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Comet Leonard may become visible as a naked eye object later in the year. Discovered by an astronomer at the Mt. Lemmon observatory in Arizona back in January, it shows signs of increasing prominence as it approaches the sun.

https://www.space.com/newfound-comet-leonard-visible-2021

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The COVID baby boom is looking more like a baby bust

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-bust-declining-birth-rate-covid-pandemic/

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It was an unexpected boom for a buddy of mine...he's in his early 50's with 2 kids, and a late-30's wife, and now another on the way.....

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RIP to his retirement plans.

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My uncle (father to my mexican mafia cousin) had a baby when he was 70!

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That was our discussion...that and the fact that now he’s gonna be the 70-year old dad at HS graduation

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And I thought I was going to be old while attending my kids HS graduations!

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oh dear. Good luck to them.

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0/19 would not recommend having a baby during a pandemic. Hospital/doctor visits are a PITA and usually limited to one person per household. Telling a woman who had a c-section five days earlier that her husband cannot accompany her and that she is supposed to carry the carseat/baby up to the appointment is utterly absurd.

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We had a baby on June 3, 2020. It actually hasn’t been that bad. That being said, my wife did not have a c-section and I took my FMLA to help out. It was actually kind of nice to be in the hospital and not have any visitors.

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In retrospect, we found that we enjoyed the relative peace of just having the two of us in the hospital. Several family members would have loved to be there, but I don't think it would have necessarily improved things for us. It may have been a "too many cooks in the kitchen" scenario.

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Yep, it was a very pleasant and peaceful experience for it to just be us for the lead up to the birth, labor and after the baby being born.

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new baby visits were bad enough for the missus after a c-section when I was there, I can't imagine having to do that solo

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While the missus was still recovering we quickly figured out that we could both go to the appointments if we went in separately and told them we had separate appointments (which was technically true, since there was typically a doctor visit and some bloodwork). The doctor and nurses inside didn't care that we both went, it was only the screening staff at the entrance that put up a fuss. And since it was a giant hospital in South Baltimore, there were too many people going in and out for anyone to catch on to our plan.

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cunning!

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So many of my friends are expecting, but I think it's an age range thing rather than a pandemic thing.

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Same here, lots of newly married couples in their early to mid 30s

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Don't tell your mom your friends are expecting...

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You can't have your cake, and eat it too. How true: I bought a few bottle of Balblair 13 year old single cask scotch, and I'm sad I'm now drinking my last bottle. Excellent stuff. Yesterday someone asked me if I "collect" whisky, and I thought that was a very odd question.

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people are silly. Drink the whiskey. that's what it is for!

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I've read quite a few articles lately about how people are hoarding whisky and the basic premise of the articles was drink the dang stuff, stop hoarding it. So I think there are people out there that just like having that bottle on the shelf to show off. Which seems ridiculous to me. My bourbon never lasts long...

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They're the same people that buy cars and don't drive them since they don't want the values to drop.

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This reminds me that I have cake

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Water is wet.

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https://twitter.com/mathematicsprof/status/1327678313876385792?s=20

@mathematicsprof: Quote by a forest ranger at Yosemite National Park on why it is hard to design the perfect garbage bin to keep bears from breaking into it: “There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists.”

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pqtm

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LOL KY

https://brobible.com/sports/article/kentucky-bill-covid-extra-year-eligibility/

Kentucky approved allowing an extra year of athletic eligibility. Initially it was only HS students for a do over for last year but it was extended to K-12. Athletes will have to conform to the younger than 19 YO by Aug 1 so you won't have 20 year olds playing. But still...yeah. Ky.

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I could not understand why lots of schools/youth programs in lots of states did not go down the extra year of eligibility road, especially after the NCAA proved it works, both at the high levels and with the lower divisions.

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I think the difference between HS and college is that you have grad school or you can take longer to get your bachelors. I don't see that as a real option in HS.

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One semester with ballroom dancing as your sole class

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ISWYDT

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took me two looks

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Just leveled up Auntsam's cookie business and bought a 3d printer so she can make her own cutters. She'd been ordering them like 3-4 times a month at $10+ a pop and I finally looked at them and said "Hey we can do this ourselves...faster and cheaper." So after it arrives this weekend, I'll be 3d printing. Her mom in AL also does cookies, so we can print and send to her too.

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Will you need to buy food safe filament?

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I bought the one recommended by the cookie gurus...but I'd assume that because this is before the cookies are baked that may render that a moot point. I will research though.

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You could, but I would think you could also wrap the cookie cutters in saran wrap.

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wait... cookie business? I did not know about this.

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Auntsam used to be a freelance photo editor and it was great...until COVID. She pivoted into cookies and one year later has become a go to for parties and the like in our area. It's become fairly lucrative as a side business and she's amazing at it.

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instagram.com/kf_bakes for her work and www.kristenfielder.com for orders

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those look amazing!!!

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Fancy!

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And they taste good too...which is very important to her. She says that there's no point if they aren't good.

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TBB had posted something a month or so ago with AuntSam's insta.

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If we are able to have a party for No 3's HS graduation I'm going to have to get some graduation cookies!

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Even if you don't, people still love graduation cookies!

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true true.

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oh man, they are ADORABLE. Uncle Sam, drop her IG!

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Yay!!!

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It's really interesting to see how additive manufacturing has proliferated in so many different fields/businesses. Like your case, sometimes it's so much easier to make the thing yourself rather than spending $10 for $0.10 worth of materials.

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Yes, in addition to eliminating shipping times. She's still waiting for St. Patty's cutters she bought in Jan.

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Bruce McCandless

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Captain Bruce McCandless II's career in the navy was a foregone conclusion as his father was a Rear Admiral, after surviving Pearl Harbor attack and commanding the destroyer USS Gregory and earning the Silver Star after his boat sustained four kamikaze hits during the Okinawa campaign. The elder McCandless' father-inlaw was also a Medal of Honor winner from World War I.

After graduating the Naval Academy, he was a Phantom II fighter pilot, flying off of carriers in the early 60s before going to 'furd to get his EE masters. He ended up being one of the CAPCOMs (the voice of "Houston") for Apollo 11 (first moon landing) and a few Skylab missions. He had two Shuttle missions, including one on Challenger with the above picture and the launching Hubble Telescope from Discovery.

McCandless died 3 years ago at the age of 80.

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Any relation to Christopher McCandless? I just finished reading Into the Wild and The Wild Truth.

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Not closely, apart from some common clan ancestors in Ireland.

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Who do you choose, what do you make them say, and to whom do you send the cameo after given a $150 gift card (must be below $150) from:

https://www.cameo.com/

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A friend of mine got one from William Hung (noted Cal alum) telling him "Roll Tide" and then singing "We Are the Champions" extremely off key. It was hilarious.

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I'm picking:

Dante Basco (Rufio from Hook) for $85 to wish me a happy birth by calling me "Boil-dripping beef, fart-sniffing bubble butt, fart factory, slug-slimed, sack-of-rat-guts-in-cat-vomit, cheesy, scab-picked, pimple-squeezing finger bandage. Rufio! RUFIOOOOOO!!!". I was Rufio for Halloween a decade ago. Almost nobody knew who I was because I was at a party in Singapore with mostly Aussies, but the two who did recognize me made it all worthwhile.

Tim Capello (the oily sax player from Lost Boys for $50). I have him leave a video message for Fire Starkey all oiled up in purple spandex/pleather cod piece, pumping his hips, and playing his sax in all his 65-year-old glory.

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"It really *does* take 2 to make a thing go right!" https://www.cameo.com/robbasemusic

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Max Bretos (currently of ESPN I think but a doyen of the early days of Fox Sports Channel in 2000 - 2001ish) is available for a pittance - $25! I might get 6 sent to my brother, who is probably the only person I know who would appreciate the joke.

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I've been down a bit of a rat-hole with this. The temptation would be to do something childish like get Ian Rush to say "come on you blues!" but I'm $10 short for that [note for normal people: Ian Rush is a well known Liverpool FC player and "the blues" are cross-town (really cross-park) rivals Everton FC, also known as the people's club)

This Jon Lovitz cameo is pretty entertaining, and he's right at $150 https://twitter.com/zachheltzel/status/1364066166105280514?s=20

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Standing there alone

The ship is waiting

All systems are go

"Are you sure?"

Control is not convinced

But the computer

Has the evidence

No need to abort

The countdown starts

Watching in a trance

The crew is certain

Nothing left to chance

All is working

Trying to relax

Up in the capsule

"Send me up a drink"

Jokes Major Tom

The count goes on

Four, three, two, one

Earth below us

Drifting, falling

Floating weightless

Calling, calling home

Second stage is cut

We're now in orbit

Stabilizers up

Running perfect

Starting to collect

Requested data

"What will it affect

When all is done?"

Thinks Major Tom

Back at ground control

There is a problem

"Go to rockets full"

Not responding

"Hello, Major Tom

Are you receiving?

Turn the thrusters on

We're standing by"

There's no reply

Four, three, two, one

Earth below us

Drifting, falling

Floating weightless

Calling, calling home

Across the stratosphere

A final message

"Give my wife my love"

Then nothing more

Far beneath the ship

The world is mourning

They don't realize

He's alive

No one understands

But Major Tom sees

"Now the light commands

This is my home

I'm coming home"

Earth below us

Drifting, falling

Floating weightless

Coming home

Earth below us

Drifting, falling

Floating weightless

Coming home

Earth below us

Drifting, falling

Floating weightless

Coming, coming

Home

Home

Home

Home

Home

Home

Home

Home

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Peter Schilling's "Error in the System" is definitely in my top-10 of German 80s synth-pop albums. Disclosure: I actually owned it.

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Our Crumbling Democracy

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Tanden withdraws from OMB Director running after Manchin non-support and Murkowski's non-flip. Goes to show that if you're on the bureaucracy track rather than a politician - best to keep social media under control.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/02/shalanda-young-neera-tanden-omb-472753

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My conspiracy theory is that they expected her nomination to fail and put her out there to give the moderates a chance to burnish their moderate credentials by voting against a Biden nominee.

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Hmmmm... not seeing that at all.

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Like I said, pure conspiracy theory.

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Bipartisan bill issued to roll back Authorization for Use of Military Force executive power.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/03/bipartisan-bill-strip-biden-war-powers-473312

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Today in Covid-19

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My boss is getting his second shot today and my parents got their firsts last week. I'm in the queue as an educator but who knows how long that'll take...

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My mom got her second dose last week, so she's finally planning a trip out here to visit Cf-98. She'll be the first member of my side of the family to meet her.

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That's awesome. Also is it because your in-laws are covid be damned I'm flying out, or just because they're local?

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They're within driving distance (10-12 hours, but it still beats flying), so they've seen her a couple times.

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me and the missus getting some hot Pfizer injections later this afternoon

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one step ahead of your idiot governor I see

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thinking this is a "just in time" measure for our household

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Is Texas opening up vaccines for everyone?

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@or are you a big donor to the republican party?@

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I am 1b cause I am a fat ass. Not open to everyone yet

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Unfortunately it means FS is not enough of an idiot to become governor.

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So you can just go there and tell them you had 100 cigs last week, and get a shot?

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I can see no flaws in this plan.

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brb...buying a ticket to Texas...

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Pro

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A's beat Reds 2-1. Another outfield assist and homer for Buddy Reed, who connected in the seventh inning.

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Cal

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Are we going to ignore that Cal Athletics posted a $3.2m PROFIT for the fiscal year ended June 2020 due to a $25.1m transfer from the mothership? Also, basketball showed a small profit. It shows that Carole Christ and Company are willing to kick the can down the road for tough decisions since they're in between a rock and hard place - donations dwindle when programs get cut. Also, this fiscal year ended before the meat of the Covid, so pre-transfer losses are going to be horrific for FY21. And it does show that Christ is more generally more supportive of athletics than her predecessors.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/02/25/hotline-analysis-cal-athletics-turned-a-profit-in-fy20-thanks-to-a-massive-assist-from-central-campus/

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Did BBall not being allowed to have fans actually create the chance to turn a profit? As in, certainly in a normal year fan interest and attendance would have been abysmal given the poor performance of the team but not having to pay for ushers/concessions workers etc just wash the whole thing out?

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No. Covid basketball was after the fiscal year ended June 2020.

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Oh, interesting. I wouldn't have guessed that at all

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GO BEARS!

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As was noted via Monday and Tuesday practices, Kuony Deng was seen playing reps at OLB. Well, a follow-up interview with Peter Sirmon has revealed that Deng's move to the outside is now a provisional move, not just cross-training:

https://www.si.com/college/cal/news/cal-spring-practice-2?jwsource=cl

The switch to OLB is now official on the updated roster, a move from ILB a few days back.

https://calbears.com/sports/football/roster/kuony-deng/18072

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I think this will have knock-on effects because Goode/Deng on the outside is a deadly combo with Patu as the situational blitzer. Also, Coach Browning now has the luxury of having McKenzie & Correa back as true NG, which frees up Brett Johnson to play the DT from the 4i technique. The 4i technique puts the DT on the inside shoulder of the tackle, which ensures that the OT will take him and generally push him toward the middle - which narrows the inside running lanes and slows the guard down to prevent him from attacking our ILBs - but puts more pressure on linebackers. Plus, Johnson is a very special player, so he'll sometimes win from that disadvantaged position.

However, it does beg the question - who are the ILBs? Iosefa was a freshman and played valiantly notwithstanding the fraction of a second slower reaction than Deng. But what about the other position? Is Tattersall, Antzolatos, Smith the next man up? Or does the newly super-sized Croteau swap to inside to become the monster in the middle? Or is newly transitioned Trey Paster the speed guy that the group was missing to a group of linebackers that has developed to be big/strong but not super fast? And Deng is already really good, so having a newer guy under Sirmon's eyes might give a guy an opportunity to make the big leap.

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And dare I dream that it creates a vacant spotlight for Henry To'o To'o, despite him being an Alabama-then-Ohio-State lean?

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thought he already transferred to Alabama...he got paid big time apparently, move along

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Something that came up during my residence learning community weekly meetup of all things, What planet would you like to visit and live on under the qualification that you get to live normally without health effects?

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I like this question because it had me think "well, do I pick the selfish thing and go watch a place with amazing physics or do I target a potentially liveable exoplanet in the remote chance that it can be used to save the human race/genesis of the Grand Republic that leads to the New Order and eventual rise of the Imperial Army?"

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you mean that planet in the Degobah system?

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Ceti Alpha VI

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Earth.

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"Earth" is a good answer. Haven't been able to "live normally without health effects" for about a year now.

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Day

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