Catching Up

 Operation Democrat weekend (ok, I went to Mass, so it's not) continues... ok, not true. I've done stuff, just nothing major...  yesterday I went to the mall as my gym shoes finally collapsed (ouch on the price, but if these last five years...). The idea of going to South Park, finding a space (many spaces!) and just walking around, with little trouble or bothers, on Black Saturday...inconceivable.  There were people walking around, just not a lot...odd, very odd.

I finished The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party finally; truthfully, I will miss it, as it was an interesting read, much like a silent film, a glimpse at a world trapped in amber...I am now on to Chaput's Strangers in a Strange Land, a completely different read but quite good. Also, in its own way, a world trapped in amber...

Took a 2.5-hour nap today, so obviously I needed the sleep...the problem of course is now I am just not that tired... I will try to crash a bit earlier though, simply out of prudence...

https://hillfaith.blog/2020/11/13/justice-alito-religious-liberty-is-in-danger-of-becoming-a-second-class-right/

I finally listened to this...you know, for all the contretemps about the speech, I thought it was...balanced? I know I am somewhat dispassionate about these things, but I thought he was being more than fair when discussing the obvious tension between civil liberties, just that as a conservative...one is more aware of the tension... at least that was my take.

Food Comatose

 So...yesterday, I made Thanksgiving Dinner (not including the prep time).  I have to admit, I was quite pleased to have opened the oven door and saw that the turkey was cooking...  Actually, it came out pretty well. The turkey took longer to cook than expected (prolly left it in too long, a tad dry) but it was pretty good.  The sides -- corn casserole, cranberries, candied yams -- I nailed.  Brining the turkey did add to the flavor.  I have a whole turkey to cut and freeze, and will have more dishes...but I think I could do it again if I could, and in some ways it would be easier, as I know how to improve...

https://newrepublic.com/article/160338/biden-popular-front-doomed-unravel?

When even the New Republic admits the President was good for lower economic quintiles...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/opinions-the-forgotten-figure-who-explains-how-trump-got-almost-74-million-votes/ar-BB1blnml?li=BBnbfcL

I remember Jesse Helms; loved him, even have a shirt with him... as I used to tell a certain ex-fiancee of mine, for all the kvetching about his social positions, he was spot-on on many other things the left would rather not discuss...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-boys-are-more-at-risk-of-falling-behind-during-remote-school-11606222801?mod=hp_featst_pos5

I am shocked, shocked by the sexism show by the teachers' unions in demanding that instruction be entirely remote for the rest of the year...  More seriously, I wonder why more parents aren't being more active in trying to get their kids in the classroom at least part of the time...

Extended Links

Two days without a post; bet you thought I was malingering...not hardly.  Rather, I slept early one night (sort of) and have been trying to get through the Whig book; I am at page 810 now... I do enjoy, despite the plodding progress.  Part of the issue is that the author makes pains to look at the fate of the Whig party in each state  every election... in some ways, this is wise, as states had different elections at different times, so a Presidential election would boost votes but then a year later a state could have its own elections for governor, etc. Second -- and he takes pains to note this frequently -- state issues (tariffs, internal improvements, constitutional conventions, etc.) played a large part in party issues; far more so than today. I think this is a bad thing for a bunch of reasons, but one is that (unlike now) fireeaters (to use the term of the day) had a limited ceiling, nationally, for their political ambition; taking an "ultra" position on something (slavery was the most common, but not the only issue) could trip you up in any of a dozen other important states.  I would posit that Lincoln become the 1860 nominee because of his performance in the debates.  Illinois leaned Democratic (then as now), so everyone knew he had a tough road to hoe; but his answers to the questions of the day allowed him to thread the needle, nationally, on such issues as slavery and (to use the period term) "miscegnation." Candidates can't do that nowadays.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/how-republicans-crashed-nancy-pelosis-party

This is a good read (I am in the political mood, can you tell), and speaks well of McCarthy...

https://donsurber.blogspot.com/2020/11/trumpism-without-trump-is-like.html

Um....yes!  I mean, to use the words of a certain musical group, I'm not ready to make nice... I think, quite frankly, that by and large these people will be purged from the GOP, and they have to be, especially if we want to make a new party, Trumpian party... and I think it is correct that this party can win if you can refine the message while also getting a less... polarizing messenger.  More seriously, this is pretty cool, seeing a party remake itself in a few years; I can only imagine what the astronomers feel like when they come across a new star being formed or some supernova...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/parler-backed-by-mercer-family-makes-play-for-conservatives-mad-at-facebook-twitter-11605382430

Good?  I mean, I see these things as a market phenomenon, so if people don't like the rules of a social media site, and join one that better reflects their values.... good for them, right?

https://www.pitcherlist.com/why-curt-schilling-has-no-place-in-cooperstown/

Similarly, being a free speech absolutist, this ticks me off.  For one thing.., not sure he is a HOFer, but I am a small Hall guy.  As for his points... I am not sure being mean to people is a reason to keep people out of the HOF, especially as this wouild entail bumping out many, many players.  And, even if he was...so what?  Be mean back?  Assail him on the merits of his argument?  I think this is the sort of thing that pisses people off, especially as they are making the rules up as they go....

https://www.magzter.com/article/News/Mother-Jones/SACRIFICE-PLAY

Interesting....

In other news, I just realized I have a lot to do tomorrow...brine the turkey, preboil the yams, cut up the onions and peppers, and make the cranberries... I have no doubt it will be done, but....

Respite

 Today was Democrat Saturday...ok, not really, I went to the gym twice... but mainly, I usually have a lot to do on Saturdays, but today, nada, so... I slept in a bit, hit the gym, called Mom, and settled in to read, follow up on such OC stuff, and watch OSU.  Then back to the gym, the store for some items I missed, and home for a quiet evening... it will be wonderful, honestly.  Watching OSU try to lose -- that cute play call on fourth down was ridiculous - was charming, but they survived, though it is a bit jarring to think of Indiana as a football school.

Tomorrow, or maybe tonight, I want to game plan all of the cooking for Thanksgiving; taking the turkey out to thaw, unstuffing it, brining it, basting, and the cooking.   Also had to figure out the sides ( I think they can cook while the turket settles after the oven) and I also realized I don't have dessert, so I will just buy a pie somewhere.  Yes, I could make one, but...  having never done it before....

Had the carpet cleaned yesterday, and it looks damned good... the gentleman who came to do it said it hadn't been done in a while (like ever) and cautioned me he couldn't get everything out.  Well, he came quite close, and it looks outstanding. I did vacuum the hell out of it, like he directed, but it looks pretty sweet

.https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/2020/11/official-results-joe-biden-won-42-of-59-cuyahoga-county-communities-664-of-the-vote-see-details-by-precinct.html

I am still a little stunned to think of Parma as a bastion of Republicanism, but... 60.5% for Independence?  I guess I always though the upper-middle-class suburbs were...maybe more turned off by Trump? On the other hand, they are the ones who will have to foo the bill for Biden and his schemes, so...maybe not.

Progress Across the Board

 For all my kvetching about lists and chores...there has been some progress.  The carpet cleaner came today -- he did a hell of a job, and it looks beautiful.  I got some estimates on the tree that needs to be chopped down.  I bought 90% of the stuff needed for Thanksgiving, and I intend to cram on the instructions for cooking the stuff tomorrow.  Basement is clean.  Table has been taken for repairs.  I am not exactly saying it is a huge success, but progress has been made, and with the prospect of very little to do tomorrow, I may even cross a few more items off the list.  OK, I do not need to move the mobile furniture in the living room back, but that can wait until tomorrow, when the caropet is fully dry and I can vacuum it two-dozen more times or so.

http://www.honestgraft.com/2020/11/three-big-things-that-republicans-get.html

I think this is spot on, and while I do not share the enthusiasm for reclaiming the House in 2022, it does bode well for the future.  I think Trump will/SHOULD lie low for a bit now and then -- when and where it is practicable -- he should be dispatched to save and or expand on the seats we won.  Of course, wha happens then is largely dependent on what the Dems do...

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2020/11/14/democracy-institute-pollster-yes-i-think-this-election-was-stolen-n2579970

I would say this is highly convenient, but that is me....

Taking Stock

 So, yesterday was food pantry paperwork day, which explains my blogging absence from yesterday.  Basically, I had to determine our total contribution to social justice -- donations, volunteer hours, that sort of thing.  Some of the stuff, I can easily get, like quantity and cost of food purchased from Food Bank; others are more rough estimates. Volunteer hours, for instance; I have a rough idea of how many people are around on Saturdays, and how many come in on Thursday to unpack and clean, but the rest -- stuff people do at the parishes, administrative tasks -- are guestimates.  Outside donations of food and clothing are also nebulous; I tend to go on the low side, as people didn't want the stuff for one reason or another; others, of course, aim high.  This year volunteer hours were down (no clothing room) but donations of food seemed to pick up (excess restaurant and grocery stuff).  Plus, downtown sent over the year's transactions, so I went over them to see that nothing was missed... phew.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/11/marcia-fudge-agriculture-biden-cabinet-436066

I don;t know; given her role in the domestic violence case a while back, don't you think the women in the Handmaid's Tale suits should be out there to protest?  We wouldn't want to think they were just sanctimonious hypocrites out there, would we now?

https://defector.com/the-ncaa-has-a-plan-for-march-madness-and-they-dont-care-that-its-not-a-very-good-one/

You know... I don't necessarily think this is a bad plan, just 1) the NCAA needs March Madness for its own revenue streams, so  this is going to happen like it or not, and 2) I don't really think bubbles work that well, especially for large groups (think of the LA Dodgers this year)... so if they can accept the possibility that there will be a bunch of infections, they might be able to have it.  It's just, of course, that no one else will even consider the possibility...

Linx

On the one hand, I was incredibly productive at work -- blogging, emailing, writing PR, getting stuff ready for tomorrow, saving old and useful stuff for the network - but I didn't get anything done on my work list.  Alas, there is tomorrow...  hit the gym twice today, and hard, especially with the cardio, which is probably good.  I also crossed the 500 page mark of the Whig book, which is an accomplishment, given that a good deal of it is state-by-state looks at the party, which was...rather fragmented.

https://netinterest.substack.com/p/financing-the-american-home/comments
Interesting, and I liked the comment about our system of private health care and socialized mortgages...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/14/politics/house-republicans-elections-analysis/index.html
This is a big story, and only the non-concession (and the leftie press view) is keeping it hidden.  For all the faults of Trump, you can't do this here; he had coattails.  I think the candidates helped -- female and moderate -- and so did the opposition, but Trump certainly got his voters to the polls, and in those areas that suffered GOP erosion in 2018, he won those seats back.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/supreme-court-justice-alito-s-federalist-society-speech-shows-how-ncna1247751

I saved the link to this speech; need to listen to it when I have a free and uninterrupted hour...

In other news, sad news about Clevinger... I liked the guy, as I told one of the youngsters at work, the track record from two TJ surgeries is... not good.

Adulting Across the Board

 So, I made a list today -- the chore list -- and I crossed a few off;  moved a table, checked out the intricacies of turkey cooking, went into the basement and cleaned it up, and changed the light bulbs until I ran out.  This is good!  Some of the big stuff is still on list -- to say nothing of cooking the turkey -- but I felt good about it, at least. Tonight I am definitely going to bed at a proper time and hitting the gym tomorrow for a double...

https://theathletic.com/2194830/2020/11/13/college-basketball-experts-predict-the-most-underrated-coach-in-the-country/

I've said this!  On this blog!  I feel so special...

I wonder if Jim Harbaugh is Dead Man Walking; now, mind you, I don't want that (UM might someone who can beat OSU and many of my friends will be perpetually unhappy), but it doesn't seem like the situation there is getting better, and that would imply change. Of course, in this era of COVID and tight university budgets, I see very few schools going out and paying two guys to coach a team, or worse, one guy not to coach the team.

Amusing thing at Mass today; Fr. Joe had Mass so I had the large, heavy ciborium, and he had the saucer-sized one. After I served the non-walkers, we were doing Communion together, and when he ran out of hosts...he just walked away (he has trouble standing, which is fine, and he has told me we have told to move the Mass along).  Thus, I had to handle both lines, which was fine, but a but jarring.  Mind you, it wasn't intentional, but I felt a little on the firing line for a brief second...

Amusement

 Hilariousness last night; I was tired at about 11, so I made a cup of coffee.  I was half done with it, when I laid down on the bed, putting the cup to my left, and started to read.  Of course, I nodded off (I need to stop this), and an hour later, I woke up.  I tried to pull the comforter over me, and of course, I upset the coffee cup, spilling cold coffee on me, the comforter, and the sheet...mind you, I am out of detergent, so after cleaning up the mess, I put it in a pile and this morning took it to Mom's to launder while I hit the gym.  Words could not describe the awesome.

So, a brief hiatus from the blog, but back now... last nite I did some reading -- up to 426 on the book, discussing the assembly of Taylor's cabinet.  Thursday night I watched "The Way Back," starring Ben Affleck as high school hoops star who walks away from the game, loses kid to cancer, loses wife, and engages in self-destructive behavior... and then is called to coach his alma mater.  I liked it; didn't quite like the ending, but I think it was the ending the movie had to have.  I do like sports films; not sure why, maybe my ultra-competitive nature.

I've been lazy lately; have a bunch of things to do and take care...part of it is because I have been reading and catching up on stuff online, which is important, but there is also stuff of the world to do as well.  I think I need to starting making to-do lists (as I often do) and then ust do them; I often but not always good at that sort of thing, but once on the list, on paper, I tend to get all anal-retentive and start crossing them off...

Progress Across the Board

 Busy day today, sort of... hit the gym this morning (legs) and tonight (chest/core);  I figure I have another week or so to do the two-a-days before the governor kicks in... oi.  In addition to the fitness benefits, I can do two rounds of cardio on the exercise bike, which means more time to read, which I need, because the current oeuvre:

https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-American-Whig-Party/dp/0195161041

is about 1,000 pages (no I am not kidding). Mind you, it's very interesting, but it is a tough slog (small font, and there are a lot of twist and turns; Northen Whigs, Southern Whigs, Conscience Whigs, Locofocos, Barnburners, Hunkers... Anyways, I do like the stuff -- the bit about Whigs complaining about Dems stuffing the ballot box in Philly to win the 1844 election was timely -- but it is taking a while.  So, an extra 20 minutes or so of bike time...I am up to page 342, and I feel like I have to had to work to get there.

Anyways, for lunch I went to El Rinconcito Chapin, a Guatemalan restaurant in Old Brooklyn; part of my plan to try new places on my list and to eat out more in general; let's face it, they need the help.  It was quite good -- pupusas, their version of enchiladas, and tres leches cake --  but the only issue was that I asked the server if it was spicy... she said it was not, but, as I gently told her (she was amused), she lied, as it had some late kick... I had to drink some extra pop before the cake, which was quite rich.  Between the spicy food and the cake, when I got home... let's just say I, like, Guatemala's three active volcanoes, had quite the eruption.

Then today I came home and finished watching the Granada Sherlock Holmes series and crossed off some of the article I had bookmarked. I will miss the Holmes series, even if some of the dramatization was... a bit much.  There are now only 300 hours of other programs I want to watch...

Past and Future

 Here I am, as always, awake at night.  To be sure, I am off tomorrow --  mandatory vacation day, and I am not skipping it -- but I also intend to get up at the buttcrack of dawn to hit the gym (my sister expects the governor to close the gyms again) and run some errands.  Of course, it will be glorious just to do very little but the stuff of leisure -- read some things, close up some links in the browser, maybe descend into the basement for some cleaning...

I noticed I was out of stamps today...on the one hand, this annoys me, as I have 9,000 address labels, and who sends mail...but of course, that's the problem; honestly, the post office does a good job!  Rarely does my mail go astray (either way) and let's face it, 50 cents to send a letter anywhere is pretty nice.  Of course, online stuff is free, and as even my Mom has discovered, all of that stuff adds up...  My Luddism has limits, especially when it comes to the pocketbook.

I was discussing today with the coworkers the future of the GOP; namely, can Trumpism survive without Trump? I don;t know; Mike Pence really doesn't seem the type.  He certainly has the rep with the Christian base, and as a small government conservative type he is fine, but the rest of the Trump package seemed a forced marriage.  Hawley and Cotton are on the list, and DeSantis has delivered FL twice for Trump, so that should propel him to front-runner status.  Rubio and Cruz, honestly, are young enough -- and certainly have bases of support -- to keep them around as well. Hell, Dan Crenshaw certainly has a compelling story, and mocking liberals and QAnon gives him a certain legitimacy...

Wakey wakey

So...Sunday, after my usual affairs, I laid down on the bed to read...it was about 1:30.  When I woke up...it was 7:15. I can't recall the last time I took a 5-plus hour nap, though truth be told, I was probably behind on sleep.  The only problem with that, of course, is that then I was scrambling to do all of the stuff I wanted to do in the rest of the evening, to say nothing of the fact that I didn't any reading done.  Anyways, I decided to return to productivity today by hitting the gym for a double (legs in the AM)... it was quite warm in there, I realized soon into the cardio.  I guess the AC is off for the year, which is fine, but I was a sweaty mess.

I thought the tribute to Alex before today's Jeopardy was extremely well done.  It was certainly genuine, I will give you that, and I think rightfully so... this may be coincidence, but I got 56 right (of 60) today, which is probably a record, at least for regular J!  People have been asking me (I guess I get why) who I think the next host will be (too soon, not that I am one to make that judgment), and I think the safe/obvious choice is to move Ken Jennings into the role (he is already on the payroll).  Not saying there aren't better choices, but... 

https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-covid-crisis-is-reinforcing-the-hunger-industrial-complex/?fbclid=IwAR06JLi923-8jceysoK2M6RP08EHuHWD2x53qtwyMUKocJgo0pnNl1R_lyc

I have said this many times, namely 1) Most food banks have staff levels that are incredible (and incredibly entrenched and 2) Maybe these companies should keep people on payrolls and stimulate demand...

Back in Action

 So, last night, I must have nodded off after J!, because when I woke up on the floor...it was 12:40.  Oi.  I then checked the phone, answered some messages, and went straight back to bed.  Tuesday night I was up til past three, and Wednesday I went to bed at midnight.. Thursday I crashed after making some cabbage and noodles (I have an immense quantity of it, which is good, as I like it, but let;s just the paint is being tested here), which is somewhat labor intensive...funny, because I was thinking I could get to 1,000 posts here, and maybe I can, but all these hiatuse, if you will, will not make it happen.

As for the election, I am not surprised that he lost (but certainly saddened), though the manner was rough...I don't necessarily think corrupt influences were involved, but a long and slow count -- consistently from the same parts of the states -- makes one believe that the fix is in.  Nor do I necessarily blame Trump for not conceding...considering the hem-hawwing in 2016, they deserve the same.

http://www.capitalspectator.com/now-we-know-trumps-2016-win-was-no-fluke/

I made this point to some co-workers Wednesday; basically, much of the electorate was unchanged...Ohio went for Trump by 8; MI, WI, and PA went to Biden by about 1, which is about (less) than what Trump won them by... FL was slightly larger for Trump; VA was a bit bluer... GA was a switch, as was AZ, but... if only Trump had acted to take the COVID pandemic slightly more seriously; even just wearing a mask and the pretense of taking it seriously might have negated the gender gap, and we would not be having sad face...

https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/11/2/21545401/jeopardy-preemption-election-coverage

I liked this... true, I get a little miffed when they cut in to J! for some weather event or other event, like RBG passing... funny; my first trip back to the UTOC was right when Pope John Paul II  was passing, and my Mom was deeply concerned that Iwould get pre-empted.  I told her she was being ridiculous -- he is the pope -- and that didn't go well...

Jitters and Links

 It was funny; I had planend on blogging and reading last night, or at least reading... but I laid in bed to read at about 10:30 and that was that. I woke up at 1:30 with lights on and dressed.  Basically I rolled back to bed. I guess I don't sleep enough, and well enough, and the result is that I am always exhausted at night.  And tomorrow might be a late night...maybe?  I don't know; I read a couple of articles pointing out that the gap between GOP and Democrat early votes has narrowed this year, and that is good for Trump, as GOP voters come out on Election Day.  I think this is largely true, but 1) It seems everyone, GOP or Dem, is voting by mail this year and 2) It only tracks registration, and I just wonder how many GOPers are voting for Biden, for one reason or another.  Nothing in the book says we can't have shy Biden voters, especially if my theory that all the GOP voters are out there now and none are really silent anymore...

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2020/10/our-anti-catholic-administrative-state

My college roomie sent this to me, and as I told him, its a feature, not a bug... 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/10/30/the_future_of_the_gop_is_trumpy_144566.html

Oh, I don't know... it would depend on what happens tomorrow, right? A blowout means you dust off the GOP's report/autopsy from 2012; a close loss, I think, you pin on COVID wrecking the economy, and a win, narrow as it may be, means four more years of the same.

https://www.gq.com/story/the-great-cannonball-boom

I love stories like this, mainly as there is nothing more American than fast cars, road trips, and breaking the rules...