Left my cushy corporate job and headed off to Silicon Valley. Co-founded a software company that was sold a couple of years later. Then hired by one of the investors to chase new deals...
NC was the outlier. Tied in polls, but skewed GOP in every Fed role - except Governor. DEM governor went moderate and actually has done a good job. County is super Blue so county-wide down-ballot went blue. My district is purple, but independents swung blue this election. The person who founded the NC CAA chapter with me won a seat on the County Commission Board.
Our congressional district unsurprisingly remained red, as it's gerrymandered to be MD's only red district. We only had two partisan races on the ballot this time: president and house rep, and three other items on the ballot.
I'm still registered to vote in the city where my parents live and where I went to high school. It was not super diverse by Bay Area standards when I was in high school. Also, when I was in high school, someone in the city held a backyard fundraiser for Dick Cheney. It's a more conservative-for-Bay-Area place. I did learn recently that it's now 42% POC.
Mayoral race: Two city council members, one "concerned dad," and two people who graduated from high school in 2010 (much younger than the other candidates). I watched a forum of the candidates, and these were my impressions: City council member 1 spoke well within the time limits and had plenty of data (she ended up winning the election), but is kind of a NIMBY. City council member 2 hit the time limits but didn't have much useful to say. Concerned dad was useless (all he cared about was having "parks like when he was young" for his five children, without any concrete plans or data, and was not a poised speaker). Young candidate 1 wasn't great at sticking to the time limits, but had good ideas and plans. Young candidate 2 actually dropped out of the race to work on a "national campaign," but it was too late to have her name removed.
This is going to be a hella racist comment, but both young candidates were of Indian descent. I suspect that there were people who encouraged their friends to vote for "the Indian one" without specifying WHICH candidate, and so the candidate who dropped out probably siphoned off votes from the candidate who stayed in. And so, hometown continues to be super NIMBY.
San Diego Democrats had a good election night. Issa won but that was a tough race for the democrats, that was for Duncan Hunters old seat, the race was closer than expected but that area is just too rural and Republican to turn right now.
We did get rid of a trump toad in one of our San Diego County Supervisor races.
Almost exactly what was expected. A couple of margins were mildly surprising, both ways, but none of the outcomes, either way, beyond a city council race here or there.
Potential hassles: it's a two dose-vaccine given 21 days apart, and the results are from 7 days after the second dose, so 28 days after vaccine start. No idea about efficacy in the intervening time, or if the second dose is missed. There's also been some prior reports that this particular vaccine needs to be stored at -80 Celsius (really cold, outside range of generally available freezers), and only has 1-2 days viability under normal refrigeration typically found in, say, a local pharmacy, so distribution may be difficult.
Also not clear whether it prevents the virus, or just makes the recipient asymptomatic. Either is a good thing, but the first much better than the second. Will be interesting to watch.
Mike Pence has broken his post-election silence to trumpet the Trump administration’s backing of a new coronavirus vaccine - only for the company to immediately point out that their vaccine had nothing to do with the government.
Pfizer announced on Monday morning that their Covid-19 vaccine was 90 per cent effective, in early trials.
Yeah, to be honest if they weren’t getting money from the administration and the approvals go through under Biden (less chance of thumbs on the scale), then I’m all in
He was the fastest one to learn to keep the executive style indulgences under control after the flaps about super expensive furniture and hiring family
Mint and Chocolate are both good. I'm waiting for the It's It factory to open back up so I can redeem my last living social coupon. I had 4 but 3 expired back in Oct so I got my money back for those. I have one more that expires at the endo f the month so I've got to call them to see if they're open.
i have a whole list since i am not in CA anymore. but i will say that my most standard first meal after landing at SFO is lunch at Pancho Villa's in San Mateo.
My three off-the-plane "Mission" burritos are Pancho Villa in San Mateo, La Tapatilla in South City, and a dive-place west of the 101 near the It's-It factory that I only know how to drive to but don't know the name (that stretch that only has a Southbound on and off ramp, both of which are dangerous near where the pest guy with the mallot used to be) - no English spoken and it's only got service pick-ups/vans in the parking lot.
I try to go to El Farolito on 24th on my way back from the airport. GO told me to go there instead of the on on Mission and I've been going to that one ever since. Still want to try La Taqueria at some point.
For No 3's bday he wanted tortas so we tried La Torta Gorda just down the 24th from Farolito. Their tortas were really good. I've highly recommend them.
When I'm in the City, the go-to burrito place is La Taqueria on Mission and 25th. Anyplace that does not put rice in their burrito is my kind of place.
I did go to the Shake Shack with HSB near Central Park, but that was 10 years ago so I don't remember how it was. I went to the one Kirkland, outside Seattle, and was unimpressed. Especially for how much it cost.
In-N-Out will always be #1 for me, but my fave alternative in LA is Tommy's. The hamburgers themselves are pretty ordinary, but put the chili on it and they are exceptional, especially with a side of chili fries.
I would have to agree with Tommy's because of the chili. We always go at least once during each trip. though I usually do chili cheese fries, and maybe a chili dog if I'm that hungry. And last couple of times I've brought back a large togo container of it. The first time I flew back so I froze it and carried it on. Did get pulled aside but it was at the Ontario airport so there was no one in line and it went fast. Second time I froze it and drove back.
any 'mexican' place that looks like an earthquake happened about an hour ago.
pretty much anything where the vegetable portion isn't over cooked or over salted, and the vegetables in question are actual fresh ones, not frozen or other methods of preservation.
Wazzu missing 32 players due to Covid, feature a dominant running game that puts Cougars way ahead and keeps ball out of Jamar Jefferson's hands. Cougars hold off Beavs 38-28.
Oregon State looked like they were mounting a comeback, got within 3, and then gave up a TD on what I think was the first snap of the next series by Washington State. Jefferson is a hell of a back
WSU went into clock-ball mode mid 3rd quarter, and got really (too) soft in their coverage, and also got a little conservative on offense, both of which aided the comeback attempt. Down so many players and with so much turnover, it was understandable, and ultimately it worked out.
It will be interesting to see what upcoming OSU opponents do in terms of defensive game plans about Jefferson; he is definitely a major rushing and receiving threat.
I watched nearly all of it and then left the house with about 4 minutes left. I got home later and joked to the missus about whether I had missed a miraculous comeback by USC. Sure enough...
Very nearly another case of the coaching staff doing less with more. Having some really good running backs all being healthy and ludicrous wide receivers won’t do much good with an offensive line mostly running Olé! plays
That was my take on ASU. Had Frank Darby not gotten hurt, or if they had been a little more willing to see if he could have still helped, the Devils probably would have pulled it out.
Most of the game, I kept thinking this shouldn't be close; USC is clearly the better roster. But I couldn't figure out what the Trojans were trying to do defensively, other than "Orlando it", and Herm got way more out of his team than Helton did. Not even close.
But Herm also finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory a time or two a year, and combined with Clay's ability to have sheer talent make a big play when it most matters, it became great theater overcoming good football.
This is not terribly sophisticated but: part of the problem for ASU was that as good as their defensive play calling was - and it was well played and well executed- there’s only so much you can do when an onside kick bounces off your player and then Slovis throws a ludicrous pass to Drake for the go-ahead touchdown. I missed most of the second half so I can’t comment about what ASU could have done to run up the score more in Q3
Quite a shocker as the Trojans scored two TD's in a 92-second span with less than 4:30 remaining in the game. ASU running game of 2 freshman backs appears very solid.
Especially since everyone knows that Shaw always tries a fade to one of their tall receivers in the endzone. At some point, people figure out how to defend it, even with a size disadvantage.
Just about the only thing Gonzaga basketball has left to accomplish under Mark Few is win a national championship.
The Zags scratched another first off the list Monday: They will open the season at No. 1.
Despite losing West Coast Conference Player of the Year Filip Petrusev, the Bulldogs received 28 first-place votes and 1,541 points from a 64-member national media panel. That was just enough to edge Baylor (24 first-place votes) by a single point for the top spot in the college basketball preseason Associated Press Top 25 heading toward the delayed Nov. 25 start of the season.
At least among among players, most positive Covid tests have seemingly resulted in mild or limited symptoms, if the person wasn't asymptomatic. But Utah has now reported multiple players became significantly ill, and one had to be hospitalized (thankfully, after treatment he's recovering and been released). I wonder/worry if this is the beginning of a negative new trend.
I saved up my vacation days as much as possible at my last job when I was planning to leave (you get X number of days at the beginning of the calendar year, and they don't roll over). It was customary to give one month's notice, so I gave notice on May 31, but I only worked until June 10 or so. It gave me time to move, since I was in Taiwan and moving to the US.
Nothing all that interesting. My last job, I had turned in my customer badge and laptop on Thursday when Friday was my last day. The company had never bothered to schedule an “out processing” meeting for that last day, so when a friend told me she had spare Dodgers and SC tickets for that weekend, I decided nobody needed to know that I was finishing up my transition documents on a Friday flight to LA. Got to my friend’s place, sent the documents, changed, and went to Dodger Stadium. It was kind of a lame company tbh.
Long ago I worked at a job making reproduction Victorian bathroom items; they moved their operation to a new location, and in the process of setting up the new shop, the supervisor asked me to do some dangerous shit, so I quit.
As I was walking out the door, he yelled at me, "don't you have to give two weeks notice?" I can't recall what I said in reply, but it was likely less than friendly.
The lack of coverage about Trump's twitter account over the last few days has been a pleasant surprise and a welcome relief. Now all the focus is on Biden and what his administration is planning/doing.
I don't understand Biden's first speech. Aren't Presidential speeches supposed to contain a lot of references to the speaker's great accomplishments and personal grievances? So weird.
"PHILADELPHIA — The end came in all the places you’d expect, in all the ways you’d expect, with all the people you’d expect.
When news broke Saturday that Donald Trump’s reign was ending, the president was on a golf course that he owns in Virginia, playing his last round as a non-loser. In Washington, about 125 of his worshipful supporters gathered on the stoop of the Supreme Court to “stop the steal,” then circumnavigated the U.S. Capitol seven times, because that’s how the Israelites conquered Jericho, according to the Book of Joshua. And a pair of Trump’s most loyal surrogates made a defiant stand on the gravelly backside of a landscaping business in an industrial stretch of Northeast Philadelphia, near a crematorium and an adult-video store called Fantasy Island, along State Road, which leads — as being associated with Trump sometimes does — to a prison."
I consume a lot of French media, and I loved seeing one of France's largest dailies Le Monde answer a reader's question: C'est quoi Gritty? (What's Gritty?)
As I was preparing this letter, America was caught in a gripping state of anxiety as ballot counting continued to determine our next president. On Saturday, Joe Biden won the razor-thin race.
BULLSHIT He's gonna win by 6 million votes Carol Christ describes that as "Razor-thin"?!?!?!
I was walking down towards the White House Saturday after they called the election and was wearing a Cal t-shirt. The streets near the WH were closed so traffic was backed up on nearby streets. Horns were honking and general bedlam. Out of nowhere I hear Go Bears. One of the cars stuck in traffic had a number of young women in it and two of them yelled out when they saw my shirt. Later in the crowd saw an older guy with a Berkeley shirt and we exchanged a Go Bears.
Left my cushy corporate job and headed off to Silicon Valley. Co-founded a software company that was sold a couple of years later. Then hired by one of the investors to chase new deals...
What happened down-ballot near you?
NC was the outlier. Tied in polls, but skewed GOP in every Fed role - except Governor. DEM governor went moderate and actually has done a good job. County is super Blue so county-wide down-ballot went blue. My district is purple, but independents swung blue this election. The person who founded the NC CAA chapter with me won a seat on the County Commission Board.
Our congressional district unsurprisingly remained red, as it's gerrymandered to be MD's only red district. We only had two partisan races on the ballot this time: president and house rep, and three other items on the ballot.
Oakland votes as Oakland always votes.
As does Arlington, Virginia.
I'm still registered to vote in the city where my parents live and where I went to high school. It was not super diverse by Bay Area standards when I was in high school. Also, when I was in high school, someone in the city held a backyard fundraiser for Dick Cheney. It's a more conservative-for-Bay-Area place. I did learn recently that it's now 42% POC.
Mayoral race: Two city council members, one "concerned dad," and two people who graduated from high school in 2010 (much younger than the other candidates). I watched a forum of the candidates, and these were my impressions: City council member 1 spoke well within the time limits and had plenty of data (she ended up winning the election), but is kind of a NIMBY. City council member 2 hit the time limits but didn't have much useful to say. Concerned dad was useless (all he cared about was having "parks like when he was young" for his five children, without any concrete plans or data, and was not a poised speaker). Young candidate 1 wasn't great at sticking to the time limits, but had good ideas and plans. Young candidate 2 actually dropped out of the race to work on a "national campaign," but it was too late to have her name removed.
This is going to be a hella racist comment, but both young candidates were of Indian descent. I suspect that there were people who encouraged their friends to vote for "the Indian one" without specifying WHICH candidate, and so the candidate who dropped out probably siphoned off votes from the candidate who stayed in. And so, hometown continues to be super NIMBY.
You really need to re-register to your current residence.
San Diego Democrats had a good election night. Issa won but that was a tough race for the democrats, that was for Duncan Hunters old seat, the race was closer than expected but that area is just too rural and Republican to turn right now.
We did get rid of a trump toad in one of our San Diego County Supervisor races.
Almost exactly what was expected. A couple of margins were mildly surprising, both ways, but none of the outcomes, either way, beyond a city council race here or there.
Today in Covid
Pfizer says their vaccine is 90% effective
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-pfizer/great-day-for-humanity-pfizer-says-covid-19-vaccine-over-90-effective-idUSKBN27P1CT
markets up 3-5%. PFE stock up 13%. our portfolio is massively overweighted (not by choice since my wife has been there for 12+ yrs)
Drinks on you!
don't be shy on some profit taking then.
all trapped in various levels of illiquid stock grants
Potential hassles: it's a two dose-vaccine given 21 days apart, and the results are from 7 days after the second dose, so 28 days after vaccine start. No idea about efficacy in the intervening time, or if the second dose is missed. There's also been some prior reports that this particular vaccine needs to be stored at -80 Celsius (really cold, outside range of generally available freezers), and only has 1-2 days viability under normal refrigeration typically found in, say, a local pharmacy, so distribution may be difficult.
Also not clear whether it prevents the virus, or just makes the recipient asymptomatic. Either is a good thing, but the first much better than the second. Will be interesting to watch.
Heh
Pence breaks silence to take credit for Pfizer vaccine - and drugs company immediately denies Trump involved
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/mike-pence-covid-vaacine-pfizer-b1719698.html?utm_source=reddit.com
Mike Pence has broken his post-election silence to trumpet the Trump administration’s backing of a new coronavirus vaccine - only for the company to immediately point out that their vaccine had nothing to do with the government.
Pfizer announced on Monday morning that their Covid-19 vaccine was 90 per cent effective, in early trials.
What a dope, that should have been an easy fact to check.
Fact? Check? Have you been paying attention?
And largely proving free of side effects and other issues! Should be no resistance to getting it.
Yeah, to be honest if they weren’t getting money from the administration and the approvals go through under Biden (less chance of thumbs on the scale), then I’m all in
Gov. Herbert (R-UT) issues masks mandate.
https://twitter.com/GovHerbert/status/1325663243545636865
hehe..the responses are hilarious. One teacher said they will never be tested for Covid. I guess they'll be jobless soon.
Mark Meadows catches la Rona
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/06/politics/mark-meadows-coronavirus-positive-test/index.html
Even worse, he tried to hide and went out and infected more people.
of course.
Gosh that’s a surprise
Ben Carson catches la Rona
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/09/politics/ben-carson-coronavirus/index.html
He's been there four years and this is his most notable achievement. He's been really under the radar.
He was the fastest one to learn to keep the executive style indulgences under control after the flaps about super expensive furniture and hiring family
I had forgotten about his early troubles.
I had forgotten all about him. let alone that he was still in the Admin.
How could anyone keep up? Just so happens it popped to mind for me
Matt "Weasel Face" Gaetz catches la Rona
https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-contracted-coronavirus-house-florida-trump-ally-2020-11
So I guess that means you can’t self disinfect with copious applications of tequila
If timed properly, that tactic should work. But there are also quite a few ways something could go wrong.
"Californian" food
It's-It
YES. Cappuccino > Mint, tho reasonable DBD minds can differ, eh, Scootie? ;-)
Pandering!!!
What the FUCK Jimmy C?!?
I did try the mint It's It and found it delightful....I just prefer the cappuccino!
Mint and Chocolate are both good. I'm waiting for the It's It factory to open back up so I can redeem my last living social coupon. I had 4 but 3 expired back in Oct so I got my money back for those. I have one more that expires at the endo f the month so I've got to call them to see if they're open.
I can find vanilla down here in SB, and chocolate on a rare occasion. No mint, or cappuccino...
California roll sushi. This has been heartily adopted by the Japanese, but it always comes with mayo there.
Mission burritos.
i have a whole list since i am not in CA anymore. but i will say that my most standard first meal after landing at SFO is lunch at Pancho Villa's in San Mateo.
My three off-the-plane "Mission" burritos are Pancho Villa in San Mateo, La Tapatilla in South City, and a dive-place west of the 101 near the It's-It factory that I only know how to drive to but don't know the name (that stretch that only has a Southbound on and off ramp, both of which are dangerous near where the pest guy with the mallot used to be) - no English spoken and it's only got service pick-ups/vans in the parking lot.
you need to discover the name of that 3rd place. My corporate office isnt that far from there. Help a brother out...
I just virtually drove around Google Maps to see if I could find it. It's gone. Boo.
you, sir, are lame. Lame I say
You're not wrong.
You need to hit up La Cumbre in San Mateo the next time you're there. I'll meet you.
I try to go to El Farolito on 24th on my way back from the airport. GO told me to go there instead of the on on Mission and I've been going to that one ever since. Still want to try La Taqueria at some point.
For No 3's bday he wanted tortas so we tried La Torta Gorda just down the 24th from Farolito. Their tortas were really good. I've highly recommend them.
When I'm in the City, the go-to burrito place is La Taqueria on Mission and 25th. Anyplace that does not put rice in their burrito is my kind of place.
Or lettuce. Hot lettuce is no bueno.
I used to eat burritos, but now I'm really more of a taco guy.
My stomach can't usually handle burritos anymore, but when I lived in the city my favorite spot was Taqueria Cancun.
Excellent Mexican food there. I used to live a short walk from downtown San Mateo and went there often. Still try to go there when I'm in the area.
In-And-Out
until Shake Shack was invented, that was my favorite fast-food burger.
the only problem w/ Shake Shack are the lines ... esp in Madison Sq Park on a nice day
I've only got 1 data point on Shake Shack, but I was not impressed. In-and-Out Urge all the way.
My first Shake Shack experience was in Tokyo in 2016. It was good but In N Out is better.
Ha, my first Shake Shack experience was also in Asia (in Seoul)!
I did go to the Shake Shack with HSB near Central Park, but that was 10 years ago so I don't remember how it was. I went to the one Kirkland, outside Seattle, and was unimpressed. Especially for how much it cost.
We got a shake shack nearby and I don’t think they’ve cleaned the cooktop since it opened. I don’t go anymore 🤢
that's called "flavor", son
In-N-Out will always be #1 for me, but my fave alternative in LA is Tommy's. The hamburgers themselves are pretty ordinary, but put the chili on it and they are exceptional, especially with a side of chili fries.
That Tommy's by Magic Mountain is always a nice almost-there meal stop on the drive down from the Bay Area to LA.
There is the tall In N Out side over near there. That was always my, I'm on LA sign.
*in LA
I would have to agree with Tommy's because of the chili. We always go at least once during each trip. though I usually do chili cheese fries, and maybe a chili dog if I'm that hungry. And last couple of times I've brought back a large togo container of it. The first time I flew back so I froze it and carried it on. Did get pulled aside but it was at the Ontario airport so there was no one in line and it went fast. Second time I froze it and drove back.
Used to go to the one in Mt. View.
any 'mexican' place that looks like an earthquake happened about an hour ago.
pretty much anything where the vegetable portion isn't over cooked or over salted, and the vegetables in question are actual fresh ones, not frozen or other methods of preservation.
Fortune cookies
Cardiff Crack sandwich from Seaside Market in Cardiff By the Sea. Best tri-tip I have ever had.
Elsewhere in college
Wazzu missing 32 players due to Covid, feature a dominant running game that puts Cougars way ahead and keeps ball out of Jamar Jefferson's hands. Cougars hold off Beavs 38-28.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=401249397
Oregon State looked like they were mounting a comeback, got within 3, and then gave up a TD on what I think was the first snap of the next series by Washington State. Jefferson is a hell of a back
WSU went into clock-ball mode mid 3rd quarter, and got really (too) soft in their coverage, and also got a little conservative on offense, both of which aided the comeback attempt. Down so many players and with so much turnover, it was understandable, and ultimately it worked out.
It will be interesting to see what upcoming OSU opponents do in terms of defensive game plans about Jefferson; he is definitely a major rushing and receiving threat.
Cuckoo-bananas ending to ASU vs. USC game. Trojans win.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/usc-vs-arizona-state-score-trojans-complete-epic-comeback-against-sun-devils-to-avoid-upset-in-pac-12-opener/
I watched nearly all of it and then left the house with about 4 minutes left. I got home later and joked to the missus about whether I had missed a miraculous comeback by USC. Sure enough...
Surprised you extensive Pac-12 experience didn't clue you in to not leave a game that close, even one that wasn't an after dark experience candidate.
Very nearly another case of the coaching staff doing less with more. Having some really good running backs all being healthy and ludicrous wide receivers won’t do much good with an offensive line mostly running Olé! plays
That was my take on ASU. Had Frank Darby not gotten hurt, or if they had been a little more willing to see if he could have still helped, the Devils probably would have pulled it out.
Most of the game, I kept thinking this shouldn't be close; USC is clearly the better roster. But I couldn't figure out what the Trojans were trying to do defensively, other than "Orlando it", and Herm got way more out of his team than Helton did. Not even close.
But Herm also finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory a time or two a year, and combined with Clay's ability to have sheer talent make a big play when it most matters, it became great theater overcoming good football.
This is not terribly sophisticated but: part of the problem for ASU was that as good as their defensive play calling was - and it was well played and well executed- there’s only so much you can do when an onside kick bounces off your player and then Slovis throws a ludicrous pass to Drake for the go-ahead touchdown. I missed most of the second half so I can’t comment about what ASU could have done to run up the score more in Q3
Herb got old-school NFL grade conservative too soon protecting a not large enough to rely on in CFB lead.
Quite a shocker as the Trojans scored two TD's in a 92-second span with less than 4:30 remaining in the game. ASU running game of 2 freshman backs appears very solid.
"shocker"
pun intended?
ASU got the full #HermEdwardsEffect which cut both ways, and the rest of the country got to behold it.
How come there are no AP articles about Pac-12 games. Did Larry Scott not allow reporters at the games?
The majority of the papers that still exist are no longer AP members. For many, there is little if any benefit.
AP reporters and stringers are still covering the major games. Heck, even Hawaii v. New Mexico was covered.
https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
there are no AP articles in general w/ recaps anymore it seems.
UCLA has a disastrous start, then can't recover in a shoot-out (42-48)
https://colorado.rivals.com/news/buffs-make-karl-dorrell-s-debut-a-good-one-in-high-octane-season-opener
Karl Dorrell? That's gotta hurt for ucla fans.
I'm sure the BN old timers had an aneurysm.
Furd punts only once, has no turnovers, gains over 400 yards vs. Oregon, but misses all 4 FG attempts
https://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup?gameId=401249399
Failure in the red zone. Furd has few playmaking scoring threats.
Especially since everyone knows that Shaw always tries a fade to one of their tall receivers in the endzone. At some point, people figure out how to defend it, even with a size disadvantage.
Especially minus their starting QB & their top WR due to Covid testing and contact tracing.
Notre Dame students can't leave South Bend after storming field
https://twitter.com/adamgorney/status/1325621192871473152
Ironic since Jenkins tested positive after being at the White House for the Amy Coney Barrett introduction.
I can see a lot of billable hours for lawyers resulting if they try to enforce this.
Happy lawyerday everyone!
Ever more days seemingly are. My friend who is also my lawyer seems to be enjoying this trend, but I'm not aware of anyone else who is.
The Auburn-Ole Miss game has been postponed, with the hope they can make it up Dec. 12.
The Alabama-LSU game is "in jeopardy" because of quarantine issues with the LSU team.
Texas A&M has paused activities (practice and meetings) following 2 positive tests, but still hopes to be able to play Tennessee this weekend.
Gonzaga Bulldogs open as No. 1 in AP Top 25 college basketball preseason poll
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/30285833/gonzaga-bulldogs-open-no-1-ap-top-25-preseason-poll
Just about the only thing Gonzaga basketball has left to accomplish under Mark Few is win a national championship.
The Zags scratched another first off the list Monday: They will open the season at No. 1.
Despite losing West Coast Conference Player of the Year Filip Petrusev, the Bulldogs received 28 first-place votes and 1,541 points from a 64-member national media panel. That was just enough to edge Baylor (24 first-place votes) by a single point for the top spot in the college basketball preseason Associated Press Top 25 heading toward the delayed Nov. 25 start of the season.
Cal doesn't even have "Others receiving votes"...
Utah at UCLA has been postponed from Friday night to Saturday night to try to buy enough time for the Utes to get enough players back to play.
Air Force at Wyoming has already been cancelled due to the outbreak in Colorado Springs.
At least among among players, most positive Covid tests have seemingly resulted in mild or limited symptoms, if the person wasn't asymptomatic. But Utah has now reported multiple players became significantly ill, and one had to be hospitalized (thankfully, after treatment he's recovering and been released). I wonder/worry if this is the beginning of a negative new trend.
Stories about leaving a job
I saved up my vacation days as much as possible at my last job when I was planning to leave (you get X number of days at the beginning of the calendar year, and they don't roll over). It was customary to give one month's notice, so I gave notice on May 31, but I only worked until June 10 or so. It gave me time to move, since I was in Taiwan and moving to the US.
I fear I am about to be removed from my position as President of the Scootie Fan Club....
Nothing all that interesting. My last job, I had turned in my customer badge and laptop on Thursday when Friday was my last day. The company had never bothered to schedule an “out processing” meeting for that last day, so when a friend told me she had spare Dodgers and SC tickets for that weekend, I decided nobody needed to know that I was finishing up my transition documents on a Friday flight to LA. Got to my friend’s place, sent the documents, changed, and went to Dodger Stadium. It was kind of a lame company tbh.
Long ago I worked at a job making reproduction Victorian bathroom items; they moved their operation to a new location, and in the process of setting up the new shop, the supervisor asked me to do some dangerous shit, so I quit.
As I was walking out the door, he yelled at me, "don't you have to give two weeks notice?" I can't recall what I said in reply, but it was likely less than friendly.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
Trump fires Sec of Defense Mark Esper
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/09/politics/trump-fires-esper/index.html
because why wouldnt he
EU implements $4.0b in tariffs vs. US goods tomorrow over EU aerospace subsidies
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-eu/eu-hits-u-s-with-tariffs-while-hoping-biden-will-bring-better-ties-idUSKBN27P102?il=0
What a weekend:
AP and other sources decare Biden the victor.
Biden's completely normal speech
Trump's team press conference at the Four Seasons, next to the dildo shop
Trump refusal to concede, asks for money to fight
Small print funnels 60% to Trump
GA Senate races to go run-off to decide the balance of the upper house
The lack of coverage about Trump's twitter account over the last few days has been a pleasant surprise and a welcome relief. Now all the focus is on Biden and what his administration is planning/doing.
my kids periodically go find his Twitter account and giggle over the meltdown
America is loose as a goose
It avoided becoming Belarus.
But that sulking Caesar, POTUS—where’s he gone?
Is he watching Fox News with a big frown on?
We’ll seize the cycle. We’ll make allegations.
Reverse these numerical humiliations.
A major press conference, that’s the thing.
At the Four Seasons ... Total Landscaping.
So the gods of bathos displayed us all
on pickled asphalt, by a lumpy green wall.
The morning light so skeptically slanted,
the scene so tawdry and disenchanted ...
O flunkies, we’re at oblivion’s door.
It’s right next to Fantasy Island Adult Bookstore.
By the twang of the dildo, by the undertaker’s shoes,
some shall win and some shall lose.
The dark portal is reached. Bow down and enter.
Across from the Delaware Valley Cremation Center.
I don't understand Biden's first speech. Aren't Presidential speeches supposed to contain a lot of references to the speaker's great accomplishments and personal grievances? So weird.
"PHILADELPHIA — The end came in all the places you’d expect, in all the ways you’d expect, with all the people you’d expect.
When news broke Saturday that Donald Trump’s reign was ending, the president was on a golf course that he owns in Virginia, playing his last round as a non-loser. In Washington, about 125 of his worshipful supporters gathered on the stoop of the Supreme Court to “stop the steal,” then circumnavigated the U.S. Capitol seven times, because that’s how the Israelites conquered Jericho, according to the Book of Joshua. And a pair of Trump’s most loyal surrogates made a defiant stand on the gravelly backside of a landscaping business in an industrial stretch of Northeast Philadelphia, near a crematorium and an adult-video store called Fantasy Island, along State Road, which leads — as being associated with Trump sometimes does — to a prison."
The perfect image of this administration.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/four-seasons-total-landscaping-guiliani-trump-election/2020/11/08/3cf80056-2134-11eb-b532-05c751cd5dc2_story.html
No 1 went out for a little bit to the streets in West Philly (not where he was born and raised) by UPenn where they were partying in the streets.
The steady flow of Gritty memes really made my weekend.
I consume a lot of French media, and I loved seeing one of France's largest dailies Le Monde answer a reader's question: C'est quoi Gritty? (What's Gritty?)
https://twitter.com/cristoferosgro/status/1325070462670528512
I enjoyed that whole Le Monde Q&A. The questions were good, and their answers were incredibly accurate.
Yes, Gritty is the avatar of the election
PRO
Chargers find new heartbreaking way to lose a game at the last second, Raiders are the beneficiary.
https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2020/11/9/21549090/chargers-news-nfl-raiders-cbs-sports-herbert
Fantastic game. I found myself rooting for the Chargers to complete the comeback, so clearly I have abandoned any attachment to the Raiders.
Same.
CAL
BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
WTF?
Dear Cal alumni and friends:
As I was preparing this letter, America was caught in a gripping state of anxiety as ballot counting continued to determine our next president. On Saturday, Joe Biden won the razor-thin race.
BULLSHIT He's gonna win by 6 million votes Carol Christ describes that as "Razor-thin"?!?!?!
Go Bears!
Go Bears!!!
Cal's director of football recruiting confirms that two cut-outs of some swell guys are featured at Memorial.
https://twitter.com/MWCherrington/status/1324884832397058048
I had to click, if only to confirm if it might be Twist & Berkleium.
Unfortunately not, only because I don't think there's any photographic evidence of me punching him in the face.
I was walking down towards the White House Saturday after they called the election and was wearing a Cal t-shirt. The streets near the WH were closed so traffic was backed up on nearby streets. Horns were honking and general bedlam. Out of nowhere I hear Go Bears. One of the cars stuck in traffic had a number of young women in it and two of them yelled out when they saw my shirt. Later in the crowd saw an older guy with a Berkeley shirt and we exchanged a Go Bears.
Alex Trebek
Brought a whole new meaning to the term "Final Jeopardy".
I've seen a couple of good memes with he and Sean Connery meeting up in heaven, all with the SNL Connery.
I was reminded last night that Sean Connery had only died a week prior--it felt like several weeks ago thanks to the never-ending election.
Wrong game show host died.
https://thehardtimes.net/harddrive/wrong-game-show-host-dies/
heh