102 Comments

What dumb / absolutely disgusting thing your pet does:

My 3 year old half Dane / half Husky / half Velociraptor rather enjoys finding very specifically odored and quite fresh dog poops to roll in. He did this last night on our daily walk and managed to get a chunk trapped between his collar and his neck fur. :/ He also hates baths but loves playing in the hose, so he basically got a sponge bath upon the return home. BAD DOG!

My 13 year old half Shar Pei / half Pit Bull / half Chupacabra on the other hand is angelic. Quite possibly the sweetest animal ever to grace this brown, dying Earth. <3

Expand full comment

"The Apartment premiered in the summer of 1960, three years before Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique kicked off second-wave feminism and a decade before Kate Millett popularized the modern usage of the term “patriarchy.” Yet even though Billy Wilder’s classic Oscar-winning romantic dramedy didn’t have the language to describe the kind of toxic masculinity that flourishes at its central Consolidated Life Insurance company, the film offers a prescient look at the way workplace boys’ clubs can oppress both women and men. Instead of “tear down the patriarchy,” The Apartment’s rallying cry is: “Be a mensch—a human being.”

https://film.avclub.com/on-its-60th-anniversary-billy-wilder-s-the-apartment-l-1844004988

Excellent review of a great movie.

Expand full comment

one of my favorite all time films

Expand full comment

Currently Zooming in to a USF event: Dr. Clarence B. Jones in conversation with Steph Curry

https://www.pscp.tv/w/1ypKdwVWbZpxW

Expand full comment

Ended sort of abruptly

Expand full comment

you are the queen of zoom meetings not related to work. If I were home, rather than in the office, I'd probably be doing a lot of the same.

Expand full comment

Ha, I have plenty of Zoom meetings related to work, too. You can catch me here at 2pm today: https://k12education.lbl.gov/home-resources/live-science-series (archived afterward if you can't make it at 2)

I decided it was my responsibility to better understand racial injustice and COVID-19, so I've been tuning in to a lot of these so that I can learn. If that cuts into my work time, then I make it up on nights and weekends.

Expand full comment

Today in stupid things people do in response to Covid-19

Expand full comment
author

I'm on the hiring committee for my department. One of the standard things I do (because our HR department does not) is to google someone to see what pops up. This made me think of these ladies that went on CNN. I was thinking that they shouldn't go on TV because if they applied for a job that went through me, they'd get the gong for questionable judgement skills.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/us/group-tests-positive-florida-bar/index.html

Expand full comment

Not a stupid a thing, but... the Red Cross announced it will be doing anti-body testing on blood donations for a limited time, seemingly at least through the summer months. I've never seen donation spots fill up so quickly after the announcement. Normally I could make an appointment for this weekend at the local donation center but the next time I finally was able to get was 23 days later.

Expand full comment

interesting. I wonder if they plan on notifying all donors on anti-body results either way.

Expand full comment

They will. If you have a donor account with them the will put the results in your account and you can see it online or through their app. It will show either positive or negative for the result once tested.

Expand full comment

Oh...I have been avoiding donating due to the corona virus. I haven't shown any symptoms but maybe it's worth it to donate double red just to get the antibody results.

Expand full comment

I donated for the first time ever recently. In my patient portal, it lists my particulars, including COVID antibody testing results.

Expand full comment

Seems like movie theaters are not requiring masks as they prepare to open. I won't be giving them any of my money soon.

Expand full comment
author

I have been looking at the (planned) opening of some National Park Services sites. The national monuments near me in Western PA are opening their Visitor Centers this weekend after the site has been open for about a month. However, they will not be showing videos...which is like 75% of why I would visit a Visitor Center. Given how non-crowded a lot of these sites are likely to be, I would have figured that they would just show the movies while requiring masks and social distancing.

Expand full comment

In Ca Newsome is making masks mandatory in certain places. I assume a movie theater, when open, would qualify as a place that requires masks. Although it's possible they won't open until after masks won't be required.

Expand full comment

I think AMC's original statement said they would comply with local laws where necessary (so in CA you would have to wear a mask, but maybe not in another state that didn't require it).

And it also looks like AMC had to walk back that policy real fast.

https://deadline.com/2020/06/adam-aron-amc-face-masks-controversy-coronavirus-1202964107/

Expand full comment

unsurprising. If he had been clear that it was going to be a site specific thing, going on local guidance, etc. nobody cares. as soon as he said 'not to make it political' it was fully political and wrong.

Expand full comment

The idea was to rely on local guidance, like so many other things do, because the circumstances vary so widely across the country, and the hope is the local guidance is the best, most on top of it, guidance. The actual results do seem to vary.

Expand full comment

I wonder how many people will wear the mask to get in and then take it off in their seat.

Expand full comment

Yeah, I'm sure there will be a lot of that. Though hopefully since they are being quiet and not talking much during that time (and are socially distanced from other patrons), the risk will be lessened.

Expand full comment

Some movies are conducive to yelling and screaming. Halloween, Avengers Endgame

Expand full comment

The mayor of Raleigh, NC said face coverings must be worn by all members of the public when they're in supermarkets and other businesses, on sidewalks or in parking lots, or using public transportation. The group ReOpen NC suggested burning your masks.

The 'Burn Your Mask' Challenge Is Even Dumber Than Eating Tide Pods

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bv8jm5/the-burn-your-mask-challenge-is-even-dumber-than-eating-tide-pods

The best things mentioned are a comment on their FB post of a video on burning your mask: "That fire burned at 300 degrees Karenheit" and their proposed hashtag #IgniteFreedom is the name of an anti-human trafficking campaign that was launched in January by Swiss humanitarian organization Youth Underground.

Expand full comment
author

C'mon, Florida... do what you do best and get North Carolina out of the news.

Expand full comment

The NY Jets Jamal Adams trade request could open up a starting spot for Ashtyn Davis

https://www.si.com/college/cal/news/adams-and-ashtyn-davis

Expand full comment

Holy typos in that article

Expand full comment
author

A restaurant with a fantastic view

Expand full comment

Bette's Ocean View Diner . . . does not.

Expand full comment
author

Pizza Hut @ Luxor:

https://i.redd.it/grfk2s3snppy.jpg

Expand full comment

Different but amazing view, the Mariposa in Sedona.

Expand full comment

I have been meaning to go, but Orange Hill in Orange.

Expand full comment

any of the places in Yosemite valley that serve food you can sit down to eat.

Expand full comment

Skates on the Bay at the Berkeley Marina. H's Lordship's used to have a great view, too, but it's gone now. Could also throw in Trader Vic's in Emeryville.

Expand full comment

Lake Chalet in Oakland.

Expand full comment

I have to go there next time I'm in the area. It was always just a boathouse when I lived there.

Expand full comment

Food is just ok, views are nice, and I find that's often the case with restaurants with great views.

Less need to focus on creating great food.

Expand full comment

the Oasis in Austin is similar. Stunning views but so so food. People go there to drink and look at the sunset so makes sense

Expand full comment

Agreed. The location is the whole thing. You can get food like that at a lot of places.

Expand full comment

The Arctic Bar, Ketchikan, AK

Expand full comment

I’m a sucker for any tourist trap with a decent view of the pacific. There’s one near the Monterey aquarium that fits the bill.

(Part of this is that my parents simply would not do anything new with grandkids when we visited them in the redwoods so we went and did the same things over and over again)

Expand full comment

The one above the Tate Modern in London

Expand full comment

The State Room at 60 State St in Boston. Not exactly a restaurant but they do hold banquets there. Gigantic window with spectacular view.

Expand full comment

Cliff House in SF.

Expand full comment

There used to be a little diner just up the road from the Cliff House, overlooking the ruins of the Sutro Baths. It had basically the same view and none of the pretension. Not sure if it is still around.

Expand full comment

Louis's? Old-school coffee shop with OK food; overpriced, but the view is worth it. Good place for breakfast on a weekday. (Closed for the time being, due to you-know-what.)

Expand full comment

I remember that. Never been but it did look good.

Expand full comment

Louis'! It's still there, still just as old school as it was 30 years ago.

Expand full comment

A place in NYC that is in a building that looks out over the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building and others. Can't remember the name but great food and it turned out to be a successful business trip.

Expand full comment

the one that stands out the most is Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur

not sure about the elevation, but it seemed like we were 1000 ft up from the ocean and dining above the clouds, fog as the sun set.

Expand full comment
author

What is the brand that you use in a product that is dominated by a leading brand? (eg, Qtips, Heinz ketchup, Kikkoman, Kool Whip).

Expand full comment

Hellman's or Duke's mayo

Expand full comment

Also Tempo tissues (which I believe are German)

Expand full comment
author

I did a poor job writing this topic. I mean, what competing brand do you use in a brand dominated by a primary brand?

Expand full comment

I buy Mr. Kensington's ketchup. Girard's (which is a local Bay Area brand) or Brianna's salad dressing, if I'm going to buy, no Newman's or Hidden Valley etc. But I am pretty brand loyal to Kleenex, Q-tips, Charmin, Bounty, Cheetos, Oreos, etc.

Expand full comment

we buy generics for things like ibuprofen and acetaminophen

Expand full comment

Same here for most things, making the question hard. This is random, but a staple in my backpacking pantry is powdered milk. It is harder to find a product with as much nutritional and caloric density that travels so well. Nestle Nido is the king of all powered milk and I'd prefer to go without than use an alternative.

Expand full comment

Real whipped cream I guess.

Expand full comment

ahh...that makes more sense. I do use the Target brand of contact lens cleaner rather than Opti-Free.

Expand full comment

Late July's copy of CHeezits. I have a box at my desk right now.

Expand full comment

Kleenex and Heinz. I won't buy any other brand.

Expand full comment
author

Dumb things your pet does

Expand full comment
author

She gets happy when she sees me, which she shows in the cat language of headbutting. But she's not very choosy for what she headbutts, so she often will headbutt the furniture pretty hard with an audible THUNK! Hard enough where you and I would say "ow" if we hit the table that hard. She'll do several passes of smacking the furniture. thunk. thunk. thunk. thunk.

Expand full comment

I had a friend in HS that had a blind dachshund. He would go around, inadvertently headbutting the furniture, especially when they rearranged the rooms.

Expand full comment

I don’t have a pet. We have a couple of fish and my younger daughter has a leopard gecko. They are not interesting in the slightest.

Expand full comment

No 1 had a fat tailed gecko until we moved to Ky. He was 9 when we moved. He said he was going to do all the work for it, like cleaning out the poop, feeding, etc. Guess what, he did for a little bit. Guess who did it after. @Bet you can't@. It was kind of interesting watching it stalk the crickets.

Expand full comment

I usually maintain the gecko over the summer but I won’t need to this year.

Expand full comment

She really enjoys chasing her own tail. It’s pretty hilarious.

Expand full comment

We have three cats. one old (14-15 yrs) and two young (1-2 yrs). Both young ones cannot, CANNOT stop from trying sniff the older cat's bottom, even though she swats them hard every. single. time.

Expand full comment

I already have produced grandchildren! Already been snipped.

Expand full comment

That escalated quickly ;-)....

Expand full comment

this is a pretty significant reply fail.

Expand full comment

omggg

Expand full comment

I don't have an SO so I was answering SGBear about needing grandkids.

Expand full comment

and that I can't produce more grandkids.

Expand full comment
author

Political stuff

Expand full comment
author

Parts of redacted Muller Report unsealed.

Unsurprisingly, Trump apparently perjured himself in written testimony to Congress.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/politics/mueller-report-rerelease-fewer-redactions/index.html

Expand full comment

And now, as I turn on the news before starting to cook up some tacos for dinner, we get the traffic alert about a disruption due to a large, organized protest, by a group that's organized a large, organized protest to protest the fact that large, organized groups have been allowed to organize large groups to protest things.

I literally have no idea how deal with this line of what can only loosely be defined as a line of thought.

Expand full comment

For those wondering how on earth police officers some times stand by and do not intervene when other officers use excessive force or intervene, consider today's news from Buffalo, where they are finally doing something about an incident 12 years ago, where an officer did intervene, and file a complaint, and was fired for it. And its not just a PD issue; we have another public safety entity nearby where the nationally accepted practice of calling for a stop to an unsafe action has been grounds for charges of insubordination.

Its a product of a culturally ingrained idea in some that command staff and preferred personnel are beyond question under any circumstances. Expecting individuals to sacrifice their careers, and their own family's well-being as a result, by speaking/stepping up is still a tough ask.

Expand full comment

i'm surprised that hasn't been commentary on the revelation that Matt Gaetz has an unofficially adopted 19 year old Cuban "son". I found his reasoning for it not being an official adoption to be disingenuous at best.

Expand full comment

It's even weirder. He's apparently the younger brother of his ex-girlfriend?

Expand full comment
author

I... I... uh... well... I got nothing. This is beyond unusual.

Expand full comment

There's some deeply weird shit going on with this one. He said the mom's dead, but the mom is alive and commenting on his IG and they all follow each other. What the heck?

Expand full comment

I honestly don't know what to make of this story. If he's lying, that's incredibly dumb, but then again, it is Matt Gaetz.

Expand full comment
author

You know, it wasn't that long ago that somebody coined this section "Our Crumbling Democracy". At the time, it was hyperbole to point out small bricks in the wall that going against the Constitution and the rule of law. Now, it kinda stings that it is not small bricks, but full blown challenges. I mean, who knew that the 3rd Amendment would ever be in play in 2020?

Expand full comment

Twist. Twist knew.

Expand full comment

If only FL were here to dicksplain to us how we live in a republic and not a democracy so we're all idiots anyhow.

Expand full comment

Is there anything to say that hasn't been said already? And yet, I can't seem to find the cathartic relief that was available during the W. years watching the Daily Show and Chappelle's Show.

Expand full comment

Why did we change the name to political stuff?

Expand full comment
author

Eh. It was the whim of whomever set up the needful on the day. It was actually one of the earlier categories specifically created because early DBDs were heavily skewed toward animated political discussions.

Expand full comment
author

CAL

Expand full comment

Kai Milner gets a 4 star!

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expand full comment

Go Bears!

Expand full comment

I watched 2009(?)'s Minnesota game last night. Javid Best's 5 TD effort. Bob Griese was mostly benign as one of the color guys, the other one was actively awful.

Expand full comment

Yup, 2009, I was there.

Expand full comment

it's amazing what some decent offensive line play does for the running game.

Expand full comment

Well, and an amazingly fast running back

Expand full comment

yeah, but one didn't have to be a star to be successful. when you get 5 yards before getting touched, it's easy to look good.

Expand full comment

Jahvid was just able to take that 5 yards and turn it into 50.

Expand full comment