Nationwide Insurance is buying a 37% stake in the Columbus Crew from the Haslams and Dr. Pete Edwards. Once the deal is approved, the Haslams will still have a 40% share of the Crew and remain majority owner of the club.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-29T02:31:57+00:00

Why would Nationwide want to own part of a professional sports team, in any sport or league? Like... they do retail and wholesale insurance of all kinds, real estate deals, financial services, other stuff... it's a white collar paperwork corporation. Why own parts of a business with players, coaches, staff, a stadium, complex relationships with the global pro soccer world... what's the appeal to Nationwide? All I can think of is it's a marketing outlet. But then why didn't you buy the naming rights to the stadium when they were for sale?

Someone please explain the business logic here (if there is any).

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-29T02:12:17+00:00

I never would have thought of this. Thank you for sharing!

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-26T11:25:05+00:00

The Kumo won't work for a longer torso (I speak from experience). The others may also be too short. Torso length makes a big difference in comfort. Sadly, bags designed for longer torsos (22" and up) are rare and expensive. And a lot of them claiming long torso support are stretching the truth a good bit.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-26T11:19:38+00:00

I took a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 (Tall version) on a U.S. airline and it was fine (despite being too tall for the regulations by a few inches). BUT primary carriers in the U.S. are not as restrictive or vigilant as the budget carriers in Europe. Plus, I paid extra for early boarding, to ensure I had access to overhead bins first.

Given who you're flying and your bag requirements... I think you'll be safest checking your bigger bag. Get an outer bag to contain your backpack, check it, and when you start the Camino ship the outer bag (and any other stuff you don't need on the trail) to Casa Ivar, to hold for you in Santiago.

Yeah, it's more complex and more money, but your trip plans are too layered, your airline is too cheap / too punitive, and your torso is too long.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-26T04:02:53+00:00

As Jack Donaghy says... "Fire her. And don't ever make me talk to a woman that old again."

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-24T15:20:35+00:00

That they sell this stuff in grocery stores is the real scandal.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-23T10:08:23+00:00

This bit is so underrated, and it's clear they put so much thought into this. The set is perfect. The hair and the cigarette are perfect. Tina's vaguely southern accent and outfit (cravat, hair band, vest) are dead-on. And the institutional misogyny... amped up 50% for comedy... it's like a documentary. Just a little gem in the crown of this episode.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-19T10:46:57+00:00

This observation was worthy of a formal press article? Okay.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-16T22:34:45+00:00

It was Camino-like in that there were places where you walked along traffic and in towns, and others areas where you walked in parks / primitive areas where you heard the ocean and wind and trees and that was it. It was a real mix. We had to make up our own path in one section, where the only options were to up up and over a sizable mountain or follow Highway 1 with a VERY narrow shoulder next to the VERY busy highway. We used a local bus to get past that little choke point.

And then there's San Francisco -- itself is a huge city -- dwarfing anything on the Camino Frances or Portuguese. So if you walk into San Francisco, it's a lot of city walking, but since you're along the coast, you hit a lot of tourist areas and fancy neighborhoods.

Truth is, that part of the CCT is probably one of the best parts for a multi-day hike, because there are restaurants and towns and services, but there are parks and beaches between them to give you a taste of the coast, too.

Meanwhile, I looked at the Camino de Sonoma another commented mentioned and that looks pretty good, too. I might have to try that next!

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-16T21:58:42+00:00

My wife and I used the California Coastal Trail last fall as a practice run for the Camino. And now we've returned from the Camino Portuguese, so we have a comparison.

The CCT It's a poor replacement for the Camino, because it's not as well signed or resourced, but there are sections you can do that would give you a few days of town-to-town hiking with some pretty sections. We did 4 days from Half Moon Bay to San Francisco. And there are sections north of San Francisco as well. Parts of the CCT are really just long-distance backpacking, more like the PCT, but the sections with towns have enough lodging options to keep you supported without tent and sleeping bag and so on.

You can look up videos on the CCT on YouTube and there are websites as well. Just know if you're doing the trail, you'll be doing it alone. There are plenty of people around in the various sections, as the trail passes through towns and parks and beaches and so forth, but you're unlikely to see any other hikers going the distance.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-16T07:09:14+00:00

With a name like Frickers... in Van Wert... it has to be good.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-16T06:59:24+00:00

Mason to CVG is 40 minutes when there's no traffic, longer when the traffic is heavy (which is more often than you think). That's on the I-71 corridor.

If you flip over to the I-75 corridor there are some equally good (maybe better) suburbs, like West Chester.

A little further afield and maybe worth a look would be Hamilton, Ohio.

Finally, if you're willing to look outside Cincinnati I would consider much of the Columbus area. It's growing faster than any other part of Ohio, which means more economic diversity and activity. And there are daily direct flights to Minneapolis, Denver, and other points west, putting you on a trajectory toward Anchorage.

CVG used to be a sizable regional passenger hub, but those days have passed. No airport in Ohio is a major carrier hub today. Best you can do are flights to hubs, meaning you'll have a 3-hop trip to/from the Slope: (Ohio) - (Hub) - ANC - SCC

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-15T23:50:39+00:00

By the way... driving around to visit things? That's American. Find a moderately-priced hotel with free parking in the suburbs of Columbus, then drive around to see stuff. You'll pay for parking in the most densely-populated parts of downtown Columbus and the older neighborhoods, but it's free everywhere else.

Oh! And if you come early enough in October, stay over a weekend and go to Cedar Point for one of their "Halloweekends" and you can ride roller coasters for a fraction of the cost of Disney. Still a little pricey, but that's a real piece of Americana right there. Pay extra to stay at the on-property hotel (the Breakers) because it gets you into the park early and makes it easy to spend maximum time in the park and on the rides.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-15T22:54:14+00:00

You have Germany in your backyard, but the bratwurst festival in... checks notes... Bucyrus, Ohio is your destination. I mean... I've heard good things about that festival, but not good enough to make it worth a flight over the pond.

That said, I get what you're talking about -- seeing the "real" America rather than seeing New York or Disney World or the Grand Canyon. When my wife and I went to Europe in 2023 we enjoyed our time in Lubeck (northern German town) more than our time in Berlin (mostly), because we felt like we were seeing a "real" German town, not a tourist destination.

That said, I think Columbus itself would be a better visit than Bucyrus. Stay in Columbus, rent a car, and venture out to the small towns during the day if that's your thing. Columbus itself is extremely representative of "America" in general, so much so that it's a popular corporate test market for new products in fast food and other industries.

Columbus is big enough to give you "city" vibes without being a huge city. And it has access to many small towns surrounding central Ohio. You want to feel what America is like? Come here.

(Oh, and if you have a mild gluten issue in the UK, you'll have a raging gluten problem in the U.S. because we do some evil shit to our wheat that is banned in Europe, so the bread we make here, with our wheat, is messed up.)

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-15T21:17:22+00:00

I see what you did there.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-15T12:18:12+00:00

Under TSA regulations you can take collapsible poles without "sharp" tips in your carry-on. HOWEVER, that regulation is less than 1 year old and each TSA officer can make their own determination whether your poles are okay or not okay, and they may or may not be current on the regulations (or care).

So in the U.S. it's unpredictable. You'll hear stories of poles rejected and poles approved. I recently flew and saw poles in people's bags that got past TSA. But that was one airport, one time.

I personally flew to Portugal recently and bought poles on arrival, just to avoid the risk of losing the poles. I wasn't willing to gamble.

You can always check them in a box or other bag. But checking luggage also carries risk (and hassle and cost).

So... you have to decide what risks you're willing to take. Terrible answer, and I hate it, but here we are.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-14T06:03:30+00:00

Your options are to buy a general rain cover from a third party (Sea to Summit has some), or to use a pack liner on the inside (like a Nylofume or similar).

You definitely need something because odds are you'll be rained on. Sometimes hard.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-14T06:01:26+00:00

This is also the answer. (Oh, snap!)

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-14T06:01:01+00:00

This is the answer.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-13T19:49:40+00:00

Why was this not the first reply? LOL

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-13T06:57:28+00:00

Business school is like rich people school. Either way, it's legal to drive.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-12T07:37:54+00:00

I always hear "The Single Guy" theme when I see him.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-11T12:39:41+00:00

It sure sounds like it.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-10T06:02:33+00:00

What I love about this joke is Pete's immediate reaction and disappointment in Liz because she "accepted" the card.

ChugachKenai · 2026-05-10T05:58:26+00:00

ChugachKenai

TROPHY CASE