Transparency

I probably should have woken up and hit the gym first thing, but the snow and the fact that I woke up at 8...well, I can hit it in the afternoon.  I am off, today, and, well, it is sort of nice, in all honesty.  Did some stuff around the house, approached the 2/3 point of the Jaffa book -- a look at the rhetoric of Lincoln, a little deep but not uninteresting -- and played mail and checkbook games.  Rah.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-12-29/if-we-knew-what-things-cost-they-might-cost-less

I completely agree, especially when it comes to healthcare, but also note...

http://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus/la-fi-lazarus-insulin-prices-20161220-story.html

This resonates for me, obviously, but I can think of two solutions:  One, the government can get involved, such as by denying patent extensions or subpeonaing them to death.  Two -- even better, I think, would be for a state to get involved and start doing this; I mean, Ohio would be an excellent choice...the example I would use is the North Dakota bank, which the state runs and helps keep other banks in line.  There is nothing to stop Ohio from putting in a few billion -- maybe get some minority investors -- to make insulin, death penalty drugs, and a host of other pharmaceuticals...I think it would be a lovely way for the state to put people to work, create a high-tech, science-based industry, and...better yet, shove down prices.

http://www.businessinsider.com/second-avenue-subway-cost-nyc-infrastructure-2016-12

Yet again...transparency...but also note that this stuff tends to happen in blue states where state and local officials -- often with federal assistance -- let this happen.  It needs to stop, and maybe, just maybe, Donald can do it.

Forward and back

So, I was supposed to watch "The Muppet Movie," but the Magic of Netflix was defective, so...alas.  In the meantime...I watched "Morocco" last nite, which got me to 500!  It was an interesting film -- Sternberg, Pre-Code, Dietrich -- and it has a scene where she (in a tux, like a man) kisses a woman -- I told you it was pre-Code -- and while today it's just bleh, then (1930)...to say nothing of the other implications in the film.  The ending was a little "What The Fuck" for me but I did like it.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/12/14/the_lion_king_the_princess_bride_and_more_have_been_selected_for_preservation.html

This brings me to this -- 25 more, of which I have seen six...so, 506 of 700.  "The Breakfast Club" is prolly the most famous one I have not seen, though I bet regular readers are NOT surprised.

Other news is of course Bishop Lennon's retirement...I think I will miss him; my original comment of the guy needing a Dale Carnegie course remains on point, but I think history would say that he had to clean up the...things, if you will, of Pilla, and thus we must temper our judgment.  I wonder if the guy from Toledo will be made the permanent replacement, or they will promote someone local...I suspect the latter, but that is just me.

Birthing

Christmas came and went -- on the radio, of course, they are already on to the New Year.  It was good...ate too much (more cardio at the gym today to not even closely make up for it) and got some nice swag, mainly books, snacks, and gym clothes...  I figure I should eat up the leftovers by the New Year, when I can get more.

Watched "Ella Cinders" today to get to 499...good, funny...silent from the 20s based on famous comic strip, basically Cinderella meets the modern times.  I was thinking about what to do after this week when I hit/surpass 500; I mean, I could slow the pace down and work on other things, or do I get as close to the now 700 ASAP?  I could split the difference on concentrate on shorts...

The reason to watch less films is of course books...I have a pile from the library and got a bunch for Xmas...now I am in the middle of Jaffa's Crisis of the House Divided, which looks in-depth at the Lincoln-Douglas debates -- a philosophical breakdown of their beliefs...interesting, and I am learning a lot more about Douglas...For instance, the idea that the US should be a beacon of democracy was a hallmark of the US during that time, with a big debate over how far that could go...not that this means anything now, of course.   :)  Or, Douglas was fairly anti-slavery...but felt that more stringent attacks on it would only egg on Southerners...and that no one wanted the free Negroes in Illinois, and any strong advocacy of their cause would have implied he wanted them there...interesting....

Cultural readings

Watched "Letters From An Unknown Woman" Wednesday night, bringing me to 498.  Interesting film, and I liked it, but a part of me was like...what the fuck, because, well, if women think like this... oi.  I am also in the middle of season three of "Justified," and it is pretty good.

Might have posted this before, but I think this is mostly right, and I also suspect that religious views play a role here, as well; most liberals, especially of the SJW tribe, don't have any, or very few, and thus can't engage their counterparts on this matter.  Alas.

http://www.vox.com/conversations/2016/12/16/13924742/mark-lilla-identity-politics-liberalism-trump-clinton-race-2016-election

http://www.vox.com/conversations/2016/12/21/14023688/donald-trump-white-working-class-republican-democrats-justin-gest

I think this is largely true, and I give the guy credit for implying that relative decline is still perceived decline, which is the problem...

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-12-22/u-s-economic-ills-are-cultural-too

Also true too, and see my previous point about religion...

All of the presents are wrapped, which for me is a major victory in and of itself...I note I have more boxes and fewer bags this year, so I may have to remedy that going forward, or get used to more wrapping...

Linx

No progress on the film list -- work and family affairs intervene -- but I may check one out tonight, depending on the time and the other stuff I have to do.  As always...well, I am not much of a Christmas person, but I keep finding it harder to get into the spirit of the season.  I prolly should force myself to go and find a tree, decorate, etc...just to do it.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/1/12735666/uber-altamonte-springs-fl-public-transportation-taxi-system

I actually think this is pretty cool; privacy issues aside (and the public sector), this could really work...cheaper, more effective, more user-driven...I can see why the unions are opposed to it on multiple reasons, of course.

http://www.vox.com/first-person/2016/9/30/13090100/confederacy-myths-lost-cause

I always get a kick out of these things, mainly because of the "What the Fuck?" element to them.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/voters-really-did-switch-to-trump-at-the-last-minute/

Interesting; I think the main reason was because 1) HRC wasn't exactly liked and the voting pool that leaned left was a little smaller; some due to Hillary and some due to the fact that working class whites who felt abandoned by Obama went to Trump...and as I have said and said again, the challenge is keeping them.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/12/13/daily-202-ayn-rand-acolyte-donald-trump-stacks-his-cabinet-with-fellow-objectivists/584f5cdfe9b69b36fcfeaf3b/?utm_term=.5a4a873bdb75

I've generally noticed that the people who complain most about Rand have read her...the least.

Outward and Onward

Four days without blogging...not intentional, I assure you -- Thursday I had a meeting and a dinner with some friends, Friday I went to bed early, and yesterday was a family gathering...which gets me to here.  Three days of fun and excitement, more or less...actually, we went to the track yesterday, and I hit on a couple of trifectas, so I won some cash -- enough to finish Xmas shopping.  Rah!

Movies came tumbling off the list...up to 497, with "The Republic Strike Newsreel Footage," "One Froggy Evening," and "Rip Van Winkle" representing in the shorts...the last was interesting, a film adaptation of the Irving story/the big play that told the story.  I also watched "Tol'able David," a 1921 silent that was the film of the year that year...I thought it was good, but not quite all that, but, of course, I am not watching it in 1921, either.

The Cabinet picks are set...I still think Tillotson is a no go, for a bunch of reasons, but I could be off here.

I finished Kotkin's The Human City over the weekend; he is one of the few out there who is at least at peace with, if not for, suburbanization.  Anyways, while discussing the historical trend of people moving OUT of the city...he gave a bunch of stats about child mortality of the city in 1900, and it struck me that maybe, just maybe, people wanted to leave not just for land and space, but to save their children's lives...

Booming

The next 25 entries to the NFR have been released -- I'll post more about them later -- but I am aware.  I am up to 492 right now with yesterday's viewing of "The Living Desert," which was...good.  Some of these dialogue and such, of course, would never fly now, but for when it was released, well, they didn't really have the work you see all the time...which is why I think it made the cut.

I'd like to think my cold is breaking up; I've gotten about (if not more) than seven hours of sleep every night this week, and my diet has been healthier, with lots of liquids and plenty of Vitamin C.  I have to admit, I have felt less crappy than I usually do for a cold.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/when-even-frosted-flakes-are-political-where-does-that-leave-us-as-a-country/2016/12/12/07594c60-b8b1-11e6-b994-f45a208f7a73_story.html?utm_term=.a62abff00825&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

This could be me, but...so what?  Boycotts have been a weapon for well over a century now, and if it makes people feel better...I don't know, I would think a business might find it beneficial to attract a few extra customers here and there, but that could just be me...

Private

Skipped the gym today -- knee is at 80 percent, but why push it, I figured, especially as I had to work and then did some Xmas shopping.  Rah.  I figure another day of rest and as much elevation as possible and we should be good...especially with winter coming and winter eating.  170 pounds!

Anyways, I finished season two of "Justified" and am eagerly awaiting what comes next from Netflix...I have three movies here at home from the list, and may hit one tonight...  Xmas cards to be filled out and the minor emails that come across the desk.  Alas, alack.

I was interested by the coaching hires -- Strong to USF, Kiffin to FAU.  Both going down in class, to use the horse-racing term, but I suspect they will do well there and in three years be somewhere else.  I guess I see it, but I've always wondered why guys don't stick around, build a program, and get job security...

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-12-12/good-luck-privatizing-the-american-dream

This could be me, but as one who saw the Macs and the loose lending standards as part of the problem....I would think a slow selloff of bonds and a reimposition of strict standards would MORE than suffice.  I give Trump credit; most of the people being put in are those who will work to dismantle unnecessary government, and while it won't exactly cut spending enough...if these guys do what is expected of them, GOPers may find much to like about the guy yet.  Or, nyet.

Elevation

I decided to skip the gym today; it would have been leg day, and with the knee feeling sore...well, discretion is the better part of valor.  I elevated it last nite and will do so some more today... alas.  I may even get a nap in, just to minimize walking and to catch up on some rest -- the cold is there but ok, for now.

Watched two more films off the list (up to 491!) -- "Topaz" and "The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter."  Both were about WWII, but this was not intentional.  "Topaz" concerned the internment of Japanese-Americans in Utah, while "Rosie" dealt with the lives of five women who took crucial wartime jobs...and then, once it ended, got kicked to the curb, even though they didn't want to go...I hadn't quite thought about that aspect of things.  My goal of 500 before the end of the year (or at least before the introduction of the next 25 films on the list) is still in striking range, I guess.

I think I am about 3/4 done with holiday shopping; have a few small items to get, some kid stuff, and a couple of miscellaneous items, but most of the big stuff has been handled, thank God.  I do need to wrap and/or bag some items...I note that I pretty much recycle them from year to year, which makes me wonder why I see 10,000 of them in the stores at this time of year...

Respite

So, tonight was supposed to be family Christmas, but my cousin came down with the flu, so here we are...I have a cold myself, so why it sucks not to see the family, I can get to bed at a semi-decent hour.  OC duty today prolly didn't help, as I was the runner...not that the exercise wasn't beneficial, of course.  Actually, it wasn't too bad out there, and once the day opened a bit, we had a good number of clients.  The only downside was that I sort of wrenched my knee (prolly from carrying crap, of which we received an immense amount today)...not that it hurts, but I am treading oddly.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/12/07/the-supreme-court-oral-argument-that-cost-democrats-the-presidency/?tid=hybrid_collaborative_1_na&utm_term=.fb3ca4a9231a

I think this is exactly right, and not that it mattered a lot...but it mattered in those states where the margins were the closest, so it mattered...quite a bit.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-12-07/limiting-urban-density-drives-up-rents

This has been getting quite a bit of interest in some blogs and circles; I've been mentioning it here for a while.  I don't think the average libtard will ever figure it out, but then again, I'm not paying $2500 a month in rent, either.

Conversion

Funny...leg day today, but my back is...achy, like I pulled it or something.  Sleep has been less than ideal and of poor quality, so I suspect that it is...I have been hitting the gym harder, at least in terms of weights and cardio, to lose weight/burn calories/whatever.  Might eschew the film, or watch just a short, so I maybe can get a little extra shuteye.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/04/democrats-can-look-forward-to-the-coming-republican-era-being-a-disaster-for-republican-voters/?tid=pm_business_pop&utm_term=.1845bf46c43e

I've actually thought this should have been done a while ago...by GOPers.  It wouldn't be easy to cut off the spigot, but it would force states to invest in their own projects...and at their own rules; I'd like to think it would be easier to build stuff in Alabama than it is in New York, for instance.  And, as the locals would be in charge, they'd make the rules...little hard to put the federalism genie in the bottle now,  but as with most things, the fun is in the trying.

Cometh the axe

Didn't hit the film list today...despite picking up a bunch from the library.  Alas.  Worked late, ran home, did some errands, dinner, then to the gym, where I noted that there was a land office crowd.  I pushed myself today, so obviously it did me some good.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-05/rich-colleges-endowments-targeted-by-trump-backer-in-u-s-house

I think this is pretty solid...one, of course, most of the academics are lefties, so...you hit them in the pocketbook.  Two, if colleges want to hoard money, someone can call it on them, and three, most importantly...I think we all know that schools have plenty of people who can be...permanently re-assigned, if you get my drift.  Going after the spending, I suspect, would cause this...more so if a bunch of state legislatures decided to start whacking the funding that subsidizes this in the first place. That would be actually Republican, so who wants that?

Driving

Watched "Red River" today; Howard Hawks, John Wayne, Montgomery Clift.  Very good; odd that I hadn't seen it, but it does have the Duke as a non-good-guy, even though he played it extremely well.  That and the short yesterday put me at 488.  Also finished the book on the history of the British Army, which means I should prolly order a bunch more.

My plans to lose weight have been affected by the bowl of crab dip I made, which means I am now eating said dip (I picked healthyish crackers).  I don't eat it a lot, but...well, January will be here soon enough.

I was a little surprised OSU made it; to be sure, I thought they had done enough during the year to merit inclusion, but I could also see the committee excluding them.  The drop to 3, I think, was the dig on them for not winning the conference, but they are in...Washington is the team I thought that didn't deserve it, but then you couldn't have two teams from the same conference in the thing, or else we'd have another new system ASAP.

Resurrection

Not much progress on the film front; my uncle passed away Monday, and the resulting...festivities (theologically speaking) took some time -- wake, funeral, and a family food gathering...so today I watched "Parable," a 1964 film short about, well, the death of Christ, symbolically.  Interesting...I watched a couple of scenes again just to look at some stuff.  Odd, too, given its date of production.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/11/30/in-wisconsin-clintons-pre-election-poll-numbers-were-accurate/#96af166291e3

I like these stories, mainly because...well, I think they are interesting, and, well, if the white working class voters stay GOP...I suspect no one felt that white men without degrees would truck to the polls (literally), but they did.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2016/12/01/medieval-cold-snap-that-caused-famine-and-death-reveals-danger-of-climate-change/#3315404245f7

A lot of you know that I am disdainful of the stuff about climate change, and this is why...I think much of the variation is simply random, with humans playing little role, and while we should work to reduce emissions and find alternative energy sources...well, at the end of the day...