Clearing the Decks

Funny; today was clean out the stray paper piles day.  I literally put 30 different things -- old receipts, musings, notes, etc., into the recycle box.  It does look a little cleaner here (I have been doing some cleaning elsewhere in the house as well), so this is not a bad thing.  It was just odd that I went and did it today...

I've been on podcasting hiatus, as I have been listening to a bunch of work ones, and thus have not felt like listening to other things.  Clearing the ears, if you will.  I think I will return to my roots next week, though, as I need to clean some bookmarks out of the display.

So, I didn't realize that the $600 supplement is weekly... my own thought is that it is... rather generous?  I mean, I think there is a difference between those who are completely unemployed getting schloads of cash, and those on, say, partial furlough. I have no problem with shoveling money at restaurant servers, cooks, and other people whose careers have literally evaporated in a few months; like it or not, we have to spend to keep the economy moving, or at least not sputtering more. On the other hand... $2400 a month for people who are working (a lot!) seems... excessive?  I am not doubting the value of the stimulus there, but I just wonder about the social justice of the whole thing.

https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/88aug/easterbr.htm

This is an old one, but it has been getting some looks again with the UFO news and such.  I found it highly interesting.

Bemusement

Well, that was a fun Brad Hand implosion last night... I dunno, this could be me, but... not so long ago, 8IP (and effortless ones), 98 pitches...you'd send the guy back out for the 9th.  Now, of course, you need a Papal Bull to do it, at the very least.  I guess I am not surprised by this anymore, but.. I have always felt that pitch counts are important, but a lot of times as well, it is the effort in the pitches. There are days when it is just the starter and the umpire, and I don't necessarily think that, say, 120 pitches, are that awful. Certainly, a guy wouldn't feel tired in such a situation...

https://taibbi.substack.com/p/the-left-is-now-the-right

Hahahaha...

Two things about the world of politics that have amused me... one, of course, was the AOC/Ted Yoho war.  My question...if he had simply called her a "fucking liar" and then gone and said he never saw anyone, say, stealing bread in the NYC riots...would she have responded as she did?  Or, more fairly, would she have been out of line if she had read him the riot act from the House floor?  I guess it would have been far better for him had he done so...  The other is the brouhaha about POTUS not attending John Lewis' funeral...  given the level of animus, would it do anyone any good for him to go and utter pedantic and not-believed pleasantries?  I really don't think anyone is stupid enough to buy that...  I guess it is better for him to show some... dare I say intellectual honesty (no) and simply stay home.

Sports Talk

Well, that was a fun doubleheader, wasn't it?  To be sure, beating up on the White Sox is supposed to happen.  I guess I am less worried about Brad Hand than others, mainly because I was never sold on him as an elite closer, anyways.  Ok, who am I kidding... the drop in velocity is noticeable, to put it mildly, and while his slider looks good... he's not Andrew Miller (at his peak).   I do note he has been used sparingly so far.  As I mentioned to a coworker, Hand is one of Terry's guys, so long after he blows multiple leads, he will be out there to (not) record the save.  (Yes, Hill got the S today, but only because we can't use Hand twice in a day.)

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2020/07/inside-college-footballs-coronavirus-information-war.html

I don't know...my own sense is that at the end of the day, there is just way too mucb money out there for schools NOT to have college football. I mean, even at the schools where the budget is not football dependent, there is so much revenue from other sources (even down to the ol' SEC handshake) that people will be miffed if there isn't a season. A herd of pissed-off alumni will only deepen the deficit, and when schools are bleeding money as it is...  As for whether they should play...maybe?  On the one hand, there is a risk of COVID, but there are many other risks, and the math is on the side of playing...

Pains

I think I tweaked my shoulder (the one that is tweaked already) yesterday at the OC -- carrying too many bags, trying to get the people moved along -- and while it's not incapacitating, I did skip the gym today to give it a rest... with leg day tomorrow, that should be enough to try and get it back to normal.  Oi.  I wouldn't say it was that bad, but...

So, I stopped at CVS to get something for Mom, and I couldn't help but notice two things... one, they still had a sign (the one I hit) advertising one-hour film development...this amused me to no end; I mean, who does that nowadays? I realize it's now making prints and books and stuff, but...  this quaint reminder was a kick.  Course, considering I have a pile of actual photos I want to put into an album (once I find one), I guess I shouldn't mock it too much...  the other thing was man, their prices are high... I realize it's convenience and all, but... it's not like there is anywhere in this country where there is a lack of places to buy food.  Or booze; this one had a liquor section, too.  

On the other hand, maybe I need to get out and shop more.  Hell, I hit the mall yesterday...

Was it me, or was yesterday's Tribe loss both expected and frustrating?  I guess it is the difference between Matheny and a "young" team -- getting the bunt down, getting the runner in -- and Francona's trust in his guys, even if it wasn't, well, placed?  I don't know; getting two chances to bunt a runner (runners!) over, and having one attempt during the whole sequence...  just frustrating, and given the every game is literally 1.3% of the season....

Cruising

Today was...interesting.  OC duty today -- a little busier than usual; which was good.  Completely ran out of produce (not that we had a lot) and gave away a lot of clothes. For all the work we do in trying to be safe... it's pretty how many people get out of cars, run around without masks, etc.; I am beginning to think that we should mandate masks if you are going to look through the clothes.  Considering our clients, though, I don't think it would make any difference.

So, yesterday was Opening Day!  And it was... good?  Fine?  Bieber was en fuego, if you will.  It was good to see Danny Duffy back in the bigs (one hates to see careers derailed by injury).  Cimber looked a little shaky against the lefties; this may work against the Royals, but I think he will be limited in October. I was a little surprised we didn't see Karinchak, but...

I made an Aldi run today and just as I was going home...my lens popped out of my frame.  Oi.  So, off I went to South Park to Lenscrafters to get them fixed (Screw had to be secured; I prolly need a new frame,  but...).  While there, I meandered about the mall... no samples in the food court, which hurt.  Most stores were open -- PacSun, was not, sadly.  H&M was, but didn't that much that appealed to me.  Food court was 50/50, while the upstairs pretzel place was closed, which meant a long line in the remaining two... so  no delicious pretzel for me.  Very few people did not wear masks, and while people maintained distancing in line, not sure they did it elsewhere (not that I would; how the hell do you maintain discuss among...some people, if you get my drift). It seemed like the place was pretty full -- I parked far -- so that is a good sign, economically...

Smooth Sailing

The root canal happened today... I am not sure if this dentist was more skilled, or the position was less deep... but it is much less painful than the last one!  I have not cracked open the ibuprofen I picked up today.  I've been assiduous about chewing on half my mouth and had a delicious dinner of soup and diced nectarine, so... but this is impressive.  And, in many ways, it was the least painful event of the day...

Watched "Purple Rain" today; yes, I hadn't seen it.  And... for all my worry about it not being my thing, and it wasn't... I enjoyed it.  I don't know; the crazy outfits, the doing his own thing, the songs being pretty cool, him being popular just when I began to listen to music... I am not saying this was the best film I ever watched, but I liked it and I can certainly see a case for its cultural relevance.  (732, for those counting.)

So, the roster is out...Zimmer made it, while Jake Bauers did not.  Hunter Wood did not, but Cam Hill did.  Plutko to the long relief role, whatever that is... mind you, this is only for two weeks, and then culls happen. I don't see anything egregious, though I am less hot on Domingo Santana over 60 games. Ok, maybe if he gets hot... I guess that is the big question; the team just starts so slow...

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/economists-on-the-run?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I got a kick out of this; on the right side of the blogosphere, there is a long and fun tradition of mocking Krugman about the stock market under Trump and other things...  More seriously, though, I think this is a little...unfair to those who called this.  For all the mocking of H. Ross Perot and the sucking sound, it happened as predicted, and there was no Plan B for those affected.  Back when we were in the office and discussing the trade wars of President Trump, I would always use NAFTA as the example...namely, everyone else went to war on us, and paraphrasing Churchill, it's easier to fight a war if the other side fights back... now we are fighting from behind and how the hell do you catch up?

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/20/andrew-gillum-rehab-therapy-373175

This could be me, but much like no one ever asked Democrats why they were with John Edwards being one heartbeat from the Presidency, I am sure that no one will ever ask FL Democrats how they would have felt about him being their governor...

Annus Horriblis

A long hiatus... not going back to the old ways, but... Wednesday was the worst day in a while.  Tuesday night, late, a friend of mine was having relationship issues, so off I went to talk to him... then I got home, had a few hours sleep, and awoke to two simultaneous calls.  One, someone broke into the food pantry and stole the AC units; two, Mom needs a G/I consult, can you set that up.  I couldn't do either, at least not right away, because I was off to the dentist for a toothache, and I need a root canal.  Sigh. Then, that night, another friend called... his soon to be ex-wife died, and while he certainly had some conflicted feelings about that..  let's just say it was not a good day. But I survived....

The rest of the week was somewhat better -- work was fine, caught up on some podcasts, attended two drive-by graduations, and even took a couple of naps...I am abotu halfway through a library book (the role of intellectual capital in the economic gains of Reformation Europe) which is a bit dense but certainly not uninteresting...  I think I may order some more books, just because I can...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/let-s-consider-yu-chang/ar-BB16LUvo?ocid=hplocalnews

With all else going on in the world, it is good to remember there is baseball, though it is in the back of my mind; no thrill of spring training or opening day, intrasquad training, only 60 games.  But the fact that we are talking about stuff like this, this is good. As for whether Yu Chang is any good... hard to say; honestly, given the infield (as noted in the article), the last thing this team needs is a SS or 3B (this year).  But he should be given a chance to see what he can do now for later.

Musings

Tommy Tuberville beating Jeff Sessions in a GOP primary?  I mean, I think we all expected this now, but, say, two years, if you had told me that this was even the remotest of possibilities... well, not that I am a betting man, of course...but there is no way I would have laid money on that one.  Funny thing is... it probably helps the GOP to have Tuberville, not that Jones was not dead man walking...

So, not that I have anything else to do, but I have been trying to watch all of the Jeremy Brett Holmes... anyways, while mucking around on the Internet, I found this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sherlock_Holmes_episodes#Unadapted_stories

And you know... there are certainly some good stories to adapt there!  "Scarlet," of course, was the one that started it.  "Pips" is a little anticlimatic, but topical now; ditto for "Yellow Face."  "Reigate Squires" would be ideal to play up the idea of the bumbling Watson; "Black Peter" and "Beryl Coronet" certainly have the potential for drama.  "Retired Colourman" is actually a good one, for the late stories -- the ending is dramatic and the idea of sending the culprit and Watson far away for a night... of course, "Last Bow" certainly has its charms.  I wonder why they haven't tried to cast and do the remainder... might well nigh be impossible, but...

In America

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/how-starship-troopers-aligns-with-our-moment-of-american-defeat

You know, I don't recall this version of "Starship Troopers;" I mean, I certainly picked up the parody aspects, and I've read enough of Heinlen to know that...liberties were being taken, if you will, but I also watched the movie because, well, who doesn't like good clean fun, such as war with giant arachnids?

Anyways, last night I hung out the godchildren and friends, and then had trouble sleeping, so today I drank 900 cups of caffine and plowed through work.  I suspect two or three days of eight, or at least seven, hours of restful sleep would produce the desired effect, but why would we want to do that?

https://www.amazon.com/America-Tales-Trump-Country/dp/0717179532

I started this book yesterday... the author was the Irish journalist whom the President "complimented" on her looks early in his term... later on, I was channel suring and saw her on C-SPAN...she gave an interesting talk about the book, and so far... it is quite good. I think she did grasp the sense around the country at the time, far better than most of our own politicos and journalists...

Cheerily We Go Along

So, OC duty today -- and we were surprisingly busy, especially early -- we have not had this crowd in a while, and in some ways, it showed...we prolly could have used another volunteer or two, but we made do... we didn't have a lot of produce, so the fridge is empty, but that is good...it was funny, we had a new volunteer today, and he uttered some of the phrases that are now common...everyone is poor but smokes, some of them drive nicer cars than he does, etc... the only downside was the fact that the clothes could NOT be put out because of the rain. so they will pile up.  Sigh.

I watched "The Phenix City Story" today -- 731 on the NFR -- and it was...ok?  Sort of film noir but not really -- good triumphs over evil, no really morally ambiguous hero... aside from "town run by Democrats is a den of iniquity" plot, which was shocked, shocked, it was...  not sure why it merited inclusion compared to some other films.

 A nice pile of books picked up from the library is on the table, so all is well with the world...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9-fDEy4sKs&list=PLon7SYjpj3O9m9B9CfmzngynafOUDgy9B&index=3

I dummied into the above link a couple of days ago... and it was the best day ever!  I don't know... I wonder if all of the post-Brett adaptations of Holmes have been.. well, not exactly canonical, if you get my drift, simply because there is no point in doing them anymore; Brett simply nailed it, and as anything else would be... unappealing, the only way to use them is to go around them....or at least how it was done before.  This is not exactly a bad thing -- I love adaptation and evolution as much as anyone -- but it would be interesting to see a new generation take on the Great Detective...

Change Is In The Air

Yes, I took a break yesterday....no reason in particular.  As always, my plans to retire early were foiled by low sugar... for some odd reason, I could not get it to rise, and it was after 1 before I could sleep, following by waking up at 7.  Today, of course, it is running high, for no reason in particular, though the irony is delicious...

https://theathletic.com/1920259/2020/07/09/big-ten-football-conference-games-only/

I think this change -- and that of many others -- is going to play havoc with the Group of 5, who rely on these games to fund (in part) their own operations.  So not only is that money out the window, but they -- if they can and want to field a team --will have to pay through the nose to do so; I know what we are spending on cleaning supplies and such at the food pantry, so I can only imagine the cost for running a 100 player football team.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/professor-doubles-down-on-prediction-model-showing-trump-having-91-percent-chance-of-winning-election-despite-polls

There was an article on CNN, I believe, that said we were looking at a blue wave, and I think that is more likely than not...  I mean, given all else that is going on, I think the evidence -- while not conclusive -- is the way to bet...

So, at the gym today, they had signs up saying that all visitors HAD to wear masks, and it seemed that about half of the people there had them.  This is a change, as there are times when I am the only one there in a mask.

https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/conservatives-cancel-culture/

This is hilarious, and I think this is an excellent idea...

Sad news about Naya Rivera, but my first thought is...there is no accident here, if you get my drift...

Progress Of A Sort

I am just blogging away here!  Ha!  Anyways, good day today... work, workout (solid, too -- I am pushing into 10-pounds heaver on most of my workouts), and a good meeting.  Got some reading done as well... and the email inbox is largely, but not entirely empty.  I am also thinking about a double at the gym again... last week I went in the AM (high blood sugar) and then at night (the normal workout) and while it was a bit tiring, it also felt good...  if I am going to do it more, I need to sleep more and longer, and start taking in more protein...

https://theathletic.com/1911693/2020/07/07/rosenthal-how-a-two-team-minor-league-may-provide-a-last-chance-for-players/

I don't see why more of this isn't happening; hell, MLB could prolly field more teams (even in AAA cities) and have more players participate.  I would think that if COVID-19 really began to ravage rosters, teams would have no choice but to find players, so... why not make it easer?

http://www.periodicvideos.com/index.htm

Sad news, sort of... I finally finished watching ALL of the videos in the series.  I will miss this -- I think everyone knows how I love to learn more crap -- but there are other things to watch and listen to, and it is high time I got around to them.  Ahem.  

Catching Up

So...the end of Fourth of July weekend.  It's funny; I am not feeling particularly restful now, and on the one hand I didn't do much... but on the other, I did.  Handled all the lawn care, cleaned the shower and the fridge, finished the boo, started a new one, caught up on magazines, went to a friend's birthday... rah.  And back to the grind...  I guess it was ok; I mean, showering in a clean shower is nice.  Looking at the grass grow again, less so.  I also began listening to some podcasts about the late Roman Empire/Fall of Rome, so that goal of mine -- cleaning out the bookmarks of the laptop -- will also be achieved.  I hope.

https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/07/04/time-for-cancel-culture-to-ditch-the-kennedys/

Well, if the Boston Herald can say it, so can anyone else... 

I am not surprised by the latest hubbub about changing the name of the Indians... I don't think they should, of course, but I can see how they would want to... I am not sure what they would do for a name... Spiders is a bit ridiculous, as is the Tribe... I just wonder why they don't find some tribe that is not offended, and, like FSU, pay them off.. and say that's that.  It is a bit mercenary but it also has the advantage of being...highly practical.

Posting Away

Well, here I am, blogging up a storm....sort of, I guess.  Didn't set the clock but woke promptly at 7, and after the usual morning routine --I think emails just magically float in to my inbox -- it was off to the gym, Mom's for the mail and paper, then an Aldi's run, then to weed-whack, then...here we are.  Rah.  I will be able to watch "1776," at least, and I will probably finish the last free book today, in which I can pull something from the six-plus bookshelves.  I am in need of a 7th, to say nothing of a topical reorginaztion, not that it would give me any shelf space.  That would have been quite the project for Independence Day...

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-dollar-stores-became-magnets-for-crime-and-killing?utm_source=pocket-newtab

This article annoyed me... one, because I hate crime, two, because should be allowed to use their Second Amendment rights at any time, and three...this problem is easy to solve.  Not sure why communities do not mandate the use of cops or security at these stores. The deterrent factor would stop the most of them, and the rest... well, I think few people have sympathy -- even now in this time of BLM -- for armed robbery.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/legends-never-die?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I thought this was interesting... I liked the film when it came out -- and I think some kids it was realistic.  I did get a kick out of the controversy, mainly because... as I like to say, the generation that gave us Woodstock and its related cultural excesses...well, they doth protest too much, to use a theme of the week.

Wake and Woke

Now, hilariously, I am not tired and don't want to go to bed quite yet, though I am pretty sure I am not setting the clock and will (in theory) sleep in.  Ha!

I sort of had a full day -- cut the grass, hit the gym, read a magazine, did some paperwork, watched "Real Women Have Curves."  That gets me to 730 on the list... it was...ok?  Cute?  Funny?  I mean, I didn't really identify with it, but it wasn't the worst film I have seen on the list.

https://www.cleveland.com/community/2020/06/north-royalton-councilman-dan-langshaw-faces-possible-disciplinary-action-after-threatening-call-to-city-hall-secretary.html#:~:text=NORTH%20ROYALTON%2C%20Ohio%20%2D%2D%20Ten,keep%20the%20city%20jail%20open.

This is hilarious to me; much as the old line about academic politics being so dirty because the stakes are so small... I don't know, I just love stories like this, as it is people at their worst...

https://www.foxnews.com/us/one-third-toledo-city-council-arrested-bribery-extortion-charges

I am shocked, shocked, that Democrats could possibly involved in a scandal like this...

Went to Express Deli in Brookpark for lunch today... it's on my foodie list for a reuben, so I had one.. it was good, not great... I liked it but I am not sure I would go back, mainly due to "so many other places to try" factor more than anything.  I usually don't eat that way for lunch, and I could feel something heavy in me for much of the afternoon...

Morning Musings

So, last night I fell asleep early, and in consequence, I woke up promptly at 5:30....anyways, this gives me a quiet opportunity to blog and to consider the fact that all of the yardwork I had planned to do before the long and ideally idle weekend came about... I did not do.  Oi.  I've also come to the conclusion -- I've been listening to a lot of podcasts for work -- that I need to start listening to the ones I have been saving here.  Knowing how I am about planning to do things...

https://outkick.com/tucker-carlson-record-fox-news/

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/02/tucker-carlson-2024-republicans-348334

I get a kick out of things like this... one, it would be funny as hell if Tucker started trolling his boycotters.  Hell, Foxnews could do it, and it would be even better if, say, 600,000 of the people who watch him did the same.  I do not often watch him but I don't dislike him, and I think he is right a lot more than he is wrong.  In some ways I think he, and not Trump, reflects the "silent plurality"

http://thedailychrenk.com/2020/06/28/pessimist-case-november/

I think this is more true than not, mainly because of the fact that Trump is who he is, and I am not sure he can appeal to anyone as something new nowadays... Now, I am not he couldn't repackage himself -- I think he is the type of guy who can benefit from "Gee, in the past I was wrong about this, or maybe I said shit I didn't think through fully" but we all know that's not happening.   I am not saying we need Tucker's rhetorical brilliance, but I do think a spot of "I love my country, and we need to fix X, but Z is NOT the way to go" would be a yuge help.

https://medium.com/@solomonmg/trumps-chances-are-better-than-they-look-e469d667a067

Methink he protests doth too much, but one can hope.

In other news... the fact that Rob Manfred now said that he had no intention of playing more than 60 games... my original point about sacking him for not having the best interest of the game seems more relevant more than ever...