I replace all the newest Mac OS backgrounds with the Big Sur OS dynamic picture of the Bixby Bridge. I like how they change the daytime/nighttime based on the current time.
Didn't they remove the dam about 10 years ago to increase tidal flow?
I love Lake Merritt. LOVE. I give it a lap just about every time I'm home in the East Bay. It's an ELITE urban lake, up there with Lake Union in Seattle.
Possibly. A culvert was removed to increase tidal flow in 2016. Not sure if this means the dam was also removed. There is also a tidal marsh in the outlet area, which potentially makes a dam superfluous.
Kari Lake. Trump appointee who tried to close down Voice of America. She failed but got nominated to be ambassador to Jamaica. I have a downstairs neighbor who has been on paid administrative leave from VOA for more than a year. It’s kind of worked out because he and his wife had a daughter last Fall so he’s been able to stay at home with her.
there are some truly spectacular alpine lakes that are hiking accessible only. Lake Moraine in Banff NP is a particularly good one. so is Lake Magog in Assiniboine Provincial Park.
Flathead Lake in Montana looks nice. Lake Chelan in Washington State, too. Maybe Lake Ouachita, Arkansas. I dunno - they're all competing for third place.
Welp, it happened today. I planned for me to get laid off and it finally happened today. I went from having two full-time jobs and being a full time student to being retired. I will spend the next week attending graduation things and then I'm tasked with figuring out what I want to do with my retirement. In my head, it is exactly what I wanted. In my heart, it is weird and anticlimactic.
Even though what you planned for, I get that it feels weird. It's not like we had childhood dreams of wrapping up working life via chopping block (maybe Gen Z did/does have those dreams?). I hope the joy of having so much more control of your time sets in soon- from all my early to retirement friends, there is definitely a transition period. One said it took her a year to fully release the PTSD of an insane workload/career. Hope it is much quicker for you!
Yeah when I got laid off from Salesforce a few years ago, there was one guy who got laid off with me who was older and actually fairly happy that it happened so he could just retire already (along with a nice big severance bonus).
I don’t get the WordleBot but I’m guessing my luck score would be high today. Had the same one letter right in the first two rows and got the word on the third. All the misses on the first two rows helped, but still.
Forced myself to step away from the rabbit hole. Wordlebot actually rated my #4 guess very low, although it luckily worked well. I picked it because it eliminated many words; Wordle apparently considers many of those to be uncommon.
California men's basketball gains a versatile player with the signing of Amier Ali as a transfer for head coach Mark Madsen's 2026-27 roster. A 6-foot-8 guard/forward, Ali comes to Cal as a junior following his prior work at Mississippi State and Arizona State.
Ali appeared in 32 games as a true freshman with the Sun Devils, averaging 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and hitting 30 threes that season. He set his career high with an 18-point effort against No. 12 Texas Tech and also recorded a double-double at Oklahoma State. As a sophomore at Mississippi State, Ali played in 12 games, scoring a season-high 16 points and hitting the game-winning 3-pointer against New Orleans.
California women's tennis co-captains Berta Passola Folch and Mao Mushika were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, the CSC announced Tuesday. Passola Folch is also eligible for CSC Academic All-America honors, as voted on by CSC members.
STANFORD — California women's golf senior Adora Liu shot a 1-over-par 72 on Wednesday in the final round of the NCAA Stanford Regional, finishing the tournament with a three day total of 6-over-par-219, tying for 32nd place.
The California track & field team will begin its outdoor postseason this week, as the Golden Bears are set to appear at the ACC Outdoor Championships on Thursday-Saturday at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
The No. 6 California women's rowing team will head east for the ACC Rowing Championship this weekend on Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Golden Bears enter as the No. 2 seed in each of the five races at the event, as determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
Mets win in the 10th. walk off single ... i was very unimpressed.
this was the first time i realized that in the 10th inning you start off w/ a runner on 2nd. is that new this year? or have i just been living in a hole?
The Giants beat the Dodgers 29-2 on Wednesday, with their two best players combining to hit 8-8 with a home run, four doubles, four walks, and a stolen base.
Unfortunately, that was in the Arizona Complex League. In the slightly more competitive, and slightly more meaningful Major League Baseball game, the Giants lost to the Dodgers 4-0.
The drumbeat against Buster Posey has started. I saw an article yesterday afternoon saying that Ken Rosenthal is less than impressed with Posey's trades and moves.
Vitello's hiring is part of that drumbeat, and Devers' trade and contract. Steep learning curve here.
The Dodgers are back in the win column as they snapped their four-game losing streak behind another dominant performance from Shohei Ohtani on the mound. The Dodgers broke through early and kept their foot on the gas as they shut out the San Francisco Giants for the second time this year, winning on Wednesday by a final score of 4-0.
LAKES
Tahoe .. talked about tangentially in the chat.
it is also the latest Mac OS version name. i replaced the stock Tahoe photo w/ one of my own.
I replace all the newest Mac OS backgrounds with the Big Sur OS dynamic picture of the Bixby Bridge. I like how they change the daytime/nighttime based on the current time.
Lake Merritt, in Oakland, which is a tidal lagoon that is dammed, thereby restricting the flow in and out of the lagoon.
Didn't they remove the dam about 10 years ago to increase tidal flow?
I love Lake Merritt. LOVE. I give it a lap just about every time I'm home in the East Bay. It's an ELITE urban lake, up there with Lake Union in Seattle.
I was still living in Oakland when I first started running. Did innumerable laps around the lake as part of marathon training.
Possibly. A culvert was removed to increase tidal flow in 2016. Not sure if this means the dam was also removed. There is also a tidal marsh in the outlet area, which potentially makes a dam superfluous.
Kari Lake. Trump appointee who tried to close down Voice of America. She failed but got nominated to be ambassador to Jamaica. I have a downstairs neighbor who has been on paid administrative leave from VOA for more than a year. It’s kind of worked out because he and his wife had a daughter last Fall so he’s been able to stay at home with her.
Ambassador of Jamaica is one of the best gigs anyone has ever failed up to. I tip my cap.
On the topic of the day...
I submit lakes Tahoe and George are America's two finest, and I don't know what other American lake would even be in the conversation.
Tahoe and George are good for "living next to"
we are enjoying the house on Lake Champlain, the view never gets old.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/27U3YwxYp8aSftvr5
there are some truly spectacular alpine lakes that are hiking accessible only. Lake Moraine in Banff NP is a particularly good one. so is Lake Magog in Assiniboine Provincial Park.
so gorgeous!
I am a sucker for mountain lakes, probably from Tahoe summer vacays. Georgia has some great mountain lakes that are beautiful getaways.
DBD'ers are invited to the VT situation anytime
Flathead Lake in Montana looks nice. Lake Chelan in Washington State, too. Maybe Lake Ouachita, Arkansas. I dunno - they're all competing for third place.
Never heard of Lake George. TIL it's down from Lake Champlain.
You can decide next week when you are here
DBD UPDATE
Welp, it happened today. I planned for me to get laid off and it finally happened today. I went from having two full-time jobs and being a full time student to being retired. I will spend the next week attending graduation things and then I'm tasked with figuring out what I want to do with my retirement. In my head, it is exactly what I wanted. In my heart, it is weird and anticlimactic.
Even though what you planned for, I get that it feels weird. It's not like we had childhood dreams of wrapping up working life via chopping block (maybe Gen Z did/does have those dreams?). I hope the joy of having so much more control of your time sets in soon- from all my early to retirement friends, there is definitely a transition period. One said it took her a year to fully release the PTSD of an insane workload/career. Hope it is much quicker for you!
Congratulations (??), is this something you want? I hope so, because forced retirement isn't something I wish upon anyone.
Maybe find some sort of part time work? Retiring cold turkey can be overwhelming, I found that transitioning was very helpful.
Good luck in any case!
Con...grats?? Did you get a good severance package?
Congratulations (I think?)!
I'm not positive that's the right reaction because it rarely is when someone gets laid off, but I think maybe you're the exception?
Yeah when I got laid off from Salesforce a few years ago, there was one guy who got laid off with me who was older and actually fairly happy that it happened so he could just retire already (along with a nice big severance bonus).
Congrats from me at least
WORDLE 'N STUFF
Globle
🌎 May 14, 2026 🌍
🔥 2 | Avg. Guesses: 5.25
🟥🟥🟧🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥
🟥🟩 = 10
https://globle-game.com
#globle
🌎 May 14, 2026 🌍
🔥 4 | Avg. Guesses: 7.86
🟥🟧🟥🟥🟥🟩 = 6
https://globle-game.com
#globle
took me a lot of guesses fumbling around the same area
🌎 May 14, 2026 🌍
🔥 2 | Avg. Guesses: 7.6
🟨🟥🟥🟧🟧🟧🟥🟥
🟥🟥🟥🟩 = 12
https://globle-game.com
#globle
I got a little lucky. Knew it was between a few countries but wasn't sure exactly which ones are there.
Worldle
Ooof
#Worldle #1574 (14.05.2026) X/6 (83%)
🔥 Current Win Streak: 0 days
🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜↖️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜➡️
🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜↘️
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr/share
hahaha
#Worldle #1574 (14.05.2026) X/6 (76%)
🔥 Current Win Streak: 0 days
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜↙️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜➡️
🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜➡️
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr/share
that was a tough one. i have heard of it and i would eventually have guessed it i suppose ..
#Worldle #1574 (14.05.2026) X/6 (83%)
🔥 Current Win Streak: 0 days
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟨⬜↙️
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜↖️
🟩🟨⬜⬜⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜➡️
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr/share
I guessed the few I know in the general area, but unfortunately I was still like 5000 KM off. Have never heard of this country.
Octordle
Daily Octordle #1571
7️⃣6️⃣
🔟5️⃣
4️⃣8️⃣
🕚9️⃣
Score: 60
Quordle
🙂 Daily Quordle 1571
7️⃣6️⃣
8️⃣5️⃣
m-w.com/games/quordle/
🙂 Daily Quordle 1571
8️⃣9️⃣
6️⃣7️⃣
m-w.com/games/quordle/
phew ... at least i got it
🙂 Daily Quordle 1571
9️⃣5️⃣
8️⃣7️⃣
m-w.com/games/quordle/
Wordle
Wordle Bot: You tied with me today. We both solved in 5 guesses.
looked like a tough one.
Wordle 1,790 5/6*
⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛
⬛🟩🟨⬛⬛
🟨🟩⬛⬛🟨
🟩🟩⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
WordleBot
Skill 93/99
Luck 33/99
I don’t get the WordleBot but I’m guessing my luck score would be high today. Had the same one letter right in the first two rows and got the word on the third. All the misses on the first two rows helped, but still.
Only 6.6% of players guessed correctly by turn 3. That is really good. The NYT average today was 5.3, and Wordlebot itself took 5 turns.
Wordle 1,790 5/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟨🟩⬜🟩⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟨⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
WordleBot
Skill 76/99
Luck 40/99
Forced myself to step away from the rabbit hole. Wordlebot actually rated my #4 guess very low, although it luckily worked well. I picked it because it eliminated many words; Wordle apparently considers many of those to be uncommon.
Double UGH.
Wordle 1,790 X/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
WordleBot
Skill 71/99
Luck 24/99
EDIT: Not sure I care much about my skill and luck rankings when I fail to get the word in 6 tries.
agreed. seems like one of them at lest should be ZERO
UGH
Wordle 1,790 X/6*
⬛⬛🟨🟨🟨
⬛⬛🟨🟨🟩
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩
⬛🟩⬛🟩🟩
WordleBot
Skill 50/99
Luck 31/99
POLITICS
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
CAL
According to On3, we flipped Dane Weber from UCLA
Cal's star QB says schools went to his parents to convince him to transfer
The parents of Cal star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele were the first line of defense for keeping the rising sophomore in Berkeley.
https://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/cal-star-qb-parents-transfer-22257767.php
[MBB] Cal Adds Amier Ali As Transfer For 2026-27
https://calbears.com/news/2026/5/13/mens-basketball-cal-adds-amier-ali-as-transfer-for-2026-27.aspx
California men's basketball gains a versatile player with the signing of Amier Ali as a transfer for head coach Mark Madsen's 2026-27 roster. A 6-foot-8 guard/forward, Ali comes to Cal as a junior following his prior work at Mississippi State and Arizona State.
Ali appeared in 32 games as a true freshman with the Sun Devils, averaging 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game and hitting 30 threes that season. He set his career high with an 18-point effort against No. 12 Texas Tech and also recorded a double-double at Oklahoma State. As a sophomore at Mississippi State, Ali played in 12 games, scoring a season-high 16 points and hitting the game-winning 3-pointer against New Orleans.
[WTEN] Passola Folch, Mushika Named To CSC Academic All-District Team
https://calbears.com/news/2026/5/13/womens-tennis-passola-folch-mushika-named-to-csc-academic-all-district-team.aspx
California women's tennis co-captains Berta Passola Folch and Mao Mushika were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, the CSC announced Tuesday. Passola Folch is also eligible for CSC Academic All-America honors, as voted on by CSC members.
[WGOLF] Liu Finishes Tied For 32nd at NCAA Stanford Regional
https://calbears.com/news/2026/5/13/womens-golf-liu-finishes-tied-for-32nd-at-stanford-regional.aspx
STANFORD — California women's golf senior Adora Liu shot a 1-over-par 72 on Wednesday in the final round of the NCAA Stanford Regional, finishing the tournament with a three day total of 6-over-par-219, tying for 32nd place.
[T&F] Bears Prepped For ACC Outdoor Championships
https://calbears.com/news/2026/5/13/track-field-bears-prepped-for-acc-outdoor-championships.aspx
The California track & field team will begin its outdoor postseason this week, as the Golden Bears are set to appear at the ACC Outdoor Championships on Thursday-Saturday at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park in Louisville, Kentucky.
[WROW] No. 6 Cal Set For ACC Championship
https://calbears.com/news/2026/5/13/womens-rowing-no-6-cal-set-for-acc-championship.aspx
The No. 6 California women's rowing team will head east for the ACC Rowing Championship this weekend on Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Golden Bears enter as the No. 2 seed in each of the five races at the event, as determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
PRO
Mets win in the 10th. walk off single ... i was very unimpressed.
this was the first time i realized that in the 10th inning you start off w/ a runner on 2nd. is that new this year? or have i just been living in a hole?
The dreaded Manfred man is probably 3 seasons old?
it is like the pitch clock to speed up games, i guess?
The Manfred man isn't necessarily to speed up games, but more so to avoid teams running out of pitchers and then having to use position players.
Manfred really has been screwing up the game in my opinion.
Get off my lawn!
Pitch clock rules!!!
Cavs beat the Pistons, 117-113. Goes up 3-2 in the series.
This is good news for all the Knicks fans I know because the Pistons are the tougher matchup for them.
also, Knicks would be the home team if it was vs Cavs
Giants return to their old ways
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/san-francisco-giants-scores-standings/106616/giants-dodgers-recap-scores-mookie-betts-willy-adames
The Giants beat the Dodgers 29-2 on Wednesday, with their two best players combining to hit 8-8 with a home run, four doubles, four walks, and a stolen base.
Unfortunately, that was in the Arizona Complex League. In the slightly more competitive, and slightly more meaningful Major League Baseball game, the Giants lost to the Dodgers 4-0.
It's still pretty funny that the Giants couldn't win a series from almost anyone except the Dodgers lately.
Dodgers have been pretty bad over the last 10 days. They've stopped hitting and the bullpen hasn't been very good.
The drumbeat against Buster Posey has started. I saw an article yesterday afternoon saying that Ken Rosenthal is less than impressed with Posey's trades and moves.
Vitello's hiring is part of that drumbeat, and Devers' trade and contract. Steep learning curve here.
Shohei Ohtani’s gem helps Dodgers snap four-game losing skid (Dodgers beat Giants 4-0)
https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/115762/dodgers-giants-game-recap
The Dodgers are back in the win column as they snapped their four-game losing streak behind another dominant performance from Shohei Ohtani on the mound. The Dodgers broke through early and kept their foot on the gas as they shut out the San Francisco Giants for the second time this year, winning on Wednesday by a final score of 4-0.