wvitbear said:

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Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

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wifeisafurd said:

---

wvitbear said:

---

Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

---

It is a factor. At least the Oregon schools would not play or practice under various rules. Oregon has AQI over 400 currently. But one hopes, the smoke will be gone enough in a few weeks to allow practice. If the Pac voted to play today, I still don't see play happening until November, and that assumes the health regulations change on November 4.

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

wvitbear said:

---

Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

---

It is a factor. At least the Oregon schools would not play or practice under various rules. Oregon has AQI over 400 currently. But one hopes, the smoke will be gone enough in a few weeks to allow practice. If the Pac voted to play today, I still don't see play happening until November, and that assumes the health regulations change on November 4.

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

wvitbear said:

---

Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

---

It is a factor. At least the Oregon schools would not play or practice under various rules. Oregon has AQI over 400 currently. But one hopes, the smoke will be gone enough in a few weeks to allow practice. If the Pac voted to play today, I still don't see play happening until November, and that assumes the health regulations change on November 4.

---

The bad news - Fire season has just begun. We will see a lot more before this year is over.

---

sycasey said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

wvitbear said:

---

Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

---

It is a factor. At least the Oregon schools would not play or practice under various rules. Oregon has AQI over 400 currently. But one hopes, the smoke will be gone enough in a few weeks to allow practice. If the Pac voted to play today, I still don't see play happening until November, and that assumes the health regulations change on November 4.

---

The bad news - Fire season has just begun. We will see a lot more before this year is over.

---

Maybe so much has burned already that it'll be harder for new fires to start? Maybe? Please?

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Chapman_is_Gone said:

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"The LA Times and California hospitals are reporting that the name "Covid," which had been growing in popularity for baby boys between the years 2005 and 2019, has only been used 23 times since the virus' arrival in March 2020."

https://www.latlmes.com/culture/usatodayreportcovidname-1

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BearGoggles said:

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Big C said:

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So tired of the politicization... from both sides. To play, I think we need steady (if incremental) diminishing of new cases and hospitalizations in ALL conference areas over a period of several weeks, and an overall positive test rate of close to 5% in those areas.

Right now, it's going to be hard to practice in the Pacific NW anyway. Hopefully that won't last much longer.

---

It seems there are two possibilities:

1. The Pac-12 and/or the local authorities where its schools are located are imposing a different standard than the rest of the country (now apparently including the Big 10).

or

2. The COVID situation and risks are materially worse/different in pac-12 localities than other areas. And to be clear, this should be the risks associated with (or arising from) playing football.

The fact that other athletic events are taking place in Pac-12 cities (baseball, NFL, soccer) certainly suggests that it is #1. But it could be that the Pac-12 is unable or unwilling to do what MLB, NFL, and other leagues are doing to be able to play (e.g., testing and other protocols).

Is there a Covid related reason we can play NFL football in Los Angeles and the Bay area but not college football?

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Big C said:

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Chapman_is_Gone said:

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"The LA Times and California hospitals are reporting that the name "Covid," which had been growing in popularity for baby boys between the years 2005 and 2019, has only been used 23 times since the virus' arrival in March 2020."

https://www.latlmes.com/culture/usatodayreportcovidname-1

---

...and if you don't count my new little bundle of joy, only 22 times!

("Covid C", born 9/14/2020, 8 lbs 7 oz)

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Chapman_is_Gone said:

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Big C said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

"The LA Times and California hospitals are reporting that the name "Covid," which had been growing in popularity for baby boys between the years 2005 and 2019, has only been used 23 times since the virus' arrival in March 2020."

https://www.latlmes.com/culture/usatodayreportcovidname-1

---

...and if you don't count my new little bundle of joy, only 22 times!

("Covid C", born 9/14/2020, 8 lbs 7 oz)

---

Congratulations!! He'll have a thick skin by the time he leaves elementary school...

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Big C said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

Big C said:

---

Chapman_is_Gone said:

---

"The LA Times and California hospitals are reporting that the name "Covid," which had been growing in popularity for baby boys between the years 2005 and 2019, has only been used 23 times since the virus' arrival in March 2020."

https://www.latlmes.com/culture/usatodayreportcovidname-1

---

...and if you don't count my new little bundle of joy, only 22 times!

("Covid C", born 9/14/2020, 8 lbs 7 oz)

---

Congratulations!! He'll have a thick skin by the time he leaves elementary school...

---

Ah, sorry guys, I didn't really have another one; I was just trying to reach for some sort of punch line. Actual kids are eight and eleven and that's it for me. For being misleading, I should have to change my daughter's name to Corona (although "Vaccine" actually sounds pretty, doesn't it?). Son's new name could be Sars, Fauci or maybe Pfizer (if they win the race).

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

SFCityBear said:

---

71Bear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

wvitbear said:

---

Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

---

It is a factor. At least the Oregon schools would not play or practice under various rules. Oregon has AQI over 400 currently. But one hopes, the smoke will be gone enough in a few weeks to allow practice. If the Pac voted to play today, I still don't see play happening until November, and that assumes the health regulations change on November 4.

---

The bad news - Fire season has just begun. We will see a lot more before this year is over.

---

Maybe so much has burned already that it'll be harder for new fires to start? Maybe? Please?

---

As long as the federal government continues to ignore the 60% of forest land in California that is under their control, we are screwed. I might add the State has also done little to mitigate the problem on the land under their control.

It is principally a matter of thinning the forests of the dead trees (due to bark beetle infestation). Yes, there are 150 million of them (and many are not accessible) but you have to start somewhere......

---

Both the Feds and the State are probably in fear of the lawsuits from the greenies that will follow if they remove even a single fallen tree branch. The Left destroys everything it touches, and destroys some things by not touching them.

---

Quote:

---

After years of debate, Congress finally reached a compromise in 2018 to ease this zero-sum approach by allowing the Forest Service to tap into disaster assistance funding when firefighting costs exceeded the Forest Service's annual fire suppression budget. They called it the "fire fix."

Fixing the funding problem for firefighting was very important. But the long delay in reaching this compromise meant fire prevention efforts lagged for years, allowing the buildup of fire-prone vegetation that will fuel future fires, likely contributing to the fires sweeping through California and the Pacific Northwest today. Why the delays? Because some Republican members of the House and the Senate refused to fix the funding problems unless measures were included to limit environmental reviews and legal challenges to future timber sales and insisted that funding for future national forest timber sales be increased.

---

sluggo said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

This is laughable. Does anyone really think the Governor will be influenced by some kid that is whining about playing football? WIAF, you are a lot smarter than to think someone can make "demands" of the Governor of a state of 40 million people (unless, of course, he is a billionaire contributor to his campaign). In this case, the Governor will do what is right regardless of pressure from a college football player.......

---

It might. When he is campaigning in Wisconsin in a few years he will not want to be the guy who prevented the pac12 from playing football when daily testing was available and the pros were playing.

---

sluggo said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

This is laughable. Does anyone really think the Governor will be influenced by some kid that is whining about playing football? WIAF, you are a lot smarter than to think someone can make "demands" of the Governor of a state of 40 million people (unless, of course, he is a billionaire contributor to his campaign). In this case, the Governor will do what is right regardless of pressure from a college football player.......

---

It might. When he is campaigning in Wisconsin in a few years he will not want to be the guy who prevented the pac12 from playing football when daily testing was available and the pros were playing. Complaining about arbitrary restrictions is not whining. Hopefully others will stand up.

What is laughable is that you think that he will do what is right rather than reading the room and making the decision that benefits him. I don't think that makes him different than most who hold such positions.

Sluggo

---

sycasey said:

---

sluggo said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

This is laughable. Does anyone really think the Governor will be influenced by some kid that is whining about playing football? WIAF, you are a lot smarter than to think someone can make "demands" of the Governor of a state of 40 million people (unless, of course, he is a billionaire contributor to his campaign). In this case, the Governor will do what is right regardless of pressure from a college football player.......

---

It might. When he is campaigning in Wisconsin in a few years he will not want to be the guy who prevented the pac12 from playing football when daily testing was available and the pros were playing.

---

Sounds like what people said about his gay-marriage stand back when he was mayor of San Francisco. Turns out that's actually a strength for him now. Leaving aside legitimate public-health concerns, from a purely political standpoint he may think holding the line is the better long-term play.

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

OaktownBear said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

71Bear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

wvitbear said:

---

Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

---

It is a factor. At least the Oregon schools would not play or practice under various rules. Oregon has AQI over 400 currently. But one hopes, the smoke will be gone enough in a few weeks to allow practice. If the Pac voted to play today, I still don't see play happening until November, and that assumes the health regulations change on November 4.

---

The bad news - Fire season has just begun. We will see a lot more before this year is over.

---

Maybe so much has burned already that it'll be harder for new fires to start? Maybe? Please?

---

As long as the federal government continues to ignore the 60% of forest land in California that is under their control, we are screwed. I might add the State has also done little to mitigate the problem on the land under their control.

It is principally a matter of thinning the forests of the dead trees (due to bark beetle infestation). Yes, there are 150 million of them (and many are not accessible) but you have to start somewhere......

---

Both the Feds and the State are probably in fear of the lawsuits from the greenies that will follow if they remove even a single fallen tree branch. The Left destroys everything it touches, and destroys some things by not touching them.

---

This is a complete mischaracterization of the environmentalist position.

The natural state of forests in the western US is there will be fires. Under normal circumstances the fires are relatively small in comparison to what we see today. Crown fires are extremely rare. Healthy, mature trees are designed to withstand fires. They are fire ******ant producing chemicals naturally that ****** fire and allow them to survive. It is the brush and smaller invasive trees that burn. Fires clear out the brush and smaller invasive species that choke the forest. Under normal conditions, healthy, mature trees survive fires and the forest ends up healthier. Further, most trees in the western US have seeds that mainly germinate after a fire. There are relatively few ways those seeds can germinate. Basically a few germinate due to animal activity (birds and squirrels eating the outside). Most sit in the ground until a fire comes along. In any case, even if they germinate, seedlings are unable to grow efficiently through brush and shrubs and smaller trees. Consistent, smaller fires leaves healthy mature trees intact, clears out the brush, and allows the seedlings of larger, flame ******ant species to grow into more healthy mature trees giving you a nice, thick forest of healthy mature trees. If you want fewer large fires in California, what you want is nice, thick forests of larger, flame ******ant species. Thinning out these forests of healthy trees is the stupidest thing you can do. When the forests are thinned out, flammable brush, shrubs and smaller tree species fill in the gaps. Further, the forest is not able to develop a canopy that shades the forest floor and slows evaporation. Ever been in a old growth redwood forest, for instance? It is cold and moist. The ground is damp. The plants that grow under the canopy are lush plants. Ever been in a thinned out forest? It is sunny and hot and covered in grasses and shrubs that catch fire easily and burn extremely hot.

What we spent decades doing in our forests is suppressing all fires and chopping down healthy mature trees for lumber. In other words, exactly the perfect way to create flammable forests

This is basic forestry. What environmentalists (and frankly anyone who has studied forestry) have fought against is the logging of healthy mature trees, while fighting for controlled burns, removal of invasive species and dead trees. What Republicans have pushed for is logging of healthy mature trees because wealthy interests with lobbyists want to make money on lumber. Those interests don't make money on removing debris. They don't make money on controlled burns. They don't make money removing shrubs or small, non-native trees. They don't make money removing dead trees. Republicans have not fought to clear the forests of debris. They have fought against it.

Our problem is that we spent a century suppressing every fire allowing debris and flammable species to accumulate. We have moved further and further into forests where fire is common and where fire is now more severe because of our century of stupid forest management. We eliminated a large percentage of our old growth forests (old growth redwood forests were once prevalent down to the northern edge of the Golden Gate.- Muir Woods is where it is because one wealthy donor bought an island of land in the forest to preserve it while everything around it was chopped down) For 50+ years those that study forestry have been begging to dramatically increase our controlled burn program to restore the health of our forests and have been fought at every turn by logging interests and by those that don't want to spend any money on forest management (and that are too stupid to understand that chopping down healthy mature trees is the last thing you want to do to stop fires). No environmentalists are trying to prevent dead trees and branches from being removed.

Then the kicker is that the last 20 years have seen more droughts and higher temperatures in California, dramatically increasing the rate of evaporation and leaving our state much drier in the late summer and fall. You may not have noticed while you were sheltering in place, but we had almost no rain this year. Some of these fires are not even occurring in densely wooded forests. Vacaville isn't exactly the Amazon.

---

OaktownBear said:

---

OaktownBear said:

---

SFCityBear said:

---

71Bear said:

---

sycasey said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

wvitbear said:

---

Not to change the subject but how could the schools of Washington, Oregon and California play football with this air/

---

It is a factor. At least the Oregon schools would not play or practice under various rules. Oregon has AQI over 400 currently. But one hopes, the smoke will be gone enough in a few weeks to allow practice. If the Pac voted to play today, I still don't see play happening until November, and that assumes the health regulations change on November 4.

---

The bad news - Fire season has just begun. We will see a lot more before this year is over.

---

Maybe so much has burned already that it'll be harder for new fires to start? Maybe? Please?

---

As long as the federal government continues to ignore the 60% of forest land in California that is under their control, we are screwed. I might add the State has also done little to mitigate the problem on the land under their control.

It is principally a matter of thinning the forests of the dead trees (due to bark beetle infestation). Yes, there are 150 million of them (and many are not accessible) but you have to start somewhere......

---

Both the Feds and the State are probably in fear of the lawsuits from the greenies that will follow if they remove even a single fallen tree branch. The Left destroys everything it touches, and destroys some things by not touching them.

---

This is a complete mischaracterization of the environmentalist position.

The natural state of forests in the western US is there will be fires. Under normal circumstances the fires are relatively small in comparison to what we see today. Crown fires are extremely rare. Healthy, mature trees are designed to withstand fires. They are fire ******ant producing chemicals naturally that ****** fire and allow them to survive. It is the brush and smaller invasive trees that burn. Fires clear out the brush and smaller invasive species that choke the forest. Under normal conditions, healthy, mature trees survive fires and the forest ends up healthier. Further, most trees in the western US have seeds that mainly germinate after a fire. There are relatively few ways those seeds can germinate. Basically a few germinate due to animal activity (birds and squirrels eating the outside). Most sit in the ground until a fire comes along. In any case, even if they germinate, seedlings are unable to grow efficiently through brush and shrubs and smaller trees. Consistent, smaller fires leaves healthy mature trees intact, clears out the brush, and allows the seedlings of larger, flame ******ant species to grow into more healthy mature trees giving you a nice, thick forest of healthy mature trees. If you want fewer large fires in California, what you want is nice, thick forests of larger, flame ******ant species. Thinning out these forests of healthy trees is the stupidest thing you can do. When the forests are thinned out, flammable brush, shrubs and smaller tree species fill in the gaps. Further, the forest is not able to develop a canopy that shades the forest floor and slows evaporation. Ever been in a old growth redwood forest, for instance? It is cold and moist. The ground is damp. The plants that grow under the canopy are lush plants. Ever been in a thinned out forest? It is sunny and hot and covered in grasses and shrubs that catch fire easily and burn extremely hot.

What we spent decades doing in our forests is suppressing all fires and chopping down healthy mature trees for lumber. In other words, exactly the perfect way to create flammable forests

This is basic forestry. What environmentalists (and frankly anyone who has studied forestry) have fought against is the logging of healthy mature trees, while fighting for controlled burns, removal of invasive species and dead trees. What Republicans have pushed for is logging of healthy mature trees because wealthy interests with lobbyists want to make money on lumber. Those interests don't make money on removing debris. They don't make money on controlled burns. They don't make money removing shrubs or small, non-native trees. They don't make money removing dead trees. Republicans have not fought to clear the forests of debris. They have fought against it.

Our problem is that we spent a century suppressing every fire allowing debris and flammable species to accumulate. We have moved further and further into forests where fire is common and where fire is now more severe because of our century of stupid forest management. We eliminated a large percentage of our old growth forests (old growth redwood forests were once prevalent down to the northern edge of the Golden Gate.- Muir Woods is where it is because one wealthy donor bought an island of land in the forest to preserve it while everything around it was chopped down) For 50+ years those that study forestry have been begging to dramatically increase our controlled burn program to restore the health of our forests and have been fought at every turn by logging interests and by those that don't want to spend any money on forest management (and that are too stupid to understand that chopping down healthy mature trees is the last thing you want to do to stop fires). No environmentalists are trying to prevent dead trees and branches from being removed.

Then the kicker is that the last 20 years have seen more droughts and higher temperatures in California, dramatically increasing the rate of evaporation and leaving our state much drier in the late summer and fall. You may not have noticed while you were sheltering in place, but we had almost no rain this year. Some of these fires are not even occurring in densely wooded forests. Vacaville isn't exactly the Amazon.

---

Seriously. Can't use the word R E T A R D A N T on here, I guess.

---

Big Dog said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

Carol has never been a fan of big time sports, but she knows where the alum $$ is and is happy to schmooze during the games.

It's all up to the Gov. If the local health department won't play ball so to speak, the four CA teams could always relocate to a different county to practice.

(The Governor's political problem is that the government unions and teachers don't want to go back to in-person work, and he'll have a difficult time approving football while backing the teachers at the same time.)

---

71Bear said:

---

sluggo said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

This is laughable. Does anyone really think the Governor will be influenced by some kid that is whining about playing football? WIAF, you are a lot smarter than to think someone can make "demands" of the Governor of a state of 40 million people (unless, of course, he is a billionaire contributor to his campaign). In this case, the Governor will do what is right regardless of pressure from a college football player.......

---

It might. When he is campaigning in Wisconsin in a few years he will not want to be the guy who prevented the pac12 from playing football when daily testing was available and the pros were playing. Complaining about arbitrary restrictions is not whining. Hopefully others will stand up.

What is laughable is that you think that he will do what is right rather than reading the room and making the decision that benefits him. I don't think that makes him different than most who hold such positions.

Sluggo

---

If Harris is elected VP, Newsom will have to table his ambitions.....

---

sluggo said:

---

71Bear said:

---

sluggo said:

---

71Bear said:

---

wifeisafurd said:

---

SC players just upped the ante, publicly demanding Newsom grant the same exemption as he did for Rams/Chargers. If Newsom grant the exemption, one wonders how this is going to play out with SC President Folt, who already is in trouble with the donor base. She has to get the players back playing or she might as well move back to Carolina.

---

This is laughable. Does anyone really think the Governor will be influenced by some kid that is whining about playing football? WIAF, you are a lot smarter than to think someone can make "demands" of the Governor of a state of 40 million people (unless, of course, he is a billionaire contributor to his campaign). In this case, the Governor will do what is right regardless of pressure from a college football player.......

---

It might. When he is campaigning in Wisconsin in a few years he will not want to be the guy who prevented the pac12 from playing football when daily testing was available and the pros were playing. Complaining about arbitrary restrictions is not whining. Hopefully others will stand up.

What is laughable is that you think that he will do what is right rather than reading the room and making the decision that benefits him. I don't think that makes him different than most who hold such positions.

Sluggo

---

If Harris is elected VP, Newsom will have to table his ambitions.....

---

Newsom is young enough to wait.

And as I thought, according to the twittersphere, Newsom caved. He is good at reading the room. Here is to players "whining."

Sluggo

---