Keep your tree away from furniture like sofas or tables. That way, your cat won’t have a launching pad to pounce from.
Put a scented deterrent near the tree. You can try placing orange peels at the base of the tree, using an orange or citrus-scented spray-on branch, or putting apple cider vinegar-coated pine cones near the tree. There are also ready-made cat deterrents available at most pet stores.
Cover the trunk of your live Christmas tree with aluminum foil. Cats can’t stand the way foil feels on their paws, so they’ll likely steer clear of it.
A warm storm (highs in the 50s) is blowing through Thursday and Friday, then Saturday and Sunday are going to be utterly miserable: highs in the 20s, lows in the low 10s, and howling winds. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be a couple great days to sit by the fire with a warm beverage.
It was just below freezing when I went out for a run this morning. In writing Christmas cards to my relatives in Anchorage I'm noting that I would never make it there now. It was fine when I lived there when I was younger but now it would be tough. This weekend is not going to be nice.
So I've read in WaPo this afternoon. My siblings and their families are in NJ and eastern PA. Lots of rain in those areas, between Wednesday and Friday night. Here's hoping you and yours stay warm, dry, and the power stays on.
Chance of significant snowfall in Seattle looks like a bust at the moment, just getting near-freezing rain. Temperature will drop into the 20s the next few days.
I have a cat that is immune to all those deterrents. When he was a kitten he used to jump up on the counters all the time. I tried wrapping the counters in foil, spraying orange oil, spraying some anti-cat spray from the pet store, and nothing worked. The only reason he eventually stopped is because he became fully grown and found it to be too much effort to launch a full-sized cat body up there.
Cal basketball needs to be rightsized, honed for effectiveness and repositioned in the Gartner magic quadrant. Cal also needs to reposition itself within the BCG growth-share matrix, migrating from "dog" to "cash cow" or "star", and become the subject of a HBS case study following a SWOT analysis which will reveal the need for a turnaround effort from its current "distressed asset" condition.
I did it one with my 3 boys using a Groupon that a local place in Louisville had. It was fun. I don't think I have the slender body type and upper body strength to do it well. The only reason I was able to get higher than No 1 was my reach was a couple of inches longer so I could get to a couple of the holds he couldn't.
If climbing roped up, it can get hard to find a partner to go with all the time. Bouldering can definitely get hard quick. Having a gym with enough climbs within your ability or just difficult enough for you to want to try also contributes to desire, I'm sure.
I'm waiting for my TSX to have some sort of body damage where I could take the engine and put it in a Miata. There is a company that sells the kit with all the parts (minus the new transmission required) to put it in. 207K in the engine and still going strong. i'd like to hit 300K but given I only drive it maybe 6K/year it'll take a while.
My miata made it to 202k on the original engine then died. It threw a rod which damaged the crankcase, plus a couple of cylinders were shot and needed to be re-bored. Still, it probably was recoverable. My ex talked me out of fixing it and then bought herself an S500. She actually was embarrassed, she said, because it was old and I was still driving it around. She kept her new car in the divorce proceedings.
Tracy Kidder is a wonderful author. His "Among Schoolchildren" was illuminating, infuriating and delightful in equal measure. "Mountains Beyond Mountains," "House," "Home Town," "Old Friends" -- all highly recommended.
They need to consolidate into two divisions per conference. It happens way too often now that a weak division produces a bad playoff team that is still guaranteed a home game.
Yes, the NFL's system is silly and puts too much emphasis on winning the division title. A simple tweak would be to seed all playoff teams #1 to #6 based strictly on W-L record, regardless of division winner status. For this year, that would mean the NFC South winner would be the #6 seed (almost certainly) and they wouldn't get homefield advantage at all.
As it is, there are currently 4 teams vying for the last wildcard spot (NY Giants, Washington, Detroit, and Seattle) all of whom have better records than the current NFC South leader (Tampa Bay at 6-8). At least 3 of those teams will not make the playoffs. It's conceivable that all 4 won't make the playoffs, but it seems very remote, indeed, at this time.
The wild disparity in strength of schedule in most levels of football can make W-L record comparisons perilous at best, and can be down right misleading.
Yes, but when a team wins a bad division with a bad record, you can be reasonably confident that they weren't hurt by a super tough schedule. If anything their record is inflated by their division games.
Yes, I'd make that tweak immediately: if a division winner has a worse record than a wild card team, they are seeded lower (though remember there are 7 teams now, so Tampa would get the 7 seed). It's always dumb when a team with 9 wins or less gets a home game against a team that won 11 or 12. And it happens a lot.
Wow, I missed (or forgot) the widening (again) of the playoff field. Geez Lew-eez.
The NFL does put a premium on winning the division title just because of the example you cite. But the NFL emphasis on winning the division title remains nonsensical as it disadvantages good teams in strong divisions..
I am over the moon that the Kings are putting out a product worth watching for the first time since the early aughts. I don't know that I've seen a player quietly dominate a basketball game every night, without fail, they wa Sabonis does. He is really fun to watch.
I watched quite a bit of this game: Aaron Rodgers looked a LOT better than earlier in the season; both with his throws and relationships with the WR's.
normally we get tix to see both Knicks and Nets game, but they are oddly on back-to-back nights. didnt end up getting tix for either since kids have been very bisy ..
but i suppose w/ the crappy year they have going on, it might be better to skip anyways
I got to see Sprewell's first return to MSG when he came through playing for the T-Wolves and in the same trip, got to see the Kings blow the doors off of the Nets when Kidd was still there and they were still in New Jersey. Needless to say, it was a great trip.
There is some legislation to allow deferment of military service for those service academy student-athletes who are drafted into professional sports. This loophole - created by Trump in 2019 - was scheduled to expire. This comes on the back of concerns over the prospects of Army's Andre Carter II won't get to play in the NFL. Army's Carter is unrelated to Cal legend Andre Carter.
UT-Arlington shocks USF on the Hilltop as 14.5 point underdogs…they play at Cal tomorrow…Cal’s last, best chance for a win looks a little tougher now, especially if Askew is forced to miss with the ankle injury he suffered at Santa Clara.
Woman gets maximum punishment of 2 years suspended sentence from juvenile court... for being a clerk at Stutthoff death camp and she is 97 years old now.
I like that they are still at this! It would be cool if a similar level of diligence were possible in other places. Like Rwanda, Cambodia, etc. But I suppose there is no appetite for it politically in those places?
I've always thought it strange that NASA assigns people to pretend that they are the rover or lander, and put out these fake tweets. Like this famous one:
I complained about this when I worked at JPL, but the program just said that's the way the world is now, get with it you old fart. Or something like that.
Not really. But when I visited Alaska in May several years ago I found the endless combination of high clouds and sun to be disorienting. Whether it was 7am or 10pm, it mostly looked the same outside.
Yes. When I lived in central WA, you would have only 7 hours of sunlight in Dec-Jan. It was majorly depressing. It's funny how even twelve hours south here in the Bay Area how much of a difference it is.
We're in sunny Palm Springs on a visit and all he can do is talk about going home to the central coast and the usual marine layer. I call home Collinsport and play the old Dark Shadows theme when we return.
When I was a kid in England, growing up on an RAF base, it was really different than the weather and times in LA. Liked the summer quite a bit, winter, not so much.
Once the holidays and bowl season is over, which removes the main reason for putting up with bad weather. and tax season sets in along with the coldest and wettest months of the season (generally). By February I'm ready for it to be nice enough to start spring sports, even though the weather usually isn't good enough for them until 6 weeks after we actually start them.
Lou - A Netflix movie starring Allison Janney as a bad a$$ retired CIA operative. Enjoyed it a helluva lot more than I expected…
1923 - a solid if unspectacular first episode…Harrison Ford got f-ing old, which is not surprising because he IS 80, after all. But as with the Targaryen’s, you need a Venn diagram to keep track of the Duttons.
I really caught a break, I believe. I went and got checked out, though in retrospect the ER PA hardly did anything…but some general soreness today, similar to what I felt when i got rear ended on 880-South years ago…in an interesting twist, the woman who hit me actually took me to the ER and gave her insurance…nutty.
But boy howdy, a frightening ordeal. Could’ve been so much worse, and I will keep an eye on lingering symptoms. Right rotator cuff sore from where I braced myself on the hood, and lower back a little stiff. But nothing major, knock on wood.
CAL
TE Nick Alftin is in the portal. He was fifth string at the end of the season behind Terry, Latu, Mojarro, and Alfieri.
https://twitter.com/NickAlftin/status/1604999773336924166
Go Bears!!!
Go Bears!
Weather
A warm storm (highs in the 50s) is blowing through Thursday and Friday, then Saturday and Sunday are going to be utterly miserable: highs in the 20s, lows in the low 10s, and howling winds. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be a couple great days to sit by the fire with a warm beverage.
It was just below freezing when I went out for a run this morning. In writing Christmas cards to my relatives in Anchorage I'm noting that I would never make it there now. It was fine when I lived there when I was younger but now it would be tough. This weekend is not going to be nice.
So I've read in WaPo this afternoon. My siblings and their families are in NJ and eastern PA. Lots of rain in those areas, between Wednesday and Friday night. Here's hoping you and yours stay warm, dry, and the power stays on.
Thanks.
Windchill in eastern CO will be in the minus 40s to minus 50s. That's pretty cold.
https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/52-wind-chill-expected-in-colorado-frostbite-within-minutes/article_ee1be32c-7fb8-11ed-b8a6-fbd8f47100ed.html
Fog in the valley. temp been 37 to 45 since last Friday.
we leave for a week of skiing on Thu to Steamboat CO.
luckily the travel day is the one forecast w/ -20 deg F temps.
they rest of the week should be mid-20s and snowy (hopefully)
Chance of significant snowfall in Seattle looks like a bust at the moment, just getting near-freezing rain. Temperature will drop into the 20s the next few days.
Before I went out this morning I saw a news story about big time flight cancellations there.
Deterrent
I have a cat that is immune to all those deterrents. When he was a kitten he used to jump up on the counters all the time. I tried wrapping the counters in foil, spraying orange oil, spraying some anti-cat spray from the pet store, and nothing worked. The only reason he eventually stopped is because he became fully grown and found it to be too much effort to launch a full-sized cat body up there.
time makes fools of us all
f I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that have hurt you
Mark Fox
An absolute clown.
as in he deters the team from winning games?
Deters the team from winning games and fans attending them.
that certainly seems like the case.
Calcium
Milk is a good source of it.
And leafy greens.
carbonate.
Write a short memo about Cal basketball, but use corporate speak
Cal basketball needs to be rightsized, honed for effectiveness and repositioned in the Gartner magic quadrant. Cal also needs to reposition itself within the BCG growth-share matrix, migrating from "dog" to "cash cow" or "star", and become the subject of a HBS case study following a SWOT analysis which will reveal the need for a turnaround effort from its current "distressed asset" condition.
We can workshop this some more. Do a time-and-motion study and perform a comparative analysis of the verticals.
You can drop the mic. That was perfect.
A hobby that you want to try, but haven't started
Drums
i think i want to learn to play the guitar despite limited musical ability.
Rock climbing.
Producing electronic music and learning to DJ.
i have tried a couple times, and despite both my daughters being competitively good at it, i have not really been back much.
it is one of those things that in principle i would like to do more. maybe it gets hard quickly for me and it is easier to stop (??).
I did it one with my 3 boys using a Groupon that a local place in Louisville had. It was fun. I don't think I have the slender body type and upper body strength to do it well. The only reason I was able to get higher than No 1 was my reach was a couple of inches longer so I could get to a couple of the holds he couldn't.
Being consistent and progressing slowly is the key...both of which can be hard to achieve.
If climbing roped up, it can get hard to find a partner to go with all the time. Bouldering can definitely get hard quick. Having a gym with enough climbs within your ability or just difficult enough for you to want to try also contributes to desire, I'm sure.
Not a fan of doing anything unnecessary that could result in falling any considerable distance.
Buying and selling of mega yachts
sounds more jobby than hobby
Restoring old cars
Same. I like working on cars, but I'd rather not work on a car I have to depend on regularly. Working on a project car at my leisure would be ideal.
I'm waiting for my TSX to have some sort of body damage where I could take the engine and put it in a Miata. There is a company that sells the kit with all the parts (minus the new transmission required) to put it in. 207K in the engine and still going strong. i'd like to hit 300K but given I only drive it maybe 6K/year it'll take a while.
My miata made it to 202k on the original engine then died. It threw a rod which damaged the crankcase, plus a couple of cylinders were shot and needed to be re-bored. Still, it probably was recoverable. My ex talked me out of fixing it and then bought herself an S500. She actually was embarrassed, she said, because it was old and I was still driving it around. She kept her new car in the divorce proceedings.
Your car definitely would've been rebuildable. Worst case, throw in a rebuilt engine and keep driving.
My 97M is only at around 77K. Keeping that one stock. I'd have to find a Miata with a blown engine for my project, if it ever becomes real.
The litany of ex-wives y'all have jettisoned is really something.
Playing music and singing with a band.
Sausage making
So there are people that want to see how the sausage is made?
Tracy
Kidder, won the Pulitzer for “The Soul of a New Machine,” a nonfiction classic about computer development
Tracy Kidder is a wonderful author. His "Among Schoolchildren" was illuminating, infuriating and delightful in equal measure. "Mountains Beyond Mountains," "House," "Home Town," "Old Friends" -- all highly recommended.
Scootie, you must be a quite a well read person!
I prefer reading to almost anything else, and get through around 80 books/year.
That was a great book. Its message is still true, although many have probably forgotten it, or never heard of it.
California.
Pollan
Morgan
Overrated.
PRO
Each team in the NFC South has a losing record and none of the four have been eliminated from the playoffs.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/standings
As you imply, no one is out of it because everyone is in it for the division title.
When you splinter each conference into four small divisions, a scenario just like this becomes more likely; even probable over a period of years.
They need to consolidate into two divisions per conference. It happens way too often now that a weak division produces a bad playoff team that is still guaranteed a home game.
Yes, the NFL's system is silly and puts too much emphasis on winning the division title. A simple tweak would be to seed all playoff teams #1 to #6 based strictly on W-L record, regardless of division winner status. For this year, that would mean the NFC South winner would be the #6 seed (almost certainly) and they wouldn't get homefield advantage at all.
As it is, there are currently 4 teams vying for the last wildcard spot (NY Giants, Washington, Detroit, and Seattle) all of whom have better records than the current NFC South leader (Tampa Bay at 6-8). At least 3 of those teams will not make the playoffs. It's conceivable that all 4 won't make the playoffs, but it seems very remote, indeed, at this time.
The wild disparity in strength of schedule in most levels of football can make W-L record comparisons perilous at best, and can be down right misleading.
Yes, but when a team wins a bad division with a bad record, you can be reasonably confident that they weren't hurt by a super tough schedule. If anything their record is inflated by their division games.
Yes, I'd make that tweak immediately: if a division winner has a worse record than a wild card team, they are seeded lower (though remember there are 7 teams now, so Tampa would get the 7 seed). It's always dumb when a team with 9 wins or less gets a home game against a team that won 11 or 12. And it happens a lot.
Wow, I missed (or forgot) the widening (again) of the playoff field. Geez Lew-eez.
The NFL does put a premium on winning the division title just because of the example you cite. But the NFL emphasis on winning the division title remains nonsensical as it disadvantages good teams in strong divisions..
So bizarre
LFG, Kuony
https://twitter.com/CalFootball/status/1605337410191372288
Ex-Patriot Willie McGinnest is in some hot water for hosting a man to his own version of bottle service
https://twitter.com/_MLFootball/status/1604955260421693440
Kings: Bigger, Brighter, and Purpler
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/sacramento-kings-beam-brighter/
https://media.tenor.com/0engAwwUVF4AAAAC/more-kylo-ren.gif
I am over the moon that the Kings are putting out a product worth watching for the first time since the early aughts. I don't know that I've seen a player quietly dominate a basketball game every night, without fail, they wa Sabonis does. He is really fun to watch.
RIP Tom Browning - 20 game winner, WS champion, and threw the only perfect game for the Reds - dead at age 62.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35289015/ex-reds-pitcher-tom-browning-author-perfect-game-dies
Aw man, that’s a bummer. Solid lefty.
Packers beat the Rams 24-12
https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401437916
I watched quite a bit of this game: Aaron Rodgers looked a LOT better than earlier in the season; both with his throws and relationships with the WR's.
He absolutely did. He and Brady both crumble pretty easy these days under a heavy rush but ARod was much more on his game last night.
Knicks host Warriors tonight at MSG.
normally we get tix to see both Knicks and Nets game, but they are oddly on back-to-back nights. didnt end up getting tix for either since kids have been very bisy ..
but i suppose w/ the crappy year they have going on, it might be better to skip anyways
I got to see Sprewell's first return to MSG when he came through playing for the T-Wolves and in the same trip, got to see the Kings blow the doors off of the Nets when Kidd was still there and they were still in New Jersey. Needless to say, it was a great trip.
Elsewhere in college
UW LT Troy Fautanu announces his return to the Huskies rather than declare for draft
https://twitter.com/tfautanu/status/1605061885296279553
There is some legislation to allow deferment of military service for those service academy student-athletes who are drafted into professional sports. This loophole - created by Trump in 2019 - was scheduled to expire. This comes on the back of concerns over the prospects of Army's Andre Carter II won't get to play in the NFL. Army's Carter is unrelated to Cal legend Andre Carter.
You anticipated my question.
Liberty (8-4) vs. Toledo (8-5) in Boca Raton Bowl. Toledo favored by 3.5 points.
Eastern Michigan (8-4) vs. SJSU in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Spartans favored by 3.5 points.
EMU now has two points and it didn't come via safety
https://twitter.com/FTBeard7/status/1605307380417171456
32 degrees at kickoff with a chance for flurries by the end. Great bowl weather to watch from the couch.
Eastern Michigan continues to out-perform their reputation. SJ should not be favored.
Marshall defeats UConn 28-14, helped in part by this THICC-6
https://twitter.com/CowardlyDoggo/status/1604932481278365697
pltm at the QB getting trucked at the end of that while the DE barely even notices hitting him
I know, right? I watched that and was like "why is that QB taking a terrible angle it's almost like he doesn't want to hit... oh, that's why".
One play, two monster hits, one interception, one TD. What a sequence for the defense.
Guess who else hates Stanfurd
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1605012813625167873
This guy... or person... dude.
https://twitter.com/DudePerson9/status/1605010862527373312
That or Duder or His Dudeness or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing
UT-Arlington shocks USF on the Hilltop as 14.5 point underdogs…they play at Cal tomorrow…Cal’s last, best chance for a win looks a little tougher now, especially if Askew is forced to miss with the ankle injury he suffered at Santa Clara.
Woman gets maximum punishment of 2 years suspended sentence from juvenile court... for being a clerk at Stutthoff death camp and she is 97 years old now.
https://www.dw.com/en/german-court-convicts-ex-nazi-camp-secretary/a-64159732
I like that they are still at this! It would be cool if a similar level of diligence were possible in other places. Like Rwanda, Cambodia, etc. But I suppose there is no appetite for it politically in those places?
SHE BLINDED ME WITH...
Mars Insight Lander telling us to beeeee gooooood and I'll be riiiight heeeeeere.
https://twitter.com/NASAInSight/status/1604955574659035136
I've always thought it strange that NASA assigns people to pretend that they are the rover or lander, and put out these fake tweets. Like this famous one:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/opportunity-rovers-final-words/
I complained about this when I worked at JPL, but the program just said that's the way the world is now, get with it you old fart. Or something like that.
Does winter darkness affect your mood?
Not really. But when I visited Alaska in May several years ago I found the endless combination of high clouds and sun to be disorienting. Whether it was 7am or 10pm, it mostly looked the same outside.
The long summer nights were much more of an adjustment when I lived there than were the short winter days or the cold.
Yes. When I lived in central WA, you would have only 7 hours of sunlight in Dec-Jan. It was majorly depressing. It's funny how even twelve hours south here in the Bay Area how much of a difference it is.
i rather like it mostly because i enjoy the colder temps and snow and winter in general.
also, if you ever want to see stars, the cold clear nights in the winter are the best
I usually take the dog out for his final walk around 11:30pm. I love how it's absolutely silent at that time from November through February
Nope. I have reverse seasonal affective disorder and my mood drops in the Spring. I think the increased brightness of the sun disagrees with me.
My son, too, hates sunlight.
We're in sunny Palm Springs on a visit and all he can do is talk about going home to the central coast and the usual marine layer. I call home Collinsport and play the old Dark Shadows theme when we return.
When I was a kid in England, growing up on an RAF base, it was really different than the weather and times in LA. Liked the summer quite a bit, winter, not so much.
Yes, but not nearly as much as Cal basketball. Too dark too early, tho…
not here in Maryland, although a week of cloudy weather puts me right off. I plainly can never go back to Scotland to live.
Once the holidays and bowl season is over, which removes the main reason for putting up with bad weather. and tax season sets in along with the coldest and wettest months of the season (generally). By February I'm ready for it to be nice enough to start spring sports, even though the weather usually isn't good enough for them until 6 weeks after we actually start them.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
Watch Kimberly Guilfoyle try to fire up the crowd at Turning Point USA and get 2 half-hearted woos and a whole bunch of crickets. *Cringe*
https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1604553902401245185
DBD AV Club
RIP Terry Hall of The Specials and Fun Boy Three
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/20/1144313908/terry-hall-singer-with-ska-icons-the-specials-dies-at-63
[sad face]
Well that's sad, I have a friend who has been hiring The Specials to show up - friends with them.
Lou - A Netflix movie starring Allison Janney as a bad a$$ retired CIA operative. Enjoyed it a helluva lot more than I expected…
1923 - a solid if unspectacular first episode…Harrison Ford got f-ing old, which is not surprising because he IS 80, after all. But as with the Targaryen’s, you need a Venn diagram to keep track of the Duttons.
I thought Lou was pretty good - not breaking any new ground, but a decent watch.
The Recruit on Netflix. Watched 8 episodes over the last few days. New CIA lawyer gets caught up in an international case. 15/19.
Man, I was really bummed the time a Christmas tree fell over - needed a new tree base to stop that event.
6.4 earthquake rattles Eureka early this morning, no Tsunami alert.
https://weather.com/news/news/2022-12-20-eureka-ferndale-california-earthquake
Honda CRV rattles Jimmy Chitwood after hitting him as he crossed a street on his morning walk…luckily, the cynical Cal fan escaped major injury.
Are you okay? Seriously, dude. Humans generally don't interact well with 2 tons of moving heavy machinery. Get yourself checked out.
Yeah, even if you feel fine now it may take a day or two for injury symptoms to emerge.
I really caught a break, I believe. I went and got checked out, though in retrospect the ER PA hardly did anything…but some general soreness today, similar to what I felt when i got rear ended on 880-South years ago…in an interesting twist, the woman who hit me actually took me to the ER and gave her insurance…nutty.
But boy howdy, a frightening ordeal. Could’ve been so much worse, and I will keep an eye on lingering symptoms. Right rotator cuff sore from where I braced myself on the hood, and lower back a little stiff. But nothing major, knock on wood.
Is nobody going to ask the relevant question -- was she hot??
Not bad. Best date I’ve been on in months…equal parts sweet and bat schitt crazy, which puts her right in my wheelhouse! ;-)
Damn dude, glad you are feeling ok!
I woke up when No 2 got home and sent out a Google notification he got on his phone. I didn't feel a thing. 222.6 miles away according to the alert.
Make sure this cat gets a football scholarship, will help us claw our way to victory this Fall.
Yes, but can the cat play O-line?
Just from looking him in the eye in the photo, do you really want to tangle with him? I think I'll pass.
strong "linebacker who is calm everywhere but on the field" vibes