Nadir

Just when one thinks things cannot get any worse...they do.  I don't want to divulge the latest episode of craptasticness, but rest assured, it is craptastic.  On the other hand, the financial front has improved a bit, which helps, albeit more in the long-term way.

I weighed in at 167 lbs at the MD, and the trainer said he noticed some improvement in my...well, lack of shape.  I have noticed some as well; with the car thing I have not been able to get to the gym enough, but ideally, this too shall pass, and I have been more conscientious on the need to do things at home, which if not helping, doesn't hurt.  I have a cold, which sucks, mainly caused by stress and poor sleep quality...I just to be a bit better about the blood glucose readings (things are haywiring on both sides, not sure why) and I would be...well, as good as can be.

I had to explain to Mom about not only March Madness, but the concept of conference tourneys, being the #1 seed, etc...  It isn't that confusing (though Mom can confuse many things) but I had to admit it was sort of dumb to go through all the rigmarole and then have to win MORE games to make the Big Dance.  It isn't going away, of course, but you have to give the Ivy League credit...

Awake

I have to admit...watching Okafor shoot FTs is painful, and it is costing them games...or at least last night, almost costing them games.  Hard to believe conference tourneys and such are starting soon, mainly because of winter...all that global warming, of course. 

The DHS shutdown thing amuses me; for one thing, the GOP should be off reminding everyone of all the things the DHS doesn't do, or does poorly, like parading your junk around the planet.  More importantly, though, the problem with a budget deal in the lame duck session is that they pissed away any leverage they had...not that they had much, anyways.  I am not quite sure that a shutdown is a bad thing; let's face it, the GOP didn't exactly lose seats in 2014.

I read Marc Eliot's American Titan, which is a bio of John Wayne...interesting, he sort of concentrated on the film side of career, though there were plenty of trips through his, um, eventful, personal life.  He threw him much shade about dodging WWII service (which I think was justified) and about his anti-Communist efforts...which I think was a little off, given what we know now...

Films

If one thing defined this weekend, it was films; call it my own tribute to the Oscars, but I managed to cross six off the list (mainly because I am not trucking Mom's car anywhere); Friday night I watched "Planet of the Apes" (I thought it surprisingly good) and then Saturday afternoon it was "Ruggles of Red Gap," which was humorous.  Through Netflix..."Yankee Doodle Dandy;" James Cagney was a pretty awesome and versatile actor, all you can say.  The original "Producers" was on TCM, so I watched it; it was funny...not terribly so, but I am hit or miss on the over the top stuff.  Today on TCM was "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," which I tolerated, and then I topped it off with "Dance, Girl, Dance," a 40 film starring Lucille Ball and Maureen O'Hara as burlesque dancers trying to succeed...in different ways.

I also managed to finish (I had read half before) Cuthberson's bio of Wilfrid Owen; it is odd, given my...general disdain for poetry, but I have always had a thing for the war poets, or, better yet, those who retain a disdain for the Modern (like myself); I think it is why I like Hart Crane (if you are smart enough to notice another theme here, recall that I am NOT watching the Oscars).

I would also like to state that while I think there is nothing more American than the start of the Daytona 500...sitting through the entire race is...well, painful.  And boring.

Randoms

No news on the car front; I may call tomorrow and poke around...there is on the one hand the sense that this is a royal pain...on the other hand, no one is in a mood for the payment (ahem). 

I watched two shorts yesterday on the NFR list -- "Cologne:  From the Diary of Ray and Esther" and "Manhatta."  The first was a visual telling of life in a small farm in Minnesota; sort of quaint, actually, shot with home movie cameras and with silent-style cards to tell a story.  The second was a view of daily life in Manhattan...in 1921, set to quotes from a Whitman poem.  Interesting.  Today I watched "The Band Wagon," a Fred Astaire piece from the 50s.  I sort of like his films; light and funny, and if they are musicals (like Glee, I read through some of them), they are at least interesting and clever.  One can always do worse.

I worked from home today, and I spent most of the day trying to manipulate the numbers to get them just so.  I couldn't tell if I was going to kill myself or if I should applaud myself for my commitment to exactitude...in the end, I decided that one way or the other, commitment was the word.

I see Swisher may be back in March...I guess I would be pleased if it were so, as his contract is a sunk cost, but I'd to think that a rotation of DHs would provide twice the production for less cost.  I was sad to see Giambi go; not for his waste of a roster spot, but that people generally seemed to want him around...in the meantime, I suspect that Francona may engage in some Yostian wish for 8 (or more!) relievers.

A triple play

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-02-16/scott-walker-s-conservative-posse-goes-after-gail-Collins

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/2015/02/16/republicans-declare-war-mainstream-media/?utm_campaign=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/02/scott_walker_cuts_university_of_wisconsin_funding_the_republican_governor.html

I figured I would run all of these together, as they are related.  First...I think many GOPers have come to the conclusion that this is the only way to win a press war:  namely, by going to the trenches.  It is sort of like what the CEO of Uber wanted to do, investigating journalists and printing their dirty laundry.  I am not sure it will work, but it does appeal to my sense of combat.  And, let's face it, the NYT/Collins is a good target, and this was a really easy one.

Second, Scott Walker continues to rise; hell, even his bad press -- cutting funding to schools -- is good press, given that it reminds everyone he's won three elections in four years and kneecapped public unions, always a nice feather in the cap.  Mind you, given that academia is indeed a bastion of liberalism, no one is going to complain that they are losing some money, either...especially because, let's face it, you probably could find a way to cut some fat, but the entrenched nature of the powers that be makes them a protected class...and thus the cuts come from elsewhere.  If he really had some stick, he'd name names and start publicly raising questions...which would be pretty awesome.

Relief

Carlessness -- of a sort -- continues; I got to skip the OC Board meeting where we discussed the finances (which is my balliwick) but on the other hand, maybe it went better, in which case, it could happen without me...  EVERYONE has been giving me advice/questions/ways to live my life, and it is...annoying, to say the least.  I think, once I get the new car, I am driving somewhere and shutting off my phone, just for some peace.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/atlantic-city-meltdown-chris-christie-115204.html?hp=t3_r

I admit this is problematic for Chris Christie, but if you think about it, this is no different that what many other places -- like NE Ohio, for instance -- faced when they were a one-horse town and that horse went to the knackers, if you get my drift...  In some ways, this is worse, because they should have seen this coming, given that it takes a while for states to get the casinos built.  Even in a good year, there is only limited gambling money, and now...well, there is a lot less.  I went to Atlantic City once...and there is really not much there there (I would imagine there is less now), which is also the issue; I mean, even here in Ctown, there is something to do -- museums, an orchestra, sports teams, a couple of bustling districts -- so that if someone wanted to leave the casino, there is shit to do; but in AC there is jack shit

Timelessness

Quite the day today, weather-wise...sort of crappy all around.  I did shovel this afternoon, just as the snow cleared but before the wind started to pick up.   I was glad I did, as the snow was fairly light and easy to handle...it didn't even take half an hour to clean the driveway.

I am about halfway through Seymour's Baseball:  The Early Years and while certain parts of it are no more than historical footnotes (the chapter on the Reserve Clause, for instance), most of the book is still relevant today.  Labor disputes, salary issues, teams relocating, teams relocating to new stadiums with better deals, etc.  I realize my historical sense of things makes me more cognizant of this, but as always...some things are new, but most things are just new wine in old bottles.  The other thing I seem to enjoy is the constant battle over...well, let us just say that there was a sense that young men were prone to dissipation, to use a period term, and thus baseball could be a good way to fill a young man's time...until he reached the professionals, in which case he needed a busy schedule and monitoring to prevent him from falling into dissipation.  I mean, if you think about it, you could level the same change against big leaguers or NCAA athletes today.  Maybe, just maybe, young men have always been young men.

Alas

Sad news to report...the Patriotmobile is going to have be retired.  Engine gasket blown, nothing to be done...so now I am looking for a new truck.  This is NOT the best time financially, of course, especially with the whole gym thing, but nothing to be done...at least I will have a nice body and a decent car if and when I can afford to date.  I am working from home and borrowing Mom's car a couple of times a week to check in at the office...for a while.  I find I work better while watching movies and working, so I stopped at the library today and picked up some flicks -- "Gilda" and "The Night of the Hunter."  I liked them both; the first had Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth as ex-lovers brought together by chance; the second had Robert Mitchum as a faux-preacher trying to steal $10 K from a widow and her kids.  Last nite on TCM was "The Killers," a film noir tale I really enjoyed. 

So, at the very least....I am able to do some damage to the NFR list.  And the pocketbook and savings...

In other news, I did some cleaning today; I need to do more of it, as I do tend to leave crap lying around, which helps no one.  I mean, even if it is taking papers to the recycle bin...it is something.  I also noted that the freezer is full, and I may as well start some economy by going through it, not, of course, that I eat out that much anyways.  But, from the concept of inventory updating...it is time.

Rest

A four day hiatus....well, Wednesday was PQ, a crushing second-place finish.  Also, my truck got stuck in the driveway, and I hate to wait for the tow to come and pull me out.  One plus is that between my shoveling, the driving, and the tugging, the driveway is in good shape...and with the melting now, you can see hunks of pavement.  I only hope this keeps up...even if I know it will not.  Thursday I had to work and went to bed early...and Friday, well, yesterday I had a session with the trainer (my arms are killing me) and then I watched "Glee" and "Don Jon."  The movie was interesting; I would say it is good, but not great.  Today I watched the Duke game and then "Bambi," which I had not seen before...and is on the NFR.  I liked it, though I would not say it was a favorite.  Some of the artistry reminded me of Turner's painting...which amused me when I read Friday's paper and found out there is a movie about him out now/soon.  Fascinating.

Honestly, I am still pretty beat, so I may just decide to pack it in early tonight.  "Wuthering Heights" is on TCM (on the list) and I have no shortage of books to read, so this might be a course when discretion is a better part of valor.   Maybe it is old age, maybe it is fatigue from life and workouts, but...this is not exactly a fun way to live.

Sore

Session two with trainer today...a new one, younger, smaller than I am, in better shape (of course).  Worked on lower body today; also suggested a daily cardio regimen, mainly because I need to get in shape to prepare for the heavier lifting.  Fine with me...I do feel much less sore up top, but worse on the bottom.  But I will survive.  In the meantime, car goes in tomorrow, hope it comes out tomorrow, as well.

Making some progress through Hard Marching Every Day.  The author was in the VI Corps, and thus had an only brief glimpse of the Gettysburg campaign; indeed, most of the stuff has been about marching, camp life, and provisions, which is still very interesting nonetheless.  The Vermont brigade was heavily engaged in the Wilderness/Spotsylvania/Petersburg campaign, so there will be more tidbits.  I do like reading this sort of thing; I should look into more of the memoirs and battle notes of the participants.

I've been following with interest the Silk Road trial...not sure if I want him to get off or not.  I guess there is something in me that says that if you can figure out a way to trade in illegal commodities...all the power to you.

Cost concerns

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/2015/01/30/scott-walker-rejects-premise/

Maybe; I mean, it could be true, and maybe it is just that Scott Walker isn't Bush III or Mitt III and is reasonably conservative and is fairly well-known to everyone in Iowa.  On the other hand, he is...different, which is what the GOP needs, and that is good.

I finally finished up the book on the Kennewick Man (I did some damage during the Duke/UVa game, as I thought Duke was dead all of 12 times or so; it was quite impressive) and am now reading a set of Civil War memoirs...something in the change of pace department, and I think you all know how much I love that.

The January OC stats (aided by a five-Saturday month):  508 clients, totaling 192 seniors, 720 adults, and 500 kids.  Rah.  The shelves were quite empty, and we are due for a delivery.  I don't want to imagine the price tag; I think in a year or so, we will have to consider either revenue enhancement or some reductions in what we can provide.  Maybe not severe at first, but...eek.  Maybe the Board will have some suggestions...

Did some cardio of a sort today and shoveled...some after I got home, and some more after J!.  I suspect it does not help the ruts in the yard, but I did make the driveway wider and smoothed out some of the holes, so I do not need make a flying turn every time I want to pull in the yard.  I suspect it would be easier to engage a plowperson, but it would NOT be cheaper, and now is not exactly the time to consider any more spending, if you get my drift....