I invited 12 friends to that Tiger Trials thing, after stressing and failing to invite 2 families (which is how many spaces there are), and then failing to get any takers at all after posting on Facebook, a local Facebook school group, Mastadon, and my blog. I included this important message in my invite:
I’m tired of social media not helping to create community, but instead creating a feeling of isolation. So I’m going to try emailing more often. I hope it’s a welcome shift. Telephone and texting are still welcome, but email seems like the right middle-ground to invite a group of friends to an event where there is less of an expectation to attend. That said, feel free to not respond to this email! I might check in with you if it seems you didn’t get my message, they sometimes fall into spam holes!
At Monday gaming I played Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game for the first time. It felt like I was almost entirely playing my own game of building and only occasionally interacting with the other players. The cards and dice and such are fun, with nice quality images and such. It felt like there was a bit of slightly clunky artifice built into the game, scoring points for various things, but still it was fun learning the game. And it was certainly fun playing with friends.
I heard about Tiger Trials on Berkeley Family Friends Facebook Group. It’s an Amazing Race-like challenge happening near the Berkeley Marina on March 23rd 9am-1pm. It’s a fundraiser for Longfellow Middle School, but more importantly, it’s being written by a writer for the TV show Survivor, and sounds like a blast. Would you like to form a team with my family? https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Berkeley/TigerTrials
I just yesterday went to my local (El Cerrito) Honda dealer for 4 tires (they were worn, at 2/32″, and one had a slow leak), alignment, and oil change. $1325. I’m very happy with the service and price. I’ll return. I’m happily surprised that “the dealer” had a competitive price, and still offered “dealer” service! I had multiple “Ok, I guess.” experiences at Adams Autoworx in El Cerrito.
An important part of the experience is feeling like the service manager is “on your side”. I didn’t feel like Ronnie at Adams was my ally, but Guillermo at the dealership has got my back!
I love love love that there are many variants of this, the “shooting star meme” on Imgur. I insist that the best ones all involve the somersaulting guy and that music track, cruising around the universe. I’m going to try and collect them :-)
Some 12 years ago you received a gift that had been beloved in our family for some 26 years. I went with my dad to pick up the Packard from a guy who was selling it in Pennsylvania in 1986. It was originally black, but it received a magnificent and factory-standard Packard cream paint job. I waited with him to find and re-chrome the letters on the front and side. I watched it come together over a few years. He loved to take that car out and just drive it. He even enjoyed the thrill of trying to stop that giant hunk of metal with those original-style drum brakes!
He was of course melancholy at selling the Packard. But it had become time. He had fewer opportunities to take it out because he and my mom Marlene split their time between New Jersey and Florida. And even when he was in New Jersey, where the car was garaged, the car only came out on special occasions. And there was the nuisance that he was about to lose the garage due to some upcoming HOA rules changes.
He loved that car!
The “desktop” image on his computer for some ten years was of me, my sister, and his granddaughter washing the car on a summer day. I’d ask him every now and then if he wanted to update the photo and he’d laugh, pause a moment and say, “Nah! Leave it there. I like it!”
I don’t know you at all but I heard that the ’51 Packard had been your dream car for a very long time. I’m glad, and my dad was glad that you appreciated the car.
I’m writing to tell you that my dad passed away last April. I don’t know what that might even mean to you but I thought you should know.
I’m not sure if this message will reach you. I found your email address online. I’d appreciate a brief message back confirming this message found its destination. Thank you.
The key question is: does Vitamin A help fight Measles? Yeah, it helps, according to this study.
I wanted to call RFK koo-koo crazypants, but the recommendation isn’t without some merit.
I had to do some refresher into what RR and CI (relative risk and confidence intervals) mean. But if the that Cochrane study is legit, then the recommendation is fairly legit. Of course, if the immunization is safer and effectiver than vitamin A therapy, one should start with that (ie. immunize your kids!!!! Yes, the vaccine is an order of magnitude more safe and effective than going commando!!!!!). But Vitamin A treatment isn’t a K-K-CP recommendation.
I’ve been playing board games with a new group of friends lately. It’s been great!
Last night, we played:
The Mind – Cards are numbered 1-100. Players have to wordlessly try to fill the discard pile in the proper order. Fun and so easy to learn.
Love Letter – Card game with about 10 characters, each with a power. By carefully noticing what’s being played by others, you try to guess what card they have in their hand and knock them out. Mix of luck and careful observation!
Captain Sonar – a 4 player vs 4 player game where 2 submarine crews try to destroy the other sub. Thrilling, and a little complicated in how the players have to work together to drive the sub to victory.
Why did the Trump-Zelensky meeting turn on its head so quickly? I watched the meeting very carefully and here’s what I think the conversation was between Trump and JD was earlier that day.
“JD, when I say ‘All right, one more question’ we’re going to work together to throw the whole deal. He’ll go back to Europe and all the European countries will say, ‘Oh you didn’t deserve that treatment, we’ll support you and give you money’. And then, eventually we’ll get back in because, I mean, we really do want to hold the line with Russia at this buffer country. But by doing it this way, Putin thinks he has a chance with me and Europe is convinced to put in more money to hold Russia, saving us billions of dollars. And my reputation as a capricious deal maker is maintained.”
Here’s the moment the conversation turns:
The tell for me is that the discussion was going so swimmingly well for most of the meeting. When Zelensky says, “You have nice oceans and don’t feel now but you will feel it in the future.” got Trump very agitated. But that was a call-back from just 10 minutes earlier and wasn’t seen as inflammatory then.
