205 Comments

Is DBD going to do a Secret Santa gift exchange this year?

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You organizing?

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Again? Come on. The same people do all the work around here. How many times has Berkelium97 brought donuts the past few weeks?

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Dead Beat Donors (DBD)

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Today in Covid

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Government restarts the free home test kits starting today, while supplies last.

https://www.covid.gov/tests

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K-Cups

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OUR CRUMBLNG DEMOCRACY

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House passes the Puerto Rico Status Act. There are a lot of politics and complexity behind the Act. Ultimately, it leads to Puerto Ricans being able to determine their own political future - which may be independence, becoming a US state, or status quo.

https://thehill.com/latino/3774068-with-the-clock-ticking-puerto-rico-status-bill-faces-uncertain-prospects/

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They were holding a plebiscite about their status the first time I was in San Juan in the late 80s.

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I think there have been many, right?

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I know there were a few in the time I used to go there. I'm sure there have been more since then.

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I think most recently in 2020, with just over half of those voting supporting statehood?

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Donald Trump had teased a "major announcement." It got announced. It was grift, of course.

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1603419684329619458

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Not that there is anything wrong with this, but these are oddly homoerotic given what I assume to be the intended audience.

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these are sooooooo glorious

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$99 EACH?! Anyone purchasing one of those needs to be institutionalized

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Asset-less transfer for cash? If it walks like money laundering, talks like money laundering... you don't need perspicacity to know what it is.

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This is the answer to how some families are going to end up broke and homeless in 2023.

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And Californian tax dollars will continue to fund keeping them alive.

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And the MAGA supporters will continue to not see the hypocrisy.

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I have seen my share of MAGA mania, but who the hell would buy these?

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DeSantis builds his conservative resume as Trump flounders

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/15/desantis-trump-gop-same-sex-marriage-covid-00074027

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Is it too much to hope for (or too dangerous to hope for) that DeSantis wins the primary, Trump mounts an independent bid, and each select their own slate of Senate, Congressional, Governor, and Legislature candidates?

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That's what I'm hoping for. They split the right and guarantee an easy win for the Democratic candidate.

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I think the big fear would be if DS and T split enough of the electoral college vote to prevent Biden from winning 270, thus sending the presidential election to the House where Republicans control a majority of delegations.

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I don’t see how that could happen. Trump and RD would split up the read states but split the GOP/GQP/MAGA vote in purple states allowing Dems to win them easily.

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Pedro

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There has to be some really good Mexican seafood restaurant with "Pedro" in it

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San

a.k.a. The Port of Los Angeles, an underrated neighborhood with amazing views and one of Los Angeles's oldest communities

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It really is an underrated neighborhood but I think that is due to the port being there. It reminds me a bit of La Jolla here in San Diego. The views are great in San Pedro but most of them include the eyesore that is the port of LA.

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Dom

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

Cerrano.

I'm pissed off now, Jobu. Look, I go to you. I stick up for you. You no help me now. I say "Fuck you Jobu", I do it myself

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Hat’s, for bats….keep bats warm….Gracias.

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Pascal is a great.

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I am looking forward to him in "The Last of Us" on HBO, dropping on Jan 15th.

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I really want that series to be good. The game was fantastic (I haven't played the 2nd one though). I'm encouraged that the writer of HBO's Chernobyl is co-writing the series.

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South of the Border in South Carolina

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Vote For

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If you do, all of your wildest dreams will come true.

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How are you doing? Respond via a movie or TV quote.

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I find your lack of faith disturbing.

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Sonofabitch stole my line.

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I don't know what they have to say

It makes no difference anyway

Whatever it is, I'm against it.

No matter what it is or who commenced it, I'm against it!

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I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that.

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We are too young to be this old.

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There was Jimmy…and Tommy and me. And there was Anthony Stabile, Frankie Carbone, and then there was Mo Black’s brother Fat Andy, and his guys Frankie the Wop, Freddy No Nose, and then there was Pete the Killer who was Sally Balls’ brother…and you had Mickey Eyes, Mikey Francese, and Jimmy Two Times, who got that nickname because he said everything twice. Like "I’ma gonna go get the papers, get the papers."

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As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be gangster.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022Author

Do I look like a guy with a plan? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just... do things

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If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice.

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I could eat a peach for hours.

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Dress up like Halloween and ghouls will try and get in your pants....

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Serenity now!

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What is something from Asia or Africa that you wish existed more in the US?

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The Japanese convention of having the roving beer vendors at baseball games be attractive young women. Not that I don’t like the chubby mustachioed dudes at Wrigley, but you know, it adds something

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

How could I have forgotten this?!?! Not just beer, they had young attractive women as roving highball vendors.

Not only this but if Americans are being honest, the whole atmosphere and energy of a baseball game in Japan is much better than a MLB game.

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The fanfare is def better, agree! The level and style of play on the field is not as good tho. Kind of like a 4A level of play with more of a small ball focus. Unlike Korea where Earl Weaver is alive and well (in spirit)

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I agree with all of this. MLB talent is superior but the fanfare, energy, and fan experience of Japanese baseball is much better than that of MLB.

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Rare-earth metals.

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From Asia, specifically Japan. Bullet trains for long distance travel, better subway system, especially their subway stations which double as shopping centers with good places to eat.

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Elephants, rhinos, and monkeys. Also Lions and Tigers and Leopards. Admittedly, management of these species would be a tricky proposition, something a number of federal and state entities involved in wildlife management and advancement already have a rather spotty success record with.

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all of those big cats would get shot by ranchers

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Cheap lunch

I was in Japan this past week and lunch price hasn't changed for the past two decades. You can eat quality lunch under 1,000 yen which is now about seven dollars

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Falafel or Fuul (mashed fava bean) wrap in pita bread for lunch. Cost 3 Egyptian pounds.

(Latest Currency Exchange Rates: 1 US Dollar = 24.6349 Egyptian Pounds)

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I remember a falafel cart near the Student Union in the mid 70s.

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That’s amazing!

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Not having had the good fortune to visit either continent, I can't think of anything that wouldn't be a country-specific cliche

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Tourist trap

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Fisherman's Wharf.

But we still go a couple times year as the waterfront walk from the Ferry Plaza to the wharf is quite nice, and the seals are cool.

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I'm not entirely sure I have ever been to the actual wharf. Ghirardelli Square yes, Pier 39 yes, but I've never walked the length of Beach or Jefferson and have no recollection of dining at any of the wharf restaurants (though it's possible I did as a child, because my grandparents lived on Bay).

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From BART to Aquatic Park to watch the Blue Angels, I'll usually walk the waterfront on the way there and through Columbus and Chinatown on the way back.

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i am not 100% against these types of things. often they start out as a cool place and it booms for some reason. during "bisy season" it is somewhat intolerable but most other times they can still be quite nice.

for example in US Virgin Is we went to some floating tequila and taco bar. great good, great drinks, great atmosphere, even if it was by definition a tourist trap

https://saintjohnboatcharters.com/lime-out/

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SF

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I have always thought it funny there are so many tourist hotels just west of Union Square, where it is kind of shitty and bum ridden. If SF is a tourist trap, it is a bit of a lazy, half assed one. And I say that as someone who really does like SF.

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The Tenderloin is a tourist trap in its own way. People who visit SF but want to experience SF's version of poverty tourism.

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More like a homeless trap now.

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Pedro's South of the Border in South Carolina

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Disney Parks.

Mortgage versus Disney trip.

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Agree but OTOH they are so much nicer than non-Disney parks. It’s kind of amazing how much chintzier places like Great America are.

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Great America is being let go by Cedar Faire, which also owns Knott’s, which has been really improved greatly and offers an affordable alternative to Disney- IMHO

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I used to think Disneyland was a tourist trap.

It still is.

But the food has gotten significantly better. The vegetarian ronto wrap in Star Wars Land is one of the best, if not the best, theme park food items I've ever had. My wife loves going to Disneyland and is so grateful for the ronto wrap because now I get excited to go as well.

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I've heard about the massive improvement of the food, last time I was there supposedly the "best" restaurant was hella boring, and not in any way impressive.

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Well, "massive improvement" for a theme park is a relative term and was never going to get to your level...

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But there is a hard rule about Tomorrowland’s food: it must be dry, bland, or outstanding.

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Oh you, I think around 2000

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as far as I can tell (haven't made an exhaustive survey), most "beach towns" in the US, certainly south of Connecticut.

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Using only emojis, what is a big thing coming up for you?

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🎂⏰🍑👈

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💒👰🍾🥂

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Dec 15, 2022Liked by Berkelium97, SGBear

👶

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🥳

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🦷 🪚

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😬

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🩸🩸🩸

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📆💲✏

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A perhaps less common app that is useful to you

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Libby. Free ebooks with your library card.

Kanopy. Free documentaries, foreign films, kids read-alouds, etc. with your library card.

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Dictionary.com for obvious reasons.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

Garmin Earth, pairs with my satellite communicator. When I am out backpacking, I can send short messages to my wife's phone. The message includes a link that pings my location and she can open an online contour map that shows her exactly where I am on the map.

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That's very cool.

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Tabata.

It's an interval timer targeted at body-weight work outs. You input reps and sets, plus the resting periods in between. Keeps you focused and on track. Free without ads. Gives you exactly what you need. No more. No less.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022Liked by SGBear

i need one of these for the panoply of features it offers

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Tinybeans - an app used to share photos of kids with a small, invite-only set of friends and family members. We use it to share pictures of cf-98 with her grandparents who are across the country. We probably average 2-3 photos per day, so it's a great way for them to get regular picture updates. We'd rather not plaster her pictures all over fb/instagram, so we use this instead.

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OpenSnow .. snow forecasts for every major ski resort and more.

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Tell the DBD a vocabulary word. Bonus points to others who use it in another post.

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callipygian (adj.): possessing shapely buttocks

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resplendent - attractive or impressive due to splendor. "The country drive was resplendent due to the fall leaves. "

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Irredentist: One who advocates for the return of former territory or land. I think this is the first time I've written this word since my days as a UC Berkeley, PoliSci undergrad student.

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So, it's "Ireland 32" for Italians?

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Perspicacity: keenness of mental perception and understanding; discernment; penetration.

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panoply - a complete and impressive array

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

obstinate

adjective

1: stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion

2: not easily subdued, remedied, or removed

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An erstwhile normal smell that you don't like. Why?

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Coffee. It just smells bitter and unpleasant to me.

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All cologne used in my 20s. Why? Because I got sick of the smell.

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I walked by a guy wearing Polo today and it took me right back to being 16 and the boy I had a crush on (and used to occasionally make out with).

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DBD AV Club

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I didn't like his Superman movies, but that was more a writer/director issue than the actor.

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I always thought he didn't have quite the right Superman look.

Neither did Brandon Routh.

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I mean, no one is ever going to nail it like Christopher Reeve did. But I thought Cavill could have done well with the role if given the chance. Routh too.

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"Only Murders in the Building" (Hulu). I'm only about 3.5 episodes into the series and I'm enjoying it enough to continue. It is tightly written and directed.

It's a comedy - so Martin and Short act accordingly. And I think Martin is acting like he did in the early 90s to mirror his character as a dated has-been. And I think Short is acting like he did in SNL, a melodramatic stage presence. Selena Gomez is fine.

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Solid show. Who TF killed Tim Kono…..

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Selena is more than "fine" - she's good in that.

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Agree, I was surprised at how well she worked with the two old dudes. And her voice is really kind of unique and fitting to the character

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Depending on how you say it, "fine" can be way better than "good".

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Her dead pan expressions and comic timing fit perfectly with the two comic geniuses she co-stars with. Favorite quote from her character: "no to everything that just came out of your mouth."

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The scene in the second season where she's expected to be better at relating to a teen is genuinely perfect.

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I really enjoyed it.

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Sevilla/Seville

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I always get Toledo and Seville confused -- which one is an hour outside Madrid? Both beautiful, pleasant manageably sized towns that I liked better than the large Spanish cities.

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Savile is a family within English royalty. Savile Road was named after Dorothy Boyle, whose maiden name was Savile. Lady Boyle drew up some plans for townhouses built in Mayfair, London built upon Savile Street, which was named after her. Later, the high-end tailors ended up congregating in those townhouses.

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It's Savile Row, not Road.

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Barber of

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Bugs Bunny

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Bunny of Seville

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is a magical place. great food and downtown area and the gateway to Andalusia.

the best part (if you can find it) are impromptu musical outbursts of any kind. the jamon hanging from the rafters in the restaurants is pretty impressive too.

only been once. would love to go back and just live there for a couple weeks.

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BATH

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Street...it's a couple of blocks over from my house in SB...

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In England my wife went there once, but I wasn't with her on that trip.

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In a continually drought-stricken state (like California), baths should be a thing of the past.

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I haven't taken a bath in many years - maybe decades. Years ago, when friends were over on Friday nights, playing the game I invented, I would always take a bath late Saturday morning.

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Salts

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Something most people should take most days.

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Wife of

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I took a Chaucer class at UCB. I can't tell you how much more difficult reading it in Old English was compared to a modern translation. I think that part really kept me from enjoying that class more.

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Whan that Aprille wyth his shoure soote,

the droghte of March hath perce`d to the roote`.

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Hah! I took a Chaucer class at Cal and they made us memorize that too! I think that is the only thing I remember from the class

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heh, the missus got a degree in English at Cal and had a couple classes where she read stuff in Old and Middle English. I guess she enjoyed it though, because she still recites various lines from time to time. I think it sounds like the slurring ramblings of a drunken Welsh(wo)man.

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It's fun to read Beowulf in the original. I did study the etymology of Old English in a Linguistics class I took. Seems it is most closely related to Old Frisian, with bits and pieces of Old Norse.

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my father in law taught English at Michigan - his background was in Old and Middle English (reads both), he also dabbled in Sanskrit for fun in the 80s. I once heard him discussing the differences / similarities between Old and Middle English and their evolution into contemporary English as compared to the split and evolution of Danish and Icelandic with a Dane who lived in Reykjavik, I didn't have a lot to contribute 😂

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When I took proto-Indo-European, the professor tried to reassure us by saying, "If you can't remember how this works, just think of how it appears in Sanskrit!"

Nine years later, I ran into him after I'd moved back to Berkeley. "I don't know if you remember me, but..."

He immediately said, "Of course I remember you! You're the girl who made us eat pie for P-I-E!"

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Old English is insane. it is almost easier to learn a completely foreign language!

my experience was in 7th grade the UCB program for middle school kids. not sure what possessed me to take an English class other that it was my worst subject ..

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England. Recommend a visit to see the baths and cisterns completed by the Romans.

[bath_england.jpg]

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I've been there. It was a nice capstone to our motor tour in northwestern Wessex. There are a ton of nice little trips in this area - none of which are destinations in themselves - but are certainly worth a half-day.

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that was the thinking behind how I had set up our general itinerary - kind of as stops en-route with different permutations so we could adjust on the fly based on how the day was going, one place being interesting enough that we hung around longer than anticipated, etc.

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that was on our list of things to visit when we set up a trip to the UK for March 2020. Ooops.

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I paid money to have nothing rather than have a bathtub in the master bath.

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ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE

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[ESPN] Graham Harrell to Purdue to be OC

https://twitter.com/ESPNRittenberg/status/1603571783680069635

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Then I wonder what happens to Brian Brohm. He was OC and the younger brother of the old head coach, Jeff Brohm, that went to Louisville. Brian is the interim HC for the bowl game.

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MS State's DC Zach Arnett has the interim tag removed from his HC title.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35253318/sources-mississippi-state-set-promote-zach-arnett-head-coach

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Bobby Petrino will become UNLV's OC. South Las Vegas is not very motorcycle friendly in the summer, so that should help him.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35258133/sources-unlv-hiring-bobby-petrino-offensive-coordinator

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But he can find plenty of females to take riding on his motorcycle during the rest of the season.

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Gov. Charlie Baker (R-MA) has been selected as Mark Emmert's successor to head the NCAA.

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Perfect person for an empty suit job.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022Author

Guess (without looking it up) which are the three Pac-12 schools that don't have a softball team.

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wazzu, colorado, utah?

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Wrong. WSU, Colorado, and USC. Trojans dropped a one time national power program.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

hag got 2 of 3 on a loaded, WGAS question...not sure he deserved the scolding, Andy. ;-)

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Correct.

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PRO

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Warriors road woes continue as Curry gets hurt and lose 125-119 to Pacers. I still appreciate that Draymond can score 1 point over 27 minutes and still earn a +5 point differential. Curry will get an MRI.

https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401468570

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I honestly hate how the refs are calling fouls in the NBA this year, seems like they have changed what is a foul this year, and calling a much higher percentage on the defenders.

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If you watch a game from the 90s it is pretty wild how much rough housing was permitted, even on marquee offensive players like MJ

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I suspect the pendulum will start swinging back in that direction in the coming years. We're a long ways from the 75-point rockfights in the 80s and 90s, but I don't think the 140-135 games will last forever.

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

Eh, not so sure about this, seems like this is what they want.

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Totally true, but I didn't mind the general change so much as the change in 2022-23. Way too much.

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[ESPN] Syndergaard to the Doyers on a 1 year deal

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35253985/noah-syndergaard-dodgers-reach-deal-sources-say

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Will win some games, but I've complete confidence in Dave Roberts to continue to get less than the maximum out of an embarrassment of riches.

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This season the NFL is on pace to have the most one-score games (decided by 6 points or fewer) and most game-winning drives in league history. Why? Longer drives with more running, shorter passes, fewer interceptions, and more fourth-down attempts. This has reduced the number of possessions and lowered scoring slightly (22.0 vs. 24.8 in 2020).

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/nfl-games-have-never-been-closer-heres-why/

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CAL

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Welfare school

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More like unexpected cost of a business decision. UCLA thought they were their own campus and was free to shank the conference like their partner. They found out differently. 🤷

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Dec 15, 2022·edited Dec 15, 2022

Most successful businesses are currently on or were on some form of government welfare or subsidies at one time. Think of this as our PPP loan from ucla.

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From the Front Page: University of California Board of Regents rules on UCLA's departure from the Pac-12, which includes a cross-subsidy to Cal.

https://writeforcalifornia.com/p/uc-regents-cal-ucla-big-ten-payment

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I tried to read about it on Reddit and there was just a firehose of hate toward Cal, the University, the city of Berkeley, the state of California, and Democrats. I had to stop reading.

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I have not paid any attention to UCLA or their alums since my college application days two decades ago, so reading the social media the past few days have been mind boggling. It's amazing how many people came out of a public university of their calibre with such an elitist education instead of an elite one. So meh, it's time to say good bye, good luck, and thanks for the "Calimony".

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there is a fringe element to UCLA sport-enthusiast alums who are effectively mirroring the worst of the SC online presence. Reminds me of the old joke about how the most bitter wars are between groups who are almost indistinguishable to outsiders

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pltm at "Calimony"

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Was the hate from ucla fans and alum?

This move by ucla is basically the definition of failing and an example of institutional white privileged. UCLA is basically Mark Fox, posting a historic AD debt and getting bailed out rather than punished.

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We did it, fam. Cal is now the last winless men's basketball team in the nation.

https://twitter.com/PiotrLe/status/1603244240657604611

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Cal still has a way to go to match or exceed the longest losing streak in NCAA Div. I history (41, by Towson, Jan. 3 2011- Jan. 25, 2012 as per the NCAA; Towson also had the most defeats in one season, 31, in the 2010-11 season).

Cal's current losing streak is 14 - it includes losses in the last 3 games of the '21-'22 season plus the 11 losses so far in the current season.

The last win was 53-39 over Stanfurd on February 26 in Berkeley.

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Strategic patience, baby!!!

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Congrats to Mark Fox. Let's pass out a few cigars.

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This is how Knowlton and his department can make the game experience "special" for fans, by leaning into it. "Come be a part of history. "

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This is what Knowlton calls an "untraditional excellence"

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Go Bears!!!

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