141 Comments

This change.org petition just came across my feed. Many girls and women coming forward about this guy assaulting them. Yikes. https://www.change.org/p/university-of-california-berkeley-immediate-expulsion-and-legal-action-against-nicholas-zhao-for-assault-and-rape

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It is really disappointing (not as disappointing as the allegations, but still) that change.org is how we hold people accountable these days. Something's totally broken with society.

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I agree :(

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DBD Zoom this Thursday, June 18, at 6:30 Pacific. Hoping the earlier hour will get more East Coast people. West Coast people, please feel free to eat during the call. Terence, you can eat breakfast...?

Please let me know if you did not receive an email from me with the link. I'd love to include more people; I just need your email address.

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I can always eat breakfast

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Did not hear from you...

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Can you email me? [my username on here] [at] gmail [dot] com

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Done!

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A scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie

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The dinner scene at Candyland Ranch in Django Unchained.

The dinner scene in the Hateful Eight.

He certainly has a knack for crafting very tense scenes when characters are gathered at tables (I can count three in Inglourious Basterds: the opening scene, Shoshanna's lunch in the restuarant, and the scene at German bar in the basement).

And probably the quickest of all his memorable scenes: the Mexican standoff in Reservoir Dogs.

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Kill Bill Vol 1, the whole House of Blue Leaves sequence, from the slow-mo entrance of O'Ren to the bloody battle to the final showdown in the snow. Totally blew me away, how much it shifted tones and remained compelling.

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that set of movies i think are among the best ever.

my favorite is her training w/ Master Pei Mei and then the subsequent getting out of the coffin scene.

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He hates Caucasians, despises Americans, and has nothing but contempt for women...

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The opening scene from Inglorious Basterds is a masterpiece of suspense.

Never has drinking a glass of milk and superficial niceties ever seemed so ominous.

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Absolutely! Poor Shoshonna...Great lead, SG...I'm a big fan of movie scenes...here's a few from QT movies...

Kill Bill: Vol.1 - Sonny Chiba in Okinawa where Beatrix gets herself some Hanzo steel...I like baseball.

Kill Bill: Vol.2 - Elle and Budd in the trailer with the Black Mamba..Gargantuan!!. Also the Esteban Vihaio scene "Where's Bill" ...

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Spahn Ranch scene...chilling.

Pulp Fiction - Christopher Walken scene with Butch's watch

Inglorious Basterds: The intro scene, plus the Fassbender/Diane Kruger bar scene with Wilhelm.

True Romance is one of my favorite movies - I love pretty much every scene in that bad boy and Tarantino wrote it...

I need to watch Django: Unchained & Jackie Brown again to get a better grasp...

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Recently watched Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and had no idea what the main point of the movie was until the last third where it finally clicked in my head, but the Spahn Ranch scene was very tense.

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Yeah, my favorite thing about Tarantino is that he really designs his scenes as little mini-movies unto themselves. They all have a great structure, rise and fall. And his direction emphasizes it so well.

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Agreed. It's really made me notice and respect how other director's put a scene together. I thought Tony Scott directed the Tarantino-written True Romance scenes very well...that one has some doozies (Slater & Oldman/Walken & Hopper/Gandolfini & Arquette/The Beverly Ambassador...).

To those who haven't seen that beauty from 1993, I highly recommend checking out True Romance.

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I need to watch Django and Jackie Brown

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They are both fantastic films. Recently re-watched them during SIP and was equally impressed again.

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oops, that should say re-watch...I've seen them just once

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You said watch again! I haven't seen either yet.

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Jackie Brown is a top 5 QT

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I remember really enjoying that film and yet not recalling much beyond the scene with the finger counting tell and the theater revenge scene. Probably watched it in the wee hours. Might be worth revisiting it

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It's really 5 short films. And Lt. Aldo Raines speech to his squad is surprisingly relevant in 2020.

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My favorite Tarantino movie, is the least "Tarantino movie", Jackie Brown.

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It's up there for me too, an amazing cast and such a fun ride.

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I get why people like his films but I rarely feel like I need to see them. Caught a subset but almost by accident

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What's for lunch?

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Chicken schnitzel sandwich. Delicious.

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Last week I had some delicious pork schnitzel from my favorite German restaurant in SF. It was their final week open, they're closed for good as of this past Saturday, so it was my last chance :(

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No, they close for good at the end of this week, so you have one last chance!

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You sure? The website says "we are closed" now...

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Which restaurant?

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I’m sorry to hear that, have you been to Suppenkuche? It’s pretty good.

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I've been a couple times, though a long time ago. It's solid, just wasn't as good as Walzwerk 😉

The best German place in the East Bay is probably the one in Alameda.

I wouldn't mind finding some sort of Russian/Ukrainian type place to go eat pierogi, too.

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Avocado toast

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Leftover smoked beef round

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instant pot chili.

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I've gone back to not eating lunch. One meal a day is sufficient.

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I guess I’d better go and figure that out.

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Don't know. Maybe a croissant, ham, cheese baked sandwich.

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Either the leftover risotto with asparagus & peas or ribs, slaw & cheese biscuits

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Homemade meatball subs. Fresh french bread, hollowed out, melted cheese on the broiler, beef/pork balls w/ sauce. Fresh red bell pepper.

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Sounds more like dinner! (And beats my peanut butter sandwich.) If DC leaves any, I'd be up for one at dinner time.

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for once I didn't make a complete pig of myself

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Sounds great, I’ll be right over!

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My response would basically be unprintable after going through a contentious divorce several years ago, so no comment.

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I second this goldenone...

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SMALL dealbreakers, not big ones. :-)

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McRib

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I would prefer Arbyy's, but would not turn down a McRib if offered.

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I haven't had one since the 90s. I found the texture offputting.

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I remember liking them in the 80s but I think I’ve only had one in the last 20 years or so and it wasn’t exciting. Living closer to pork barbecue territory has changed my views on what I’m willing to tolerate in terms of “pressed pig meat products.” (Was never enough of a ribs fan to object from that direction.)

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They're basically a pig McNugget, aren't they?

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Pretty much

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not a fan.

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I am completely sure about this, but I think it's available year-round in Germany. In my defense, McD is sometimes one of the only places open on Sundays while I was there on month-long trips these past 1.5 years.

Historically, I think the McRib was my first introduction to the American BBQ sauce.

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That's sad.

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Self-styled militiaman shoots protestor who opposed conquistador statue.

https://twitter.com/nick_w_estes/status/1272731193746747392

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The NM cops apparently referred to these militia assholes as "heavily armed friendlies" on the dispatch radio:

https://twitter.com/samswey/status/1272768852234043392?s=20

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I appreciate the honesty if not the underlying truth

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New Mexico was against this guy until it emerged he was a former GOP candidate for office and not some scruffy lefty

https://twitter.com/generationloss/status/1272766756218683396?s=21

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Wow that really gives the game away, doesn't it.

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That should have read “New Mexico GOP” dagnabbit

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Hah, yeah New Mexico as a whole is pretty blue these days.

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"I may not be richest or the best looking person in the room, but at least I _______"

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Have never crashed a Lamborghini

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am not an asshole

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flopped the nut straight.

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these days I'm the only other one here

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Know it.

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Am in the same room.

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Fart a lot

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This one could be a small deal breaker.

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more like a large wind breaker amirite

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can't believe it took me 4 hours to think of this, insomnia's not helping

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just died in your arms tonight.

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it must have been something you said

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am wearing my face mask.

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Deal breaker

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Loose turkey-neck skin

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She was not very nice to me. And every single one of my female friends disliked her.

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smoking

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That, or drugs.

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I used to think smoking was a deal breaker, and then I dated a sexy Frenchman who liked to fire up the occasional Galuoise over after dinner drinks, and it just made him a bit more louche and sexy. Also, Dave Chappelle. But in general, I'm on board with the thinking.

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Gotta be a sports fan, at some level.

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General political and cultural issues I guess. It’s also hard to know what you’re willing to put up with because it’s a function of time and the person.

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OOOoooOOooo that's a good one, but back in the day, I never encountered this in Berkeley.

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Given the great American sorting of the last 20 years or so, it’s less of an issue for most people I think. If, hypothetically speaking, I was no longer with the missus, the odds that I would meet a female conservative are really low.

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I don't think I could be with someone meaningfully more conservative than me.

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For one night?

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Oh, just about anything's negotiable for one night. I meant for a relationship.

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I don't know exactly what that would be. I do know no one ever turned me down.

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Red pants is a good place to start....

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Take off those RED Pants!

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Li Mou must be a Cal fan.

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asian, studied statistics? checks out.

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Today in the 'rona

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Went through the Georgetown campus on part of my run. They now have signs all over that says a mask is required whenever on campus.

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I now notice that there are a LOT of people wearing their masks loosely over the lower part of their mouth, but the nose is fully exposed and there is a big gap to the mouth. My theory is that there is a sizeable percentage of the American population that have almost no tolerance for even the mildest of inconvenience.

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Sounds about right. I’ve noticed that on our post dinner strolls around the neighborhood there is a noticeable minority now going in the opposite direction by making a big show of putting on their mask when they get within 30 feet of us and then glaring while they walk by, which is pretty consistent with the broader moment in the culture

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My sister and I are in different cities, but both of us notice Nextdoor discussions about masks that are pretty mean spirited in both directions.

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My take: the pandemic has pushed people in both directions, some of them are nicer in this time, some are much meaner.

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I have yet to find anyone who is nicer.

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That darned pushy pandemic!

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I'm sure they recounted the story to their outraged twitter followers.

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Damn I’m missing out on the chance to be rude

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hahaha All my buildings have 8 foot wide hallways (and high ceilings), but a few tenants are making a big fuss if they don't see people wearing masks

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My niece's fever finally broke. She had it for 7 weeks straight and couldn't do anything. Didn't finish her sophomore year in HS. Not sure what will happen.

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I'm glad she's finally on the right path. It's incredible how long this can virus can persist. A friend of mine contracted it, had mild to moderate symptoms for a week or two, but then kept testing positive for well over a month.

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Hopefully they’ll work out some kind of summer school deal so she can get back on track. I know bureaucracies don’t do well with unplanned variations but surely your niece is not and will not be the only student who needs to address this kind of event.

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Glad for her but sucks she had to go through that.

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OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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Fox News doesn't watch Monty Python.

https://twitter.com/JohnCleese/status/1272559442953859073

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hee!

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hahahahaha

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Trump threatens to go after Bolton if his book is released next week. Without any sense of irony, the WH defense is that the book contains information that could be exploited by foreign powers against the US.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-says-bolton-will-have-criminal-problems-if-his-book-is-released/2020/06/15/b398559a-af50-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html

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I notice that the White House released a copy of the legal papers with Bolton's address on it because they're not at all interested in Bolton being harassed

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The book has already been printed, it will be released, Trump will whine like the little bitch he is, but nothing will happen.

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Maybe I’ll mosey over to Bolton’s house and hold up a faintly rude sign across the street.

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Trump says he considers every conversation with him to be highly classified. So when he's lying about his golf game it's classified?

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that's the most classified part!

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TS/SCI (Trump’s strokes stay completely inaccurate)

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Honestly, not in the least surprised by Roberts' vote, though the opinion written by Gorsuch was a bit of a surprise.

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Yeah, Roberts' small-c conservative instincts are on display again (he doesn't want to rock the boat). Looks like Gorsuch might have some similar instincts.

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I'm sure part of it is that they don't want to have to keep hearing this issue before the court. And since clearly the intention of the law is to reduce discrimination based on personal characteristics (regardless of what the drafters said at the time).

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PRO

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Breaking: Rob Manfred still not qualified to be MLB Commissioner

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Manfred and the owners are clearing negotiating with bad faith. By delaying the negotiation, they can force the MLBPA to accept that short 50 game season.

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CAL

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Yeah, it's kind of an empty-ish statement that's more about how they will try to do better in the future I guess. It's long overdue that they acknowledged Paylor's injury nonetheless.

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Breaking: UC Regents unanimously vote to return to Affirmative Action. Will now go to State ballot.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/california-3/university-of-california-endorses-affirmative-action-measure/2309712/

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