Catching up

Went to the Tribe game Wednesday -- I needed a break, wanted a bobblehead, and here we are... it was nice, just to sit and watch a game... the ending wasn't as fun, of course.  I mean, Plutko will never be, well, Trevor Bauer, but he is serviceable, at least for now.  I made a comment that you almost want to see Tomlin instead of Allen, and while I wasn't being totally serious...well, his inability to pitch is a problem.  I mean, the rotation is pretty solid; and while the offense has its gaps... but they really have one reliever they can rely on; everyone else is a question.  I am surprised they didn't make a move today... still time, but, if Drew Butera -- of all people -- can be moved, I can't fathom why we cannot even find a new arm, just to kick the tires.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/08/mike-pence-and-his-talent-for-being-absent/569017/

Yes, talent is one way to describe it, but as I always say, if you can't stand President Trump...well, wait until you get President Pence.  Of course, most GOPers would...prefer President Pence, if you get my drift. :)

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/08/27/federalist-society-yale-history-conservative-law-court-219608

This was interesting; I liked the part about feeling like a weirdo for being the only conservative in the room...

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/08/29/california-abolish-cash-bail-reformers-unhappy-219618
This could be me, but I have no problem with saying that some people really need to be locked up and throw the key away... I have never understood why for some on the left, this is such an issue....

Lamentations

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2018/08/23/the-bankruptcy-republican-party/SAolyQrzpX14zgkqMCNa9H/story.html

Coming from the state that gave us Ted Kennedy -- hell, all of the Kennedys -- this seems a little...rich, don't you think?

Up to 682 on the NFR, as yesterday I watched "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek," a rather humorous film about...well, marriage?  I was a little surprised it got by the censors, given it was 1943, but I think that actually added to the humor, given it was the sort of thing that could happen to many a young man, or woman, in that time...

https://www.mlb.com/news/daniel-murphy-sparks-cubs-in-sweep-of-reds/c-292024634?partnerId=ed-13043995-1092213043

Maybe it is the Holy Spirit at work?  Given Murphy's, um, stance on social issues, that would be funny as hell if it were the case...  I guess I don't really care what a guy does, provided he can hit.  I mean, let's face it, if the modern day Carl Everett was available to play 2B, and the price was right, well, Jason Kipnis would be a well-loved PH, if that. 

The reactions to John McCain's death were...well, interesting.  I was amused to see the left-wingers who excoriated him a decade ago were now, of course, lionizing him; similarly, I was fascinated to see the Trumpers of the party not waiting until he was in the ground to crap on him and his legacy.  To me, he was always...conservative enough?  Two decades ago he was the Straight Talk Express and in some ways the Tea Party before the Tea Party.  Nor did I ever have an issue with his stances on the military and use of force.  To me, the bigger issue is that, like the Democrats now, the GOP is demanding a too inflexible rigidity among its politicians... that is unwise, as expecting 100% orthodoxy from someone who will be with us 90% of the time

sadness

So, after last night, I would have said we have a closer problem, and thankfully there are other options at Hand (ha!) but we won't use them.  Today...well, maybe Kluber had a bad day at the office, as did the offense, but... now what?  Nothing about this team actually inspires confidence... I am beginning to think that the Tribe will end up like the Braves of the 90s, but without winning even one, and that would be... well, incredibly sad.

Took Mom to Shake Shack today -- I wanted to go myself, let's be clear -- and while it is a bit pricey, it was good... Pinecrest is basically Crocker Park, with the parking that is not terribly convenient, but we survived.  Mom loved the burger and wants to go back, especially if I am paying.

Up to 681 on the film list, as last nite I watched all of the extant episodes of "The Perils of Pauline," a 1914 serial detailing, hilariously and dramatically, the perils of a young heiress whose ward is trying to get rid of her.  It was good, though you'd have to think at some point she would have investigated while someone was always after her.  The star, Pearl White, was a sad tale...  also, the male villain of the series, interestingly enough had a long career even after the silent era faded, and was a waiter in Casablanca... this sort of stuff just fascinates me, as you can imagine!

Crapshow

Two big things of note... first, I saw "Hamilton" yesterday... it was good.  A little long, a little too musical... as I said, it is sort of like Mass, which, as you can imagine, went over well.  But it was pretty cool, and honestly, I need to read Chernow's biography, at the very least.

Number two, of course, was the Urban Meyer scandal; I am starting to dig Clay Travis, mainly because of stuff like this:
https://www.outkickthecoverage.com/on-the-urban-meyer-and-ohio-state-disgrace/

I of course said he wouldn't be fired, but it was truly a shitstorm; hell, not even Trump manages to piss off so many people as did OSU there... the Urban Liar bit is pretty funny, too.... I liked the take about President wanting to fire him and the Trustees not... ok, I mean, really... the Trustee are, by definition, the ones who run around and cut big checks, which would be a lot harder to do if the FB team suddenly began to tank.  Plus, after the Trustees fired the old coach... well, the President of tOSU would also be out of job, and where else could he be hired....

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-21/trump-s-war-against-blue-states?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=180821&utm_campaign=ritholtz

I am not exactly seeing the downside here...

Hard hitting

This could be me, but... I am not sure I trust Cody Allen in the postseason.  Hell, we don't really trust him in the regular season... I don't know, his stuff is just not the same, and it could be simply that he has been ridden hard and put away wet in the first part of the career, especially with the extensive action in 2016 and 2017.  I am glad we have Hand and Cimber, and if Miller can get partway to his old form....but that is a big if right now.

Due to a Netflix deficiency -- a poorly playing CD -- I ended up watching the other selection on my list, which was "Only Angels Have Wings," a 1939 flying drama with an all-star cast and, dare I say... a good film?  It was -- some drama, some melodrama, excellent acting, and a story line that was... well, what I expected, but interesting enough.  Up to 680 on the list, and while I am not sure this film merits inclusion, it was pretty solid.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/catholics-skip-the-collection-plate-amid-moral-catastrophe-of-pennsylvanias-sex-abuse-cover-up-2018-08-20?mod=cx_picks&cx_navSource=cx_picks&cx_tag=mw&cx_artPos=7#cxrecs_s
This could be me, but 1) What the hell did they expect and 2) There has to be some punishment for what has occurred.  As for hurting the poor and the needy... well, so does paying off millions in abuse settlements for crimes they concealed, so... 

https://www.vox.com/2018/8/17/17675100/welfare-politics-republicans-democrats-suzanne-mettler

I think she gets it partly right, but... it delegitimizes the welfare state when people who do NOT deserve benefits get them, while those who, if you will, work hard and play by the rules do NOT get them; they are punished twice, once for following the rules and then again for paying taxes and NOT getting the free passes.  If you come from the school of thought -- that many liberals do -- that everyone deserves something, well, this is above them.  But to a GOPer, this dichotomy is enough to drive them to the polls, but never quite enough to either cut benefits or live down the claims of "meanness."  I for one would LOVE to see a GOPer say that it is far worse for people to cheat the systems and take advantage of it....thus, we need to buzzsaw things until only the truly deserving get it.

Alas

Watched "Tess of the Storm Country" while watching/listening to the Tribe -- "Tess" was a silent film from 1914, so we reached #679 on the NFR without much difficulty, also thanx to the Tribe putting 8 on the Orioles.  Melky has had an interesting season; again, I think what you see is what you get (and I see room for improvement), but I have also made the case that he has been...proficient... when it comes to getting runs in.  Anyways, back to the movie, it wasn't very good, sort of clunky, but it was Mary Pickford's first (or among them) big role, so I think that was the push to include it on the list.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sex-abuse-report-lists-a-beloved-pastor-and-a-pennsylvania-church-reels/ar-BBM66LK?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout

I always used to say that these guys -- or those like Fr. Kooky in our Diocese -- are the ones you didn't have to worry about, because their pulling crap meant that any black marks against them would in turn be on their ministries.. but nowadays, you really can't tell anymore, which is the sad part...

Ideas

https://www.vox.com/2018/8/15/17693518/pope-francis-death-penalty-open-letter-first-things

Yes, I can think of a few people for whom this would be a good thing...

https://www.vox.com/2014/8/15/6005805/julia-child-birthday-remembrance

This is actually hilarious....  I mean, I love, cook with convictions and such!

They were talking before on the Tribe game about how Carrasco has been both consistent and good, and you know, they're right... I mean, for all the talk of Bauer (and it is deserved), well... he has been pretty solid this year; I think we forget about it with some of his clunker starts and all, but... he's pitched like a 2 starter, at the very least.  I did appreciate the puff piece in the Athletic about how the rotation was built... I do believe the phrase "luck is the residue of design" is the line I would think applies here.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-shouldnt-be-accountable-only-to-shareholders-1534287687

I think this is awesome, mainly because if some GOP had any brains -- and we all know what this means -- they would go and do the same for government.  The same could apply -- you'd have to consider the effect of legislation, and they could sue you if it didn't take (like, say, if your health care costs doubled if someone went around saying they wouldn't).   Forty percent of the bureaucrats could be elected by us.  Seven-five percent of voters or Congress would have to approve legislation.  No pensions for five years after retirement.  Genius, I tell you!

Wonders

Watched "La Bamba" last nite -- the story of Ritchie Valens -- which got me to 678.  It was, dare I say. pretty good... it is also a subject (musically) about which I know nothing, so now I am listening and trying to learn something new...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/%E2%80%98it%E2%80%99s-really-hard-to-be-a-catholic%E2%80%99-the-pain-of-reading-the-sex-abuse-report/ar-BBM1GdP?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout
You think?

https://slate.com/business/2018/08/ben-carson-ends-obama-era-efforts-to-reduce-housing-segregation.html
I've always gotten a kick out of these things, mainly because no one ever seems to want to move white people -- there are plenty of those progressive types out there, you know -- into minority neighborhoods.  As I like to say, as there are more of them, and they have a desire to be taxed, well, why don't they go out there and do it?

In other news...this could be me, but shouldn't Andrew Miller be pitching sometimes?  Last nite would have been ideal, or maybe a blowout to get the work in?  I am not exactly buying the whole bit about him working even when not pitching in a game...  In the meantime, what is it about the 9th inning that turns a reliever into...crap? Allen was awesome in the 7th and 8th, and you'd think Hand would have been fine, but fasten your seat belts, hold on to your Trumpy Bear, it is going to be a bumpy ride...

Bemusement

https://www.vox.com/2018/8/13/17684222/keith-ellison-karen-monahan-minnesota-attorney-general-race

Because he's a Democrat?  I would think that's the only reason, especially as, the article notes, this isn't the first time this has happened...

https://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2018/08/mayor_frank_jackson_says_sunda.html

This could be me, but....no?  I mean, yes, they need a dirt bike track, but this is people being unsafe assholes, and I really don't think if you build a bike path, they will come...

I was amused -- if saddened -- by the news about Trevor Bauer.  For one, us Duke fans have to stick together.  Two...I mean, yes, I can see how the hairline fracture could be missed by the crack medical staff, but...why the hell did they say the X-rays were negative? At least this isn't the arm, and we have depth, sort of -- no one is all that excited to see Adam Plutko, or, God forbid, Josh Tomlin, making a start unless it is in this sort of situation.  But I do wonder who is actually running the show here...

https://slate.com/comments/business/2018/08/medicaid-expansion-is-now-more-cost-effective-than-obamacare-exchanges.html
This is sort of true, if it masks the fact that Medicaid simply underpays doctors, which means that actual paying patients have to pay more...  Sort of like this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/13/upshot/medicare-part-d-hidden-cost-problem.html
This is the problem with these schemes (or any scheme):  someone has to pay for the free-riders, so costs go up, but no one really wants to, especially if they have to and people feel that the recipients are "undeserving." There is also the minor fact that no one really thinks their healthcare will be better, either.... as I often remind people at work, ours is worse and costs more... not the "If you like your healthcare you can keep it and save you $2500 plan" that someone promised....

Interesting...

Watching the Tribe not beat Homer Bailey like Sherrod Brown's first wife, or, as the Fun Run Bunch pointed out, Keith Ellison's ex-gf, I am... I don't know... the guys often make this complaint -- to which I attach the "hey kids, get off my lawn" comment -- that the Tribe is not... well, fundamentally skilled or a team that plays smart baseball.  But, as the season goes on, I tend to agree.  Yesterday it was Alonso not going to first and then throwing the ball away (the play was defensible, especially if he makes the throw), and then a borderline play where Allen could have (maybe!) made the play on the drive to CF in the 9th.  Now, today -- in addition to the Chinese-restaurant style of pitching by Clev -- Allen bunts (in front of the pitcher!) and pops up the bunt...  Bad enough to do that, but... not knowing the guy up next... I mean, you really have to swing there, I think.  Even if Allen doesn't make a "productive out" (and in this situation, just getting the run in is enough), you really can't expect the AL pitcher to drive the guys in.  Oi.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/8/12/17681466/keith-ellison-karen-monahan-allegations-video
Seriousness aside...what is it about Minnesota Democrats that causes this?  What is in the water up there?  Ok, they're Democrats and I realize their morals and our morals are somewhat different, but...

https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/8/8/17376824/trump-fan-art-maga-dinesh-dsouza-jon-mcnaughton

I sort of want one of these for my house, just for shits and giggles, and maybe to keep away company, at least some types of company; on the other hand, God help me if the Mormons come trucking by, see one of their co-religionists in the living room (next to my copy of dogs playing poker, rest assured), and make their pitch.

Speaking of, that pitch Bote hit yesterday to walk off the Nationals... that was pretty cool, especially because, well... it seemed to be a microcosm of the Nats season, throwing it away, sometimes in bits and pieces, and sometimes all at once.

Tearing things up

I am beginning to understand the concept of a lazy Sunday afternoon, mainly because I am having one... I took a brief nap, even!  The game is going at a languid pace... I did watch another movie to cross it off the list.  Today's selection was "Lonesome," a 1928 silent film about two people who meet and become separated at Coney Island... in some ways it reminded me of "Sunrise," with the cinematography and such. Two other things of note: one, the difficulty of staying connected in a world without the conveniences of today, and 500 people in the best clothes at the amusement park today...well, people would think it crazy.

Yesterday I watched "A Study in Reds," an amateur short from 1932.  Cute and funny, and the more remarkable given that it was a mainly all-female cast from the local women's club... I guess we do, or can, do it know, given the proliferation of phones and youtube and such, but the fact that it was more of a production then...

Yandy is up with the club, and while I realize he may not have the power desired nowadays, he seems to be raking, which would imply there is no reason for him to be back in Columbus... I don't really have a huge issue with Edwin to the DL -- ten days off should be enough to get him healthy and we need the bats for the series in Cincy, and at the very least, Yandy should get some PHs, where he can continue to show that he should be on the ML roster...

Hmmm

I was off today -- summer Friday and an MD appointment -- and I took advantage of it by cleaning off some paperwork, handling some affairs, and finally, watching "The Big Trail" on youtube.  675 from the list -- John Wayne's first big role as frontiersman leading the settlers across the West.  As a film, it was...well, it touched all the bases, if you get my drift, but it was also, for 1930, pretty...good?  I mean, I liked it, and Raoul Walsh knew what he was doing.  On the one hand, they've been making film for 40 years; on the other, talkies had been around for two years, and to go to "The Big Trail" from nada in that time... pretty cool.

I have to admit, not only do I not think that the GOP will hold the House, I don't think they will hold the Senate, either...  I am not sure they can play offense and defense at the same time, hell, we can't even do one...

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/09/dinosaur-extinction-debate/565769/

I love stuff like this, but...why can't it be both?  Two catastrophes simultaneously occurring would more do the trick, I think...

Creeping Forward

I haven't done this in a while -- for a bunch of reasons, all equally good and bad -- but I poked around on youtube and watched "The Making of an American," a 13-minute short on the NFR (silent), putting me to 674... anyways, it was... well, a bit too upwardly mobile, I think, but it was your standard American fare (for 1913) combining the need to integrate and learn the language with the usual point about how the US is a land of opportunity. I don't really think this is less true now -- any part of the film -- but comments were disabled, which made me wonder...

One of my coworkers reminded me that I was wrong about the Brantley signing (never mind many of my other predictions were spot on)... I told him yes, but all the work spent on keeping him healthy has put everyone else on the shelf.  It is sort of true... I mean, no one wants Guyer in CF to start a game, I think; but then again, with all of the Ks floating about, there are fewer fly balls.  It does do some neat slotting with Rajai entering late and Guyer moving to RF, but this is also saying that Melky is the solution in RF, which is...well, simply not true.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hands-off-clergy-balk-as-european-politicians-brandish-the-crucifix-1533807001?mod=hp_listb_pos1
I was shocked, shocked, to see the Pope decrying this, and the good Catholics of Poland supporting this... 

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1027648500107026433.html
I think is largely correct, and indeed, makes some points people tend to want to forget...

Hmmm

Fueled by the inklings of a plan for self-improvement/fixing life issues/etc., I blog... it was good to see Cody Allen's triumphant return as Indians closer last all of one batter.  Yes, it is Sano, a good hitter, so it could happen to anyone, but, as I have noted before, with the Tribe's pen issues, every flub is going to get the microscope, like it or not.

https://gizmodo.com/how-to-optimize-working-from-home-1827033133
This could be me, but isn't this sort of obvious?  I mean, humans settled Oceania fairly quickly, so it would seem to me that people who could find specks of land on a map could follow a coastline, especially if it was easier and faster than walking.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/08/police-bait-truck-filled-with-nike-shoes-angers-black-chicago-residents.html

I saw this on Vox, and I was like...WTF?  I don't know... I mean, I realize we are dealing with Hope and Changers here, but... 1) Theft is a crime and wrong; and 2) I would assume that if there was an unlocked truck of semi-valuable sneakers lying about, this was either a sting or a TV show running a sting, so... I would stay away?  I realize that not everyone is like me, but...  Of course, I also realize that Chicago is not the place I would use as a model of police integrity and efficiency, and it's not like there are other, actual crimes to solve, but...

Links

On a day filled with various forms of unpleasantness.... well, let's just start with a few links, ok?

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/howie_carr/2018/08/howie_carr_jim_lyons_out_pcs_the_democrats
This is pretty funny; you'd think someone somewhere else would actually let this come to pass, just for shits and giggles...

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a22594681/weve-been-wrong-before-expanding-earth-theory/
I wasn't aware of this, so this was most...interesting and informative.  My usual snarky comment about the settled science, of well, anything... think climate change and eating eggs for breakfast, for instance, you can apply yourselves.

https://eagleactionreport.com/articles/ground-the-blue-angels-a-navy-flyer-responds
My favorite line:  Last point. We’ve all seen the meme circulating around that states, in essence, if conservatives don’t like something, they generally don’t partake in it. But if liberals don’t like something, they work to deny it to everyone in America. Classic case here.

https://deadspin.com/big-league-bullying-the-conspiracy-to-humiliate-mlb-um-1820326246
I was a little surprised by this article, given the, um, tilt, of deadspin.  I think, though, the comments point out that 1) Unions can be awfully anti-worker, ha and 2) Being a MLB umpire and making the living he did...well, I think there is a difference between being in a union and being in a union representing any major sports league...

http://dailycaller.com/2018/08/06/hospitals-post-prices-rule-trump/

This is good, but it should have been done...earlier?  I mean, it should have been part of Obamacare...and it certainly should have been a GOP talking point from day one.  Oi.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2018/08/03/lesbians-want-a-church-of-their-own-and-irs-approves/#4fe1483a21c2

This is hilarious, and you can all make your own jokes about softball and corduroy pants...

Oh, the Urbanity!

I get a kick out of the Urban Meyer story.... for the usual reasons, such as what on earth was he thinking and why the hell did he think he could get away with it... I did make the following observations at work:

1) If they fire him, it will be about two years before he ends up at Michigan, where he can demonstrate his ample prowess on the gridiron for everyone in Columbus every year; and

2) There really is a way for him to deny knowing about this; all of the assistants knew and can say that they always thought someone else would drop the dime, and, come to think of it, so can his wife... she will get fired for her Title IX violation, but I think they can survive on his income.

Now, only the lawyers will believe it, but, well, that is all they have to convince... I mean, I think it is more than likely he gets the ax, but I also don't think anyone really wants this to happen, so...


https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/07/get-out-of-poverty-success-sequence/566414/

My general sense is that liberals are appalled by this because it...works, and thus disproves their worldview...

https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/7/30/17629978/emily-bronte-200-birthday-wuthering-heights

I hate to say this, but they are right... no one should really have to read this thing more than once....