Down Memory Lane

And, like that, the weekend comes to an end...I think it was productive -- I didn't do certain things I wanted -- but we completed Mom's move, I finished some other projects, answered emails, did a spot of cleaning (not nearly enough of course), and saw many people over the weekend...so much so, that, combined with the late nights, I have a cold.  Ugh.

http://io9.com/the-24-most-embarrassing-dungeons-dragons-character-1524448977

I got a kick out of this...for one thing, I still own all my D&D stuff, and I remembered a lot of it, so some of it was pretty fun to go back and reminisce...the other, well, I got into the comments...the one thing that I found amusing/annoying was the fact that people were complaining about how the classes were limiting.  I don't know; I never found them so, mainly because I suspect we did a lot of role-playing and thus did more than hack-and-slash...I mean, let's face it, that was important and cool, and most adventures had some sort of climax where you fought a new monster/collection of NPCs/both; the challenge was of course defeating them.  But...not every adventure was like that (to be sure, this was as much the DM as us), and -- I would argue this is true for many other RPGes -- that the best adventures often included parts where you had to adapt.

In college, I played one of my favorite characters -- Matahier, the elven priest of Elendaen -- with a guy who had an elven wizard (we cheated on some of the rules for level advancement but that is another story); we integrated the characters and took to traveling with each other.  Anyways, many a time we found ourselves needing to break into a home/other place to find info/rescue damsel/whatever.  We didn't have thief abilities, but...we still got in.  You could use a bunch of spells to recreate the abilities.  Knock could be used to open the window; ESP was a way around detect noise (detect evil could also work); wizard eye could be used to scout about, while fly or levitate was good for escaping or reaching upper levels (assuming, of course, invisibility was unavailable).  The priestly obscurement could do wonders, while silence, 15-ft radius  was awesome -- we even figured out a way to develop a form of sign language to communicate.  Hell, once I used the humble create water spell to recreate a leaky roof -- sending the homeowner into a tizzy (he was an art collector) to plug the "leak" while we made a hasty getaway.  I suspect, of course, we had some miraculous dice rolls, but the DM was the type of guy who would rather see us pull crap (basically) and reward us than start shooting fireball and watery fist at everyone.

I guess my point is is that one of the lessons of D&D -- and life -- is that even external limits -- such as rules or handicaps -- aren't barriers, but rather channels, directing you towards one path, but not pushing you there; you can always take what is handed to you or the skills you have and come up with a solution.  Many a work problem of mine is solved in such a way; you take your random factoid collections, discern some pattern of knowledge, and go from there.  Not elegant, of course, but...useful enough.  And, in most cases, people pick up on this...

Slothiness

Black Friday, and I am doing my fair share by staying in the house...may not even go out tonight.  Thanksgiving was wonderful -- ate like a pig, went out for a bit to hang with the boys, and then home, where I finished up Season Two of "Mad Men" and went to bed without setting the clock.

I am liking the show; not quite as engrossing as other dramas, but it has a rhythm and pace of its own, which I find interesting.

In other news, my Mom's move went...fairly well, and she is largely in the new place, just some stuff to finish up there, and that will be that.  I clocked it yesterday -- it is about a half-mile farther from her old place -- and while there is still a mall nearby, the notion of South Park traffic compared to Shoppes at Parma  seems less...daunting and annoying.

In the meantime, today is Season Three, some reading...not much.  I am getting used to the idea of three days with absolutely nothing to do...feeling like a Democrat, aside from the church, thinking about work, and not being a moron part.

I noted that OSU fans will have to be rooting for PSU if they have a chance; on the other hand, this means you have to root for Pedophile State.  To be sure, as a practicing Catholic, I have plenty of experience of supporting pedophiles, but this might be a bridge too far...

Total Recall

I just had a slightly surreal phone call...but other than that, here I am, blogging two days in a row. I would not say my day was hard, but long...a steaming pile of work (Hot Mess was a J! answer tonight, which amused the shit out of me), and then I met someone from the local Catholic Credit Union with a car full of turkeys for what will be the Xmas Hot Meal...  It was 18, but I do believe that each one provides enough meat for a dozen or so people, so...

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2015/11/the_art_of_memory_by_frances_yates_the_historian_who_recovered_the_story.single.html

I saw the headline, read a couple of paragraphs, and was like...hey, I've read this book.  I really liked it, too; I tried to integrate some of the techniques (my mind flits too much) but it was a good read...one thing that struck me was that BEFORE the invention of a book, there was no way to store knowledge, save for one's head, and thus people had to engage in these sorts of memory constructs to do so.  I seem to recall that such works as The Iliad were memorized in such a manner, as well as Beowulf and all of the other classic texts.  It's pretty amazing, actually, if you think about; some of it of course was simply rote memorization, but a lot of it -- particularly the richness in detail -- was constructed one mind room at a time.  I bet the next time I forget something on the grocery list I'll feel like an ever bigger shit than usual.

Relaxed

Final weekend at the OC...another busy day.  People were ok, but, as I told some of the volunteers...days like Saturday make one want to go home and read Atlas Shrugged.  And, I will note...no matter how poor people are, they can always afford tattoos, booze, and cigarettes -- all of which are consumed in immense quantities.  There is still some residual turkey business to handle...we did have another large crowd; 160 or so, and it was steady all day.  No break, no time to clean, put stuff back...that sort of thing.  It is good to help (the clothing room did land office business)...one thing we were all amused by is that people seem to think we should have turkeys...when we tell people we can't afford them, some of them...it's like we have some secret turkey storage site or something.

As you can imagine, the news that we won't be giving out diapers anymore (the parish that donated them can't do it due to the cost)...yeah, that went over equally well.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-19/one-man-s-plan-to-expand-cheap-housing-and-make-money-doing-it

I actually think this is quite sensible, and is actually a way to solve the affordable housing problem...by building housing.

The OSU was..well, amusing; I mean, Jesus, they play-calling was pretty atrocious, but...the entire game?  That line about a football coach being smart enough to know the game, but dumb enough to think it is important...well, not always.

I realize December isn't that far away, but it was a little jarring to see snow around this morning.  To be sure, not a lot, but I have kept the furnace on... and we all know how I feel about spending money...

My two cents

I've been watching stuff lately -- two movies on the list, for starters.  "Flower Drum Song," a Rogers and Hammerstein musical that wasn't awful...for a musical.  I noted that the Asian cast popped up elsewhere -- Admiral Nagumo in "Midway" and the Asian detective on Barney Miller -- and the story was ok.  "My Darling Clementine" was good -- I didn't realize it was a John Ford Western (the OK Corral shootout) with Henry Fonda, Victor Mature, and others...I liked it, and it was...well, I didn't realize how much "Tombstone" shared with the movie; not exactly derivative, but they shared many of the same...elements, if you will.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/the-koch-brothers-intelligence-agency-215943?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_daily202#ixzz3rqE4Mgec
This is pretty awesome.

http://www.phillymag.com/articles/philadelphia-schools-public-charter-parochial-private/?all=1

A friend of mine sent me this...two things stand out.  First -- the cost of a Catholic education for a child is $86,000 -- assuming, of course, that costs do NOT go up (ha!) and not including the extras, such as interest on the loan, the multiple fundraisers, and whatnot.  I realize public schools have them, but...my general impression is that Catholic schools have more.  Thus, you can spend $125K per kid,  That's a shitload of cash, and of course, the cost will go up...whereas you use that buy a house, the cost is fixed...and you have real property.

The other point I noted is that -- even if you did everything exactly right and raised your kid just so -- it might not matter; as a parent, you still could be stuck sending your kid to a suboptimal place for their education.  To say nothing of the fact that in many places...the urban experience is less than ideal, if you get my drift.  In the suburbs, it is simply so much easier; you move to a place like BBH, Westlake, Hudson, etc.; you've won the battle, mostly.  The schools are solid.  The neighborhood will hold its value.  You'll prolly have decent neighbors, and the kids they hang out with...the same (not saying it is a guarantee, but the odds are better).  They plow the streets and fill the potholes.  Taxes are higher, but you do get what you pay for, and I've generally noticed that complaints tend to be acknowledged, if not answered.  Not saying it is perfect, of course, but...

Catching up

OC duty today...I spent most of the day in the Clothing Room -- I do not find it quite the dungeon as does everyone else -- but the crowd was described as steady.  It was in the clothing room, too -- we emptied 16 bags of clothes, and honestly, I think we gave away just as much -- though quite honestly, you couldn't tell.  I do miss the crowd and the rush in the main room...the only drawback is that, quite frankly, many of our clients, reek...and in the clothing room, you really cannot avoid...so a hot shower, lots of soap, and a laundry dump are in order.


http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-11-12/-ban-smoking-means-evict-defiant-smokers-

This is part of the reason why -- our clients really smoke -- which is why I just wonder how on earth this is to be achieved...I mean, there isn't any "affordable housing" for them, and I hardly doubt that the Hope and Changers will throw people out (though they could)...and where would you put them?  Reservations?  Cancer concentration camps?

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/get-over-it-ted-cruz-is-a-real-threat-for-the-nomination-213351
http://gawker.com/watch-bob-dole-giggle-over-how-much-he-hates-ted-cruz-1742182248

I think number one is sort of correct; to be sure, being the face of the government shutdown was a big error, but Ted Cruz has avoided them the rest of the way and has been, well, pretty solid.  Being that he is a Texan, a conservative, Tea Partier...well, I think he is at any advantage going forward.

A friend of mine sent me link two, and -- as I told him -- I think headlines like that help Cruz more than hurt.  Bob Dole is old, a political loser (for want of a better term), and, more importantly, exactly the person Cruz is crusading against -- long-term political insider (he lives IN the Watergate, of all places) who was believed -- fairly or not -- too ready to cut a deal and sacrifice core ideas for, well, not sure what.  Again, all of this is a little unfair, but...the GOP establishment has had its way and lost two elections, with the result being...people are willing to look at the alternative.

Debate!

So, I went to Big Al's Diner in Larchmere this weekend for brunch...it was good, not great, a little pricey.  Getting there was quite the interesting trip.  Went after Mass, took 79th to Kinsman (79th was blocked) to 93rd, and then up Woodland...it was a tour of bigger shitholes, if you will.

Read Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier this weekend...I liked it, but what really surprised me was how relevant it was even now.  Stuff he discussed included how the poor chose to eat poorly even when they can eat healthier, how slum clearance actually harms the poor, as the new places are farther from the job centers (costs more) and that the stores there cost more (hurts them in the pocketbook), how children -- many of them -- make it hard to get shit done at home, and people then blame the poor being lazy, of all things...  quite good.  The second half of the book was basically a discussion of why aren't we Socialists now...which is basically an earlier version of What's the Matter With Kansas, which amused me to no end.

Wonder how Ted Cruz will do tonight with a somewhat friendlier audience...sort of like how I wonder who will be in the OF for the Tribe next year...

rest

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alanaglass/2015/11/05/in-light-of-richies-departure-has-the-nba-done-enough-to-promote-the-wnba/

I don't know..maybe it's not the promotion, or the lack thereof...I mean, let's face it, women don't support women's athletics enough so that they are fiscally viable; why, then, should men do it?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/11/05/baby-boomers-are-whats-wrong-with-americas-economy/

Yes, but as we all know, he who robs Peter to pay Paul will always have the support of Paul, so, next question.

OC duty today, and we had a record crowd...164 or so; we were busy all day; there was a brief pause at 11, and then it swelled up again.  Oi.  Very tiring; I was running everywhere.  Top it off, we had a bunch of people who were simply pains in the ass today (I heard the clothing room was even worse, not that this surprises me.); complaints about the right ID, been there without one once, didn't get the right food, no one told them X, yadda, yadda.  I have some sympathy -- not enough stuff is one I can get -- but the fact of the matter is that in most cases, people feed up bullshit and/or outright lies, and to top it off...now is NOT the time for crap.  To be sure, most people were nice, and we tried to sign people up for the parish Turkey Day dinner (we have none this year; I think people know this, but man do they ask)....there was a lot of stuff for people, especially the early ones, but...

Links

http://www.vox.com/2015/11/4/9669918/democrats-elections-crisis

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-11-04/democrats-lost-the-war-for-staying-power

I think both are correct; on the one hand, NOT winning the Presidency is a problem; on the other, the lack of Dems down the line helps the party in the long term -- fewer people competing for fewer spots means that they will tend to elect base candidates who will have trouble in the general elections... and, if you think about it, the GOP has the problem of too many good candidates trying to shove them in... of course, that is a problem, though.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/republicans-declare-war-on-the-media-at-their-own-peril/2015/11/02/012b6a6e-81a6-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

I completely disagree with this; on the contrary, I don't think they need the media at all to put on a debate.  Think about it; the GOP could pick the locales, the candidates, the moderators, and say...we are having  a debate on X day and time.  If you want to cover it, name a price...if not... I mean. really, in this day and age of content production and the Internet...  If you think about it, a GOP debate with conservative moderators and themes...I'd like to think you could 15 million viewers for it (especially if Megyn Kelly is involved).  And, the mainstream media would be powerless to stop it...

Reign of Sadness

So, baseball takes a back seat to the winter sports...and I am sad.  I have to admit...I don't disagree with Collins leaving Harvey out there; I mean, let's face it, he was probably going to leave him in no matter what, barring some bs line...but he wanted to be sure.  Considering the frequency with which Familia blew saves (not all his fault) in the Series...well, it is more justified than people are giving him credit for, I suspect.

Watched the original "House of Wax" Saturday -- TCM ran it -- and I sort of liked it; I mean, it was hardly the worst one I've seen, and while the story isn't that scary, it was...well, clever.  Vincent Price was quite good, and I could see how, given some of the camera tricks, how the 3-D would have played to the audience (sadly, it is lost to us now, but...). I did get a kick out of how movie studio guys were convinced that they needed 3-D to save their businesses, lest TV drive them to the poorhouse.  Not so much, I think.

October OC stats...487 clients, totaling 201 seniors, 656 adults, and 500 children.  Rah.  I am in charge this month, and you can only imagine how awesome that will be...actually, we are as busy this month as we are next, but....I wanted out, so here it is.