114 Comments
author

Love Death + Robots S2 - May 14

https://youtu.be/Gj2iCJkp6Ko

Expand full comment

Miracle of miracles, the post office delivering before noon! For years 15+, I'd see the carrier delivering at 8 PM when I was locking the gate, if they got here at 6, it was early.

Expand full comment
author

And so California's really bad fire season begins...

https://twitter.com/kentphotos/status/1384020497105506306

Expand full comment

There's a big fire burning on Table Mountain in Cape Town right now that has destroyed several buildings at the University of Cape Town (which appears to have an absolutely stunning campus) including its West African library. https://twitter.com/StueyMax/status/1384196261864112128

Expand full comment

So sad :(

Expand full comment

I imagine it's going to be worse this year.

Expand full comment

That's the expectation. The rainy season didn't deliver much moisture this year.

Expand full comment

with covid, no one was able to get out there to rake

Expand full comment

pqtm

Expand full comment
author

Turn the volume on for this one.

https://twitter.com/Evi3Zamora/status/1382781106269818884?s=20

Expand full comment
author

Warning: Some NSFW language

Expand full comment
author

Ex-Cricketer and current Pakistan PM Imran Khan calls for the West to criminalize blaspheming against Islam. Good luck with that.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/19/pakistan-pm-calls-for-west-to-criminalise-blasphemy-against-islam

Expand full comment
author

NASA's Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, was successfully launched earlier today. Google has a special thing if you search "Ingenuity NASA".

Expand full comment

i wanted it to be controllable by my keyboard so badly.

Expand full comment

that's cool :)

Expand full comment

Now I just want to play Lunar Lander: Ingenuity NASA.

Expand full comment
author

Trailer for next MCU movie: Shang-Chi

Lots of scenes in San Francisco.

https://twitter.com/shangchi/status/1384137506795319300

Expand full comment

I'm not into superhero movies but maybe I'd watch this. I've seen Simu Liu in Kim's Convenience (which I recommend). And I didn't know Awkwafina was in this.

Expand full comment

She's essentially in every movie about Asians at this point.

Expand full comment

Liu was so funny in Kim's Convenience! Definitely not a superhero character. I hope that doesn't make me laugh at Shang-Chi.

Expand full comment

I'm not a super hero movie person at all, but seems that there have been quite a few comedians cast: Michael Keaton, Paul Rudd, Chris Pratt, Kumail Nanjiani...altho some of those roles might have been somewhat comedic (like Guardians?)

Expand full comment

Guardians 2 is the only other super hero movie I've seen and it's only because the boys wanted to watch. I did like it, but more for the snarky dialog than the actual super hero stuff.

For super hero TV shows the only 2 I've watched are Arrow (because I didn't know it was a superhero show) and The Flash, which I've invested in now so I need to see it through.

Expand full comment

Flash, we used to watch, but I think it lost it's way, and what made it good. Gave it up. Also it was more my wife's show than mine.

Expand full comment

I agree it isn't as good as it was the first few years. Now I'm just watching just because.

Expand full comment

Awkwafina's been in a couple of good movies/shows. I liked Nora from Queens and The Farewell was so good.

Expand full comment
author

BBQ styles beyond KC, (Central) Texas, Memphis, and (East) Carolina

Expand full comment

Vietnamese

Expand full comment

Santa Maria BBQ. Tri-tip with charro beans.

Expand full comment

whatever they eat in Alabama and their mayo sauce. Utterly revolting

Expand full comment
author

I first heard about it on season 1 of that Aziz Ansari Netflix show (Master of None). I tried it and actually kind of like it. Then again, I do like Aioli and sauces like that. The one that I got was kind of a blend of mayo and horseradish and vinegar.

Expand full comment

Never even heard of this, and I lived there a couple of years! OTOH my family was more into exploring the environs when we were in England than in Bama, and all my friends lived on the base.

Expand full comment

do yourself a favor and dont explore it. This heresy needs to die

Expand full comment

I've heard of it, but decided that I didn't need to know the details

Expand full comment

there is a reason why it hasn't spread out much past its origin point. Sweet vinegary mayo on my chicken sounds like something they would give to Guantanamo inmates to make them talk

Expand full comment

WUT?

Expand full comment
author

Agreed. Bama White Sauce is the worst BBQ sauce.

https://heygrillhey.com/alabama-white-sauce/

Expand full comment

It's like warm ranch but i like it

Expand full comment

@I think I know what SGBear is going to get for the Auburn tailgate...@

Expand full comment
author

While I know this is in jest---there are six main caterers for Auburn, three of which are BBQ (the others are sandwiches, Chick-Fil-A, and the Auburn school dining hall). Hands-down the best of those three selections is Moe's. So, despite my preferences, Alabama white sauce will probably be on the table.

Also Auburn does not allow BYOB, none of their existing caterers offer alcohol, and the campus is dry except through official catering sites, so catering booze is going to be a bigger challenge there. They do not serve alcohol in the stadium.

Expand full comment

I had to read this twice because at first I was thinking you were saying Moe's Mexican Grill was the best option...

Expand full comment
author

Moe's Southwest Grill is Martin Sprock's (a caucasian North Carolinian private equity guy) idea of what Tex-Mex should taste like.

Expand full comment

Korean BBQ

Expand full comment
author

Who has the worst manners?

Expand full comment

Just asked my (Japanese) wife if slurping is polite, an urban legend, or what. Her answer was "never thought about it...it's just what's we do". Also I've been told that one also slurps cool noodles (like somen or zaru soba) to enhance the flavor.

I think they just like freaking out westerners by slurping ;-)

Back to Tampopo: the "etiquette" scene where the westerner slurps his pasta loudly! Right, Mr. Cugel?

Expand full comment

table manners and etiquette are mainly a western way of looking at things. I mean the east asian things I can think of to not do at the table are not sticking chopsticks sticking straight up your bowl of rice (who does that anyways), letting the eldest or person of honor go first, and in Japan, not handing things chopsticks to chopsticks. That's really it. So "polite to slurp" isn't a thing, but neither is "rude to slurp" - there's no real rudeness at the table that I can think of, unless you go first ahead of the eldest person, and even that's only at a formal meal, certainly not at a ramen shop.

Expand full comment

not "etiquette", per se...but putting soy sauce in your bowl of rice is a no-no.

Also, not laying down your chopsticks so that they are pointing at anyone, yes?

Expand full comment

yeah i suppose there are a few things, like adding more wasabi to sushi that its already been added to, but i went to $400/seat sushi last time I was in hokkaido, and the thai couple next to me instagramed every single second and asked for a ton more wasabi, and the sushi master happily grated a bunch more for them.

I've never heard the chopstick thing - in china the name of the game is get the food to your mouth

Expand full comment

not sticking chopsticks sticking straight up your bowl of rice (who does that anyways)

:raise_hand:

Expand full comment

not so much bowl of rice but larger dishes

Expand full comment

Same with Chinese people eating noodles. Get the bowl up to your mouth, use chopsticks to get started, and slurp away. I don't but I know people that do.

Expand full comment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm_ubnnZusc

No subtitles, but the teacher uses enough "loan" words – and it's slapstick-y enough – that it's pretty understandable

Expand full comment

So Tampopo was wrong?

Expand full comment
author

Behold a young Ken Watanabe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WrkdTrrwew

Expand full comment

Wow...I saw Tampopo for the first time soooooo long ago (while at Cal, so long time ago). It's prob been a decade since I've seen it. Never realized that was Watanabe!

I miss Juzo Itami!

Expand full comment

If you love Ramen I highly recommend watching Ramen Heads

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3E9MGOK4LY&ab_channel=%E6%9C%9B%E6%9C%88%E9%A6%A8

It's a documentary of the top Ramen places in Japan. I saw it on a flight for work and it was so amazing. I'd love to spend time going around Japan trying some of these places out.

Expand full comment

I have the Criterion bluray, one of my faves.

Expand full comment

It's super funny, but a bit awkward to watch with parents, due to the high level of sex and nudity in his earlier films...seemed like each successive film had less. The Funeral essentially had a rape scene in it, if I recall.

Expand full comment
author

Elsewhere in college

Expand full comment
author

I had the displeasure of driving Highway 301 from Jacksonville (the closest city to Gainsville) to where Cal will play Florida in 2026. J.F.C., there were so many Trump flags flying. Also, I hate Jacksonville.

Expand full comment

USC's spring game meant that a number of SC twitter accounts that I follow (fellow alumni, not reporters) came to life to complain about Clay Helton, so it's a bit like the leaves coming back to the trees in that regard.

Expand full comment

He probably will be gone after this season unless the Trojans can stay in the Top 20 or so. Certainly it seems that Troy perennially underperforms given their talent level.

Expand full comment
author

USC lost its second young alumni offensive lineman (<27 years old) in the past year to heart problems.

https://abc7.com/sports/former-usc-trojans-offensive-lineman-chris-brown-dies-at-26/10526287/

Expand full comment

I hadn't seen any announcement of cause of death for Mr Brown.

Expand full comment
author

Today in Covid

Expand full comment
author

[NYT] What happens when someone sneezes in their mask on a plane?

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/17/travel/flying-plane-covid-19-safety.html

Expand full comment

this is graphically interesting but a bad explanation of the risks. The vast majority of the exposure risk is in the terminal. The rest of this is vague almost to the point of fearmongering.

Expand full comment

tl;dr you punch them in the face

Expand full comment
author

OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

Expand full comment

William Barr, Amy Coney Barrett land book deals.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/19/bill-barr-amy-coney-barrett-book-deals-483028

Well, I know what I will NOT be reading at the beach this summer.

Expand full comment

Every time I see those books at the bookstore I flip them around and place better books in front of them.

Expand full comment

heh...that's a great idea.

Expand full comment

To be fair... no one browsing at my local boutique bookstore in Pasadena, CA is buying anything from Barr or Barrett.

Expand full comment
author

PRO

Expand full comment

Leeds 1 - Liverpool 1, just ended, rather exciting game. Leeds has done pretty well since they got back in the Premier - and I like their style of play.

Expand full comment

Wet Imola featured a lot of drama, except for the front car.

Expand full comment

I should say damp, not wet.

Expand full comment
author

Aldon Smith signed with the Seahawks last week in a one-year contract for up to $4m/year.

And because it's Aldon Smith, this just happened:

https://twitter.com/kentphotos/status/1384020497105506306

Expand full comment

A fire in Mendocino?

Expand full comment
author

Ummm... Yes. Shit. And...

https://twitter.com/TraversWDSU/status/1384191306239410192?s=19

Expand full comment

I was trying to figure out that link.

Expand full comment

Writing off Warriors' James Wiseman after his torn meniscus? You're dead wrong - here's why

https://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/james-wiseman-golden-state-warriors-james-wiseman-16087100.php

Interesting article written by Rod Benson about how he changed his course at Cal. I'd be curious who he slapped

"The telltale sign of the demotion was getting tossed the mesh jerseys for players who were only tasked with running the scout offense at practice. When the mesh jerseys came out, David Paris looked at me and said, “Man, these some grimy jerseys. I guess we on the grimy team now.” I took it as a sign that Cal wasn't going to be the program for me going forward. I called my mom to let her know that I was interested in transferring. My mom told me that wasn’t going to happen, and to “figure it out, ‘cause you're not leaving.”

I listened to her, but I also figured I had nothing left to lose and something had to change. The next day, I made an (irrational) decision: I was going to slap the first teammate I saw. This wasn’t smart thinking, but it was the best thing I could come up with to shake things up.

So that’s exactly what I did. I entered the code for the locker room, opened the door, tapped a player who was facing away from me on the shoulder (who shall remain nameless) and before he could fully turn around, I slapped the s—t out of him. Everyone went silent for at least a full bar of the 50 Cent song that was playing. Once the shock wore off, the nameless player proceeded to beat me up because I wasn't really prepared for a fight. But I gotta say, the slap made me a wild card, and nobody really got in my way again."

Expand full comment

I was wondering that also (who the "slappee" was). Rod has had an article every few weeks...they've almost all been worth reading.

Expand full comment
author

+1 journalism for including "hella" in his article

Expand full comment

Boom got that tho

Expand full comment

He's a San Diegan tho. Hella is the one bay areaism I never adopted

Expand full comment

Game #16: Coliseum sun, Clutch Mitch Moreland, help A’s to walk-off win and sweep

https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/4/18/22391054/oakland-as-game-16-detroit-tigers-score-result-sweep

In an afternoon game defined by foreshadowing, the MVP might have been the Coliseum sun.

The Oakland A’s completed a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, with a walk-off 3-2 victory that extends their win streak to eight. The final blow came off the bat of pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland, his second walk-off plate appearance of the year already, but the whole thing was made possible by the blinding sky above.

Everything about this game felt like it was predestined before it happened, beginning with the A’s first run. In the 1st inning, with a runner on, Ramon Laureano drilled a ball into the RF corner, but the fielder made a great running catch a few feet in front of the wall. Perhaps it’s extra bases and an RBI without that play, or maybe it’s even a wallscraper homer without the wind effects robbing five feet off hits to that spot today, but instead it was an out.

Expand full comment

Laser Laureano with a great throw to nail Grossman at third on a base hit that fell in with two on and no outs in the first inning to snuff out a potential big inning for the Tigers. Chapman also with a nice deke.

Expand full comment

seriously, this is the worst tank job I have ever seen. So much for that #1 pick

Expand full comment

Giants beat the Marlins 1-0. Ex-Dodger Alex Wood 5.0 IP 3 Hits 0 Runs with the Win.

Expand full comment
author

Number of walks issued by Giant's pitchers: 0

Number of Marlins bases from batting and Giants' errors: 4

Marlin runners who didn't last a single pitch before being thrown out: 2

https://www.espn.com/mlb/playbyplay/_/gameId/401227285

Expand full comment

Dodgers offense goes quiet, drop series finale to Padres

https://www.truebluela.com/2021/4/18/22391052/los-angeles-dodgers-trevor-bauer-mlb-news-recap-san-diego-padres

The Dodgers shocked the world and actually lost a game on Sunday afternoon, as they fell to the Padres in the series finale, 5-2.

The Dodgers struck first, thanks to a two-run home run from Chris Taylor. These would be the only Dodgers runs on the afternoon. They finished the game with only three hits, two in the second inning and then a single in the eighth from Zach McKinstry.

Trevor Bauer made his fourth start of the season and pitched very well. He allowed only one run in six innings, a solo home run to Jake Cronenworth. The other two hits he allowed were courtesy of Manny Machado, who is currently hitting about .995 against Bauer in his career.

Expand full comment

Starters in all 3 games were pretty much lights out. Dodgers won game 1 in extra innings. Dodgers lost game 3 on a Seager error in the 8th. Other than those two innings. the games were very close. These 2 teams should be playing in the NLCS to go to the WS.

Expand full comment
author

for the best, probably, if you're a Spurs fan

Expand full comment

true story

Expand full comment
author

Super League

Expand full comment
author

It's a clear money grab move by the big clubs, but I still find it rather hypocritical for US fans to hate this move since those clubs just want to be more like US pro leagues, where every year is a clear restart (so easier to get free agent, etc.) and the revenue sharing model is a lot more profitable to all the teams.

Expand full comment

conversely, if they like soccer anywhere else because it's a different kind of closed shop, then it's not wholly hypocritical.

Expand full comment
author

Maybe it's just me personally feeling guilty about both not wanting the Super League to destroy European soccer completely the way things are but also obviously fine with how the American pro leagues are operated.

Expand full comment

Severely damage is more accurate than destroy, but it's still a terrible idea.

Expand full comment

I think you're just taking things as they are. I *think* that US sports leagues are basically cartels for extracting subsidies and managing billionaires' tax exposure, but that's more or less how they've always been, and the only foreigners affected by it are Canadians. Doesn't mean that I think the sports themselves are crap. If you enjoy European club soccer for reasons that are supported by the league / cup competition structures, then there's nothing hypocritical about being annoyed about the super league.

Expand full comment

Money grab, yes =/= the revenue sharing model is a lot more profitable to all the teams. How is this part possible?

Expand full comment
author

Part of this is that IF they do get to form a new league, they will get a lucrative new TV deal. There is also that one-time $400 million payout per team. But the key thing here is that all of these teams are now guaranteed to have Champions League-type of matches every year, thus big money from that front. I think the revenue sharing model for the Super League is much more similar to that of US leagues, every team will have a stake in the Super League, so they can get a cut when the League expands, for example.

Again, I do think that this is bad for European/World Soccer as a whole, but this is how American sports team are and how a bad franchise like the New York Knicks, for example, can still retain an insane franchise value even during years when the team has been bad.

Expand full comment

A truly terrible idea.

Expand full comment

I'm sure that there's some conclusion to be drawn that the 3 US-owned Premier League clubs are taking the same financial position as 2 money launderer owned clubs, but I can't imagine what those would be.

Expand full comment

Reports are that Man U and Real were the "ringleaders" and the three US-owned PL teams were on board because of the protected nature of the ESL (very NFL-esque). I'm sure Roman Abramovich was on board because $$$.

Expand full comment
author

CAL

Expand full comment
author

In years past, Cal football has had sayings for a season like "hold the rope". This year, it's Finish the Job. Now you know what #FTJ means whenever it gets posted.

https://twitter.com/CalFootball/status/1373310867803148296

Expand full comment

Go Bears!!!

Expand full comment
author

"Big" results from this past weekend (between Cal and Stanford):

W. Soccer lost 0-1 in the 2nd OT

W. Water Polo lost 8-13 (it was 6-7 going to the 4th quarter) and 9-10

Beach Volleyball split their two matches 2-3 and 4-1

Expand full comment
author

I've got some rather less than flattering table manners (at least in terms of having the phone out and basically eating my food like its the hot dog eating contest). Not ashamed of it but something to slowly but surely work on.

Expand full comment