updates

Busy week of work and film here....still have more of both.  Watched two films on the list...first was "Hallelujah!," the 1929 King Vidor film -- first talkie -- concerning a man's fall from grace, rise, fall again...rah.  It was interesting in that it was an entirely black cast (1929!) and was mainly spirituals...I liked it but it was formulaic.  Second was "Destry Rides Again."  I didn't have high hopes for it -- Jimmy Stewart as gun-averse deputy cleaning up town, Marlene Dietrich as dance hall girl -- but it was actually quite enjoyable.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/12/30/a-guide-to-the-allegations-of-bill-clintons-womanizing/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_politics
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2015/12/bill_clinton_s_sexual_past_can_still_hurt_hillary.html

I think the second articles goes to the heart of the matter here...the fact of the matter is Hillary had to have known about this for a while, and certainly -- remember the vast right wing conspiracy -- did as much to assault the credibility of his accusers.  Now, of course, you're attacking the victim.  So I think some GOPers are salivating at the double standard and want to make it as issue... not a key one, but the Clintons are a package deal...and of course, if you are relying on women...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/yankees-chapman-deal-opens-door-to-epic-bullpen/ar-BBo0vuh?li=BBnba9I

First, has Danny Graves lost weight?  He still looks good.  Second...considering what the Yankees gave up...couldn't the Tribe have pulled this?  Morals aside...you're getting a closer/top setup guy for a year for spare parts.  Considering the Tribe will have to win as many games by 2-1/3-2 scores as possible, I would think a page from the Royals book would have been one to look at.

Spotlight

As many of you know, I got a Fitbit for Xmas.  In some ways, it is good, given my new found ardor for exercise (not hitting 10,000 steps today, though).  On the other hand, it is bad, as now I will be obsessing MORE about exercise and such.  Went to the gym yesterday and added some cardio -- read a book while walking on the treadmill.  Given my disdain for running, I think it is the ideal approach -- more exercise, just enough, and more importantly, I can read as well.  As I got about 2,000 pages for Xmas...we will need to.

Took Mom to see "Spotlight" today.  It was good; I wouldn't say it was the most exciting of films, but it did tell a story, and like several other commenters noted, it is a paean to journalism as it was.  Some of the early 2000s notes -- such as the addition of a URL to the end of an article -- were poignant but also pointed to the future, for better or worse.  The movie, though, did point out one inconvenient truth:  a lot of people knew what was going on out there, but no one stepped in to try and stop it.

As for Mom...she was better than her usual movie self, though she did say she needed a little tape recorder so she could remember all her questions.  Funny; I had mentioned the flick to her a couple of weeks ago, didn't want to go...now she wanted to.  Oi.

Links

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/160183180/shifts-may-change-way-baseball-is-scored

This is actually interesting; I mean, I don't mark shifts when I score, but maybe I need to; ok, I mean, sometimes I note an infielder was playing over, but..one should be aware of this.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/ken-rosenthal-new-york-mets-not-spending-offseason-money-like-world-series-contender-122215

I don't know...maybe the Mets don't have to.  The Braves and the Phillies are trying to lose as many games as possible.  They're not really competition.  The Marlins have Mattingly, but...well, it is hard to take them seriously, and I am not sure I see them as...more than a .500 team.  The Nationals are an interesting case -- they still have some talent, and a nontoxic clubhouse is an asset.  But they've also lost pieces, and who knows with Dusty.  While I think the Mets have had some losses...they've made some additions, and the rotation -- which is pretty strong -- should be better.  So I can see why they'd wait until they needed to make some moves.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/an-aging-society-changes-the-story-on-poverty-for-retirees/ar-BBnPwtg?li=BBnbfcN

We were discussing this at work...one, people in SOME jobs can certainly longer til 65; I mean, I could, theoretically, do my job forever.  Two -- and this was NOT pointed out by me (but I agree)...people can work earlier.  One facet of college reform is to cull some of the classes that are basically filler...people working earlier means they save more (and for longer), and also incur less debt.  I myself am not sanguine to this, but it could happen...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/washington-post-retracts-cartoon-that-calls-cruzs-daughters-political-props/ar-BBnPNE9?li=BBnbcA1

This could be me, but what a lot of people on the left are missing isn't the whole fair game issue (I don't think anyone can use that) but the fact that they showed his kids as monkeys...on an organ grinder.  Aside from THAT stereotypical image of an Italian, there is also the notion of showing a person of color (Ted and daughters are one, you know) as a monkey, and if the progresses of the WaPO can't figure that out...they have bigger problems.

Interesting

Today, I did some things -- made a jello.  Went to the gym.  Did some more Xmas presents.  Completed some mail.  Updated the OC books.  Picked up some stuff, did some other things.  Rah.  Went to a brunch -- excellent grub as always.  Watched Duke lose, and, more surprisingly, OSU win.

I received a bottle of Nouveau Beaujolais, and had a glass yesterday -- not a fan of red, but the crappy red aftertaste is NOT there.  Funny; I know I was tired, but I was in bed by 10:30 last nite.  Didn't set the clock, and was up at...8:20 ish.  Whoa.  My host pointed out that for all my talk of sleeplessness, this seemed to do the trick...I had one today, and it isn't quite as potent...but after ten hours of sleep last nite...well, we will see.

My Mom sent me the Neighborhood News...the JPII Academy in Garfield Heights is closing...Enrollment went 250 at opening to 164 in the current year, and with the parish subsidies ending...  What really surprised me were the subsidies; the GH parishes do not seem to be Brecksville-ish in their finances, if you get my drift...for the the first seven years, they kicked in (total) $180K a year...followed by $120K and $100K.  Let's face it; that's a shitload of money, especially for some working class parishes.  I suspect, of course, that as African-American enrollment rose, white enrollment declined...and we all know that means.

Moves

I was reflecting on the debate, and there were two strategies in play -- Cruz trying the GOP candidate to win the primary election, while Rubio was trying to be the guy for the general election.  I prefer the latter course, obviously -- Rubio on his worst day is 100 times better than Hillary, of course -- but I can why Cruz would go for the other; the problem is that I am not sure he (and especially he) can swing back in time.

The Tribe, sick of collecting crappy fifth outfielders, went out and got themselves a fourth OF.  Rajai Davis.  I actually like the deal -- he can play everywhere, just enough power to get by in a corner for a bit, just enough range and speed to play CF (albeit not every day).  I suspect the plan is play him in LF til Brantley returns, at which case he can swing/play CF if Almonte fails and RF if Chisenhall doesn't work.  They could have done worse.

The other move -- Napoli -- I am not sold on, though for enough money (by which I mean, not much) it could work.  I mean, he looked done last year...maybe he bounces back.  If the season is going well, excellent, if not, off he goes for an A reliever with a sore arm and salary relief.  He is right-handed -- unless the Ivy Leaguers in the front office failed to notice -- which is nice for balance.  He can DH and play 1B (Santana, ahem) and while I do not think the Tribe would put him in LF like the Rangers did, they could...though it would be funny as hell.

Combat

If nothing else, the GOP debate was amusing; I'll give them that.  I actually thought the Rubio-Cruz debates WERE substantive because they needed to be.  Fiorina is correct that this is why people are fed up with DC, but -- let's face it -- the people watching are GOP people who follow -- at least nominally -- the issues.  Hell, even the Rand Paul types have their supporters, and at the primary/caucus level, it IS important.  Not sure Kasich had much to say, but, let's face it, a foreign policy debate is not where a governor will shine (Christie is an exception, given his prosecutorial role).

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/when-the-government-tells-poor-people-how-to-live/ar-BBnwTQ0?li=BBnbfcN
For the Atlantic, this was fair and balanced, and you know, they're right; people -- especially those with a history of making crappy decisions -- do need to be told what to do.  There is some (a lot, actually) sense to the notion that the poor can't make decisions properly due to information/mental overload, but, if you think about, it actually reinforces the position of "do this for your own good or else."

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-12-08/woodrow-wilson-wasn-t-the-only-progressive-racist
I always get a kick out of these things...sort of like people berating Trump for his views, which are odious, but, let's face it, until a generation ago, these views were de rigeur (in theory and practice) among Democrats (Robert Byrd, anybody?).  I don't seem to recall people marching to the barricades to protest then, FWIW.

November OC stats:
480 visitors, reporting 193 seniors, 706 adults and 449 children.

Excitement

Took the day off and went to Summit Mall for some shopping...and got some of it done; ok, prolly enough -- some of the big stuff I needed, and I decided to punt (i.e., cash/lottery/gift cards) for the other.  I need to wrap them, of course, but...  as for the mall itself, it was nice.  Smaller than South Park -- three anchor store locations, one floor -- but a good mix of stuff.  They did have an area with leather couches and chairs that was reserved for the men, which amused the fuck out of me; that said, the parking lot is a little...small.  Lots of stores/eateries around the thing, which doesn't help, but compared to the wasteland that is Parmatown...well, I don't think the people of Fairlawn are complaining.

I also went in the attic today looking for something my Mom wanted (and couldn't find, which leads me to believe it was never there in the first place) and ended up doing some cleaning and rearranging...in some ways, it was nice, a trip down memory lane, and some sorting, but also sad; let's face it, most of the time, when stuff goes in the attic, it doesn't come down, and the only reason you're keeping it is for the memories...

Caught

Company holiday party was today...wasn't too bad, though it is sort of rigamaroley...the food was good, the conversation was decent, I got an ok door prize... rah.  Was busy at work -- might need to do some this weekend to catch up.  Rah.  Tomorrow I am off, because, as I like to say...day and night with the coworkers is something too much.

http://www.cleveland.com/parma/index.ssf/2015/12/parma_employees_climb_while_ci.html#incart_river_index

My sister lives there, and we were discussing this...it is a bit ridiculous, but if you keep voting D, well, what the hell do you expect will happen?

http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2015/12/summit_county_councilwoman_tam_1.html#incart_river_index

I couldn't help but notice that the PD buried the fact that she was a Democrat until the next to last paragraph.  Of course, maybe they just assumed that when you think of corruption...you can complete the rest.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2015/12/07/people_should_protest_gun_shops_like_they_re_abortion_clinics_oh_wait.html#comments

I think the last sentence is, for many people, the problem...

In other news, I am coming to the conclusion that the Indians are being wise NOT to break up the rotation; I am not saying that they are lacking bats, but I have never been a fan of the cutting-the-throat to cure the nosebleed school.  I realize that burning service time is not a good thing, but it might be better to turn loose one of the OFs...

Triple header

Got up early to go to Mass and now I cannot sleep.  Alas.  Performance reviews today; mine were quite good, actually -- almost glowing, and I cannot complain about the bonus, either.

I watched three films on the NFR list Sunday night.  Two were shorts.  The first, "Lambchops," was a 1929 talkie -- early -- with Burns and Allen doing a vaudeville skit.  It was fairly funny, and being of the age when George Burns was an old guy with a cigar...it was cool to him (and Gracie, even moreso, actually) in the prime of life.  The second -- "The Land Beyond the Sunset" -- was a 1912 silent short concerning a boy from the slums, abused, getting a ticket to a Fresh Air Fund field trip, enjoying it, hearing a story about a boy who disappeared over the ocean....and I won't say the rest.  It would give away the ending, which is..well, haunting, which was something of a rarity for films of that time.  This is one of the cool things about the list -- you see stuff you never knew was out there, and you're glad you did.  Anyways, the third was a feature -- 1920's "The Last of the Mohicans."  Decent; there was some of the amusing stuff about giving the red man firewater, of course, but as an action film...it was impressive.  It also hit the biggies of the plot, an added benefit.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-08/chipotle-s-greatest-strength-is-now-its-greatest-weakness-too

I always like to remind my coworkers that we tend to forget that, before what we would call "factory farming," this sort of thing happened ALL of the time, and that people tended to not only get sick, but die (Abraham Lincoln's mother, for instance)...we tend to forget that while homogenization also improves standards and quality.  Now, I am not saying that we all should be eating white bread, but, when the stakes are raised -- and people have the means to do so -- I think the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Settled

After a long weekend of...well, many things, I guess, this weekend wasn't quite so exciting.  I am battling a cold -- no fun -- so I tried to get some extra sleep when available.  Watched a little football...might do some cleaning.  Honestly -- and I am NOT sure how this happened -- but I feel as if I drank a quart of Mexican water, if you get my drift...whoa.  I was going to clean some this afternoon, but I spent much time in the toilette, so I just laid down and read for an hour, just to let the stomach settle.

I am reading Freedom National right now, which discusses the evolution of anti-slavery in the GOP during the Civil War.  As you can imagine, I like it very much, and I suspect none of my other reads would...  There are about 500 pages, and I am just at the half-way point, not that I am complaining.  Film-wise, I am up to 369; finished watching "Dead Birds."  Interesting, not terribly so.

It hardly seems like December, not that I am complaining with the winter...it also hardly seems like Advent, even though the second candle was lit today.  I need to start shopping, or at least lining some stuff up, and as I have SOME gifts here (early shopping), I think I may as well wrap a few...

Desolation...

Went to Parmatown today -- had to meet a friend for some BS/decompress/etc., and it was sort of close and convenient.  With all the reports about them tearing it down...well, you couldn't tell.  Most of the place is already closed; I mean, the part where Macy's was and such is all gone.  The food court has nary a place in it, and there are only a few places open (the anchor stores, Hot Topic, Spencer's, etc.) in the rest.  I joked you could rave/play hockey/re-enact scenes from "The Blues Brothers" there, and you could.  Sad but true.  I wonder how well the new place will do; Parma is NOT as upscale as Strongsville/Westlake/Beachwood, but it isn't Slavic Village, either; there is purchasing power there.  I suspect being new and different will help.

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-12-02/ted-cruz-has-the-mainstream-in-his-sights
http://cookpolitical.com/story/9055

I think this is the Ted Cruz conundrum in a nutshell...the base likes him, but no one else does, and hence, he is not as electable as anyone else, which is a problem, as he does have serious conservative bona fides.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/12/03/times-square-will-no-longer-have-toys-r-us-at-end-year/?intcmp=hpff

My sister pointed out that she was glad we went; I was too, but...who goes to Times Square to buy toys?  I mean, it was cool as a flagship store, but...I wonder what will go in to replace it.

Links!

Hard to believe it is December with the weather we are having, not that I am complaining...I can assure you of that.  :)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/k-dropped-from-food-stamp-program-after-not-finding-work/article_c43de9a2-a932-5b30-9df7-d5fd5d0fc7e3.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_daily202

 Color me extremely skeptical for a few reasons, such as 1) If all this Hope and Change was happening as advertised, we wouldn't have all of these poor people; 2) From my experience, it is more lucrative for SOME people to collect food stamps, rather than work; and 3) Check out the salaries of your local food pantry...just saying.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/why-students-foot-the-bill-for-college-sports-and-how-some-are-fighting-back/2015/11/30/7ca47476-8d3e-11e5-ae1f-af46b7df8483_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

This is a good thing, to be sure, but after a while, a state legislature -- such as one populated by spending-cutting Tea Partiers, for instance -- needs to step in and both outlaw this nonsense, and force universities to spend on sports what they take in.  The solution would involve salary cuts, I think, as well as, say, cutting sports...but I would argue that Title IX doesn't apply; if women really cared about their sports, they'd support them -- and the same is true for men.  Crazy idea, of course, but it just might work!

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-11-30/u-s-developers-could-build-a-lot-more-apartments

I'd like to note that I am shocked, shocked, that this is happening in the blue areas...which are of course the ones that are the most costly to live in -- and thus need these less-expensive options to single-family housing for residences.