Anticipation

Was it me, or was the Gorsuch announcement...well, something.  Trump made a good speech (for him), short, disciplined, some trolling of liberals, the paean to Scalia...to say nothing of a solid pick.  I was watching this, and I was like...why can't we have this EVERY day?  Oi.  I think he gets confirmed, but barely...I am not sure the Dems want to risk the filibuster here, and, well, neither should we.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-01-31/the-left-underestimates-trump-s-economic-plan

I think this is largely correct; I mean, no Republican is going to complain if you sock the blue enclaves on the coast, and if people in the Trump-leaning states benefit...well, so be it.  Much like the refugee ban, which seems to have the support of the majority of Americans...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-31/outraged-mexicans-to-trump-tear-up-nafta-we-re-sick-of-it-too

This could be me, but if Trump is so dumb and undisciplined, yet if he manages to get the Mexicans into repealing NAFTA for us...

I was a little amused by mlb.com, looking for the 2017 version of the Tribe, a "surprise" team...I don't know, maybe we were surprised, given that the Tigers had won it the last few years, but I do seem to recall plenty of people thinking we had the pitching to do it..;I think the surprise was that we won with the black hole of catching and without Brantley; Naquin and Davis managed to fill in (especially after Byrd went away) and then Ramirez became Mr. Double...not sure anyone really predicted, or expected, any of that...

Stopping and Going

Duke is sucking (against Wake Forest, to boot!).  I am sick, better but not good...I was supposed to go and meet some people  last night, but with the cold, the cold sore, and the general weather, and the fact I didn't leave work until six, I figured discretion was the better part of valor.  I suspect it was the better choice -- eight hours of sleep, proper food and vitamins, prolly better for the body.  Alas.

OC duty today...not too bad, no pain in the ass clients, slower day, smaller crowd...didn't empty out one of the freezers like I promised, but on the bright side, I don't have to be there NEXT week.

Trump's big announcement...well, this could be, but this was a campaign promise, and, like a lot of people, I think in the ones and twos of things, it is sad...or can be.  But as a whole...I am not sure it's all that awful, and I suspect a lot of people feel the same way.  Like it or not, Obama let a lot of people in here, and while they prolly mean no harm...well, the Pulse shooter was assimilated, too.

Stimulation

My boss noted my cold was breaking up, which is true...my schnozz is a maze of sniffles, but I am less lethargic.  That said, early to bed tonight!  Sadly, I was at work until PAST six...didn't even turn the phone on, trying to turn shit in, deal with other stuff, revise my work and someone else's...oi.  It was not exactly a good day for morale.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-25/how-team-trump-sees-unemployment-and-why-it-matters

I think there is something to this.  For one, labor force participation is low, and I suspect it is lower in Trump Country, where people do want to work.  Two, economic growth/red state growth, if it going to accelerate, will have to come from those places that are lagging behind, so if more people are working and looking for work around there...that would be a  sign the economy is picking up.  This, I think, is where the infrastructure stimulus plan will come in...if and when it does.

Crossed another film off the list yesterday, "Multiple Sidosis."  It was cute -- basically, an amateur filmmaker playing the same song on a variety of instruments, with 1970 film technology...mind you, each instrument was a different film, put together, so incredibly technically complex.  Pretty cool, when you think about.

Machinations of Improvement

The health front is better, nominally so...my coughing is a bit less, and the outbreaks are less intense (but not yet gone).  Sniffles and such continuing.  I feel things breaking up, but I also note that I am clogged.  No gym, alas.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/trump-wall-street-supporters.html

I found this to be an interesting view of why people backed Trump...because I think it was the rationale of a lot of voters as well..  I guess, and this just Matt talking, that in some ways, you want to take a chance with the change agents, because, well, when the future looks remarkably like the past -- and not all that rosy -- Plan B isn't that bad; as I like to say at work, why do you think men hang out at bars until last call?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/01/17/a-mayor-denies-its-his-voice-on-lewd-racist-tapes-his-colleagues-say-resign/?utm_term=.fedcaad00dfc&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
Snicker, snicker, snicker.

This could be me, but I am a little surprised that the Tribe isn't going out there and signing a second lefty for next year.  I mean, it could be they have faith that Kyle Crockett can fill the role; he had a good strand rate last year, and while his stuff isn't wow-ish, one would think he could be suitable LOOGY; on the other hand, it doesn't seem like they have all that much confidence in him.  I know the payroll is maxed out, but at this rate, 1/$1 could be had for someone, I suspect.  It could also be that Francona figures he has enough good relievers, and, well, letting guys fight for the back-end jobs is good enough.  There is some track record here -- Manship and Otero worked wonderfully, and they got a good month or so out of Joba, FWIW.  I guess the idea of hanging out til 3 AM can fly here, too.

outlets

I am better today, but in a matter of degrees; I worked from home, which prolly helped, as did the quart of cough suppressant I took.  I think things are breaking up, given the level of...expulsions from every orifice... that I endured today.  I am going in tomorrow, hell or high water.  The chills are largely gone.  Last nite was spotty in sleep; let's hope I get seven or eight solid.

Watched Duke lose, ugh.  Impressive...I mean, the mental farts on offense -- those two long and quick jumpers toward the end, Jesus, what the hell were they thinking.  Oi.  Could be a long year; course, better to lose now than later.

Finished the Horwitz book today; sad, in that one of his chapters -- about Columbus in the Dominican Republic -- has several comments about the general absence of road rules there...which was doubly sad after the deaths of Ventura and Andy Marte (not that I didn't have some lesser joy over the hole in the KC rotation).  Andy Marte hit a HR off Mark Beurhle...must have been 2006, I think...I mean, he just timed it perfectly and hit it the country mile.  I thought he would was going to be a star, but...alas.

In the meantime, I moved to clear the backlog of magazines on the pile, and will start a new book tomorrow.  Skipped the gym (also spurring my revival, I hope) today but will try for tomorrow; definitely got plenty of steps in otherwise.

A slow death

Operation Death to Mattie continued today...I managed to survive Mass, but by 9:30 it was...chills, lots of them -- I put the heat up to Monica temperatures in the car on the way to the gym.  I only worked out with about 80 percent efficiency at the gym, then to Mom's where I couldn't start coughing.  I think it was food that did it, because I had another fit after dinner.  I've taken two, brief naps/twilight sleeps today for about an hour, will go to bed soon, too.  I have actually coughed less as the day has went on, and the temperature is all over the place  Drinking a LOT of water to be safe.  I am still leaning against the MD, as if this IS a cold, there is nothing they can give me, and with the vagaries of the new plan -- deductible doubled, thanks Obamacare! -- I don't want to start until I have to.

On TCM today they aired "A Place in the Sun," the adaptation of the Drieser novel with Clift and Taylor.  Pretty good, even if he was the world's worst criminal.  Never read the book, so I cannot judge how it is different...up to 521, rah.  I had planned on watching some other stuff, but between the not really sleeping and the feeling shit, I passed.  Alas.

Was looking at the schedule of things to do this year...no prospect of a big vacation, I think, but I do see a few extended weekends, not necessarily a bad thing...I am beginning to like getting away from it all, even for a few days...just because.

Sweating it out

OC duty today,,,oddly enough, it was the busiest week of the month, though it didn't seem it -- no big AM rush, 20 at most at the outset, but a steady stream all day, and it was...blessedly good.  The only issue was one of the volunteers was helpful in a non-helpful way...we were trying to shift stock around (get rid of older, clean out freezers) and of course we had done it differently before, yadda yadda..oi.  Afterwards, the other co-manager joked about it with me...alas.  We did empty and defrost one freezer and did move all the produce...

Killed myself at the gym today; I am coughing less, but enough, and I have sniffles out the wazoo.  Leg day after the OC is NEVER a good idea, and I was only operating at 85 percent due to the cold.  Alas.  The worse was the post-lift treadmill session; I went over 20 minutes because, as mentioned on Facebook, the treadmill guys were going to town on this...all men; most of them, I suspect were younger than I am (all of them, old or young, could kick my ass; that said, it's nice to be at the gym, where you can at least hear sensible talk every so often).  While there were the usual comments about them all being fat lesbians (the first was true, the second, prolly not, demographically speaking), there were also two other points.

One was "If they had worked as hard at electing Hillary as they did in marching..."  Now, I don't know if that is true here, but in the big three states in the Midwest...the margin was such that yes, they could have won had they had enough numbers.  Why they didn't, I don't know...I suspect overconfidence across the board.  The other theme was the "My life isn't better off after eight years, which is why I voted for Trump."  Now, this is in Parma, that bastion of Democratism that went 55/44 for Trump, but...I would like to think this is something women could see but chose not to.  Maybe this isn't true; I mean, if the exit polls are correct and that half of all white women for Trump, it would have been in Parma -- where working class women, I presume, would be doing even worse than the menfolk.  So yes, "what the hell do you have to lose?" would have applied.  But I just wonder what kind of world the other half of women live in; not such things as abortion and contraception and such aren't important to them; they are.  But if they just missed the rest, sort of the bubble on the SNL skit...

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/01/20/how_trump_won_--_conclusions_132846.html

All of the essays are pretty good, especially as I think we all know how much I love the county stuff.  I say it again...if it was really Conway who had the notion to go hard in the rural areas -- where NO ONE ever went before -- and have the Donald run his show there, warts and all -- she should be lauded by women everywhere for seeing what few, if any, saw...again, I suspect they chose this strategy because it might have seem to be the only viable one, but having done it...they didn't half-ass it, and that was the margin of victory.

Expulsion

I have to say it:  I didn't exactly love the speech, but I liked it; the man is not an orator like BHO is, of course, but I suspect for a lot of people that's WHY they love him; I mean, when the rhetoric is glittering and the promises are high and the reality is craptastic, you look for the alternative.  As for the contents...well, a certain number of GOPers will appreciate shitting on Washington, and if Trump can achieve some of what he suggested...well, he will be a success.

I woke up this AM, had a coughing -- a deep one -- and it felt like I had pulled my pectoral muscle off the bone; I spent most of the rest of the morning trying NOT to cough...I had to take Mom to the eye doctor for some laser surgery, and she of course was suggesting bronchitis, a trip to the emergency room, etc...I was like, not.  Anyways, right after lunch (the new Mission BBQ in Parma; pretty decent, not quite sure you get full value, if you get my drift), I had to cough and released a pound of phlegm or worse...it was impressively disgusting.  But it did break the seal; I felt better immediately, lifted some heavier weights at the gym, and now...it hurts to cough, not terribly.  I am cold and have sniffles, but I feel...pretty good.  Interesting.

Finished the last book I was reading about WWI battle tactics and have moved on to A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horwitz -- a look at the "hidden" history of European exploration of the Americas.  I say "hidden" because while he didn't know any of the expeditions, say, of the Spanish or others, I certainly did...of course, the man is a journalist, and that is explanation enough...

The Last Hours

Being sick is no fun, especially as I am in the here phase of the thing...I will be off to bed soon, which helps, as did the healthier eating I did for dinner...or perhaps the Victory Christian Chick-Fil-A for lunch...

There was an article on deadspin about Posada passed off the HOF ballot; I think they're right... he is not quite an HOFer, but he was a good player for a bunch of years and was an important part of their dynasty.  Not a HOFer but somehow he deserved better; of course, so did Kenny Lofton.

http://www.politico.eu/article/britains-singapore-threat-philip-hammond-may-brexit/

This could be me, but wouldn't the UK be in a much better position if they started doing this now?  I am a little skeptical that everyone is going to pull out shop from the UK once they do leave, but if they are, and lo and behold, someone has this new plan to save you money...well, I think they might just stay.  Sort of like Trump and these companies deciding to put jobs in the US; maybe it was planned, and maybe it wasn't, but it might be just be worth it for a multinational/US firm to do it now rather than face trouble later.  Germany wouldn't care, but I can easily see more European countries leaving, and some of them might decide to join the UK axis...as should the US.

My own feeling on the Cabinet is that DeVos and Tillerson are not making it...DeVos was more than a little shaky, and of course, being on the outside, she might be more useful than on the inside.  Tillerson was a bit shaky, and I can see enough people who aren't impressed deciding that this is the time to show their independence...

Sickness

I appear to have caught a cold, or at least, the one I had never went away and is now back with a vehemence.  Truth be told, my diet has not been all that good, and I have been off on my sleep...of course, the problem now is getting it back together.  Alas, alack.  I think today's short film will be put off for a day or so...

http://pressthink.org/2016/12/winter-coming-prospects-american-press-trump/

Really?  You think?  I don't know, this could be me, but...these people brought this on themselves by their reporting and general showing of bias to one side, well, what the hell do you expect?  I mean, I don't think the Trump coverage is wrong, but I really think that they really believed Trump supporters were all racist deplorables, and while that is true for some...it is not true for the whole.  Piss people off enough, and they will fight back.

http://theslot.jezebel.com/north-dakota-lawmaker-proposes-bill-to-shield-drivers-w-1791214067

i think this is funny as hell, given that it was my favorite Hope and Changer who suggested that the protestor who lays in front of his car...it'll be the last one he lays in front of.  :)

A Big Dose of WTF

Today I made some time to watch some shorts on the film list...namely, an excerpt of "The Red Book," Bruce Connor's "A Movie," and "Motion Painting Number One."  All of them, it turned out, were avant-garde/expressionist films that were, to put it mildly, steaming bowls of crap.  But, they are gone, and we are up to 520.

Speaking of...I think the latest pronouncements from Trump -- about NATO, Russia, and the like -- are the things that trouble me/the GOP/everyone else.  I mean, not that he is wrong about, say, our allies boosting defense spending, or wanting better relations with Russia, but no one seems to remotely think that the Russians can be dealt with...in any way, shape, or form, save by the use of maximum force.  Maybe Trump thinks he can play them, or he is playing us, but it even unsettles me...

Then of course, the Chelsea Manning pardon...well, let's just say that at least with the new President, that sort of nonsense won't be happening anytime soon.

Uptown

So, went to the Cleveland Cinematheque last night to catch the double feature...one of which was "Shoes," which crosses another one off, and the other was "The Dumb Girl of Portini," which was basically a vehicle for Anna Pavlova...the movie started and ended with her doing some ballet routines, which was pretty cool, as without that...well, I suspect there isn't that much footage of one of the famous ballerina.  I also noted that Uptown seems to be pretty well built up...most impressive.

I have to admit, I do wonder what is going to happen on Inauguration Day; jokes about bikers notwithstanding, I don't think anyone is going to pull any shit, but you never know.  Course, I would think that a crowd of bikers and Trump supporters could (and should) handle more than their fair share of protesters...

Notes

On the one hand, I feel like an old person; on the other, something to be said for being home...you get to catch up on things (movies, emails, etc.) and whatnot.  Watched two shorts between yesterday and today -- "Notes on the Port of St. Francis" (about San Francisco, narrated by Vincent Price) and "Men and Dust," concerning the lives and deaths of miners in 1940...funny; I've watched "Harlan County" and it didn't seem that much had been changed between the two.  OK, not funny, but sad...

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-01-13/your-local-mall-is-dying-unless-you-are-rich

I think this is sort of true; also, communities don't want to admit defeat and tear them down, and, perhaps worse, re-zone the land into residential...I know I am beating the horse here, but putting up nice apartments and condos -- even around here -- would ensure that they get filled, and while the revenue generated from them wouldn't match a commercial unit...I wonder, with the property taxes and all, if it just wouldn't be better; I mean, cities get taxes from people who and live there, and I suspect having 200 people in and near other retail spots would be a stimulus in and of itself...

On the attack

Late nights, fests with friends, and films...all of which have kept your blogger away...  Films, up to 513, with "Little Caesar," a 1931 gangster flick that was the first big hit for Edward G. Robinson, and "One Survivor Remembers," a documentary about the Holocaust.  The main problem has been a run of low blood sugars at night, which cost sleep and also annoy me... alas.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ben-carson-shaped-by-poverty-is-likely-to-bring-tough-love-to-hud/ar-BBy99U3?li=BBnbcA1

I go both ways on this; yes, he might not be qualified for THIS job, but, on the other hand, the Donald seems to be bent on bringing in outsiders, and I suspect he would be perfect in that role...course, myself and many other GOPers wish to rid ourselves of HUD, and this just might be a good time, especially when the solution to the housing crisis is to build more housing.

This could be me, but the Donald should be given credit for attacking the media...I think this is something many in the GOP actually like about the guy; it's obvious they aren't on our side, but no one calls them on it, ever...and Trump acts like everything is Defcon 3.  It is impressive, and I think this is something that the rank-and-file loves him for, which boosts him elsewhere...

routine

The weekend passeth, and I didn't exactly do anything special, mainly try to sleep, hit the gym, and read -- 2017 Bill James Handbook and its 600 pages of data, which, as you can imagine, is Matt heaven.  Watched another block of "Justified," quite good, and survived an OC stint...with the cold we were not screaming busy, but it was steady, and that was enough.  114, and it was sort of nice in that we were able to give out plenty of stuff to people, always good to help/empty the shelves.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/democrats-have-a-religion-problem/510761/?utm_source=twb

I have to admit...every time I see these headlines, I say to myself...Democrats have religion? :)

"Sherlock" tonight...while I like certain aspects of the show, at other times...well, I have to pass...

Progress

Man, that was a long commute; I left at 5:30, and it took me until 7 to get to Independence...of course, once I was officially on the West Side, the asshole driver population fell off dramatically; I mean, I was going 55 in the right lane, and was being passed with vehemence, with people going at least 75...the roads were the same quality (not bad), but it was impressive.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/31/us/texas-truck-culture.html?_r=0

This is also impressive, mainly because it fits me to a T, perfectly...or a F-150, if you will.  

http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/04/watch-bunch-journalists-freak-asked-know-anybody-drives-truck/

This also amused me, though, to be sure, the point of living in a bubble is exactly that...you stay away from everyone else...

Encarnation is a done deal, and this is good...not that I expected an issue, but it is a good sign of the team trying to improve off a good year; I've mentioned my general mehness about the team before, but the Tribe is pretty good, and with the division being a bit weaker, they should be able to pile up some wins.  Another LOOGY, or at least one they trust (Crockett seems not to be him) would be nice, I do admit, though.

Heresy and you

I've been following the U-Minn scandal, and the latest result...well, I wonder.  I mean, firing the guy after the bowl game is a douchebag move, albeit not quite as d-baggy as supporting his players (vocally).  What happens next...the issue of course is that the players didn't have any power before this, so...it would  be interesting to see if everyone transferred (or tried to); can't have a team without players, of course.  Now, if the boycott spread to other sports -- hoops is in Big Ten play, you know -- that WOULD be an issue, but I suspect it will not, given that the behavior in question was...more than egregious.

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/29/14112084/war-on-poverty-brooklyn-great-society

I sort of want to read this, but as I have 70 other books or so to read...but I think this article's premise is correct...

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-01-03/high-noon-for-the-religious-left

This could be me, but I suspect that the rise of the religious right as a political force happened because of the shift to the GOP in the South; if you think about it, the religious groups (Southern Baptists and Evangelicals) most affiliated with the GOP now all have their base there.  I suspect that it wasn't so much cultural issues (not that they were unimportant) but that people realized there was a yuge group of voters out there looking for a home, and given the possibility for electoral dominance...well, people started to court voters in the pews.  Then, with the legalization of abortion, there came about another group of voters -- Catholics -- in places where these groups had no outreach, and while it took a while longer, and the growth of other issues (vouchers), it paid off.

The flip side, as Russell Moore pointed out, is that aside from the African-American congregations, there aren't really large blocs of Episcopalians, Unitarians, and Jesuits out there; getting another 1,000 votes in Lakewood is nice but won't cut the butter.  Nor are these groups looking for a new home, politically; they are already preaching to the converted.  It's a matter of getting other religious groups to join them, and given the theological schisms, I suspect that the politics simply won't allow for a mating.

Back to Normalcy

It's been a good weekend, mainly, which is why heading off to work tomorrow will be something of a downer (among other reasons), but...on the other hand, it will be good to get into the rhythm of life again.  Also, I suspect that work will be...well, I did pig out on snacks this weekend, so it will be nice to not pound away crap...in a related vein, I need to eat grapefruit, I suspect... My goal of 170 by September is still on.  Nor is that the New Year's Resolution!!

Watched two films on the list (up to 511):  "Naughty Marietta" and "The Nutty Professor."  The first was a 1930s musical, and, while we all know what I think about those, it wasn't particularly awful.  The second...am I missing something, but is Jerry Lewis just not funny? I mean,not that there wasn't any humor, but most of the time, well, the sight gags and such just aren't that good.

In better news, got the first Final J! correct of 2017; I had missed three last week, and that is completely unacceptable...

Nouvelles!

And, with that, 2017 is upon us...in the morbidity category, I noted that about half of my life is...gone.  Ugh.  On the other hand...well, 2016 was ok; not great, not bad, a mix of both, as life so often is.  I ended the year by brunching with a friend and then heading out to a fest in Fairview Park, and it was fun -- far more than I expected.  The problem was today...namely, my colon entered the new year in record fashion this morning and has still been celebrating, if you get my drift, this PM.  The gym was not exactly a raging success, as the 10 hours of sleep I've gotten over the past two days really showed.  Alas, alack.  I was going to say nappies tonight, but "Sherlock!" is on, and, well, priorities!

Movie list is up to 509 with the viewing of "The Muppet Movie."  Cute, not quite my type, these uplifting kid films always depress me, but I got most of the celebrity cameos, save for Edgar Bergen -- didn't realize he was Candace's father -- so my knowledge bank was expanded.  Rah.

The Tribe is up to 10K in season tickets...good, I guess.  I mean, don't get me wrong, they are a good team, but I can't help but wonder...the OF is still unsettled.  Brantley might not be healthy.  Chisenhall/Guyer are good but not great; Naquin is still seen as a platoon guy, and if they do not resign Rajai...hmm.  They also have two crappy catchers, sort of... and I think we all know that I of the school that the rotation can always get an upgrade.

I don't really believe in resolutions, but I have decided to do something completely different this year...but I am not exactly sure what it is.  So if any of my readers have a suggestion, send it my way...