75 Comments

Tell the DBD a mystery

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It's long been rumored that Oski and Santa Claus are cousins. DNA tests prove that they are related, so it would seem to be true. See story on main page for details.

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Not finding the referenced Main page report into Oski DNA...

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Can only assume hackers removed it. Also reported by the WaPost, NY Times and BBC to name a few.

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Candlepin: because America dominates at sports that hardly anybody else plays

https://www.boston.com/news/wickedpedia/2023/12/20/why-is-candlepin-bowling-mostly-played-in-new-england

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huh - in Rhode Island it's called duck pin bowling. There was a duck pin bowling place a few suburbs over from us in Maryland, not sure if it survived the pandemic though.

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Fascinating. I didn't know *anything* of candlepin bowling until reading that article.

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I know, right? It's like hanging out with relatives from other regions who play home games and they're like - you don't know how to play bunco/pitch/[insert game here]?

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Eucre and pinochle are largely regional card games in the US (some may even argue they're the same game, but I digress).

Curling is a sport that seems to be rather obscure, even though it gets attention each time the Winter Olympics rolls around. It's bocce ball on ice with brooms.

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That's funny, I don't think of curling as being especially obscure, so you can guess where it was invented.... lot of people in the upper midwest play, especially Minnesota, but there are curling clubs all through the US including a couple here in Maryland

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I guess I'm showing my regional bias as a Californian.

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This California native only knows about curling because I married a Minnesotan, who also taught me about broom ball.

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Me too! (not as a Californian, but you get the idea)

Curling, even more so than modern soccer, is a game that the Scots started and eventually ended up losing a lot to everyone else. What a doomed bunch we are.

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My kid was the USA Olympic Southern region curling champion for the 13-15 age group several years back. He beat out the other kid, who was also not very good.

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Are you saying your kid was not very good at curling? I guess it's the use of the word "also" which makes me wonder.

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No. Kid wasn't very good. And the South only has one Olympic-certified curling rink, so it was a super low bar to achieve.

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DBD Street Journal

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Want to buy Chuck E Cheeze pizza? Not the pizza, I mean the whole thing. If you do, please note that they did away with the paper prize tickets 3 years ago

https://thetakeout.com/chuck-e-cheese-company-possible-sale-reports-2023-1851111313

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There's something dystopian about the simple thought of buying a failed entertainment & pizza company.

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Rite Aid banned by FTC from deploying facial recognition software for five years because the first-generation version it used - like your racist relative who also has simplistic views of the world - broadbrushed POC as likely criminals.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/dec/20/rite-aid-shoplifting-facial-recognition-ftc-settlement

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I actually don't park ski. My buddy got me into backcountry skiing back around 2015 with an old tele setup (not just backcountry, but backcountry with snow camping). As someone who did not grow up skiing or snowboarding, I've had a serious need to get park days in to improve going downhill in the backcountry. However, I loathe park skiing partly because of the price of admission and partly because my standard-hours job means I am there with the crowds when I do go. I really need to suck it up and get some park days in. Otherwise, I am doomed to a life of falling down the mountain every time I go into the backcountry.

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PRO

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PV = nRT

That is all.

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If I'm reading the science correctly (https://www.profootballlogic.com/articles/the-science-of-football-deflation/), it appears that someone inflated the balls indoors where it was warm and then they went outside, where it was 28 degree during game time

https://world-weather.info/forecast/usa/foxborough/07-december/

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That's what happened with DeflateGate. The NFL is complicit in this in that they behave as if they are totally ignorant of the ideal gas law.

The NFL created this "problem". They should deal with it internally. And go back to high school chemistry.

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OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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Political discourse in 2023: MAGA meltdown over photos of White House cat. https://www.rawstory.com/willow-biden-white-house/

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I hate article that are based purely on social media. It's clickbait. I get that someone has a deadline, but it's just lazy journalism.

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Contrarily I often find such articles interesting and reflective of what's going on with a segment of the population.

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...or "What happens when White retirees have nothing better to do with their time?"

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Drunk U ncle Rudy ordered to pay $148m damages expediently due to defendant doing himself no favors by being combatant during the case and the risk of him trying to shift assets around to dodge the ruling

https://www.rawstory.com/rudy-giuliani-must-pay-now/

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He's also filed for bankruptcy.

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Make him destitute.

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I'm just heartbroken on his behalf. Truly.

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I'm now seeing that Uncle Rudy has filed for bankruptcy, claiming debts exceeding $100 million.

Prove it, I say. If proven to be false, Giuliani should be cited for contempt of court, I say.

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Well he does owe at least $148mm that we know of so not hard to prove. Happiky, that debt is not dischargeable.

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Thank Gawd for small favors!

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NRA revenues are down 59% over the past 6 years

https://www.rawstory.com/nra-turmoil/

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ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE

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I thought he was going to OSU..oh well. That's one thing I'm afraid of in getting all the Texas recruits. There might be higher chance of them transferring. Then I just found out KEO is from Hayward, CA

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Oregon State and Wazzu to join West Coast Conference for two years for all sports except football and baseball. As a reminder, OSU/WSU have an one year agreement with MWC for football.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/oregon-state-washington-state-to-join-gonzaga-led-wcc-in-basketball-for-next-two-seasons/

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BYU joined the WCC for all sports except football when they were independent. So, this makes sense, even if it's a stopgap measure on the way to rebuilding the Pac-12 conference.

I am not convinced that the ACC will survive, although the ACC has an ironclad Grant of Rights among its membership. FSU seems to be content to saber rattle for the moment, although that is largely without effect of any sort. I think FSU's end game is to induce chaos and force their own ouster from the league with a reduced penalty. A command to "go away" as it were, and here's a nice parting gift for you just because we don't want you around anymore.

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At some point the ACC might become interested in expanding west again.

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I have this sneaking suspicion that this recent round of realignment might set in motion forces which will remake college football in a big way, previously unforeseen. I would not be surprised to see many colleges and universities get out of football altogether. It would simplify Title IX compliance and solve a number of budget problems with regards to intercollegiate athletics.

What I'm surmising isn't very well formed and is based on a hunch that the TV execs have started something which may not be sustainable for a number of FBS schools. Ergo, it's highly speculative.

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Unless they're willing to spend a lot on travel, it is logical for baseball to go to the Big West because that's where the competition is. UCI (previous season's RPI: 47), UCSB (55), Fullerton (67), CSUN (73), Hawaii (76), UCSD (84), Long Beach (87), Cal Poly (169), UC Davis (231), Bakersfield (252),, Riverside (262). WCC is too weak at baseball, and the WAC and MWC are even weaker than WCC.

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We are always in a strange list. We are also in the list of former 5* USC QB along with Tulane and Houston. I don't know which is more strange.

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He was recruiting to USC by Vic So'oto so there's an existing relationship. I would love to land this kid

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mostly I was trying to avoid watching SC's defense this year, but I seem to remember him being pretty good despite the coaching staff. Hope he lands somewhere that works for him.

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So essentially we've got no competition for the dude.

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DBD AV CLUB

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ESPN: The Ocho relaunches as a free sports channel on ABC streaming platforms

https://awfulannouncing.com/streaming/espn8-the-ocho-now-live-espn-fast-channel.html

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I still giggle a bit that the Ocho is a real thing, a parody that originated from the movie "Dodgeball"

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Welcome to the DBD. Remember: no flash photography and no outside food or drink. Enjoy your visit.

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I can't remember the last time that I accidentally overslept... that moment where you wake up and think "uh oh, it's way too much light". Good thing my work calendar is pretty light.

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I missed a flight when I guess I slept through my alarm. Started to drive to SFO thinking I might make it if I have them valet park my car. I wanted to take the earlier flight because I had tickets for the 6 PM WBC US vs Mexico game. Ended up taking a later flight and getting there in the 2nd inning.

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That happened on the morning of WSU game. The boarding time for my flight was 6:50am and I woke up at 6:37am. Immediately I felt something was not right. I rushed and was able to make my flight and enjoy the game.

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I've been sick the past few days and let me tell you Nyquil and CBD gummies are a miracle combo.

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That's a hell of a cocktail, bartender.

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You probably needed the sleep. Have a good one.

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Cal

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Go Bears!!!

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Jeremiah Hunter to the portal

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1H9Wlkxqk_/?hl=en

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Looks like Cal got its insurance PK in case Luckhurst can't look after his mentals

https://twitter.com/RyanCoe34/status/1737886340098789841

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He got injured last year, but assuming he can revert back to the low 80s % FG percent, he's an above average kicker. Like, top tercile.

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He's a rambling man, Cal will be his fourth school. Besides NC he's had stops at Delaware and Cincinnati.

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Cal up big.

Madsen puts in Devin Askew.

Cal immediately loses momentum behind a stagnant offense and pisses away lead.

Tough to build a winning culture with a PG that does not know how to win. Who is gonna be the one to change this?

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It was my first men's game since Cuonzo left. Weekday afternoon with students gone so unsurprisingly it was a small crowd. Very little atmosphere. Judging from my first look at the team, Madsen has a ways to go. Some of our regulasr would have been deep on the bench in days of yore. Wyking and Fox really did a number on the program.

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