Passage

I need to get to the gym -- with work being busy, I worked late, and with J! and all... well, a two-day hiatus will not kill me, but I think we all know how I feel about that.  I think tomorrow should be a bit more settled, if you will, and if I can, I should be able to work a normal shift.  Phew!  The normalcy of life, if you will, is what I crave as I go older, I think.  Well, that and financial security, and we all know about that.  That said, I did pay my property taxes today -- yowza! --- and that is a relief, of sorts.  I mean, those will never go away, but the rest -- the mortgage, the HELOC -- we are in the slow and steady progress stage... and long may that continue.

I am a little surprised the Senate passed any bill, even if JD Vance had to pull a Kamala Harris and cast the deciding vote.  To be sure, the House has to pass a bill, and that may be even more of a stretch, and assuming they do, then the differences have to be reconciled (I suspect that even with Trump and his lobbying, it will have to go to the conference committee).  So I think they will be working over this long weekend.  Let's not discuss the legislative bribery, the raising of the debt ceiling, the lack of truly conservative positions, etc.  Trump will get a win -- flawed as it is -- and it might help with some things.

Jimmy Swaggart passed away... remember that moment, two generations ago?  "I have sinned against you!"  I realize this is the Catholic in me, but I have always gotten a kick out of that.

This Town Started Charging for Trash by the Bag. Here's What Happened
i rather think this a good idea!  People get educated on the actual cost of free things, they have a chance to use less and save money (and the earth), and if you can reduce the amount of stuff in waste streams... well, it adds up.  You are talking to the man who religiously composts stuff even if he has not a garden, to be sure.  

How the Parental Rights Movement Built to a Supreme Court Win - WSJ
Good?  I think they are taking advantage of a precipitous moment -- GOP majorities, a favorable POTUS, and a favorable Supreme Court, aided by weak (for now) enemies. Does this work?  Maybe?  I think parents more involved and teachers on the retreat... it might be nice if you can get some actual reform there, and not, say, GOP Megabill reforms.

The Long, Lost Weekend

Something of a hiatus, for reasons, so...let's catch up.  Saturday was OC duty -- not too bad, not terribly busy, and for once the pain in the rear clients were early in the day.  We still had 519 clients for the month, which is...impressive.  Anyways, then it was home a bit and then back to the Village for the Nite at the Races -- one of our fundraisers for the new roof.  I was running the kitchen, though as we had food brought in, it was mainly keep warm, plate, and serve.  Dinner was in the Ironman Center of CCC (instead of the social center) and while it was a pain to move stuff there, it is newer and nicer.  I would say the event was a success -- 116 dinner tickets sold, about 100 overall, cash bar, several gift baskets, a wheelbarrow of hooch, etc.  Fr. did make the comment that the roof will cost $1.75M, our fundraisers net about $30K each, so... we have 58 events.  Oi!

Sunday was Mass and then I helped out at a Communion breakfast, which was fine, but for some odd reason -- probably heat and tiredness -- it kicked my ass, and I didn't do nearly as much as I wanted to do.  I did catch up on some reading/links/websites, which was fine, but...  my plans to hit the hay early were slightly modified when two friends -- one after the other -- came over to discuss the stuff of life and get my take on issues.  Yes, it was amusing, but I hope I was able to help.  Anyways, I went to bed at the normal time but then I couldn't sleep.  Alas!

Today was...long.  Lots of stuff to do, for reasons.  Also, we have had some layoffs, including on my own team, and now I will be having additional duties.  Some I think I can do, some not sure; some of those were involved today, as we were trying to find stuff on the drive to put in a report.  The person who maintained them is gone, and I am doing a Humpty Dumpty impression.  Much to do and learn, and not exactly a lot of time do it.  But... I am still employed, and I think I can handle it -- I just need to learn!  Anyways, it was a long day putting stuff together (J! is still on Tivo), and in consequence I just hung out here tonight.  Alas.

The Welfare Trap: How They Bought Your Obedience for $642 a Month
This is exactly correct -- I say it all the time myself -- and now when we in the GOP have a chance to try and change it... oi.  It is quite depressing and for those of you who believe that both political parties are actually the same one... this is more than enough evidence to do so.  I mean, look at the bribes we are pulling to get Murkowski on the board; you would think someone would say that if Alaska can't fix their SNAP system, it is their problem, and we in OH and elsewhere shouldn't have to pay for it, but...

Mattie Muses

Long week -- work, life, other things -- and there is the prospect of a busy weekend.  This is good in that I like to be active, but bad in that it would be nice if I could stay home, read, and do things.  I finished book 25 tonight -- a biography of Andrew Foote, one of the first naval heroes of the Civil War -- and it was interesting; the author took pains, I think, to stress the "conventional" message of the war -- Grant (and Foote) wanted to be aggressive, Halleck did not, and it was bad for the war effort.  I think it is largely correct, to be sure, but... on the other hand, the evidence is not totally there.  To be sure, for Foote, the naval issue was that you had to be careful with the ships; they could be damaged, and you could NOT let them get disabled, drift down the Mississippi, and be captured by the Rebs.  I think we tend to forget that -- they didn't want to do anything to alter that advantage they had on the water.  Anyways, one downside of this is that my reading and going through stuff meant that house cleaning will be delayed until tomorrow.  Alas.

Justices’ nerves fray in Supreme Court’s final stretch - POLITICO
Well, no one will be complaining about ACB anytime soon.  :)  OK, maybe not, but you get my drift.

Supreme Court OKs opt-out for LGBTQ+ materials in school - Live Updates - POLITICO
I don't know; this could be me, but I think the Marylanders went too far -- too young, too much -- in letting this content in, and that didn't help.  And, when you start talking about respecting tolerance and diversity, you then have to recognize the religious views of people who might not want their kids to be exposed to this.  Indeed, they already put out a release saying... the exact opposite.  One could argue that this is an extension of the "Trump is for you, Kamala is for they" argument, and I think they are correct.

Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy: The ‘Trump Doctrine’ Remains Elusive After Iran Strikes, Scuttled Trade Talks - WSJ
Much as if you have four fifth starters you have no fifth starter...does he have one?  Ok, I think that is a bit unfair.  While I am not sure that anyone will ever truly know what he is feeling and doing, the man -- when he does commit -- really commits, as the Iranians (or, today, the Canadians) found out to their detriment.

Relief

Well, it was slightly cooler today, though at times you could not tell.  I really do need to schedule the HVAC tech visit, as well as a half-dozen other things. There is also a holiday weekend coming up, so I do need to start squeezing stuff in.  Adulting is hard sometimes.

Listened to Amy Acton at the City Club today; let's just say it was a very favorable audience.  It was noted her negatives are low, though I would argue that is because no one has come after her yet.  To me, the funny thing was that for all of the talk about bringing us together, it was her actions (in some good part) that tore us apart -- literally and figuratively.  I am on record that I am not sure about Vivek, but if he can portray her as yet another insider, it might be an easier run for him.

Five Takes on Bombing Iran - by Glenn Harlan Reynolds
Dare I say that this is 110%?  I mean, after the years of Biden and his obvious mental decline, this is almost antiseptic in comparison; one quick strike, done with stealth and surprise, and so far something of a peace is holding?  Again, I think this is a best-case scenario that he has created, but... it is better to be lucky than good sometimes, like this one.

Interesting result from the NYC mayoral race...I think he can win, and probably will, and then what?  Will the city's Jewish residents move?  What about the Wall Street types who might be the ones paying the taxes?  What happens then?  If we had any brains in Ohio, we would working to attract some of these migrants, but of course, we all know what I say about that.  Sigh.

Catching Up

Long time since I posted, so... let's catch up.  Saturday night we had a family poker fest -- my jello came through -- and while we were playing, it was announced that we had bombed Iran.  My first thought, of course, was that I hope the man knows what he is doing.  And, so far... he has?  The Iranians reacted very minimally, a cease fire may be working, and maybe we destroyed the sites, or at least damaged them?  I think he walked a fine line here, but... if he pulls this off, he deserves the credit.

Sunday was Corpus Christi, and it was beautiful; the Mass was fine and the procession was wonderful.  Beautiful altars and the homilies were cut just short due to the weather.  It was quite hot (I joked I was going to die Saturday night) but it was just cool enough -- and enough of a breeze -- so that it was uncomfortable but not terribly so.  The only downside was that I got dragged into speaker duty, and of course no one liked how and where I put the thing, not that it worked all that well anyways.  Oi.  One of these days I will not do it and I will really enjoy the Feast!

Sunday night I went to a dinner at the Filipino-American Cultural Center; it was a buffet catered by a local Filipino restaurant, and we all know how I love to expand my culinary horizons.  It was quite good -- lots of interesting dishes and wonderful desserts -- so much so that I would go to the restaurant as well (my sister is less than thrilled).  I also bumped into a couple of former coworkers, which was good (always nice to see happy couples).  I probably ate too much, but... as I noted, it was a buffet, and I tried every dish, and the fact that I liked it...

Monday and Tuesday...well, it has been very hot.  The AC does work, but the thermostat does not, so I have been manually controlling it; I figure I will call a tech today or tomorrow (they are busy and I am surviving for now) and set something up.  I went out today at 9 to put stuff in the compost pile and get mail and you could see it was still unpleasant.  Should be better through the week, but now there are a threat of storms...

Last nite I went to see Brand New at Jacobs Pavillion.  Yes, I was in the pit (close) and so I stood and sweated for four hours.  They started late -- oi! -- but no opening act, and went for nearly two hours (at least 90 minutes).  No "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad" (bummer) but quite good; as with a lot of bands, they'd play something and you are like "Yeah, that is a good song."  Certainly there has been a lot of... controversy regarding his, um, allegations about his personal life.  (I know some people have strong opinions!)  But, the subject seemed not to come up...no one in the crowd mentioned it, at least, and that surprised me.

I was thinking two things... one, they are creating a neighborhood down there, with apartments, pot dispensaries, etc.  I have to admit it's pretty cool, especially if you can work from home.  There is certainly a lot of cool stuff to do around there.  This got me to thinking that there are plenty of fun things to do in the CLE and I should probably do them this summer.  June is almost done and... well, summer and life go quickly nowadays.

The Semi-Breaking Point

 You know how I was saying that I have been stressed out about things, and that I have a list of stuff that needs to be fixed or repaired?  Well, yesterday I had a couple of more!  While driving to the gym, the car alarm went off on the dash -- I now have a tire pressure sensor fault warning.  Oi.  To be sure, I know plenty of people who never get these things fixed, but I should probably get around to doing it.  As my father liked to say (and I do too), whatever it is, it sounds expensive.

We have a family fest this weekend, and that means seven-layer-jello, so last night was devoted to that purpose.  I am not sure what happened -- I think the milk layer didn't fully settle with the heat -- but when I put the second jello layer on, it literally smashed the milk layer, creating an unsightly mess.  Oi!  I decided that the solution was to let the milk layer sit longer AND to apply more of it, and the rest of the way... it looks beautiful (though I will need to put some ice bags around it for the drive).  That was a relief, at least.  So I am not a complete fuck up, but...

Was the Parish Made for Man—or Man for the Parish? - Crisis Magazine
My college roommate sent me this, and I told him that technically, I was in violation of this -- I didn't like the suburban parishes in my neck of the wood and decided to go to St. Stan's, our ancestral family parish, which is a lot nicer than the suburban monstrosities.  I think the USCCB carved out an exception for "ethnic" parishes -- bowing to the necessities of white flight -- so I am technically ok, but...  I think the reason why they have this requirement so that people do not go around and shop for parishes.  But...isn't that what you want?  Priests will have to raise their games (if you will) to keep people in the pews, and isn't that what we want?  

Can Pope Leo afford to wait on ‘Traditionis custodes’?
I honestly don't know what he is going to do here.  I can see continuing with the tradition of Francis (sigh) but there is something to be said for NOT stopping the practice that is actually getting people in pews.  As an American, Leo XIV should know this, right?  It is not an easy choice -- the new guy doesn't want to annoy the traditionalists or the radicals -- and I am curious to see how it plays out.

Juneteenth!

I have to admit:  I was not as productive as I would have liked today, but I was productive enough!  In terms of work, I was able to clear out a lot of little things -- always good -- got some things done, and am ready to do some more tomorrow, clearing out some smaller projects, etc.  I could have maybe pushed harder on some things, but I was doing some detail work, so... it happens.  I skipped the gym -- ugh -- as my blood sugar was a bit low in the PM, and it was raining somewhat hard.  

Last night I took out of the freezer some Lake Erie perch my sister gave me.  It was quite thawed today, so I baked it -- salt, pepper, some bread crumbs -- and it was quite good!  I have a couple more pieces for lunch/dinner, but I think I nailed it perfectly.  Funny; my sister really doesn't like it, but everyone else does... she was asking me if it was fishy and if my house smells, and I told her she was sounding like Mom, which she immensely appreciated.

With all this rain the basement is quite humid, or at least it feels moist -- moreso than when I was showering.  I think I have been down there three times a day the past few days to empty the dehumidifier, and I could probably do it four... to be sure, after tomorrow this will not be a problem, when it turns 90 in the shade.  I only hope that the thermostat adjustment works and that the AC does not require repair or service.  The kitchen sink is draining slowly, and I thinking I might need to call the plumber to snake it.  I will note that I had the bathroom pipe replaced but I suspect the kitchen sink is a different line and that also is a 70-year-old clay pipe... and I do not want to replace that now (I do want to get the windows done next!).  Homes really are money pits!

I cannot believe that anyone thinks going to war with Iran is a good idea.  Yes, taking out their reactor would be ideal, but the Iranians would retaliate, and that would just worsen the whole thing.  Quite frankly, I think we are better off letting the Israelis do our fighting for us.  I don't necessarily think they will be able to eliminate the threat, but eventually someone over there might decide to make peace.  It is our fight, but if someone else will handle it... all the better.

Social Security, Medicare finances worsen, bringing funding cliffs sooner - POLITICO
This is a major problem, but does anyone think that anyone will solve it?  Of course not!  As I told an older former coworker, I don't mind not retiring so they can live in luxury (which he almost appreciated).

A moth (or some flying critter) came in here when I was pitching the apple core outside, and my trying to kill it...well, it was a borderline Polish joke.  I felt a bit badly about it, but I also couldn't have this thing flying around Chateau Mattie, so...