113 Comments

So about that tech thing... I get why Google, Facebook and Amazon are summoned, but Apple? They're big, but they have substantial competitors for everything they make.

I don't get it.

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I assume partly because of their behavior with how much revenue they take via the App Store, and partly because they aren’t terribly cooperative regarding device encryption

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The Boston Public Library is looking for help to transcribe its anti-slavery manuscripts: www.antislaverymanuscripts.org

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Just turned on the TV. 2004 Cal-Oregon on ESPNU right now in the 3rd quarter.

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In retrospect it's kind of amazing that Oregon team finished with a losing record. They had more talent than that.

Maybe a lot of their games were like that one, some key mistakes at the end turning a potential win into a loss?

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Go Bears!

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Tropical storm Isaias coming. WATCH OUT, ALABAMA!

https://valdostatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/isaias-track.jpg

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I read Trump has a fundraiser scheduled for Doral this weekend. Storm and virus may say otherwise.

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Trump will use his Sharpie to make it go away...

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I’ve decided that I want a house with a boat garage that I can power out of like the head of a Bond villain’s program management office

https://www.funda.nl/koop/amsterdam/huis-41934834-gillis-van-ledenberchstraat-14-m/

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YES!

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I'd visit.

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I’ve been spending more time lately looking at places in Portugal just because I can pretend that’s feasible, but I’m never going to stop aspirational browsing for Amsterdam

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I'm not inclined to move away from Lisbon proper, but now you have me thinking about the potential for a riverside backup lair in one of Portugal's ridiculously affordable inland regions.

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Economics

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"Anyone? Something-Dee-Oh-Oh Economics... Voodoo Economics"

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I watched the Ferris Bueller reunion show on Josh Gad's channel and Ben Stein discussed shooting this scene. It was a pretty good reunion show.

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Preliminary Q2 GDP released. Negative 32.9% (annualized). No doubt Trump will crow about the record economic growth from this chasm that he personally helped make deeper.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/q2-gdp-us-economy-coronavirus-pandemic-consumer-171558880.html

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I guess the good news is that the public is no longer buying Trump's bluster about the economy.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/29/politics/trump-economic-approval-rating-analysis/index.html

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My observation is that Q3 will also be down 25 to 35% from last year. so he might get a 10% boost from Q2.

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Elsewhere in college

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Notre Dame not playing as an independent this season...

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Clemson will actually have a road bump on their schedule!

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Good and they should no longer be an independent after this season.

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I think we should go one step further and stop them from playing football at all, just to be safe

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And deprive USC of future opportunities to have Traveler gallop around them multiple times? I'd miss that.

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Well since we still have Helton at the helm, that’s not a sure bet

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I agree.

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Do you think college sports teams that play will eventually have to opt into isolation via a "bubble"?

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Things are going well in the pros so far...Bills rookies sent home after a FIFTH one tests positive.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1288933651682676755

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I don't think there's anything close to enough money to create a bubble environment. The key to the NBA's bubble is that everyone's in it and nobody can leave. The Pac12 would need to create a co-located bubble at the cost of many tens of millions. The NBA's bubble reportedly cost $150MM+.

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There may or may not be enough money (although there will be interest) for some of the other non-football collegiate sports to have a bubble tournament (or even two).

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I think it might be easier for sports that are a little less wearing than football, if only because you don’t need the same recovery time. Soccer for example

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Today in CV19

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"The revelation Wednesday that Texas Republican Louie Gohmert, a renegade lawmaker known for stalking the halls of Congress without a mask, tested positive for Covid-19 has unleashed a fusillade of anger on Capitol Hill — a sudden release of built-up tension over how the institution has dealt with the coronavirus pandemic within the confines of its own workplace.

For months, the leaders of Congress have allowed lawmakers to enter the Capitol without being screened for the deadly virus, rejecting an offer from the White House to provide rapid testing while trusting that the thousands who work across the massive complex of offices, meeting rooms and hallways will behave responsibly."

"An administrative staffer who often visits multiple offices estimated that mask wearing was “nearly universal in Democratic offices” but was “probably under 50 percent” among Republicans.

Masking has become a “political minefield” that creates awkward encounters on occasion, this person recounted: “[S]ome GOP offices ask why you are wearing a mask, which puts our staff in an awkward position — do you say because of the pandemic and risk the office taking that as a political stand? Do you take it off to make them feel better?”

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/30/capitol-hill-angry-gohmert-coronavirus-388230

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So.... coerced freedom from wearing a mask.

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It's all a hoax. Theses folks aren't really dead. The virus has gone away on its own.

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Yeah, these 150,000 people are still alive and have joined everyone from Sandy Hook and 9/11 in hiding and relocation.

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They're all in the basement at Comet Pizza.

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Bill Montgomery - co-founder of Turning Point USA - dead

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I was surprised to see he was so old

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I wonder if the rep leaders starting to die will have an effect on the 'masks=communism' crowd?

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All signs point to no.

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Unlikely

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Herman Cain dead

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Trump basically killed Herman Cain with his Tulsa rally or Cain committed suicide by ignorance and stupidity for attending?

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Yes.

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Why can't it be trump?

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I used to joke around using a Milton Bradley "Battleship" game analogy to announce these. I knew this day would come when one of the inner circle actually died from Covid 19 as a direct result of their behavior. I used to say that I didn't wish ill on anybody. And now it has happened, I feel relieved that I didn't feel any pleasure. That being said, I didn't feel bad at all.

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Comments not very forgiving on the WaPo article and they're closed already.

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they should probably pre-emptively not activate the comments on the 'death of GOP leaders' articles. Since todays are going to be a warm up.

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OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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I want to know how many lawmakers bought Kodak before the Kodak US pharma deal.

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It would be a good idea to check the volume of trades in the past few weeks.

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HUGE, massive spike in volume the day before the announcement.

Thursday's volume: 80,840

Friday's volume: 74,893

Monday's volume: 1,645,719

Tuesday: announcement!

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Gambling at Rick's?

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SHOCKED

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Interesting article from Reuters: why Trump's LAW AND ORDER message to create fear amongst suburbanites is not landing

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-analysis/why-trumps-tough-on-crime-message-is-not-breaking-through-in-suburban-america-idUSKCN24V1PW?il=0

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TN State Senator (D-Memphis) charged with embezzling $600k. Corruption should be stamped out, no matter who does it.

https://nypost.com/2020/07/29/tennessee-lawmaker-used-federal-funds-to-pay-for-lavish-lifestyle-feds/

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Trump says a lot of dumb shit. Some of it is purposeful idea balloon floating. He floats the idea to delay the Election.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1288818160389558273

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and i believe that even if we do move the election, donald doesn't stay president, instead it goes to the next in line for succession that isn't up for election...so, guess then, hi there president pelosi.

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In addition, the term ends Jan 20 via the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. So delaying the election, puts him out the door that day regardless.

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Of course he did, but remember that only Congress has the power to move Election Day.

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And to that end . . . seems Republican Senators aren't too warm to the idea.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republican-senators-shoot-down-trump-suggestion-delay-election-n1235322

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Not surprised. There is no way he will leave office, unless dragged out kicking and screaming.

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I would LOVE to see him escorted out, handcuffed, by Secret Service on January 20th.

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And if he doesn’t he should be tried for treason.

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Where (what location) did you study at Cal?

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Usually my room, sometimes Doe, sometimes Birge, sometimes a friend’s place. Never Moffit.

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Doe, Memorial Glade (also favorite place to nap), FSM Cafe

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Study?

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That was my problem.

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Generally (Heh) in my room.

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Moffitt freshman year, Doe senior year, I don't know in between. My room? Study tables? I have absolutely no recollection!

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Moffitt.

It was a horrible place to study. Dingy. Dirty. Super crowded. Loud. I don't know why I didn't try to study elsewhere.

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I took many naps in Morrison. Does that count?

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I definitely have fallen asleep in the Engineering library in McLaughlin (I think it was called).

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The Physics Reading room in the soon-to-be-renamed LeConte Hall. Because I worked in a lab and sometimes need to come in during afterhours (including once on the weekend when they were actually filming a Richard Gere movie, The Bee Season, in LeConte and had to move some stuff so I can enter to refill liquid helium to our dilution fridge), I actually have a key to LeConte. I knew of stories of people who scaled the wall to climb into this 2nd floor room.

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Doe.

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Also, sometimes in my departmental library in Evans, though it tended to be hot and stuffy on occasion.

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Who are the 5 Cal FB players who should step up in order to have a successful season?

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Using the premise that everyone maintains their level of play achieved at the end of the season.

1. Field Goal Kicker - Their skill impacts both field position and points, which alters the in-game decision making.

2. Brett Johnson - or whomever is the NT, gotta prevent the run up the middle.

3. DJ Rodgers - Let's get a plus weapon and matchup problem in the receiving game.

4. Dario Longhetto - Cal's style requires winning field position.

5. Safeties - I don't know who plays safety and who switches from CB, but they have a high standard to live up to.

6. Will Craig - Lost a year to injury, needs to protect the QB.

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Kicker is a position of worry at this point. We can't afford an inaccurate kicker with the style of football that we play.

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Yes, this.

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Tattersall (or whoever is ILB2), Scott, CB2 (Anusiem/Drayden), Longhetto, Crawford

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Bynum, Deng, Brown Jr., whomever is playing nose tackle, Polk. I'm assuming Garbers will play at the high level as he did at the end of last season when healthy.

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Makai Polk is my breakout candidate.

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Pro

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Phillies have a coach and clubhouse attendant test positive for covid. All games in Philly this weekend postponed. Blue Jays supposedly have asked to stay in DC for the weekend. Nats off all weekend too since they were supposed to be in Miami. Quite the mess. Maybe they should just keep playing Toronto even though the season series is over after today.

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Oakland A’s Game #6: A’s again can’t find clutch hit, lose 5-1 to Rockies in sweep

https://www.athleticsnation.com/2020/7/29/21347360/oakland-as-game-6-colorado-rockies-result-score-left-on-base

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Olson was safe at home. Umps called him out but the replay showed otherwise. Still,the call was upheld. Would have made the game 2-2 and changed its complexion

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Also, this short season is already 10% over.

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Should just end it altogether- it’s a complete joke.

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How's the road trip, Jimmy C?

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Delightful, thanks for asking! 6 National Parks in the books, and walked my red pup around Wrigley today.

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Giants beat the Padres, 7-6.

https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2020/7/29/21347643/san-francisco-giants-padres-mike-yastrzemski

I'm shocked the Giants came back with 3 in the 8th and 1 in hte 9th. The Padres look really good so far. Of course, they've only played the Dbacks and the Giants.

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GPYAB

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GBBR

Dodgers win in 13. Neither team could hit the ball. Hitting really is harder for the Astros when they don't know what's coming.

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Edwin Rios - he's the trivia answer for the first person in MLB history to hit a "lead-off two-run homerun" thanks to the new extra-inning rule

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I saw there was one game where the inning went sac bunt, sac fly, walk, runner throw out stealing. Winning run scores in an inning with no official ABs.

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Dodgers bullpen extends it, Edwin Rios ends it

https://www.truebluela.com/2020/7/29/21347115/edwin-rios-home-run-dodgers-bullpen-astros-sweep

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Lots of good pitching by both teams in this one. Significant contrast with some of the games this year. Its easy to see why these are 2 of the consistent contenders of late. Pitching still matters.

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The question is how well the Astro's bullpen will be. They have quite a few pitchers that are new to the MLB. Their starter yesterday looked really good.

The Dodgers BP is stacked with Graterol, Treinen, Ferguson, Baez all pitching well. Also Alexander looked really good in his first inning. Once Kershaw and Wood come back, May will also be in the pen. Graterol effortlessly throws 101 and has great movement on his 2 seamer and Treinen looks to have found his stuff again. All this to setup Kenley in the 9th.

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Ugh...first sentence isn't good. Should be "The question is how good the Astro's bullpen will be once they get scouted".

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Cal

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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Cal, BS Architecture) pure reaction when reads Emmy nominations.

https://twitter.com/yahya/status/1288539825218486275

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Berkeley launches CV19 self-testing kiosk

https://twitter.com/SarahBelleLin/status/1288900894575099904

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Is the the one that they're putting in a San Pablo park and only for today and tomorrow? I'm looking for a place to get one done a couple of days after I fly back. Maybe my local urgent care can do it.

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I'm going to another virtual New Students Welcome Picnic this Saturday. Even with the virtual-ness of their first year, I still feel like there's a lot for them to look forward to.

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One of them asked what my favorite near-campus eating spot was, and I was reminded how sad I am that Sufficient Grounds is no longer there

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Go Bears.

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GO BEARS!

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