... wormwood.
https://twitter.com/ryanmarino/status/1487817745488134151
absinthe consumption increases
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
Not ours, but my other country's...
Boris Johnson has spent the afternoon getting his ass absolutely handed to him by the House of Commons over the numerous parties hosted at Downing Street in contravention of lockdown rules, and there is real speculation that he might not make it to spring.
I am starting to think that my original prediction - that it would amount to nothing - might be wrong. In my dream world, this will also be the end of the career of the egregious Cressida Dick.
Still figuring out where to go this summer?
https://twitter.com/RichardEngel/status/1487134308267704325
https://youtu.be/y2BwaYiPByg
I have to be honest, it wasn't on the list.
one of the things I've found mildly interesting about "passenger rail" youtube is the extent to which people go to former Soviet bloc states to ride the rails. I can't tell if it's because there's still more rail service there, proportionally speaking, because there's less homogenization of manufacturers as in the EU, or more simply because there haven't been as many travel restrictions.
I think there is an interest in the bloc countries because they have been so inaccessible for so long, and there is still a lot of uncertainty about travel (whether its legit or just lack of familiarity doesn't matter, it's still a thing), and rail gives the impression of getting you to the right (or least a right) place, whereas other methods open you up to winding up in the wrong place at the wrong time due to lack of familiarity with a very different culture/language/legal/etc. world.
The Jan. 6 panel's on a hot streak against Trump World. Now what?
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/31/january-6-committee-hot-streak-trump-world-00003368
PRO
No mention of the Tommy GOAT Brady retiring?
You mean Tom "I fumbled" Brady?
Smart move says I, done all he could possibly do, gets out relatively undamaged.
I thought he was going to return and win two more SBs just to spite the person in his inner circle who leaked the rumor.
I was a bit surprised he retired because he had a great season. I thought he would come back for one more season to try to win a SB.
Yeah, but: better to go out on top, he did have a great season, but if he comes back all it takes is one injury and I think he would regret ending it that way; also he's 45.
He sure doesn't play like a 45 year old.
I wouldn't be surprised if Brady feels slighted that he didn't control how his "retirement" story broke and said "F-you all," I'm coming back for one more go round....tell me that wouldn't be the most Tom Brady thing ever???
Bungles beat the Chiefs.
Just before halftime, I texted the kids that it looked like the Bengals couldn't stop the Chiefs. Cincy fans can thank me for jinxing the Chiefs.
whatever the Bengals' defense did to slow down the Chiefs was impressive...looking forward to reading about the halftime adjustments
There was a noticeable shift from playing behind to keep the KC receivers in front of them as much as possible, to avoid giving up the big play, to playing beside to in front of them, taking more chances, but also being actually in position to make a play on the ball. It resulted in break-ups and some inaccurate throws, probably as Mahomes realized he didn't have a clean target. Risk was rewarded. Credit the Bengals, you don't always see that. (Although dropping 8, or 7 + a spy, countered some of the risk.)
Look for them to bring a similar game plan to SoFi v. the LAR. DeMeco did the Rams a favor by bringing pressure, as Stafford is one of the best QBs v the blitz in the NFL.
Cincy started regularly dropping 8 players into coverage in the second half. That really stymied the Chiefs' offense.
Especially the last couple drives in regulation, putting a spy on Mahomes was such a simple idea but something (if I recall correctly) the Bills neglected to do.
they sacked Mahomes a bunch too since he had nowhere to throw.
but you would think that they still were in good shape having the ball first in OT
It’s almost like Mahomes spent the entire 2H kicking himself for his bonehead play at the end of the first half when he didn’t get points...like an IF that boots a ball then it’s in his head....
Jimmy G played well...until he didn't. Rams turned up the D the last couple of drives. 9ers out.
It felt like in a race where you are neck and neck and one guy just has a higher gear he can kick up to and so he just puts the hammer down on the home stretch and you are like damn why am I so short
Bad Jimmy seems to always show up about midway through the 4th quarter.
The Rams knew this, sold out to stop the run, forcing Garoppolo to beat them. That's a strategy that worked for the Rams and should have worked for Dallas and Green Bay.
It did work for GB. The Niners special teams and Deebo won that game. The Niners got into FG range, not on a big 3rd down pass by Jimmy but a big run by Deebo. Jimmy did lead a scoring TD drive at all in that game.
He basically Trent Dilfer’d his way to a win.
Except for that pesky blocked punt it did work for GB. Which, unfortunately means that GB torpedoed themselves.
Just like Dallas did the week before with 14 penalties.
You'd love Deebo to at least have gotten a touch on the crucial series near midfield. I also don't love the punt at 4th & 2 when your D's been getting gashed...read the room, Kyle.
Shanahan has hit his ceiling with San Francisco. He might win a Super Bowl sometime in his career, but I don't think it will be with the 49ers.
I tend to agree, my friend. 3 blown 4thQ leads of 10+ points in SB/NFCCG are not flukes.
I'm a big Trey Lance fan and fear Kyle is going to absolutely ruin him. It's no surprise or secret that Shanahan preferred Mac Jones. The game plan in Lance's 1st start at Arizona was abysmal, same as 1H v HOU in his 2nd - he used him as a running back...it was brutal. My only hope is they can capitalize on the play calling rhythm KS & TL got into starting with the 2 minute drill at the end of 1H...if they can, they have a chance.
Looking at Kyle's QB's tho one thing is clear - he does not like guys to go off script....never has. Cousins, the Matts (Ryan & Schaub), Hoyer, Garoppolo, Beatherd, Mullins, etc. - robotic, immobile, quick-read pocket passers...puppets with narcissistic Shanahan pulling the strings.
People point to RGIII in Washington, but Mike & his ego were still very much involved in the day to day, as were LaFleur and McVay. Plus, the Shanahans ran him into the ground...wrecked his career.
This NFCCG appearance probably bought Shanahan another 4 seasons....we'll see if he can win with a mobile QB, though the jury is out.
I just don't see the case for why Shanahan can't win in SF. He's already made it to a Super Bowl and came very close to making another one. This is with a mediocre QB who always gets hurt as his #1. I don't understand this thought to write off what could happen if Lance is what they think he is.
Definitely should have gone for it on 4th and 2. But the run had gotten stuffed twice in a row and I think this goes back to him not trusting Jimmy.
It used to be that you could win a title with a game manager at QB, but I don’t think you can anymore. The QBs are so good now
You can, but you really gotta make pretty much every big play (ie Tartt INT)...the margin for error is so slim.
Except that Nick Foles won a title four years ago.
Dallas and Green Bay made their own mistakes that torpedoed their strategy.
And honestly, so did the Rams but Tartt dropped the interception.
lol niners
was on a flight back home from SF > NYC so i missed this game almost entirely. the pilots said they would give updates, but they did not.
Jimmy ended his San Francisco tenure in the most Garoppolo way possible...1 for his last 7 with 2 batted down, no 1st downs, and an embarrassing, game-sealing interception that will be featured on QB blooper reels on the JumboTron during timeouts for years to come.
Kyle Shanahan has now blown three 4Q leads of 10 or more with predictable, ultra-conservative, Justin Wilcox-type playcalling. Deebo Samuel’s final touch came with over 12 minutes remaining. Kyle has to be better.
The Trey Lance era begins....
Yo - blaming JG? The O-line did him zero favors on that play, let's say he doesn't throw the interception and takes the sack, how does that help?
It is on Jimmy G, he cost the Niners a SB win and now a SB appearance. He can’t make a play to win a big game when needed. If the pocket and offensive conditions aren’t perfect he falls apart.
Which was not the case when he first joined the Niners. That first run of games he started, he was able to move around and make good throws on the run. That part of his game has disappeared (maybe because of all the injuries).
Definitely a different player after the knee injury...his inability to make plays outside the pocket was quite visible this postseason.
Again, you can absolutely win with Garoppolo as your QB....you just have to make plays in other facets of the game.
Losing in the NFC Championship Game is still a quality season.
Give me a break, Cugel. Garoppolo was awful in the 4Q. It’s an indefensible position...you can’t continue to make excuses for him.
Agreed tho...even if he doesn’t throw that laughable pick, there’s zero chance he converts 4th & 13 once Donald, Von & crew smelled blood in the water...
The bigger whiff tho was on the atrocious, 2nd to last drive where he went 3 & out with a delay of game penalty.
I blame him for the last two drives on which he couldn't do anything. The play before the INT, when he made a useless sideline throw guaranteed to lose yardage, was arguably worse. And it set up the situation where he was going to panic and throw a pick.
Jimmy just has too many times when it seems like he doesn't understand the situation, where the pass rush is, where the coverage is, etc. Is he the only reason they lost? No. But he showed why you can't trust him in a big spot.
That's a fairer criticism - I'm not defending him per se, but it's a team sport, and as the game went on, the Rams D-line became more effective when he dropped back to pass.
SF o-line is where the next-step upgrade is needed. Couldn't establish the run, and couldn't keep a clean pocket. Admittedly, it was a fierce Ram defense they were contending with, but that's the barrier between contender and breaking thru for the 49ers. An inexperienced QB in place of an experienced but limited Jimmy G isn't going to go a lot further if the run isn't a more reliable threat against the best defenses, and as long as the pocket is fragile. It could also get said inexperienced QB that does not immediately remind anyone of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen.
Of course it’s a team sport...that is the classic, go-to excuse for QB apologists when the quarterback fails to make the proper reads and throws, as Garoppolo repeatedly does. Check the film - there were plays to be made on the final two drives...he did not make them, and actually looked inept in failing to do so.
He’s a script dependent QB that’s easily rattled by pressure...always has been. Given 2 different chances to send his team to the Super Bowl, he instead looked like Drew Lock.
Again, he did not lose the game for them, but he sure didn’t win it, either.
I cannot believe they blew that lead. My wife and I, both rooting for the Rams, reluctantly agreed that the game was pretty much over when the 49ers went up 17-7.
As a Niners fan, I was not comfortable at all. We hadn't seen the Jimmy G interception yet, and you know it's coming at some point.
It was positive, and encouraging, but there was way too much time left.
Was gonna say, 17-7 was by no means safe for the Niners
Exactly. And the L is not solely on Garoppolo, nor Tartt, etc.
A mediocre QB who is so script dependent means a lot of other things need to go right...they didn’t yesterday.
Still, getting this team to the NFCCG was an accomplishment...
Way I see it is the Niners were playing with the house's money.
It should’ve been…Kyle takes a page out of the Justin Wilcox book of turtling, tho that’s gonna happen when you don’t trust your quarterback to not make a critical mistake.
Going backwards yardage-wise, and failing to get even one 1st down on the 2 biggest drives of your season was typical Jimmy G and is why he’s a mediocre-at-best NFL QB. He wasn’t up for the moment.
The whole league is aware of his massive limitations and wildly inconsistent tendencies, so much so that it was a talking point for broadcasters & analysts. They’ll be lucky to get a 2nd…more likely a 3rd for him.
Pittsburgh, Denver, Indy seem like decent options….
3rd round pick seems most likely. Or maybe a desperate team will stretch with a 2nd rounder, but I doubt it.
It’s almost as if ANY compensation is gravy...just freeing up the $26M in cap space helps you re-up Deebo & Bosa, which is absolutely necessary.
The Tartt dropped INT was just absolutely killer. Reminiscent of the Jimmy G overthrow in the SB
Probably the real difference maker, not anything Jimmy G did or didn't do.
Respectfully disagree...Tartt's muff hurts, but it does not absolve Garoppolo and his inept play down the stretch of the NFC Championship Game. Championship players make championship plays...he didn't.
Per Josh Dubow of AP: Jimmy Garoppolo went 3 for 9 for 30 yards and INT in 4th quarter. In 6 playoff starts Garoppolo has a 28.0 passer rating in the 4th, ranking last among 69 QBs w/ 30+ 4th quarter passes in playoffs since 1991.
THAT'S your story...
Make that pick, and turn it into even a FG, and the late 4th qtr "problem" never presents itself. I don't disagree that Jimmy G is not a premier late in a big game QB, but avoiding needing one has benefits as well.
Agreed...things get absolutely much, much easier if Q makes that pick. No doubt...plus, the very next play was the 30 yarder to ODB, plus 15 for the Ward late hit - huge momentum swing on a 45 yard play.
This is why it's so hard to win consistently at an elite level with a QB like Jimmy G, tho....it CAN be done (Dilfer, Eli Manning, etc.), but you need EVERYONE to make plays...there's very little margin for error.
Every single QB that's ever put on a helmet is better with a lead, or at least when the game goes according to the script. But to win a Super Bowl, your QB is inevitably going to have to make big plays...Garoppolo flat out doesn't, especially in this postseason.
This is the problem with Jimmy G. He is terrible in the 4th quarter of playoff games. If you’re down in the 4th and need a game winning or tying drive with Jimmy G, you know it is over.
https://twitter.com/Clete27/status/1487972368387657733
you monster
Quaski fought it the entire way....sigh.
Just a dagger.
I feel like Tartt didn't have a great game overall. Aikman pointed out how Ambry Thomas wasn't playing well either. Cupp was dominating.
Given Niners CB woes, I’ve thought teams do them a favor when they try to run the ball. LAR could pass at will yesterday.
Very unfortunate.
My route home from Sunday morning soccer takes me right past SoFi (from the general direction of LAX). The traffic that day will be most unfortunate.
CAL
Chase Garbers had a good performance at NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Here he converts a 4th down with a pass to Tonges, but Goode forces a fumble lol
https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/1487564589143244806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1487564589143244806%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-7291943292052436954.ampproject.net%2F2201141909003%2Fframe.html
Hmmmm... maybe 7th round, towards the end?
C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
Aqeel Glass 9/11 141 12.8 1 0
Chase Garbers 10/13 119 9.2 1 0
Zerrick Cooper 1/3 30 10.0 0 0
Garbers also rushed for 25 yards on two carries
I wonder how the teams were setup if Cal was on O and D at the same time.
I did a quick search but could not find out how team rosters were determined.
Go Bears!!!
If one were to read the Cal recruiting staff's tweets, Cal already has two silent verbal commitments from the class of '23.
the Fire Starkey gif generator looks like it will be heavy on the penii when Cal gets commits this year
probably... but also could two more to finish off the '22 class.
aaaand it's a '22 QB. Mendoza was committed to Yale. Was on a visit this past weekend to Cal and decommitted from Yale today... (eyeball emoji)
https://twitter.com/qb_fernando/status/1488195886136139778?s=20&t=jNmIqb591kQDvo4s5YtHLg
the other commit is probably the JC DE