Thursday, November 06, 2025
Bots! - A New Children's Musical
Lunch with Snipes and Tomasin
and I drove to Vallejo and met
Tomasin
for lunch at the Sardine Can. The restaurant was one of Rickey's old haunts. After lunch, we drove by the house that Rickey owned in Vallejo.
Wednesday, November 05, 2025
Neighborhood Homeowners Association Meeting
I love our neighborhood.
Tuesday, November 04, 2025
Bugonia
Tuesday afternoon, Sharon and I saw Bugonia at the Century Country Club Cinema. We are continuing our annual journey to see all of the films that might be nominated for an Oscar. As of today, GoldDerby currently has Bugonia with the tenth best odds to win the Best Picture Oscar.Bugonia is an absurdist black comedy film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. It is an English-language remake of the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet! by Jang Joon-hwan. The film stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias, and Alicia Silverstone. Delbis is autistic. Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos have collaborated on four feature films: The Favourite (2018); Poor Things (2023); Kinds of Kindness (2024), and; Bugonia (2025).
Teddy Gatz (Plemons), a conspiracy-obsessed beekeeper, and his intellectually-disabled cousin, Don (Delbis), kidnap Michelle Fuller (Stone), the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company. They are convinced she is an alien disguised as a human. They hold her captive in their basement in a bizarre attempt to save Earth from an extraterrestrial plot.
Plemons and Stone's performances are very good. I wouldn't be surprised to see either of them nominated for an acting Oscar. Primarily due to the ending, I have mixed feelings about the movie. I think that the movie would have been better with a more understated ending. They could have accomplished the same thing without the cartoon characterizations at the end. I think that the movie is on the bubble for a Best Picture Oscar nomination. It will depend on how well a couple of movies released over the next couple months are received (e.g. Avatar - Fire and Ash and Wicked for Good).
"Bugonia" is a Greek word (βουγονία, also spelled "bougonia") that refers to an ancient Mediterranean rite or belief that bees spontaneously generate from the carcasses of dead animals, particularly oxen.
Monday, November 03, 2025
dinner at Holly and Van's
Sunday, November 02, 2025
On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything
The book explores the mindset and strategies of elite risk-takers, whom he collectively terms "The River." Drawing on his background as a professional poker player and statistician, Silver investigates how people like professional gamblers, hedge fund managers, venture capitalists, and AI innovators navigate extreme uncertainty and use probabilistic thinking to their advantage in high-stakes environments. The book contrasts "The River's" analytical, contrarian, and risk-tolerant approach with "The Village," a metaphor for the more cautious, conventional mainstream elites in media, academia, and government. Through anecdotes including a detailed look at the rise and fall of FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried—Silver, Silver reveals the common traits and decision-making processes that enable this influential group to shape the global economy and technology.
Although I don't recommend it, I enjoyed the book. It is a mishmash of engaging stories that I don't think fit together towards the books conclusions. I enjoyed the stories. I just don't see how everything fits into some practical conclusions...
There is a discussion at the end of the book about p(Doom). In AI safety, P(doom) is the probability of existentially catastrophic outcomes (so-called "doomsday scenarios") as a result of artificial intelligence. At one point, Silver notes that the scientists building the current Large Language Model AIs don't understand how some of the answers are generated. I am going to follow up by reading a basic primer on AI technology.
Saturday, November 01, 2025
Art Show and Dinner with Greg and Michelle
Saturday night, we went downtown with our neighbors Greg and Michelle. We went to an Open House Art Show by Deborah Rhea and DAniel Schoorl. Greg and Michelle own a number of pieces from these artists.Afterwards, we wandered next door to Magpie Cafe for dinner. For entrees, I had WESTERN LAMB CHOPS [Baba ghanoush, grilled summer squash, cherry tomato, pickles, fresh herbs. Sumac yogurt], while Sharon had a BURGER [Caramelized onions, heirloom tomato, watercress, Sierra Nevada cheddar cheese, pickles, secret sauce, milk bun. Fries]. We spent the dinner talking about their daugther's wedding and our trip to Africa.
We stopped at our house to watch the end of game seven of the World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays by the score of 5 to 4 in 11 innings. I hate the Dodgers...
Friday, October 31, 2025
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Sacramento Women's Golf Club Members/Guest Tournament
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Golf Bolstered By New Talent - Dick Heringer at UC Davis
The Cal Aggie golf team, which didn’t do too well last year, has improved considerably as a result of some additional talent, and Coach Vern Hickey feels that his boys will have a much, better season this year.
Along with returning lettermen Dave Hughes and Tom Condon, and Dick Heringer, who played a lot last year, there are three new men who look good. These boys, all low eighties golfers, are Dan Catlin, Pete Wallace, and Clark Knowles, who played for Chico two years ago. Also out for the team are Joe Russ, Don Fox and Joe Renner.
The golf team meets every school in the Far Western Conference twice in dual matches, and then finishes up the season by playing in the Far Western Conference Tournament, May 13 and 14 in Chico.
Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis
Monday, October 27, 2025
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Get Together with Larkins and Gainsleys
With the date on everyone's calendar, we decided to invite the Larkins
and
Gainsleys
over to play Mexican Train. We never got around to playing dominos. Instead, we spent the evening talking about our trip to Africa and boring the Larkins with our photos and videos!Sharon picked up pizzas from Serritella's. The Gainsleys brought a salad and the Larkins brought a dessert.
Saturday, October 25, 2025
2025 Sacramento Kings versus Utah Jazz
The game was close with several shifts in momentum; neither team built a double digit lead. There were 5 ties and 7 lead changes. Domantas Sabonis scored off an offensive rebound with six seconds remaining to cap a wild ending. The Kings beat the Jazz by the score of 105 to 104.
I have been very pessimistic about this team. I haven't been this pessimistic about a season since 1993 when the Kings drafted Bobby Hurley. The 1993-1994 team posted a record of 28 wins and 54 losses.
I feel like it is a team of misfit toys. I don't think that the players fit together into an effective team.
I was also shocked at how small the team looked against the Utah Jazz. The Utah started a 7' 2' center, a 7' 1" forward and a 6' 11" forward. The tallest starting player for the Kings was 6' 10". The average height average for the Utah starting line-up was 6' 10", while the average for the Kings was 6' 6". It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out over the course of the season. As you might expect given these differences, the Kings were outrebounded 33 to 50.
Lauri Markkanen was the high scorer for the Jazz. He had 33 points on 12 for 23 from the field, 4 for 13 from three and 5 for 6 from the free throw line.
Zach LaVine was the high scorer for the Kings. He had 31 points on 10 for 18 from the field, 4 for 9 from three and 7 for 7 from the free throw.
The Kings shot 43.8S% (14 for 32) from three, while the Jazz were 31.7% (13 for 43).
Although I have a lot of apprehension about Russell Westbrook being on the team, his line off the bench was pretty good. In 17 minutes, he had 7 points on 3 for 5 from the field and 1 for 2 from three. Westbrook added 4 assists.
The Kings have 1 win and 0 losses in games that I have seen in the 2025-2026 season.
Friday, October 24, 2025
Zoom Call with Nooter
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Tiber's Twelfth Birthday!
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
One Battle After Another
Wednesday afternoon, Sharon and I went to the Country Club Cinema to see One Battle After Another. We are starting our annual journey to see all of the films that might be nominated for an Oscar. As of today, GoldDerby currently has One Battle After Another as the favorite to win the Best Picture Oscar.One Battle After Another is an action thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza, Phantom Thread). It was inspired by the 1990 novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon.
It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti. It follows an ex-revolutionary who is forced back into his former combative lifestyle when he and his daughter become pursued by a corrupt military officer.
While the movie was filmed in the first half of 2024 before Trump was elected, the film has an undercurrent of a strong immigration crackdown undertaken by an agressive ICE-like organzation. There is also a subplot of a secret society of wealthy far-right white supremacists called the Christmas Adventurers Club.
Sharon and I both liked the movie. I believe it will be nominated for best picture and best director. I would also bet that Sean Penn get a best supporting actor nomination. Sharon commented that DiCaprio is looking more and more like Jack Nichelson.
Towards the end, the movie has a stunt involving a blind summit. I don't think that I have ever seen this stunt done quite like this. I was intrigued...
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Dinner with Holly and Van
While we were in Africa, Holly and Van spent September and early October on a five week trip. It included: a week on their own in Cinque Terre, Genoa, Milan, Lake Como and Bologna; a Roads Scholar tour - Beyond the View: The Amalfi Coast and Sorrento, and; the National Geographic Journeys: Morocco in Depth.
We had talked about taking an OATS trip to Morocco with Holly and Van. Based on their summary of the trip, I probably won't be able to get Sharon to Morocco!
Monday, October 20, 2025
Celebrating Lee's Sixth Birthday!
fourth birthday
third birthday
second birthday
first birthday
Sunday, October 19, 2025
2025 Notre Dame Irish versus USC Trojans
Saturday night after Sharon got back from Carmen's baby shower, we went to
Sharon's nephew Eric's
house to watch the Notre Dame Irish versus USC Trojan college football game. Sharon's family are huge Notre Dame fans. Sharon's dad was Irish-Catholic and raised in Indiana. There are at least two other times that we have joined the family to watch Notre Dame play USC: November 2012 and November 2010.
The group included Tom, Eric, Kevin, Leah, Lydia, Amelia, Sharon and I. I don't think that I have ever watched an Irish game with Eric; he gets very into the game.
No. 13 Notre Dame ended up beating No. 20 Southern California by the score of 34 to 24. It was a pretty exciting game. With USC leading 24 to 20 in the third quarter, Notre Dame's Jadarian Price scored on a tackle-breaking 100-yard kickoff return. The fourth quarter featured two USC turnovers, a fumble and an interception.
Looking out of sync in the wet weather, Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr was 16 of 26 for 136 yards and one TD. He rushed 1 yard for Notre Dame’s final score. Jeremiyah Love rushed for a career-high 228 yards and a score.
Notre Dame boosted its College Football Playoff hopes with the victory and should move up in the rankings.
The Notre Dame-USC football series is one of the oldest and most traditional rivalries in college football. USC recently removed the scheduled 2026 game against Notre Dame from its official team website. The two schools have reportedly not yet reached an agreement to extend the annual series.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Friday, October 17, 2025
Tomasin
The Hindenburg of NBA teams
“This is the Hindenburg of NBA teams this year.”
— The Ringer (@ringer) October 15, 2025
Safe to say @BillSimmons and @ZachLowe_NBA aren’t too high on the Kings this season. pic.twitter.com/B8slhHZhCh
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Celebrating our 29th Wedding Anniversary
Monday, October 13, 2025
Sunday, October 12, 2025
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy: A Monk and Robot Book
The book continues the journey of Sibling Dex, a restless tea monk, and Splendid Speckled Mosscap, the first robot to return to human civilization after centuries in the wild. The pair travel across the moon of Panga to human settlements, where Mosscap attempts to answer its core question: "What do people need?" Through philosophical conversations with various communities, Dex helps Mosscap learn about the complexities of human wants and needs in their post-scarcity, solarpunk society. Ultimately, the two friends realize that true fulfillment might not be a grand, fixed purpose, but the simple comfort of being together while searching for the answer.
The series is an example of the solarpunk genre, presenting an optimistic vision of a future where humans have overcome consumerism and environmental catastrophe to live in harmony with nature and with each other. The world of Panga is presented as kind, gentle, and cooperative, though not without its own quiet struggles.
I am lukewarm about this book. While I appreciate what the author is trying to do, I found the story pretty pedestrian. It will be interesting to see where the storyline goes in the next book in the series...
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Out of Africa
Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Out of Africa as a rental on the Apple TV. With the intersection of our trip to Africa and Robert Redford's recent death, we have been talking about the movie for some time.Out of Africa is a 1985 epic romantic drama film directed and produced by Sydney Pollack. The film is based loosely on the 1937 autobiographical book Out of Africa written by Isak Dinesen (the pseudonym of Danish author Karen Blixen) with additional material from Dinesen's 1960 book Shadows on the Grass and other sources. The film stars Meryl Streep, Robert Redford and Klaus Maria Brandauer.
Danish author Karen Blixen (Streep) moves to British East Africa in 1913. Her marriage of convenience to Baron Bror Blixen (Brandauer) quickly falls apart leaving her to run a failing coffee plantation on her own. She begins a passionate but complicated romance with the independent big-game hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Redford), who values his freedom above all else. After losing the farm and Denys in a tragic accidents, Karen reluctantly returns to Denmark, where she channels her bittersweet memories into her famous writings.
Out of Africa won seven Academy Awards at the 58th ceremony (1986), including: Best Picture (Sydney Pollack, Producer); Best Director (Sydney Pollack); Best Adapted Screenplay (Kurt Luedtke); Best Cinematography (David Watkin); Best Original Score (John Barry); Best Art Direction (Stephen B. Grimes), and; Best Sound (Chris Jenkins, Gary Alexander, Larry Stensvold, and Peter Handford). Streep was also nominated for Best Actress.
When it was over, Sharon said "that was quite good." Although I am sure that I saw the movie forty years ago, I didn't remember much of the plot. With a run time of two hours and forty minutes, I found the movie slow in spots, particularly towards the end. The cinematography is wonderful; I particularly enjoyed the shots of the animals and the bush. Filmed in Kenya, the bush was much greener than what we saw in South Africa and Zambia.
Friday, October 10, 2025
Grey Duiker
Thursday, October 09, 2025
Wednesday, October 08, 2025
Tuesday, October 07, 2025
Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
In Dan Brown's book The Lost Symbol, Brown introduced the character Katherine and the subject of noetics. At time I said, I didn't think that he did a very good job integrating the subject into the novel. Brown brings back Katherine and dives into the subject with a mishmash of nonlocal conscious, human to machine interfaces, multiple personalities and epilepsy.
Two random comments. This is the second book in a row where epilepsy played a major role. Additionally, I think the idea of nanobots for human to machine interfaces a lot more than serious brain surgery...
Like all of the Dan Brown books, the story does a great job of exploring the location. Prague serves as the backdrop for the story. It paints a wonderful picture of the city. Neither Sharon or I have been there. Tom was there in April. With a potential trip to Paris to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in 2026, Sharon suggested that we take a side trip to Prague.
Although I am still not sure how I feel about some of the "science' in the book, I enjoyed it. I give it a "B+." Holly had suggested that we read this book for another book club dinner. If we do, it will be an interesting discussion.
Monday, October 06, 2025
The Loco Scheme - Dick Heringer at UC Davis
California Aggie, Volume 52, Number 7, 29 October 1953
All-University Weekend—That's what’s keeping the world going around for most at this stage of the game.
There’s going to be a helluva football spectacle that day in the Los Angeles Colisseum. I predict (my head is now at the block) the Cal Aggies will beat Santa Barbara, and in the minor game of the day I expect to see the Bruins defeat the Bears.
On the local scene the Aggies have suffered a setback. Star guard Richard Heringer has been hospitalized because of a brain concussion suffered in the Nevada game. Hope you get back soon, Dick. We need you.
On the interfraternity side, in basketball we find somewhat the same story, with Kappa Sigma on top with three wins and no losses, followed by a secondplace tie between the AGR’s and SAE’s, with a two-and-one count.
STANDINGS: Team W L Kappa Sigs 3 0 AGR 2 1 SAE 2 1 Delta Sig 1 2 Sigma Nu 1 2 Theta Xi 1 1 Calpha 0 2 Phi Sig . 0 2Sports are breaking out all over the place. Coach Woody Wilson announced that Intramural tennis will Start next week. Anyone is eligible who doesn’t hold a Varsity Letter in tennis. Signups open this week. Monday, Nov. 2, is the time for all aspirants for the Varsity and Jr. Varsity Basketball teams to meet in Room 119 of the gym. Time, 4 p.m.—Coach Stromgren announced today.
Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis
Sunday, October 05, 2025
Snipes Wedding Weekend - Day #3
Saturday, October 04, 2025
Snipes Wedding Weekend - Day #2
The day included:
- a nice breakfast of quiche and fruit on the deck;
- facetiming with Drew and Carmen;
- A 3.25 mile hike through Effie Yeaw Nature Center and around Ancil Hoffman Park;
- watching some of the New York Yankees versus Toronto Blue Jays MLB play off game (Blue Jays 10, Yankess 1);
- some sandwiches from Jersey Mike's;
- the Night Before party in the Snipes' backyard in Davis, and;
- watching the end of the Seattle Mariners play off loss to the Detroit Tigers (Tigers 3, Mariners 2 in 10 innings).
Friday, October 03, 2025
Snipes Wedding Weekend - Day #1
With Keith and Lizette getting married on Sunday, Wallen and Jill are in town. They flew in on Friday morning and spent the afternoon helping the Snipes set up for an expanded rehearsal dinner in their backyard on Saturday.Fighting the Friday afternoon traffic over the causeway, the Wallens rolled up to our house in Carmichael about 4:15 pm. They are spending the weekend with us. They actually haven't stay here overnight since Hunter's 60th in 2013...
The four of us spent some time catching up on the deck. Sharon made a great dinner of Peruvian chicken, rice and green beans on Sunday night.
It was really nice to have a leisurely opportunity to catch up just the four of us.
Wallen and I finished the night walking Tiber to the end of the lane and back. We all crashed about 10:30 pm.
Thursday, October 02, 2025
Wednesday, October 01, 2025
Tongabezi Lodge
During the trip, Tom pointed out that the Tongabezi Lodge is featured in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. Sharon gave me the book for Christmas more than twenty years ago.
While the book focuses on places and attractions, it often includes specific, noteworthy accommodations as part of a destination's entry. Tongabezi is included in the section dedicated to Victoria Falls/Livingstone, Zambia, and is highlighted as one of the quintessential places to stay in the region, known for its unique riverfront location and luxurious, romantic setting.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Nick Sogard
Jack played with Nick Sogard on the Jesuit teams.
Over the last two years, Sogard has been up and down between the Boston Red Sox and their AAA affilate in Worchester. Playing second baseball on Tuesday night, Sogard was 2 for 4 with a run scored and strike out in the Red Sox victory over the Yankees in the first game of the MLB AL Wild Card series.
In the seventh inning, Nick Sogard grounded a double into right-center and hustled to second when Judge didn't sprint to pick up the ball. Yoshida lined the next pitch, a fastball at the letters, to center to score Sogard for a 2-1 lead.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | Lev | Aff | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 19 | Loyola Marymount | WCC | NCAA | 34 | 104 | 83 | 13 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 17 | .265 | .386 | .325 | .711 | |
| 2017 | 19 | Shelter Island | HCBL | Smr | 10 | 36 | 33 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | .242 | .306 | .242 | .548 | |
| 2018 | 20 | Loyola Marymount | WCC | NCAA | 53 | 238 | 185 | 31 | 60 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 30 | 26 | .324 | .438 | .395 | .832 | |
| 2018 | 20 | Duluth | NWDS | Smr | 57 | 269 | 217 | 49 | 64 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 46 | 26 | .295 | .420 | .323 | .743 | |
| 2019 | 21 | Loyola Marymount | WCC | NCAA | 59 | 279 | 229 | 39 | 71 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 30 | 3 | 38 | 44 | .310 | .418 | .345 | .763 | |
| 2019 | 21 | Hudson Valley | NYPL | A- | TBR | 63 | 262 | 214 | 36 | 62 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 20 | 6 | 39 | 43 | .290 | .405 | .313 | .718 |
| 2021 | 23 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | A+-AA | BOS | 80 | 338 | 297 | 52 | 82 | 12 | 2 | 13 | 42 | 8 | 4 | 32 | 59 | .276 | .346 | .461 | .807 |
| 2021 | 23 | Portland | AANE | AA | BOS | 18 | 63 | 57 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 | .263 | .333 | .298 | .632 |
| 2021 | 23 | Greenville | HAE | A+ | BOS | 62 | 275 | 240 | 44 | 67 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 40 | 7 | 3 | 27 | 48 | .279 | .349 | .500 | .849 |
| 2022 | 24 | 2 Teams | 2 Lgs | AAA-AA | BOS | 125 | 472 | 401 | 59 | 102 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 43 | 18 | 4 | 61 | 88 | .254 | .359 | .349 | .708 |
| 2022 | 24 | Worcester | IL | AAA | BOS | 65 | 237 | 201 | 26 | 52 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 30 | 45 | .259 | .356 | .333 | .689 |
| 2022 | 24 | Portland | EL | AA | BOS | 60 | 235 | 200 | 33 | 50 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 31 | 43 | .250 | .362 | .365 | .727 |
| 2022-23 | 24 | Toros | DOWL | FgW | 8 | 30 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | .250 | .300 | .250 | .550 | |
| 2023 | 25 | Worcester | IL | AAA | BOS | 112 | 460 | 391 | 74 | 104 | 20 | 4 | 7 | 47 | 17 | 7 | 63 | 79 | .266 | .370 | .391 | .762 |
| 2024 | 26 | Worcester | IL | AAA | BOS | 96 | 440 | 368 | 69 | 104 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 59 | 10 | 6 | 64 | 90 | .283 | .390 | .446 | .835 |
| 2024 | 26 | BOS | AL | Maj | BOS | 31 | 86 | 77 | 13 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 25 | .273 | .326 | .325 | .650 |
| 2025 | 27 | Worcester | IL | AAA | BOS | 91 | 409 | 340 | 64 | 94 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 64 | 73 | .276 | .393 | .385 | .778 |
| 2025 | 27 | BOS | AL | Maj | BOS | 30 | 104 | 96 | 13 | 25 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 24 | .260 | .317 | .344 | .661 |






























