148 Comments

Anyone have any info about the Under Armour deal?

Expand full comment

I am not a Cal alum, but I chose Cal as my football team after listening to a radio broadcast of the Cal/Texas AM game in the early 80's. Joe Starkey's energy from that radio was infectious to me. So I enjoy being a Cal fan, love the whole vibe of the campus and stadium, but I am not good at picking teams. It's too late now....I could not switch if I wanted to. And I don't.

Expand full comment

That was an incredibly costly ballgame to listen to for you, Steve W!!

Expand full comment
author

Put some duct tape on it. It'll be fine.

https://twitter.com/bird_liam/status/1428315155675369475

Expand full comment

oh dear.

Expand full comment

oooooooh nooooooooooooooooo

Expand full comment

Oh man

Expand full comment

Escape rooms

Expand full comment

I tried to go to the gamerhood website the other day and see if there were still escape room games. Looks like the demise of flash made most of those games go away. When googling I did see there are now online escape room games, many of which are trying to do the team building thing. That seems weird for team building.

Expand full comment

There is a Cal writers escape room mini group. I've gone with nam and rob and larry and avi in phoenix and nam and rob in Richmond

Expand full comment

I haven't tried escape rooms either in person or online. I'm still trying trying to avoid crowds, so I'm thinking of trying an online version. Does anyone know a good one?

Expand full comment

Thanks for the ideas!

Expand full comment

We're signed up for a bimonthly escape room box subscription service through Escape The Crate. Each step is password gated, totals about 2 hours of puzzling split into two 1 hour adventures. Pretty good puzzles, occasional props, fun themeing, and comically bad voice acting for ~$30 a box. 15/19 WB, it's no live escape room but easily the best mailed experiences I've had.

Expand full comment
author

We did an online one for work - hosted by live people. It was through Roobicks.com. Meh. It was all right. 9/19. WB if it was free. WNB if I had to pay. Definitely way worse than in-person escape rooms. Half the fun is being locked in a room trying to figure out how everything fits together, whereas online rooms are sequential puzzles.

Expand full comment

Huh, according to Fbook memories, I "inadvertently caught Walk the Moon live" on this day in 2013. I love them and wish I hadn't forgotten this memory, as the details of this live experience have been lost to the sands of time.

Expand full comment

The picture they picked for this...

https://twitter.com/DispatchAlerts/status/1428740650808352777?s=20

Expand full comment

the photo people are having a good time at least.

Expand full comment

Heh

Expand full comment
author

Mt. Shasta has no snow.

https://twitter.com/evren__7/status/1428066140996063234

Expand full comment

it snowed at Snowbird yesterday -- mid Aug!!

Expand full comment

One problem is that picture is not of Mt. Shasta. its true that most west coast mountains' snow pack is below average early in the season, but false information isn't helpful.

Expand full comment

It's Shastina, with the peak of Shasta behind it.

Expand full comment

Yep, W, NW flank of Shastina which is predominantly convex and does not hold snow that well in "normal" years. Diller Canyon predominantly western exposed is very wide with few tiny patches of snow on upper northern exposed canyon slope. North and east exposures of Shasta have a few glaciers and hold snow better than western and southern exposures.

Expand full comment

I tried looking at a Shasta Web cam to see what it looks like. Nothing but smoke.

Expand full comment

Most web cams view Shasta from the west or from the south of it. The Mt. Shasta City webcam basically points west. The only cam I know that will take views, on occasion, of the north side is the Herd Peak fire cam on the growing network of fire cams here: http://www.alertwildfire.org/shastamodoc/index.html?v=fd40737

Expand full comment
author

Jeopardy producer Mike Richards has dismissed one of the new hosts

https://twitter.com/grynbaum/status/1428720141831921670

Expand full comment
author

He lasted only 0.7 Scaramuccis.

Backstory: his comments on his own podcast came back to bite him in the ass.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/jeopardy-mike-richards-host-producer-podcast-1235044209/

Expand full comment

I haven't listened to the old podcasts, but he wasn't my favorite guest host by a long shot, and if he used his insider status to get himself selected, that would really tick me off.

Expand full comment

of course he selected himself. He was/is the Executive Producer, he just had to sell himself to Sony, and make the rest look terrible in his presentation.

Expand full comment

Saw an interesting summary about another boring white guy failing upwards.

Expand full comment

Mark Fox?

Expand full comment

Something you're bad at but keep doing anyways

Expand full comment

Heck, much equivocating. Question should have couched in contemporary CFB "fan" language of being either elite or dogshit.

Expand full comment

Surfing, but it's fun, good exercise and an enjoyable meditative activity.

Expand full comment
author

Playing video games. I used to be good, but age has led to loss of muscle memory, plus I don't have the same level of dedication to it as I did 10-15 years ago. I still try to play with my son, but end up being the feeder of our party and he has to carry me.

Expand full comment

I play games like Animal Crossing, which requires no reflexes or coordination at all.

Expand full comment

Some people might say dancing, but I think they're wrong.

Expand full comment
author

[Alcohol]: "Psst... my friends and I all say that you're actually pretty good at singing and dancing."

Expand full comment

Singing? Never claimed that!

Expand full comment

i am bad at dancing and singing, but i dont try anymore except if i am driving alone in the car (the singing that is ...)

Expand full comment

Like Elaine in Seinfeld.

Expand full comment

Being a Cal Football fan!

Expand full comment

Yes, this.

Expand full comment

i was never really good at sports but i always really liked it. luckily i had great friends and coaches that were encouraging and grew up in an era where everyone got to play regardless of how good or bad you were.

HeyAlumniGo and I played a lot of tennis in HS. we tried out for the team every year but with out proper lessons or country club memberships we were clearly not at the same level on pretty competitive HS team.

after all these years i am taking tennis lessons again and playing a little more regularly.

Expand full comment

Actually I think I only tried out sr year. Looking back I wasn't very good at all.

Expand full comment

Vlad Belo was the city of Gilroy's Male Athlete of the Year like in 1987 or 88 as a high school senior.

Expand full comment

Better him than Ohio Bear!

Expand full comment

I'm not *bad* but I am a mediocre golfer, cyclist and snowboarder. but these (and travel and eating) are where i spend most of my discretionary cash.

Expand full comment

Same for golf. I'm not terrible but I'm not good. I don't play enough to get better but I really enjoy time out on the course with friends.

Expand full comment

CGB Golf Invitational next spring.

Expand full comment

Exactly. In an average round of golf, I hit some really good shots...definitely more good shots than bad. But I don't score for schitt...1 step forward with the good, 2 steps back with the bad...and at the end of the day, it's not all that enjoyable.

Expand full comment

Golf is a sport I've never really tried, other than mini golf. During middle school we played golf (maybe for 1 week) which consisted of hitting a golf ball with a wedge to a cone maybe 150-200 feet away. There were just a few lefty clubs and I think I basically had 1 or 2 good shots toward the cone. Everything else was bad. Never tried hitting a golf ball since. Neither of my parents played golf and golf isn't really something you can just go out and try.

Expand full comment

i would say the same about being mediocre cyclist and skier, but a good portion of vacation and extra $$ go to this.

luckily, once you are mediocre it is very enjoyable and there is some hope of getting slightly less mediocre

Expand full comment

I'm not really looking to improve snowboarding to be honest. I've reached my ideal of being able to cruise down wide blue runs and just have a lot of fun that way. Cycling I would like to get in better shape though.

Expand full comment

That's how I approach surfing now, I've been doing it for almost four years and realized I have the most fun on long right point breaks in the sub 3ft range. I'm hoping to push it a little more this winter, but 4-5ft feels significantly more difficult and dangerous than 3ft or less.

Expand full comment

I like to snowboard as well. Last time was a Whistler a couple of years back. But I'm really not very good having picked it up after age 30.

Expand full comment

I try to go at least once a year - which leads me to the cycle of day 1 - getting my legs back day 2 & 3 - this is the best sport ever day 4 - I am so tired, I'm just going to go eat a tonkatsu curry and take off for the onsen at like 2pm

Expand full comment

riding up the Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier NP in a few weeks. hoping that i am in good enough shape to "enjoy" the 2 hour climb ..

Expand full comment

The Vuelta in on NBC's Olympic Channel. The finish today they were barely moving up the last few Ks. Watch if you get a chance. I think they said 14% at times.

Expand full comment

i caught the end of the stage. looked brutal. pro riders going sideways up the road, so it must be extra steep.

Expand full comment

Yikes! That road is no joke…good on ya! Only way I could ride up that road on our visit was in our rental car.

Expand full comment

DBD Test Kitchen

Expand full comment

For many years, my wife has made an Asian chicken and rice dish, with green onions. It is tasty, I think it originally came from a recipe, but I'm sure she hasn't referred to that in decades. She used to make it more often, made it last night, this time with orange bell peppers, and somehow it was different, lighter, less greasy - and honestly, I liked it the old way better.

Expand full comment

Maybe she used to put MSG in it

Expand full comment

people claim to have msg sensitivity . . .but then I see you eating them Doritos.

Expand full comment

🙄

Expand full comment

I just learned that Ho Chi Minh was once a pastry chef at the Parker House Hotel in Boston (home of the Boston cream pie)

Expand full comment

Deng Xiaoping picked up a taste for croissants when he was a student in Paris, so even through the entire post revolution period when he was both in power and out, he had a personal chef making croissants.

Expand full comment

no wonder he went ballistic on the West.

Expand full comment

living in Boston would push anyone over the edge

Expand full comment

I was in Boston for maybe 48 hrs 40 years ago, and have no desire to go back.

Expand full comment

DBD AV Club

Expand full comment

For the Ted Lasso crew...hey there, Scootie! ;-)

I stumbled across these weekly S2 recaps (unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a dropdown menu on the page for other articles, so I had to use the search feature).

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/23/1016518274/ted-lasso-recap-season-2-episode-1-premiere-jason-sudeikis

Fun reads in a clever format. Found myself both smiling and getting misty-eyed just reading the recaps!

Expand full comment

Finished the 8th and final episode of S1 of The Defeated on Netflix...I haven't heard if there will be a season 2. Interesting premise for a show...set in a devastated and destroyed Berlin in the immediate aftermath of WWII, it stars Taylor Kitsch as a NY cop from Brooklyn sent to Berlin to help organize a small police dept. in the US sector. IMDB users have given it a 6.6/10...about accurate.

Interesting story, if not execution.

Expand full comment

Oooooh I'll watch Tim Riggins do just about anything.

Expand full comment

I feel like a bit of an idiot because I didn't see "Tim Riggins" on the cast list and just spent [unspecified amount of time] on IMDB figuring this out.

Expand full comment

I guess you never watch Friday Night Lights? Great show, but skip season 2.

Expand full comment

I have not watched it

Expand full comment

But if you skip season two you miss the Saracen monologue in the shower where he thinks everybody leaves him. Probably one of the best scenes in the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4YCP1P-Zjo&ab_channel=FridayNightLights

Expand full comment

He was the highlight of True Detective S2...

Expand full comment

listened to some CDs on my drive up and back to upstate NY this week

- Paul Simon Graceland

- Led Zeppelin IV

- Fleetwood Mac Rumors

- some unknown Mexican guitar duo

i still have 200+ CDs that i get some occasional use out of.

Expand full comment

Rodrigo & Gabriela?

Expand full comment

Misty Mountain Hop is a great tune to throw in just past Glens Falls on I87N....

Expand full comment

Our Crumbling World

Expand full comment
author

There was a deranged Republican bomber who wanted to blow up the Library of Congress yesterday (but was obviously stopped). Rep Mo Brooks (R-AL) gives a supportive tweet of the bomber & blames Democrats.

https://twitter.com/RepMoBrooks/status/1428422048368533515

Expand full comment

They are both extremist terrorists who hate America.

Expand full comment

Less Brooks is what I say

Expand full comment
author

Prosecutors against Kyle Rittenhouse want to submit this video clip, which is Rittenhouse 15 days before he killed 2 and wounded a third in Kenosha. It allegedly has him saying how he wish he could shoot people who he thinks are looters, which would act as a base that Rittenhouse had a history of wanting to use deadly force in situations that didn't warrant it let alone involve him.

https://twitter.com/Evanryt/status/1428472437092593665

Expand full comment
author

Lt. Gov Patrick (R-TX) forgets to keep the racist shit in his head quiet.

https://www.newsweek.com/texas-lt-gov-dan-patrick-blames-black-community-democrats-covid-spread-1621312

Expand full comment
author

Also, it a lie. So, a racist lie for political gain. I am so tired of this stuff.

https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/unvaccinated-americans-whiter-more-republican-vaccinated

Expand full comment

The Taliban's mask slips further after militants kill journalist's relative

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/asia/afghanistan-taliban-rule-friday-intl/index.html

Expand full comment

Today in Covid 19

Expand full comment
author

How's it going in Jacksonville FL? Well, it's not pretty.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/us/florida-covid-library-antibody-treatment-center/index.html

Expand full comment

Pro

Expand full comment

Game #122: A’s win finale to avoid sweep in Chicago

https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/8/19/22633160/oakland-as-game-122-chicago-white-sox-score-result

The Oakland A’s finished a tough road trip on a positive note.

The A’s beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 on Thursday, avoiding a sweep in the series finale at Guaranteed Rate Field and snapping a four-game losing streak.

Oakland got just enough of everything this afternoon. Their rotation gave them a quality start, their lineup hit three homers and earned an elusive bases-loaded RBI, and their bullpen nailed down the save even despite some unnecessary extra drama.

Expand full comment

A's call up Chad Pinder, send Seth Brown to Triple-A. Go figure...

Expand full comment

Giants do not lose to the dreaded off-day.

Expand full comment

Bullpen helps Dodgers pick up seventh straight win

https://www.truebluela.com/2021/8/19/22633632/los-angeles-dodgers-mlb-news-recap-trea-turner-blake-treinen-bullpen

For the fourth time in only seven days, the Dodgers picked up a win over the Mets. After sweeping the weekend series last week, LA took the first game of the four-game series, 4-1.

It’s now their seventh straight victory and the Dodgers trail the Giants by only 2.5 games in the division.

The Dodgers jumped on the board in the second inning, putting two runs on the board. Corey Seager began the inning with a walk and Will Smith doubled to put two runners in scoring position. AJ Pollock brought in a run with a groundout, putting LA up 1-0.

Expand full comment

Typical Dave Roberts game. Used 7 pitchers and 2 pinch hitters for them. Only reason he didn't use more is the game got over without needing extra innings.

Expand full comment

Considering it was a bullpen game for I think the 3rd day in a row, 7 pitchers to go 9 innings wasn't too bad. He let them hit for themselves when the situation warrented. The day before was a bullpen game but the bulk guy went 7.2 innings because he was effective. The one before that was also a bullpen game and the bulk guy was in his debut major league game and went 4.

They've got 1 of the 6 projected starters active. How many other teams can have the 2nd or 3rd.best record when down to 1 opening day roster starter?

Expand full comment

Other College

Expand full comment
author

Nick Rolovich concedes. Will get vaccinated. He is obviously unhappy about it.

https://mobile.twitter.com/BrennaGreene_/status/1428422382792822789

Expand full comment

There better be video proof.

Expand full comment

What an idiot. Either stand by your principles and quit, or STFU about it.

Expand full comment

boo hoo

Expand full comment
author

Arizona Wildcats are 100% vaccinated

https://mobile.twitter.com/ArizonaFBall/status/1428524674904821761

Expand full comment
author

They're the first in the conference, right? I wouldn't have predicted that Arizona would be first...

Expand full comment
author

FYI here are the Pac-12 vaccination rates as of earlier this week:

UCLA: 98%

Arizona: 97%

Washington: above 95%

Colorado: 94.5%

Oregon: 90% to 95%

Utah: above 90%

USC: above 90%

Oregon State: 88%

Stanford: 85%

Washington State: 80%

Arizona State: not available

Cal: not available

Expand full comment

I wonder what Cal's vaccination percentage is.

Expand full comment

Lower body injury

Expand full comment

I liked Dykes' and other coaches' use of the word "deal". "He's got a leg deal" or a "He's got a shoulder deal"

Expand full comment

Would've loved to hear Dykes add "and shit" at the end. "He's got a leg deal, and shit"

Expand full comment

"dont say an stuff. just say "there are whores here, dad"

Expand full comment
author

[The Athletic] Pac12, Big X, ACC confederation to be announced soon

Expand full comment

So soon we will be Confederates.

Expand full comment
author

SEC fans will be kicking themselves for missing out on that opportunity.

Expand full comment
author

Coaches who are jerks

Expand full comment

I nominate Nick Rolovich!

Expand full comment

Cal

Expand full comment
author

Luc Bequette's literally follows his dreams back to Cal

https://twitter.com/CalFootball/status/1428447176938516485

Expand full comment

I had a lawn mowing business when I was eleven, then a paper route starting at age 13.

Expand full comment
author

Go young entrepreneurial Bears!

Expand full comment

very Cal related, well done

Expand full comment

After the paper route I had a gardening business in high school. One of my clients was Nobel Laureate Charlie Townes (maser, laser) so there is a slight connection. He was delighted when I got accepted to Cal.

Expand full comment

Townes was the graduation speaker the year i graduated ('92).

the guy who won "best undergrad research" did some work w/ lasers and he said that "the research was pretty solid"

Expand full comment

Townes was still taking the H-line up to SSL at 100.

Expand full comment
author

I'm actually pretty bad at shooter type video games despite watching a ton of them (even on the professional scale). I'm also pretty bad at cooking aside from burgers and pancakes, (by the way does anyone need/want to take a look at the knives that I've been promoting)

Expand full comment

I can't even play 1st person shooters. I get nauseous within 30 seconds if I try to play. The only 1st person type game I can do is flying games for some reason. Probably because they don't turn as quickly and you don't jerk around.

Expand full comment

I almost got a job selling knives door to door in the Summer after my junior year of high school, but fortunately (for my situation) I got lost on the way to the "interview", went back home to call them (this was one of those large multi-level marketing companies that border on pyramid schemes) and the lady on the line gave me a ton of attitude, so I said forget it. Shortly thereafter I got a job through a friend doing landscape construction (brick walkways, patios), that became my summer job for a few years and I loved it.

I will be in the market for some high quality knives after I renovate my kitchen.. though I'm not exactly sure when that will happen. Why is that a dependency? I dont know, I just have it in my head to do the kitchen first, then spoil myself with nice new knives after. And also, the kitchen reno would include a magnet strip on a subway tile wall so I can show them off.

Expand full comment
author

I got you covered when you eventually renovate that kitchen

Expand full comment

The Christmas after we renovated our kitchen at Casa de Slug, I bought Mrs Slug a gift certificate large enough to cover most of a purchase of Wusthof Classic knife set.

I will always remember buying the gift certificate at Sur La Table on 4th Street in Berkeley. I told the cashier the amount I wanted and a woman two customers behind me said, "...and a Merry Christmas to you, too."

Expand full comment

i sold knives in HS also. that was my first real job assuming one can call it that.

we upgraded to some nice Japanese knives a bunch of years back

Expand full comment
author

Same for me as of now, only really doing it for the summer and I think I work for that company's rival or something.

Expand full comment

I didn't know there was more than one of those companies. I saw the one HSB sold for selling knives at Costco.

Expand full comment

I buy all my knives in Japan now - one per visit. A handful of JDM Global Pros, plus some smaller utility knives.

Expand full comment

When my friend visited Japan and was about to fly home, his friends came to say good bye at Narita Airport. His friends gave him a Japanese knife as souvenir. He put it in his carry on and went through the security where he was taken into a separate room. After convincing that he was not a terrorist, he was finally released and was able to board his flight home. He could have been arrested. Both were stupid.

Expand full comment

Once when going on a White House tour a guy just ahead of us was stopped by the Secret Service because he was carrying a switchblade. He kept trying to argue that it was legal under DC law. Finally one of the agents said he could surrender the knife and proceed on the tour or he could surrender the knife and be arrested but that he was going to surrender the knife.

Expand full comment

My Swiss army knife was confiscated entry an Iron Maiden concert :( - it wasn't a switchblade! Just a tool!

Expand full comment

Just don't bring it back on a carry-on

Expand full comment