85 Comments
author

SMOKE

Expand full comment

‘em if you got ‘em

Expand full comment

smoked cocktails

someone got me one of those hand-held smokers for a present recently. good for making smoky versions of Manhattans or Old-fashioneds. it is a little finicky to use and mostly a party trick that looks much better than the actual effect.

party goers seem to like it, and occasionally i am asked to bring it to a drinking party

Expand full comment

on the water

Expand full comment

Fire in the sky

Expand full comment

We all came out to Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline

Expand full comment

This is a real pet peeve of mine. The lake is named Lac Leman. Why do people call it Lake Geneva? It's so widespread and so wrong.

Expand full comment
author

OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

Expand full comment
author

Ivanka Trump lost a bid to shield her emails to Jared Kushner due to spousal priviledge. She lost that bid because she sent it via Trump Org email. The DA then connected the dots via discovered email that everyone knew that Trump had inflated his net worth to Deutsche Bank as $4.2b when it was actually less than $3b, violating loan covenants and getting a loan rate that he wouldn't otherwise qualify for.

https://www.newsweek.com/ivanka-trump-donald-net-worth-1842077

Expand full comment
author

Update: Trump's net worth at the time was $1.6b, one-third of the amount he claimed to be - which is relevant because he acted as the guaranator on the loan to Trump Org.

Expand full comment

No sympathy whatsoever. I'm happy they're getting tripped up by their arrogance.

Expand full comment

Oops!

Expand full comment
author

Middle East heats up as US retaliates over having 46 service members injured in attacks on Syrian and Iraqi-based soldiers based in Syria by Iranian militia proxies. In turn, the US bombed that militia in Syria and the Houthis (Iranian proxies) shot down a US Reaper drone over the Red Sea

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/08/u-s-bombs-iranian-sites-syria-00126222

Expand full comment
author

[UK] Boris Johnson's former chief of staff testified that the PM wanted to get injected with Covid on live TV in an attempt to convince the British public that it was not a serious threat. Not the vaccine. The disease. The same disease that would eventually send him to the ICU in April 2020. What a knob.

https://www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-asked-to-be-injected-with-covid-on-tv-to-calm-public-inquiry-hears/

Expand full comment

He probably was contemplating the Lysol chaser.

Expand full comment

Wow, the arrogance is breathtaking.

Expand full comment

I am actually disappointed he didn’t do this.

Expand full comment

He really is an absolute buffoon

Expand full comment
author

ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE

Expand full comment

Read "Bad City" by Pringle, who gave a thorough background on some LA Times investigations into corruption at $C. Recommended by another member, here, at W4C or Bear Insider- I thank you.

Then, stumbled across an episode of Southland, where a star football player at an "imaginary" school, called SULA, is protected by bribes and threats from the university. Close to the mark, SULA is in "South Central," just in case you were thinking it might be shading FUCLA. Season 2, Episode 4, "Runner."

If schadenfreude wrong, I don't wanna' be right.

Expand full comment

I really liked Southland. Was a pretty good show.

Expand full comment

I like it nearly as much as I like Bosch. Both are gritty and authentic about 90% of the time.

Expand full comment
author

Tonight:

#11 Louisville (-20.5) plays terrible UVA. Jack Plummer is doing fine, but not any better than he did at Cal. The difference is that L'ville has beaten Duke and Notre Dame and had an easier schedule

Louisiana (-9.5) vs. Southern Miss

Expand full comment
author

Wednesday MAction. All the good teams won. All the crap teams lost badly.

Toledo beat EMU 49-23, Bowling Green beat putrid Kent State 49-19, The Other Miami beat Akron 19-0.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/scoreboard/_/group/80

Expand full comment
author

PRO

Expand full comment
author

Lakers remain winless on the road as they get crushed 128-94 by youthful Rockets. Lakers are without AD, Vanderbilt, Vincent, Hood-Schifino, Hayes

Expand full comment
author

Warriors lose to Nuggets 108-105 in a back-and-forth match

https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401584797

Expand full comment

my take is that the W's are generally doing better than last year when they looked HORRIBLE on the road. they seem to not get into the same sort of foul trouble and dont just give up at the end.

2nd team and CP3 seem to be good. i take back my original objection to the CP3 trade.

Expand full comment

I'm a little shocked at how well CP3 has started to fit. I also had strong misgivings and he did look really lost in the opener.

Expand full comment
Nov 9, 2023·edited Nov 9, 2023

Speaking of lost, it’s beginning to seem like the 3-week stretch in the 2022 NBA Playoffs that Wiggins enjoyed was more the outlier. He seems distracted, disinterested and disjointed. Wondering if he’s still struggling with some personal issues that were affecting him last year?

Expand full comment

I've kind of wondered the same. Not super worried about it yet. As long as we get him engaged when it really matters. But who is off the court is kind of mystery. A little Kawhi-ish in that regard.

Expand full comment

I wanted to watch some of this but I'm trying to shift my schedule to earlier bed and wake-up. Looks like a good game but I wouldn't have made it through.

Expand full comment

Nuggets without Jamal Murray and Ws without Draymond and GP2. Frankly I was kind of shocked they Warriors almost won. I was watching on and off and surprised the 2nd team did so well.

Expand full comment
author

How's Jordan Poole doing now that's he's not on the Warriors?

Answer: perhaps unsurprisingly, slightly worse

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/4277956/jordan-poole

Expand full comment

overall i really liked him. hopefully we continues to get better

Expand full comment

Me too. He's an incredibly frustrating player for sure, but he's also been flogged by his former teammates and fans. And he has managed to stay classy despite it all.

Expand full comment

DBD AV Club

Expand full comment
Nov 9, 2023·edited Nov 9, 2023

After a break from watching some TV programs, I started to get caught up on my streaming/movie watching now that it’s getting dark at 3:00 pm PST.

Season 2, Ep 1 of 30 Coins (Treinta Monedas) on HBO/Europe, a pretty gory show from Spain with major religious under and over tones that has added Paul Giamatti to its S2 cast. Very, very gory. Meh, so far.

Bodies (Netflix miniseries based on some DC Comic) - takes place in Britain, over 4 time periods, with 4 separate Brit coppers all finding what appears to be the same body and trying to solve the murder of the same man, but one in the 1890’s, 1 in 1941 WWII, 1 in 2023, and 1 in 2053. Interesting….wonder where it’s going?

Also finally watched the Jordan Peele movie Get Out, which inexplicably I had missed over the past 6 years. I liked it.

Expand full comment

Enjoyed Bodies, the wife and I watched it last week.

Expand full comment

Nice!! I’m looking forward to throwing a few more episodes on tonight.

Expand full comment

saw Bob Dylan in concert last night. he is 82.

there are still a few more (NYC) shows upcoming ..

https://www.thecapitoltheatre.com/the-capitol-theatre/events/detail/bob-dylan-g5vvz9w9woguv

despite he fact he did not play one of over a 100 songs i would have recognized, it was a great concert and musical experience. i had pretty low expectations because even 20 yrs ago i had heard that it was hardly worth seeing him live because "he couldnt sing anymore." none of that seemed true since he played the piano and sang w/ his usual voice, tone and demeanor for nearly 2 hours.

there was also this interesting "no phones policy". everyone had to put their phone in a locked pouch during the concert. they only unlocked it for you on the way out.

Expand full comment

I saw him last year at the Santa Barbara Bowl. I think he was dead.

Expand full comment

Hasan Minhaj had the same no phones policy. I don't go to shows or concerts and had never seen this. Trevor Noah didn't have that policy, though at the Chase center that would've taken forever. Hasan Minhaj was at the SJ Center for the Performing arts so fewer than 3K. Still took a while to get your case unlocked.

Expand full comment

Dylan did the same thing last year at the SB Bowl…Jack White also had the same procedure when I saw him at the Fox Theater in Detroit in April, 2018…that was the first time I had experienced it.

Expand full comment

What's weird is I see videos of people at concerts holding up their phones. I know that people want to record the memory, but it seems like you can't concentrate on the performance if you're holding up your phone recording.

Also, I did notice that I was annoyed that other people were blocking the performance (some Green Day performance at a small venue) by holding up their phones to record. I'm watching this video and want to see the performance not your hand and phone.

Expand full comment

my CD player that i bought in 1990 finally died.

my parents gave me some $$ for painting their house one summer and i bought a Kenwood amp, 5 cd carousel and a dual tape deck. they were all working fine until yesterday!

i would have thought that the flimsy 5 cd carousel with the rotating tray would been the first to go, but it has lasted fine despite being the one that i have used most consistently over the years. the other 2 are not really used because i bought a more modern amp since many things need streaming capabilities and i got rid of my cassette tapes a while ago.

i still have over 300 CDs that i listen to regularly at home. trying to decide what CD player, if any, replace it with.

Expand full comment

If your amp has a DAC for streaming, you might be able to just get a drive to use as a transport?

Expand full comment

Cal

Expand full comment
author

[MBB] From the Front Page.

Jaylon Tyson gets his eligibility approved on appeals. He can now play.

https://writeforcalifornia.com/p/cal-mens-basketball-transfer-jaylon

Expand full comment
author

[WSWIM] Cal lands one of the best swimming recruiting classes of all time. The latest was the commitment of the #7 swimmer, which means they have 5 of the top 13 swimmers in the class of 2025 (#1, #2, #3, #7, #13). They will need them as they face back-to-back-to-back defending national champions Virginia

https://swimswam.com/cal-women-hit-again-7-annie-jia-commits-to-golden-bears-for-fall-2025/

Expand full comment

[WBB] Bears Beat Broncos 71-56

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/womens-basketball-bears-beat-broncos-71-56.aspx

BERKELEY – On a night when shots weren't falling in the first half, the Cal women's basketball team (2-0) put on an impressive defensive display, forcing Santa Clara (1-1) into 18 turnovers to secure a 71-56 win at Haas Pavilion Wednesday night. Marta Suárez continued to impress in her first season in a Bear uniform posting career-highs of 15 points and five steals, while Leilani McIntosh contributed four steals and added eight assists. McIntosh is now just two assists away from moving into the eighth spot on Cal's all-time career assists list (395). McKayla Williams scored a game-high 16 points while leading the team in rebounds for the second consecutive game with eight.

Expand full comment

Bears played a weak first half, shooting was abysmal. But they came out firing on all cylinders after half time and coasted. Michelle is a foul magnet, she picked up five in only seven minutes of court time. The transfers continue to impress, Williams, Suarez and Krimilli. Most disappointing aspect to the evening was the attendance. Hope they can start drawing better. Maybe a run of wins will help.

Expand full comment
author

Santa Clara had zero blocks and one steal.

Expand full comment

They had five players from Melbourne, Australia and zero African Americans.

Expand full comment
author
author

None of the five Melbourne players went to the same school until now

Expand full comment

[FH] Bears Fall To RedHawks In NCAA Tournament

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/field-hockey-bears-fall-to-redhawks-in-ncaa-tournament.aspx

EVANSTON, Ill. – For just the second time this season, Cal field hockey's potent offense was held scoreless as Miami (OH) defeated the Golden Bears 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Lakeview Field in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Playing without injured leading scorer Daniella Rhodes, Cal's 2023 season came to an end. with a 12-8 overall record. That included a season-defining eight-game winning streak that carried Cal to the program's first-ever America East Tournament Championship and 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Expand full comment

[SB] Softball Signs 2024 Class

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/softball-signs-2024-class.aspx

BERKELEY – Four future Golden Bears signed their national letter of intent Wednesday and are set to join the California softball program next fall.

Head coach Chelsea Spencer will welcome her fourth recruiting class since taking over the program in May of 2020, with all four student-athletes staying home in California to play collegiate softball.

Kayli Counts (Garden Grove, California/Pacifica HS), Kiki Mashhoud (Northridge, California/Notre Dame HS), Mia Phillips (San Jose, California/Hollister HS), and Mo Temple (Riverbank, California/Central Catholic HS) make up the 2024 signing class.

Expand full comment

[MGYM] Men’s Gymnastics Signs Three

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/mens-gymnastics-mens-gymnastics-signs-three.aspx

BERKELEY – California men's gymnastics has announced the signing of three gymnasts to its 2025 squad in all-arounders Matteo Bardana (Oakville Trafalgar High School/Gymnastics Mississauga), Brendan Friele (Advanced Technologies Academy/Gymcats Gymnastics) and Troy Nuesca (Crespi Carnelite High School/Gymnastics Olympica USA).

Expand full comment

[VB] Volleyball Signs Two For 2024 Season

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/volleyball-signs-two-for-2024-season.aspx

BERKELEY – California volleyball welcomed the first two members of its incoming class on Wednesday, with Grace Agolli (Pace Academy/A5) and Kate Mansfield (Plano West Senior High/Madfrog) both signing National Letters of Intent to play for the Golden Bears beginning in 2024.

Expand full comment

[WBB] Cal Adds Four Signees To 2024 Class

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/womens-basketball-cal-adds-four-signees-to-2024-class.aspx

BERKELEY – California women's basketball head coach Charmin Smith announced on Wednesday that Gabrielle Abigor, Lola Donez, Zahra King and Kamryn Mafua have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Golden Bears beginning in the 2024-25 season.

Both Mafua (No. 52) and King (No. 76) are currently ranked in the ESPNW HoopGurlz class of 2024 top 100 rankings. Abigor, Donez and Mafua were also teammates on the Jason Kidd Select AAU team that won the Select 40 national championship in July.

Expand full comment

[T&F] Track & Field Inks Hammer Thrower To 2025 Squad

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/track-field-inks-hammer-thrower-to-2025-squad.aspx

BERKELEY – California track & field announced Wednesday that British hammer thrower Kai Barham (London/Dartford Harriers AC) has signed a National Letter of Intent with the Golden Bears and will begin his collegiate career in the 2024-25 season.

Barham is Great Britain's top junior hammer thrower with a 6k personal record of 70.58m (231-6.75), which he set in May at the Loughborough Throws Pathway International to rise to No. 19 in the world this year. His 2023 campaign brought him all the way to the finals of the European Athletics U20 Championships as the reigning England Athletics U20 champion, winning the national title by a decisive 4.39m (14-4.75). In the 2022 season, he reached the finals of the European Athletics U18 Championships following his second consecutive gold medal at the England Athletics U17 Championships.

Expand full comment

[MBB] Jeremiah Wilkinson Signs With Golden Bears

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/mens-basketball-jeremiah-wilkinson-signs-with-golden-bears.aspx

BERKELEY – California men's basketball head coach Mark Madsen announced Wednesday that prep standout Jeremiah Wilkinson signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Golden Bears next season.

Wilkinson, a 6-foot-1 guard from Powder Springs, Georgia, will join the Bears ahead of the 2024-25 season, their first as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The three-star prospect (247 Sports Composite) is Cal's first 2024 signee.

Expand full comment

[XC] Cal Heads To NCAA West Regionals

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/cross-country-cal-heads-to-ncaa-west-regionals.aspx

BERKELEY – The California men's and women's cross country teams head to Sacramento on Friday for NCAA West Regional competition. The races will take place at the Haggin Oaks Golf Course beginning with the women's 6,000-meter run at 10 a.m. PST. The men's 10,000-meter race will follow the women's at 11 a.m.

Expand full comment

[WGYM] Cal Announces 2024 Signing Class

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/8/womens-gymnastics-cal-announces-2024-signing-class.aspx

BERKELEY - The California women's gymnastics team announced its 2024 signing class on Wednesday, as a trio of sought-after recruits in Ondine Achampong, CJ Keuneke and Mya Wiley penned their National Letters of Intent.

Expand full comment
author

Cal has played SMU once in its history. In 1957. SMU won 13-6 in Berkeley.

Expand full comment

I'm sure avenging this defeat will be a key motivating factor for the Bears when we play them next season. Never forget.

Expand full comment
author

How about SMU and Cal play for some ridiculous trophy? Like a miniature wheelchair, a pirate peg-leg, a giant bronzed burrito, a novelty-sized giant bottle of Malort?

Expand full comment

for a possibly non-ridiculous trophy, how about an anvil

Expand full comment
author

How about "the Butterfield Trophy" a bronzed wagon wheel or saddle bags, commemorating the Pony Express & Mail Wagon "Butterfield Trail" that went through Texas to San Francisco? It didn't stop in Dallas, but close enough.

Expand full comment

That's an interesting idea!

I should explain where Anvil came from--I saw that SMU's historical rivalray game was with TCU and featured the Iron Skillet. For reasons nobody seems to remember. I picked the anvil as something rugged that is also a foundation for creating strong implements.

Expand full comment

Can the Cal Band do the Anvil Symphony at halftime?

Expand full comment

A remote controlled golden trans am

Expand full comment

WINNER

Expand full comment

On this day in 1985 in Memorial Stadium the Golden Bears defeated U$C, 14-6 before an announced crowd of 63,500. The win snapped a seven-game Cal losing streak against the Trojans and was the fourth and final Bear win of the season. The loss effectively eliminated Southern Cal’s hopes of a Rose Bowl bid as they dropped to 3-2 in conference play. Linebacker Hardy Nickerson led the defense with 12 tackles. After the game he said, “to be able to knock off one of the big boys of the Pac-10…it’s a joyous occasion.” Running back Marc Hicks said, “we came out and kicked their behinds up and down the field.” Hicks was the offensive hero for the Bears as he carried the ball 22 times for 113 yards and tallied both Cal TDs. (On a personal note, I really enjoyed this game.) Also on this day new Cal head basketball coach Lou Campanelli lost his first game in charge, 73-55 to the Australian national team before a modest crowd in Harmon gym.

DBD celebrates 100 years of football in Strawberry Canyon with this daily feature appearing throughout the football season.

Expand full comment

I was there and so excited I broke a fingernail high fiving my friend Lloyd next to me.

Expand full comment

One of my favorite freshman year memories and one of the best days to be a Cal fan. Hardy Nickerson had a great game shutting down U$C.

Expand full comment

Marc Hicks had the play of the game.

I've forgotten where exactly the Bears were, but they were in USC territory. The Bears came out in the I formation with Hicks at TB. The hand off was botched and the ball fell to the turf. Hicks stopped, circled back, and picked up the ball. With what seemed like the entire USC defense bearing down on him, Hicks swept left and outran the Trojans, running to the goal line at the left sideline, scoring a TD.

Expand full comment

I've seen more spectacular plays but for some reason I'll never forget that one. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Expand full comment

I was truly impressed by Hicks' running ability and courage on that play. It will remain embedded in my memory.

Expand full comment

Lou died earlier this year. i must have missed that news.

he was the coach our entire time at Cal 88-92 .. good times at Harmon Gym.

Expand full comment

He definitely changed the trajectory of Cal basketball. My family started going to games as a very wee one during the Kuchen era. Often there were intramural games happening in Harmon right before tip-off.

Expand full comment

It was because of Lou we bought season tickets his first year in Harmon.

Expand full comment
author

[Blue velvet blazer shows up]

LOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Expand full comment