Update from the lake. We learned the hard way that last 4th of July at the lake (Trump territory) was a full blown MAGA rally with boats and houses adorned with lots of Trump flags and thin-blue-line flags. Last weekend, I noticed a bunch of people are now adopting the "thin red line" flag rather than the thin-blue-line flags. It is like the Police Lives Matter, but for firefighters. It seems improbable that this many people know firefighters and I suspect it is a reactive/lateral move since police have so much negative press but everybody loves firefighters.
That being said, US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that roofers die on the job at 11x the rate of firefighters.
One of those facts that I always heard . . . and used to repeat without actually checking to see if it was true . . . the most dangerous job was on the deck of a working aircraft carrier.
HSB: I think it was you who made me aware of Cologuard. Thanks to you, wife was able to poop in a box and hand it to the mailman. She also struck up a convo with the mailman, who said "oh yeah, we absolutely know when we're handling poop" and proceeded to tell a not so nice story. Alas, I think I'm getting the full treatment.
RIght after the discussion here, I saw Cologuard in the news. Not really a Cologuard problem, but insurers were refusing to pay for a colonoscopy following Cologuard, even though they would have paid without Cologuard. Because one is routine and the other is not, so they say.
I wonder if the insurers are actually refusing to pay, or if they are applying it against a deductible that hasn't been fully met yet. A diagnostic test is generally covered, just not at 100% like a screening is.
Another issue is that insurance companies are loath to pay for a colonoscopy/Cologuard test for those under 50, despite a recent study gaining traction recommending them for 45+
Well, I'm already out the other side but this is what I did:
1. Went on a ride with my cycle club to Anji - where the bamboo scenes from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon were shot. My bike . . . was not set up for hills. (It's a 25 cog in the back as my largest gear) - I had to get a ride up 2 of the 3 big hills. . . and then I missed a turn to the 30 km, loop, but ran into a German guy who was also having trouble with the hills, we decided to skip the loop and ride back to the meeting point, turning the 80km ride into a 50km ride.
2. Week 7 of golf lessons. Really working on pivot and also changing my angle of attack down on the ball with my irons. Went a played 9 holes before work today - still have a lot of work to do, but also hit 4 of the best >50 yard approach shots I've ever hit in my life. Just crisp contact, hit way up in the air, landed softly on the green and stopped.
3. There is a Pac-12 basketball tournament in Shanghai. They were begging for players on the group chat, so I unretired after 6 years of not playing basketball - except for some shooting around. 2 hours of practice yesterday in an non air con gym. And everything is rusty. I can't believe I used to be decent at this game. Timing, touch, everything is off. It's super frustrating because i know what level I used to play at . . . and if this were 5 years ago, I would be the best guard on the team. But I've also backed off from voicing my opinion too much and we're here to have fun. But if I find my jump shot, it's over for these bitches because I am going to make it rain.
I guess this is now part of my plan. The base it at the end of the block. Once a month they practice at 7AM.
"This email is to let you know that on Sunday, July 4, the Presidential Salute Battery of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) will pay tribute to the nation with a 50-gun salute – one round for each of the 50 states of the union – at 12 noon on Whipple Field, located on the northern side of the Joint Base. Be advised of the short period of cannon blasts that may be heard in the area during this time."
Washington Huskies football did a bunch of schedule moves today. Resheduled Michigan and Michigan State games. Added Colorado State. Added Boise State twice at home.
Boise State beat writer claims Broncos gains $3.1m by having the two away games vs. Washington and adding a home game vs. UT-Martin, which implies that the Huskies are paying well over $1.6m per game to play Boise State.
Remember those tapes of Trump and allies trying to get the Georgia Sec of State to find 12,000 votes? Well, now there's tape of Rudy, AZ GOP Chair, and the White House switchboard feverishly trying to get the Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to stop the vote count in Maricopa County.
Suspend, cut, whatever. I hated him at UCLA, was wary of him being signed by the Los Doyers, and judging by online convos, no Dodger will miss him when he's gone.
The Dodgers and Nationals only played five innings on Thursday due to the weather. Luckily for LA they were winning, meaning they were awarded the victory.
Knowing the bad weather was coming, things weren’t looking good for the Dodgers. Entering the fifth inning, they trailed the Nationals 2-1. AJ Pollock began the inning with a solo home run, tying the game at two. Steven Souza Jr., Chris Taylor and Justin Turner all reached base, loading the bases for Max Muncy.
On the second pitch of the at bat, Muncy absolutely crushed a slider deep into the right field bleachers. Muncy knew it right away. Patrick Corbin knew it right away. We all knew it right away. That ball was long gone.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has been placed on seven-day administrative leave by Major League Baseball in the wake of allegations he sexually assaulted a woman.
"MLB's investigation into the allegations made against Trevor Bauer is ongoing," the league said in a statement. "While no determination in the case has been made, we have made the decision to place Mr. Bauer on seven-day administrative leave effective immediately. MLB continues to collect information in our ongoing investigation concurrent with the Pasadena Police Department's active criminal investigation. We will comment further at the appropriate time."
Bauer had been scheduled to start Sunday in Washington against the Nationals, with his manager, Dave Roberts, leaving any discipline in the hands of MLB.
Last night we saw how good the Oakland A’s look when everything goes right. Thursday brought a reminder of how bad any team can look when everything falls apart at once.
No part of the A’s roster found any success this afternoon, as they dropped a 8-3 decision to the Texas Rangers to wrap up a series loss at the Coliseum against the last-place club in their division.
Oakland has gotten superb starting pitching lately, from all five members of their rotation including Sean Manaea. Especially Manaea, in fact, as he posted a 1.13 ERA in five June starts. But today the calendar flipped to July and that hot streak hit a bump, as the lefty never quite settled in against the Rangers.
The San Francisco Giants, who hold the title of baseball’s best team if you subscribe to newfangled stats like “wins” and “winning percentage,” just lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who hold the title of baseball’s worst team if you subscribe to newfangled stats like “losses” and “losing percentage.”
So yeah. That was fun.
It was the Giants seventh attempt to lose to the Diamondbacks, but only their first success. So far they had been thwarted by things like overcoming a 7-0 deficit. You know, things of that nature.
Update from the lake. We learned the hard way that last 4th of July at the lake (Trump territory) was a full blown MAGA rally with boats and houses adorned with lots of Trump flags and thin-blue-line flags. Last weekend, I noticed a bunch of people are now adopting the "thin red line" flag rather than the thin-blue-line flags. It is like the Police Lives Matter, but for firefighters. It seems improbable that this many people know firefighters and I suspect it is a reactive/lateral move since police have so much negative press but everybody loves firefighters.
That being said, US Bureau of Labor Statistics show that roofers die on the job at 11x the rate of firefighters.
One of those facts that I always heard . . . and used to repeat without actually checking to see if it was true . . . the most dangerous job was on the deck of a working aircraft carrier.
Summer so hot, the ocean caught on fire
https://twitter.com/MLopezSanMartin/status/1411059695503261697
HSB: I think it was you who made me aware of Cologuard. Thanks to you, wife was able to poop in a box and hand it to the mailman. She also struck up a convo with the mailman, who said "oh yeah, we absolutely know when we're handling poop" and proceeded to tell a not so nice story. Alas, I think I'm getting the full treatment.
RIght after the discussion here, I saw Cologuard in the news. Not really a Cologuard problem, but insurers were refusing to pay for a colonoscopy following Cologuard, even though they would have paid without Cologuard. Because one is routine and the other is not, so they say.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cologuard-unexpected-bill-colon-cancer-screening-2000-dollars/
I wonder if the insurers are actually refusing to pay, or if they are applying it against a deductible that hasn't been fully met yet. A diagnostic test is generally covered, just not at 100% like a screening is.
Another issue is that insurance companies are loath to pay for a colonoscopy/Cologuard test for those under 50, despite a recent study gaining traction recommending them for 45+
Weekend plans
Well, I'm already out the other side but this is what I did:
1. Went on a ride with my cycle club to Anji - where the bamboo scenes from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon were shot. My bike . . . was not set up for hills. (It's a 25 cog in the back as my largest gear) - I had to get a ride up 2 of the 3 big hills. . . and then I missed a turn to the 30 km, loop, but ran into a German guy who was also having trouble with the hills, we decided to skip the loop and ride back to the meeting point, turning the 80km ride into a 50km ride.
2. Week 7 of golf lessons. Really working on pivot and also changing my angle of attack down on the ball with my irons. Went a played 9 holes before work today - still have a lot of work to do, but also hit 4 of the best >50 yard approach shots I've ever hit in my life. Just crisp contact, hit way up in the air, landed softly on the green and stopped.
3. There is a Pac-12 basketball tournament in Shanghai. They were begging for players on the group chat, so I unretired after 6 years of not playing basketball - except for some shooting around. 2 hours of practice yesterday in an non air con gym. And everything is rusty. I can't believe I used to be decent at this game. Timing, touch, everything is off. It's super frustrating because i know what level I used to play at . . . and if this were 5 years ago, I would be the best guard on the team. But I've also backed off from voicing my opinion too much and we're here to have fun. But if I find my jump shot, it's over for these bitches because I am going to make it rain.
I guess this is now part of my plan. The base it at the end of the block. Once a month they practice at 7AM.
"This email is to let you know that on Sunday, July 4, the Presidential Salute Battery of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) will pay tribute to the nation with a 50-gun salute – one round for each of the 50 states of the union – at 12 noon on Whipple Field, located on the northern side of the Joint Base. Be advised of the short period of cannon blasts that may be heard in the area during this time."
Sat-Mon at Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks.
a very peaceful place where a HS friend has a family cabin. mostly just hanging around near the lake, some kayaking, roasting marshmallows etc.
also, they have the "best" fireworks on the 4th, mostly because you are right underneath them and very close to the action.
after that, since our kids are away for the week w/ their cousins we are renting a house in Burlington VT and working remotely.
Nice. Newellbany and I can attest from years spent up at Lake George that Ticonderoga is also a strong candidate for Best Fourth in the North...
Afternoon treat
Couple dozen cherries. The cherries are SO GOOD right now.
Hot early summer caused the local cherries in this area to ripen early. They are all almost done for already, 2-3 weeks before usual.
☹️ None for moi.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The big, thick ones.
I like the thin dark chocolate cups. Higher chocolate to PB ratio. And dark.
Hot tea and a Palmier
"Palmier"
I call that a [draws shape with finger] 'woOOP-woOOP'
espresso and a small cookie-like thing.
but if the kids are around and the ice cream truck comes by, i dont mind an ice cream sandwich.
Jalen, Jaden, and their homonyms
See what I did here with this topic?
https://twitter.com/THEJAYDNOTT/status/1411101858735673346
i might know a Jalen that is a child of a DBD'er ...
Obviously named after one of the fab five, because it was a cool name, not due to any love for Michigan.
Elsewhere in college
Washington Huskies football did a bunch of schedule moves today. Resheduled Michigan and Michigan State games. Added Colorado State. Added Boise State twice at home.
Boise State beat writer claims Broncos gains $3.1m by having the two away games vs. Washington and adding a home game vs. UT-Martin, which implies that the Huskies are paying well over $1.6m per game to play Boise State.
https://twitter.com/BJRains/status/1410992255553327109
Players begin to strike it rich, building their own websites. social media identities, getting sponsorship deals, selling NFTs.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
Remember those tapes of Trump and allies trying to get the Georgia Sec of State to find 12,000 votes? Well, now there's tape of Rudy, AZ GOP Chair, and the White House switchboard feverishly trying to get the Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to stop the vote count in Maricopa County.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-arizona-2653633718/
US DOJ pauses Federal executions
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/us/politics/executions-pause-merrick-garland.html
US military hands over Bagram Air Base to Afghans, marking the quiet and symbolic end to the US war in Afghanistan.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/02/world/asia/afghanistan-bagram-us-withdrawal.html
Followed by the complete takeover of the country by the Taliban.
The long, underwhelming arm of the law comes down on the Trump Organization
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/01/trump-organization-corruption-law-497770
I expect there to be years of slow grinding of the wheels of accountability. T himself will be long dead before they get to him.
He'll be living on an estate by the Black Sea with Putie calling him daily.
his usefulness to Putin is almost done.
PRO
Trevor Bauer put on 7 day administrative leave by MLB
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1411017359888879619
Suspend, cut, whatever. I hated him at UCLA, was wary of him being signed by the Los Doyers, and judging by online convos, no Dodger will miss him when he's gone.
Dan Snyder pays pocket-change fine, says he's learned a valuable lesson, and is okay running the WFT through his wife.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31745729/nfl-fines-washington-football-team-10m-culture-investigation
I have not been a fan since I moved here and this only strengthens my dislike.
Max Muncy’s grand slam gives Dodgers win in 5-inning game
https://www.truebluela.com/2021/7/1/22560148/max-muncy-los-angeles-dodgers-mlb-news-all-star-game
The Dodgers and Nationals only played five innings on Thursday due to the weather. Luckily for LA they were winning, meaning they were awarded the victory.
Knowing the bad weather was coming, things weren’t looking good for the Dodgers. Entering the fifth inning, they trailed the Nationals 2-1. AJ Pollock began the inning with a solo home run, tying the game at two. Steven Souza Jr., Chris Taylor and Justin Turner all reached base, loading the bases for Max Muncy.
On the second pitch of the at bat, Muncy absolutely crushed a slider deep into the right field bleachers. Muncy knew it right away. Patrick Corbin knew it right away. We all knew it right away. That ball was long gone.
Los Angeles Dodgers P Trevor Bauer placed on 7-day administrative leave amid sexual assault allegations
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31751151/los-angeles-dodgers-p-trevor-bauer-placed-7-day-administrative-leave-amid-sexual-assault-allegations
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has been placed on seven-day administrative leave by Major League Baseball in the wake of allegations he sexually assaulted a woman.
"MLB's investigation into the allegations made against Trevor Bauer is ongoing," the league said in a statement. "While no determination in the case has been made, we have made the decision to place Mr. Bauer on seven-day administrative leave effective immediately. MLB continues to collect information in our ongoing investigation concurrent with the Pasadena Police Department's active criminal investigation. We will comment further at the appropriate time."
Bauer had been scheduled to start Sunday in Washington against the Nationals, with his manager, Dave Roberts, leaving any discipline in the hands of MLB.
Corbin has been a big disappointment the last couple years.
Italy over Belgium 2-1, good game except for all the shameless time-wasting at the end by Italy
Game #83: A’s thumped by Rangers, lose series at home
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/7/1/22559962/oakland-as-game-83-texas-rangers-score-result
Last night we saw how good the Oakland A’s look when everything goes right. Thursday brought a reminder of how bad any team can look when everything falls apart at once.
No part of the A’s roster found any success this afternoon, as they dropped a 8-3 decision to the Texas Rangers to wrap up a series loss at the Coliseum against the last-place club in their division.
Oakland has gotten superb starting pitching lately, from all five members of their rotation including Sean Manaea. Especially Manaea, in fact, as he posted a 1.13 ERA in five June starts. But today the calendar flipped to July and that hot streak hit a bump, as the lefty never quite settled in against the Rangers.
And on their seventh try, the Giants finally lost to baseball’s worst team
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2021/7/1/22560344/san-francisco-giants-diamondbacks-final-score-johnny-cueto-mike-yastrzemski
The San Francisco Giants, who hold the title of baseball’s best team if you subscribe to newfangled stats like “wins” and “winning percentage,” just lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who hold the title of baseball’s worst team if you subscribe to newfangled stats like “losses” and “losing percentage.”
So yeah. That was fun.
It was the Giants seventh attempt to lose to the Diamondbacks, but only their first success. So far they had been thwarted by things like overcoming a 7-0 deficit. You know, things of that nature.
Now officially worried about the Giants' offense falling off.
They have been hitting way above expectations haven't they?
They also had two veterans go on the DL who were having good-hitting seasons (Belt and Longoria) but had largely been weathering it until now.
Agent's Take: Why Aaron Rodgers opting out of 2021 season could be a nuclear play for the disgruntled QB
Sitting out the 2021 season would serve Rodgers better financially than holding out or retiring
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/agents-take-why-aaron-rodgers-opting-out-of-2021-season-could-be-a-nuclear-play-for-the-disgruntled-qb/
CAL
Cal apparently has another '22 FB commit as Benji Palu lights the Bat Signal
https://twitter.com/BenjiPalu_Cal/status/1410754100958957575
Seems like it. An oblique mention of a commit, hitherto unidentified.
Jaydn Ott is the first one.
THE BAT SIGNAL IS LIT AGAIN!!! ANOTHER RECRUIT!
https://twitter.com/BenjiPalu_Cal/status/1411064573281538051
Go Bears!!!