My wifi reception has been bad, so I'm going to get my new covid booster in a bit.
You can get a cervical collar and a cervical cap but they don't get used anywhere near each other. Why are people so bad at naming stuff?
The wifi still sucks, which means I'll have to deal with comcast. But I thought I'd try the easier option first.
Played four matches/nine sets/73 games of tennis so far this weekend and have another two hours tonight.
Any super rule-knowers? We almost had a bizarre situation on top of a rare situation:
- You can not hit the ball when it's on the opponents side of the net, it has to cross to your side first.
- Rare exception: if there's a shot with crazy spin such that it lands on your side first, then bounces back over on its own, you can reach over to complete the shot. If it goes over on its own without you touching it you lose the point. So in theory you can hit it back into the opponents side of the net to win the point.
So that's all fairly common trivia and there are some videos online of the situation happening in pro matches. The almost bizarre part (didn't happen because the opponent misplayed it):
- I made the shot with crazy spin when I was extremely close to the net and volleyed. Opponent ran up to get it and might have had to reach over, although he tried to hit it earlier and hit it into the net. If I stay on my side of the net and he had tried to reach over, can I block him from making the shot with my body or racket when he reaches over? In general player-player contact is never allowed in tennis, but is this an exception? I imagine it's considered rude but might technically be allowed.
In Texas, if he reaches over the net, you can use your gun.
What was the terrible 90s movie where there was a guy running a football and he pulled out a gun and shot a defender?
Are you sure that was just the Raiders?
11: checked Wikipedia and this is right. The guy takes PCP and in a drug-fueled rage shoots 3 defenders to get to the end zone.
But the refs call it back because shooting is a personal foul, so they lose a down and start 15 yards back from the original line of scrimmage
Anyway, if PCP is so dangerous, why is it legal?
14: It's Angel Dust, Moby. We do have a First Amendment.
Wow, what a fun men's US Open final. Alcaraz is just adorable. That insanely long rally in the third set where he dives for the ball, hits it wide, slides on his stomach and grins ear to ear...I'm a fan for life.
I tried a Uruguayan fortified wine that was listed like it was a port. It was really sweet even for a port.
I would hesitate to call in undrinkable because I did drink it. But it's put me off the entire Uruguayan wine industry.
Yeah, Alcaraz is a delight. Got to watch him in person at Cincinnati. He's just got such puppy energy.
That smile from 16 was so charming because he lost the point, but he just had such joy in great tennis that he didn't care.
Joy in great football didn't help Scott Frost.
Depending on what happens in Tuesdays primary I may right now be at my lifetime peak of local celebrity. Some places where I go, so many people seem to recognize me or know who I am.
Its a lot to get used to. Its kinda fun and feels good to get positive affirmation, but I'm a shy introvert so its also quite jarring.
14. As the late HST remarked in passing, you might want to put a horse into a coma. It's designed as a tranquilliser for large animals. Vets use it legitimately.
I thought that's what ketamine is for.
Putin is in so much trouble he's going to be abandoned by Republicans.
Except Rand Paul. The man has values.
The recent events in Ukraine are amazing and have gladdened my heart no end. They'll be studying this offensive for decades.
27: Do you think this is about military strategy? Or is it that the Russian soldiers have no interest in fighting?
We're alive and well, survived a second weekend of quarantine. My wife tested negative yesterday, so will get to resume normal life - she's going to hop on her bike and try to run errands like her normal Monday. I was still positive as of Saturday. I've passed 5 days since first symptoms so I'm cleared to "wander about in masks", but will try to wait a few days more before heading outside of the house - until 10 days or a negative test.
Fortunately, my symptoms were incredibly minor throughout... I can definitely see why so many people feel good enough to head back into work and the world while they're still infectious.
Ukraine has liberated an area the size of Rhode Island, which is great, but I think lasting success kicks in when the area is measured in non-fractional Wales.
Final weekend tally- 90 games over 11 sets. 55-35 (8-3 sets)
I've been working to lose all the weight I gained back during the pandemic. Down 21lb in 38 days and targeting 35lb total loss- I sometimes wonder if I'm going too fast? I'm being pretty restrictive on calories, averaging 1200-1500 per day. Feel fine and not even all that hungry after doing a lot of activity. But I worry it's going to remove muscle not fat. Also drinking a lot less, 1-2 per week instead of about 1 per day.
28: Russian force quality is certainly a factor, but even adjusting for that, this seems to be a tactical triumph from what I'm reading. They headfaked Russia into sending more troops to Kherson, while deploying new more mobile units that ended up effective. Also they're being surprisingly effective in getting everyone up to speed with new foreign weapons systems quickly.
28,32 It's a combination of things including problems with Russian force quality, and just generally serious issues with manpower. They don't have enough soldiers to rotate troop off the front lines for one. The Kherson front is a real offensive though, not a feint. Ukrainian strategy and operational art have been incredibly on point.
Michael Kofman's comments on twitter and especially his comments on the War on the Rocks podcast have been very illuminating on all of this.
The Kherson front is a real offensive though, not a feint.
Yes, that's right as well.
Thanks for the Kofman rec.
I've just started reading this piece about how the Yokut were displaced from the south San Joaquin and how that all relates today and that is great and I want to know it. But one page in, the author writes: "shrouded by fields of soybeans, alfalfa, and corn". There is not one fucking acre of soybeans in Kings County. I checked the federal and state statistics to be sure.
I don't want to be a little bitch and it isn't the point of the article. But, like, plants aren't interchangeable (to me). They're different things! I don't know of any soybeans in the state. Maybe the rest of the article is good, but I already know I'm reading someone who is plant-illiterate.
Kind of surprised it took this long, but it looks like Azerbaijan is taking advantage of Russia being tied down in Ukraine to invade Armenia.
All I've got left is soy beans and seed corn. All the corn for market was killed by hail.
And associated flooding. I'm new to farming so I don't know why the beans are more resistant to hail.
OT: People often ask why I insist on staying in the city and on regular ice cream. This is why.
35: I just skimmed it to see if they mention the malaria epidemic in the 1830s (they do but just in a single sentence). There seems to be a thing now of slickly produced online magazines that aren't necessarily reliable.
I missed the I'm-farming! announcement. But that's exciting! Nebraska or Pennsylvania?
Nebraska. I don't do any actual farm work, but I have filled out farm subsidy applications.
I don't think I've seen the land in the past 30 years, but I met the son (or nephew or something) of the guy my grandfather bought it from.
His specialty was alfalfa, and he made a good thing out of not growing any. The government paid him well for every bushel of alfalfa he did not grow. The more alfalfa he did not grow, the more money the government gave him, and he spent every penny he didn't earn on new land to increase the amount of alfalfa he did not produce. Major MajorMoby's father worked without rest at not growing alfalfa. On long winter evenings he remained indoors and did not mend harness, and he sprang out of bed at the crack of noon every day just to make certain that the chores would not be done. He invested in land wisely and soon was not growing more alfalfa than any other man in the county. Neighbors sought him out for advice on all subjects, for he had made much money and was therefore wise. "As ye sow, so shall ye reap," he counseled one and all, and everyone said "Amen."
I started reading 44 and was already mentally composing my exclamation that Moby was living in Catch-22, and then I read on. Then I pointlessly explained that here.
Really, I just inherited a portion of a small field that my cousin owns most of. Which works out because he has tractors.
Up in four hours to hit the polls. I have no idea what the outcome will be tomorrow. At this point I'm looking forward to the finish line either way.
Is Unfogged on Alaska Time now? The recent timestamps have been eerily accurate for me.
Or does it somehow reflect everyone's local time?
He was the best captain of the Enterprise.
Yes.
The necessary components are common across species due to convergent evolution.
It's official. I didn't get an invitation to Queen Elizabeth's funeral. I'm expecting Biden to announce sanctions against the UK within the next few hours.
They're sort of sanctioning themselves lately.
Low turnout in my home ward. Not a great sign.
Low turnout in my home ward. Not a great sign.
Yes. Good luck. In my case, people who live near me are less likely to support me.
I just killed my first spotted lantern flies.
I'd make a substantive comment but I'm too busy masturbating like mad to the death of Ken Starr.
The world's loss is hell's gain. (Was sort of saving that one* for Mitch McConnell but got carried away in the moment.)
*From a Thurber story.
I'd make a substantive comment but I'm too busy masturbating like mad to the death of Ken Starr.
The world's loss is hell's gain. (Was sort of saving that one* for Mitch McConnell but got carried away in the moment.)
*From a Thurber story.
70, 71: Refractory period of a 20-year old on this one, baby.
70, 71: Refractory period of a 20-year old on this one, baby.
Most apt tweet on Starr so far:
really the Robin Yount of doing terrible things, most famous for an early career peak but then you look over the whole record and year after year he was finding new evil shit to do and putting consistent numbers on the board
Big turnout in nearby town where I am riding the coat tails of a popular state rep candidate so maybe it will balance out.
65 is correct. I live 5000 miles from Moby and I would vote for him for any elected office he cared to run for, up to and including Pope, Holy Roman Emperor, or Pursuivant of the Marches.
And except for the neighbor whose steps I shovel, mostly my neighbors are sick of me.
I'm watching high school soccer. I've now learned that the holes in the net are too big to trap someone's finger. Also, neither goalie touches the net.
In high school, you're allowed to stop the ball with your head. The only downside is getting hit in the head with a ball.
Monica is far classier person than I could ever be.
as i'm sure many can understand, my thoughts about ken starr bring up complicated feelings... but of more importance, is that i imagine it's a painful loss for those who love him.
At least he died doing what he loved.
||
A fun performance ("Walkin' One And Only" ) but watch to the end to see what the teaser for the "Vancouver Special" TV segment looked like in the late 70s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AUpHoY8Ox4
|>
86: She's a class act all around and an excellent Twitter follow in general.
Lewinsky is basically playing the role of public saint these days (and god bless for it) but this is a bit much. Starr was a really bad guy! Yes, we're all stardust and naked before the Lord, but he hurt a lot of people (to say nothing of what he put the country through).
From the NYT obituary, a quote from Starr's 2018 book that strikes me as so fucking typical of everything:
"I deeply regret that I took on the Lewinsky phase of the investigation," he wrote. "But at the same time, as I still see it 20 years later, there was no practical alternative to my doing so."
https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-primary-election-senate-results-2022/41182161
Good luck and all, but I think I'd rather have a "that time I ran for office" story than to actually have to do that job.
Well fortunately I still have a local seat that pays more than state senate. The work is fun and I have another year before I have to run again.
Well fortunately I still have a local seat that pays more than state senate. The work is fun and I have another year before I have to run again.
Getting my ass beat. Called opponent to conceed.
Sorry. But things didn't look like they were heading in the right direction.
Sorry to hear that, FP. You ran a good campaign.
Starr was a really bad guy!
I admit that my first thought was to hope it was painful.
A not so well-known Ken Starr thing.
"Baylor University President Ken Starr and his wife, Alice, lobbied for a Virginia school administrator who admitted to molesting five children under the age of 14 to be sentenced to community service rather than jail time."
The guy had been an administrator at their kids' school.
Sorry, FP. Worth making the effort though.
Bummer, FP. I was really hoping you'd win and make some kind of difference.
Well, the good news is that I was the top-line candidate for a slate that included several challengers in highly competitive State Rep primaries. It ended up being a clean sweep for everyone but me, pushing out three incumbents - two of whom were huge assholes that will not be missed. So, while I personally lost, the team as a whole did better than anyone expected. Now a bunch of our people will be going to the State House, and that's a win.
i am so sorry you too didn't win fp but delighted at your contribution to collective betterness!
I was saving my good oatmeal for later but I waited too long and now it's spoiled.
Ah dang it, Foggy! I've very much enjoyed living vicariously through your campaign.
115 is right. Also, isn't there some statistic about how many elections successful politicians lose early in their careers? It's lots, right?
On the local politics front, my local politics blog is attracting a moderately pleasing amount of attention, and I have a small-but-dedicated-and-growing number of readers. But the best part is that of the readers who have made themselves known somehow, I can count two current councilmembers, two former councilmembers, two members of the school board, and a lot of highly active community members. So I am well on my way to my goal, which is to supply the progressive side of town with the language and arguments needed to state their cases clearly and well.
For anyone here who hasn't already read it at LGM, this is how Loomis' obituary for Ken Starr starts:
"Here's the simplest way to describe Ken Starr. When it fit his interests to talk about 'morality,' he did so. When it fit his interests to defend the greatest moral reprobates in this country, he did so."
https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2022/09/dont-forget-ken-starr
I think a lot of it was just being in the wrong political moment. I mean, there are plenty of reasons I lost, but I think there has been a big swing toward embracing the establishment since I started running in May. A lot of the progressive anger about Democrats not getting anything done dissipated after Joe Manchin lifted the roadblock and the party started delivering on things that the base wanted.
Democrats as a party are in a lot stronger place than they were a few months ago, which is great, but it means that candidates that run on shaking up the club - as I did - are not in favor right now. This is a Biden moment, not a Bernie moment.
You don't mess with Dark Brandon. Just ask Corn Pop.
125: True. Died in 2016. https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1173342875691692032?lang=en
128: This tragic lament?
I had a cat named Snowball.
She died, she died.
Mom said she was sleeping.
She lied, she lied.
Why oh why is my cat dead?
Couldn't that Chrysler have hit me instead?
