Amusements

 The more I read about the Bishop Sycamore story, the more I love it, though, again, where were the parents with all of this?  The state is looking into this now, of course, but where were they long ago?  I also wonder if people will start to look at IMG (again, and no, they won't) because they've played this "team" twice (twice!) and, of course, would have done it again... I realize everyone knows that high school football is as mercenary as anything else, but I suspect some people expect that...well, maybe this is not the place for this sort of thing.

Anyways, I need to lose some weight; it is funny, because I have been hitting the gym more, but I have also had low blood sugar, and then just some general snacking, and the result is I am still about 12 pounds overweight from my preferred weight.  This is untenable; I did some extra walking today and had a modest lunch -- two green peppers and some fruit -- and I am going to keep this up for a few days, just to try and see what happens. It is the intake that is the problem...it is depressing, but also, of course, I know better, I just need to do it.

https://monsterhunternation.com/2021/08/30/where-have-all-the-biden-voters-gone/

This is awesome, of course...

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/08/texas-abortion-supreme-court-roe-wade.html

I don't know, this is...brilliant?  I mean, I have often said here that the point of Roe v. Wade is to make impossible for states to regulate abortion on their own -- as they should do -- by what even RBG called bullshit jurisprudence.  (It's also bad for democracy, certainly the small-d type.)  So, of course, pro-life advocates are trying to find ways around this.  And Texas...seems to have done so?  I don't know, there is some genius here; the state isn't doing anything but passing a law, and if private actors can do the work -- by forcing Planned Parenthood to pay them -- that is just awesome.  Now, if Planned Parenthood had their eugenic balls they would just send a lawyer down there and volunteer to cut checks, if they really cared about this.  I suspect, of course, they do not...  I guess, as I like to say, that if a law is seen as illegitimate, so too will its opposition.  No one seemed to like sit-ins at lunch counters, but they worked, and I suspect this will too...

Oops, I Did It Again

 First things first:  the Bishop Sycamore story is hilarious, no matter how you slice it.  Aside from the whole playing two high school football games in a weekend bit, I don't see the downside for them, and if they can snooker ESPN into putting them on the air...well, anyone else can get the same treatment, too.  I do feel sorry for the kids, though, let's face it, their parents put them in the school, so... you can't nail them, can you? Well, you can, but... I mean, more seriously, this is scam-central, and if the state can't shut them down...

So, Saturday I was busy -- OC duty and family affair, and then Sunday (after Mass and gym) I laid down, and when all was said and done, accounting for waking up a bit, I took a four-hour nap.  I guess this isn't the worst thing, catching up on sleep I don't get during the week because I am reading/blogging/pissing around online... But, of course, we all know how I feel about rest/downtime/etc., especially in the middle of the afternoon, when there were a hundred or so other things I could have gotten done.

You know, I wonder why the Red Sox didn't appeal yesterday's obstruction ruling; on the one hand, it was, but you could also say that Mercado took the opportunity to run into the fielder (maybe he was setting up for the relay?) and thus was out of the basepaths; also, even if he did hit the fielder, Mercado was a dead duck at home -- I don't think the throw really affected his speed, save for a step or two.

https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2021/08/30/own-your-failure-biden-voters-n2594924?300

I think the GOP should be running ads on this every day; hell, remind them of what they voted for... if Trump voters will pilloried as racists and whatnot for four years, don't you think we should calling Biden voters incompetent, murderers, misogynists, etc.?  I think it is more than fair....

Thoughts

 https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-middle-east-jimmy-carter-18eab7024282910f6aab29026a1e04e2

Umm...yes.  It is beginning to look like Carter's presidency will be a success compared to that of the current occupant... and that is a problem.  The whole "trust the Taliban with the names of Americans and our allies" seems to be as smart a decision as "trust the Taliban with airport security" and "losing control of the Bagram airfield" and about as successful.  The thing is, of course, if we can see it out here, how come they couldn't see it out there?  The GOP at least has something to run on, which is good, though I wonder how it will translate in a year.

https://www.hillfaith.org/culture/today-is-the-birthday-of-the-man-who-abolished-the-slave-trade/

I love this movie; it's quite a good tale, and the author is correct; this movement was achieved entirely by people of religious faith, which, in this day and age, should give us pause...

It's funny; I was discussing the weekend series with my coworker, and we both agreed that sending Logan Allen out there would be like batting practice.  And then...well, no one expected that, I can assure you!  Tom Hamilton was right; he pitched like he was back in spring training.  Wherever this came from, long may it continue (though I have my doubts).  In the meantime, there is the problem of Karinchak. Baseball Prospectus suggested it was the end of the sticky stuff; Fangraphs, suggested it was overuse. I don't know what it is, but I do think if they can shut down McKenzie for reasons, why not Karinchak?  Or use him less? The stuff is there but intermittently, so...

So I texted a few people about my visit to see JD Vance, and the libs, of course, were predictably outraged. The thing that amused me the most was the general consensus that GOPers are pandering with their pandemic stances and that they are only doing this for votes.  OK, maybe, yes, some are, but...  I think people on the left tend to discount the fact that many conservatives do have concerns (and quite legitimate!) about the role of government in society and its potential for overreach/abuse/coercion.  Hell, the country was founded in large because of these concerns! I would argue that these concerns are disproportionately represented among the blogosphere and among some GOP voices, so they are partially marginalized, but it's not like the libertarian wing of the GOP has gone away, you know...

I'm A Believer

 Long time no post; Tuesday I was helping a friend with some personal issues (I know, it must be dire if I am the ohe who gets the call) and yesterday I went to Corleone's in Parma (never been there) to see/hear JD Vance -- of Hillbilly Elegy fame -- give a speech as he stumps for the Senate.

Important things first:  the grub.  It was...fine?  I snagged some of the apps -- meatballs and cheesy bread -- because I couldn't get a server (it was quite crowded, though this is good!) and then had chicken piccata for the entree (late).  It was...good?  Not great?  I mean, it was clearly homemade and not from a box, and it was decent, but I am not sure it is $32 good.  

Anyways, the main event.  I'll concede I have been leaning Vance for a while; I think the story is compelling and his policies I find attractive -- government can't solve all problems, too much woke, maybe even breaking up Big Tech.  So off I went.  As noted before, it was a full house; SRO (sort of a COVID pit, even on a outdoor porch), and while it was a white and upper class crowd, they were certainly engaged and knowledgable (we are Republicans, so of course).

And you know what?  I am now converted.  He nailed it; the issues he was clear, he was forceful on many things, gave an impressive answer as to why we need to break up Big Tech, excellent answers about election security, interesting approach on how to win the primary.  The crowd reactions...well, you know me, I am fascinated by such things.  Most there are Tucker Carlson fans, so JD's presence there is good.  No one likes Mande.  Bernie Moreno had some supporters (do we want a car salesman in the Senate?), but it seemed most there liked Vance because he was not a politician.  Also...quite a few of the people - big third -- had not read his book, which to me seemed...odd.

My sister said it was a shame he didn't speak tonight, because that would been interesting, to put it mildly.

Catching Up

 Had to stay up (ok, not really) to make sure my new sensor was working properly; it is, and now I can;t sleep, although I think yesterday's nap may have had something to do with it.   I did hit the gym twice today -- legs at night, cardio twice -- which was good, as I needed it, and there is no reason that I cannot get more of it done this week and the next ones...  didn't watch any more films, though I could have... three days of movies in a row is a bit much, even for me.  I did weed-whack tonight; sort of a pain, glad to get it done.  My string trimmer cord...the reel is almost exhausted.  I guess one notices it is not there after an intensive session, but to see it completely gone...odd.

I realized today that I should have gone on one of my many restaurant visits this weekend; no reason not to, as the list isn;t getting any smaller, and while I have plenty of expenses to consider, it probably wouldn't hurt to give myself a treat, either.  September and October are going to be super busy, like it or not, so this will have to serve as my quiet time...

I am reading Gordon's The Rise and Fall of American Growth, and as you can imagine, I find it fascinating, even if I am only a quarter of the way through.  The basic premise is that growth accelerated rapidly, say, before WWII, because the gains in productivity from say, candles and whale oil to electricity, or train and car from horse, were so much more -- and in many ways undercounted in the economic statistics -- that what came after was, in most cases (the Internet and the computer, medicine among them), not nearly as game-changing.  Also, much of the South was simply that much more behind the US, so as it caught up...

https://gizmodo.com/evolution-deniers-are-finally-a-minority-in-the-u-s-1847528066

And, now, I guess, they have!

Respite

 Funny; I was so tired after Mass today that I came home and took a nap....for more than four hours; it was nearly 4 when I woke up.  I guess it was good to sleep; I surely needed the rest, but now I am up and not exactly tired.  Alas.  I did some more things today (weedwhacking excluded); some cleaning and such, so it was not a total loss.  Also met a friend for coffee, which is good, as it was nice to get away for a bit and hang with a friend.

So, maybe I was wrong about Tristan McKenzie; he has certainly pitched his way out of the bullpen... of course, I didn't expect this, and I am not sure the Tribe brass expected this, either.  Funny what throwing strikes can do...on the other hand, this is one of the sad things about the season...that with the solid pitching, if they had made any effort to fix the offense, this team -- if not contending for the division -- could be in the thick of the wild card fight.  Of course, they were "pre-occupied" with other matters -- name changes, saving money -- and thus made no effort to improve the team.  This might have been the plan from the beginning, but either way, it does not exactly inspire confidence in the leadership at any level...

Lazy Saturday

 You know, this is the first weekend in a while -- and will be -- where I had nothing to do, nothing planned, anything.  So, of course, I filled it with all sorts of stuff to do; the plan was to do it all today so there was nothing tomorrow, but, of course, that didn't happen.  Helped a friend move, finished cleaning out the hovel (sad), hit the gym, sorted some stuff from the hovel, finished a book... but still I feel like I wasted much of the day.

Watched two movies on the National Film Registry yesterday and today, putting me to 760.  The first was "Wattstax," which is a documentary/performance video of an all-Black music festival in Watts.  Interesting; didn;t know all the musicians, of course, and some of the banter between sets could have been said now -- cops "accidentally" shooting minorities -- but it was interesting historically, at least.  The other film was..."Shrek."  Yes, I had not seen "Shrek" until today.  And you know what?  I liked it.  Cute.  Funny; a lot of the jokes worked for both kids and adults, and at the very least I liked the idea of a twist on the old fairy tale...  I guess the animation was pretty complex as well.

https://jabberwocking.com/blame-the-army-not-biden-for-our-panicked-evacuation-from-afghanistan/
This is a good point; I wonder if any GOPers (say, Tom Cotton or Lindsay Graham) actally hold anyone from the Pentagon over this, and maybe even demand some heads or cut some funding.  I suspect "absolutely not" is the answer, but it certainly has to be on the table...

Manual of Labor

 Oi.  Busy day today; went to the office to help move and throw out crap for the delayed move; the stuff has to go as we don't have a lease, but it will go into storage...anyways, I had to drop off stuff and pick stuff up for the food pantry, so I lent a hand.  Maybe I am over-tired to begin with, but it really tired me out! I guess it was good to get some exercise in, and they needed the help, and it was good to see my coworkers, and it was work that needed to be done but wasn't exactly the work I should be doing...  

https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-growing-influence-of-the-non-religious/

Interesting; I think we all know I love this sort of thing, and I want to add the books they mentioned to my list (which needs more works like a hole in the head).

Speaking of holes in the head...

https://www.foxnews.com/media/meghan-mccain-biden-unfit-to-lead-afghan-turmoil

Oh, I don't know, Meghan, some of us understood this sooner, and maybe if you had done so, we would not have been in the probelms we are in now...

Watched an interesting film today, called "Corpus Christi," from Poland, recent filn...basically, young man is paroled from juvie, is mistaken for newly arrived priest, and what follows of course is 90 minutes of him trying to pass off the lie while also changing the small town where he is "priesting." It was quit good; I guess I wasn't surprised how much I liked it; I mean, it's not a comedy, but does have some funny moments, but it also fairly serious about redemption, faith, that sort of thing....  I do have little to do this weekend, so some films and some reading are definitely high on the list of stuff to do....

A Return to Normalcy

 So, my streak of posts ended gloriously...sort of; Monday night we had an in-person food pantry board meeting (first in nearly two years) which went long (as they do) and then last night I met a friend from out of town for coffee/walk in the park (he was at the Crowne Plaza in Middleburg, by the Metroparks) and it was good to catch up for a few hours.  So here we are.  Plenty of good things to read about Joke Biden and the Afghan debacle; when you've lost even part of the press...  In the meantime, the Tribe lost again -- despute a 9th inning rally; Plesac really lost it quickly, and I am not sure Alex Young is the guy I want to see in that situation, Demarlo Hale, if you get my drift...

https://jimtreacher.substack.com/p/vaccinated-people-are-shrugging-off?r=17yh5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&utm_source=twitter

All of these are pretty funny, actually...

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-diabetes-covid/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I don't know...or, how shall I say this?  Diabetes care is hard, but it is not that hard; mainly it involves not eating foods that you like (ice cream, chocolate, snax) because these foods -- which are bad for you anyways -- are even worse due to what they do to your blood sugar.  An important caveat here is that by exercise and good habits you can lower blood sugar and benefit your body in other ways.  This is just as is done with people without diabetes, but perhaps moreso with the disease.  So... while I sympathize with these people, I am also appealled by their behavior to an extent, too...

Debacles

 Well, that was an unpleasant day for the Biden Administration.  Again, to use my favorite phrase, if the GOP had any brains, they would be running ads about this. I've already declared "Saigon Joe" to be acceptable, but the fact of the matter is that this is a disaster for the US, no matter how you phrase it, and they need to be called to the carpet for it.

Speaking of not being called to the carpet:

https://nypost.com/2021/08/10/media-wont-pay-a-price-for-cheering-cuomos-covid-policies/

https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/10/andrew-cuomo-isnt-the-problem/

Now, again, if the GOP had any brains, they would be the ones going after them and attacking them; I mean, the knives have to be out (now) when they are down. Indeed, one could say that this is time, as their creditibility -- in so far as they have any -- is shot.  I mean, can you imagine Ted Cruz or Lindsay Graham with someone like...Brian Stelzer?  Chris Cuomo?  The blood would run from the walls for days; it's good PR, and of course, we are in the clear. Oi.

So, who expected that from Triston McKenzie?  Not I, for one, though truthfully he, like Cal Quantrill, has pitched much better as of late.  To be sure, he was simply dealing, stuff-wise, but he didn't nibble like he often did and attacked hitters, always good things.  And the offense; hell, even Austin Hedges had RBIs, which is generally a sign to bring in a new pitcher...

Infiltration

 Meant to post last night, but got in late, hanging with some friends, and then I decided to some adulting and head straight to bed,  Anyways, me and the boys were having adult conversation; couple of them noted yesterday's blog and post and brought this to my attention (which I had seen elsewhere and bookmarked):

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/why-school-boards-are-now-hot-spots-for-nasty-politics/2021/07?fbclid=IwAR0PJD3LPp45p50xOIBmLaITMKMQ0bAgdizJvYMeFa_0wXIgp0O-zwWrmy4

I think this is awesome in many ways. For one, of course, you always the left running around and protesting, and it's good to see us do it; I am not fully sure of the cause (I am wearing my mask a bit more now out and about, though I don't think I need to) but the fact of the matter is that a lot of people don't think this is wise, and they have a right to be heard.  Second... as many people have told me, and I always say, if you want to be involved, it's best to be so on the inside, and if enough people run, they will get elected.

Of course, I think a lot of people on the left will have a problem with this, for a number of reasons (one, these sorts of jobs have always been their province; two, I bet they have an iron triangle of their own to protect), even though I think a bunch of these people will turn quisling once they are inside. But I suspect a lot of these people will go in there and make changes, and that is the point.  Many people in this country have a problem with public education -- and I am going that way -- and this is one time where you want to be the change you wish to see...

In other news, I went shopping yesterday, and man, fruit is expensive, as was milk and some of the other perishables.  As we all know, I do not see prices falling any time soon, and given the other expenses in my life right now, I was not exactly a happy camper...

Amusements

 I didn't post yesterday because I was at the Tribe game; a friend of mine had never been to one (imagine that) so I decided to take him.  It was fun, aside from the loss; driving to the game in the rain blizzard was an interesting challenge, but onc we arrived at the game and waited out the delay, it was quite a nice night.  Efrem was amazed by my prescience in calling out Austin Hedges' strikeouts (I called two of three), while the fans around me loved my nickname by Bryan Shaw (borrowed from my brother-in-law):  Gas Can.  I guess I am glad we didn't go today; in addition to sunburn you could have got a bad case of ennui.  Oi.  Nothing to do with today but shitcan it, I guess, but it was not exactly in auspicious debut for some of the new arms.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/cal-quantrill-is-trending-in-the-right-direction/ar-AANfbQj?ocid=hplocalnews

Quantrill started yesterday; I was keen to watch him as he pitched, as the article is correct; it's certainly unique.  It is also, it seems, that he is a differnt pitcher earlier in the year, and honestly, he is correct that they should be letting him pitch deeper in games...especially if the choice is Bryan Shaw.

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/08/12/conservative-public-health-covid-conservative-affirmative-action-503448

I got a kick out of this article, for a bunch of reasons.  On the one hand, I can see why people would be opposed to this. I think this is clearly an example of self-segregation; conservatves avoiding academia for a bunch of reasons, not just active exclusion, and there is no cure for that. On the other...we have affirmative action for everything, it seems -- race, gender, transgender, etc., and it simply seems ridiculous to exclude intellectual ideas from this as well... indeed, given that the left wants tolerance and inclusion, they have to practice what they preach and include conservatives.  I eagerly await my inclusion in the geology department, holding the Falwell Chair of Creation Science.

Collapse

 My streak of posts was broken yesterday...not that that was my intent, but I went to dinner, the gym, came home...and discovered that the roof was leaking.  Now, it was a small leak, and I went in the attic and I discovered that there were some wet bricks on the chimney (so it could be a flashing issue).  Oi.  So, I then had to go in the attic and move all of the boxes away from the wet area (didn't look like anything was wet) and that took some moving about... including four boxes of stuff that I decided I could go through, so I started doing that tonight.  Anyways, I spent much of today scheduling roofers to come over and give me an estimate... to be honest, the roof is past replacement, and while I hope this is just a minor issue, at the end of the day...it's going to have to go (I told one friend it would be a lifetime replacement, I hope, which went over well).  I am able to afford it, of course, but we all know I am about spending money...

I went to Salt in Lakewood yesterday, deciding that my haircut appointment was also a good opportunity to cross a place off my list (obviously, with this roof expense, these visits will be few and far between...).  Anyways...honestly, it was one of the best meals of my life. I went with the grilled plums with mustard greens and black pepper ricotta, then the porchetta with the sweet and sour peach preserves.  Quite delicious!  Dessert was a passionfruit and coconut tureen, also awesome.  It was pricey, and I am not sure it is worth $45, but I guess it was, given that it was one of the best meal of my life.

So, Andrew Cuomo resigned; I had wanted this, like the Iran-Iraq war, to go on and on, but such is not to be.  Again, if I was in the GOP, I would have commercials queued up, and the Joe Biden "good job" one would be the first one to hit the air...

The Rockies story is...well, not surprising.  Honestly, I listened a dozen times, and it's not that clear either way; if you think it's the N-bomb, it could be, and if not... to be sure, the visual evidence seems to exonerate the guy, and everyone around him cleared him of the charge.  I of course make a snarky comment that the Rockies will change Dinger's name, and of course Brinson and others say the same thing...  More seriously --  when do they apologize to the fan for smearing his name and reputation?  If the Rockies have cleared him, shouldn't all the people who assailed him have to walk it back?

On a related vein -- not that I am defending Andrew Cuomo -- but doesn't he have some presumption of evidence?  I realize that, yes, Democrats don;t believe in that for this sort of crime (never mind all the others)m but I think it is troubling... much like the Dinger episode, holding fire until we know they are guilty is...something we need to bring back.

Lazy Sunday

 https://hotair.com/allahpundit/2021/08/08/how-much-of-a-covid-risk-was-obamas-birthday-bash-n407475

Is it me, or are the optics on this one...poor? I mean, God forbid someone actually gets the Delta variant.  In the meantime, as I always say, if the GOP had any brains, someone would be running ads with clips from the party, followed by those of Fauci, Biden, et al, griping about the virus.  Of course we won't, but we should.

Bought the new TV today; it arrives Friday and I paid for the delivery and the hookup, which is where they get you; between that and all the service contracts and all... even after declining, of course, they still want and go after you again.  Oi.  But I survived; it wasn't too bad; the selection at Best Buy was more than adequate, the help was a bit long in coming but not too much so, and they were helpful once they arrived.  It did seem the stocks of some items were quite adequate, others less so.  I decided on a 40-inch, not that I need that much to watch J! or the Tribe, but if everyone else is doing it...

Went to the Tribe game last night with Favorite Niece; it was fun, aside from the not winning bit, and the leaving eight men on base in the last 3 innings.  Morgan didn't exactly fool anybody (as evinced by the 86 pitches he threw) but on a night with no breeze and no ball carry, he was able to get away with it, and he pitched fairly well.  Back in the day, 86 pitches would be a start, but now...it's a finished effort.  Anyways...two things of amusement.  One, the Tiger fan in front of us was loudly (and drunkenly) proclaiming how he was a huge Cabrera fan and wanted to see him hit #500...yet didn't watch any of his at bats.

The other funny thing was -- between the game and the fireworks -- they had this version of the Olympics on the Jumbotron; three fans were selected to do music trivia, play Plinko, and do that thing where you spin around with a bat and run...well, the female contestant, while running, had a wardrobe malfunction, if you will, in front of 20,000 fans... which, as you can imagine, went over well...

Saying Goodbye

 Put Mom in the vault today... smaller, quiet family affair; about 20 people showed (relatives and a couple of friends).  Fr. Joe said the service, which caused some amusement, as he mentioned my Church service and suggested that the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  This, as you can imagine, caused some smirking in the front row, as we all recalled the many times Mom objected to my various church activities.  But, it was a nice homily -- covered the main points, reminded us that the way to honor Mom's memory was to live in faith, and that was that.  It was a little...sad, honestly, when the funeral director asked if I wanted to put Mom's cremains in the vault...literally the last time I will see her, but I managed to stiff upper lip it (one thing I am good at, at least), and....that was that.

Then off to Metropolitan Coffee for a post-fest (Mom and Dad are in Brooklyn Heights Cemetery) and it was quite nice; Mom would have approved.  Coffee and pastry, bsing, and it was good to see people; the family has not been together much (her Mass an exception). I ate one too many pastry, prolly, and in such did an extensive workout at the gym, and felt it.  I ended NOT buying a new TV today -- more books arrived at the library (I ordered a bunch from the county, and they have arrived, plus some of the delayed Ohiolink volumes) so instead I came home and vegged...I finished The Vanquished last night, which discussed the post-WWI European map and the violence that accompanied the war to end all wars.  Spoiler alert:  lots of people at the time didn't think there would be peace (all those small Balkan states shoved together, for instance) and they were right!  

It is odd; first time in a while I have not had anything to do on a Saturday, and thus just taking two hours to read a book and start another one...it was a little odd, actually, and I think I am a little out of sorts, but the general effect of restful and leisure was a good one; I need to do this again sometime.  Like tomorrow!

Feeding

 You know, Cal Quantrill has really come on as a pitcher; I was listening in the car on the pregame and I was like "Gee, he is quietly having a good season;" certainly compared to Mejia.  I was going to say his stuff isn;t as good as that of Mejia, but it is more finished, and thus he is probably close to being major-league ready, and that's enough for this team now.  To be sure, beating the Tigers isn't quite the same as the White Sox, but if Quantrill can develop into a ML #3 starter... that trade actually looks decent for the Tribe.

Went to the Ukrainian fest at the Pokrava parish down Broadview today... never been and we all know how I love to support ethnic parishes and try new stuff.  The place was packed when I arrived; never thought I would find a parking spot, but I did...they have an exterior and an interior food bazaar, if you will, and I selected the interior course.  They have that system where you have to buy tickets to buy food; I hate this because 1) it implies you don't trust your volunteers and 2) it eliminates impulse buying, as you don;t want to buy too many tickets and waste them, so you underbuy... also 3) if all the volunteers at the ticket table are bsing, no one will want to take your money, which is bad for business.  Anyways, I dropped a twenty and got the Ukrainian platter, a side of pyrohoski, and a dessert.  It was actually pretty decent; the borscht was on the thicker side (which I like).  The pierogis were potato only and cooked well. The sauerkraut was NOT sour (thank God) so it was palatable (I hate sauerkraut), and the kielbasa was decent (smoked).  The only downside was the stuffed cabbage; not a lot of flavor, and the meat was well-cooked, so it literally fell apart when I moved it, much less forked.  But compared to the Lenten fish fries of the year....whoa.

A bunch of books came from the library today, which is  good, as I have little to do this weekend, so I can definitely crank out some pages and pile through the rapidly expanding list.  It's not like I have a TV, either...

Links, Take Two

 Is it me, or do we not need to see Mejia making any more starts for the Tribe?  I realize -- as the front office pointed out -- that he is able to go 80 or 90 pitches, but the fact of the matter is that he seldom gets that far before being knocked around. One of the coworkers looked him up and noted he has no AAA experience and 3 AA games on the resume, which probably explains most of the scuffle (thanks Rob Manfred)...but even so, now is the time to get him some valuable minor league development time.  I realize that, like Lincoln trying to replace McClellan, you need someone, but I don't think that anyone else could be worse (and there is no shame in running guys up and down the AAA shuttle if need be, especially as the white flag has been raised).  Oi.

https://www.theringer.com/music/2021/7/30/22596687/sublime-self-titled-anniversary-bradley-nowell-death

This is sort of sad (not that I was a huge fan; my college roommate was, and thus one heard a lot of Sublime) but of course, I also can't help but think that, well, this is what happens when you use drugs.  I shouldn't feel this way (probably) but, again, as I always say, we always know what happens when people use; it seldom ends well, and no one is ever truly better for it, so...

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/09/blame-the-bobos-creative-class/619492/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

I give Brooks for identifying his role in this, but mostly I got a kick out of this...I guess what did they expect would happen?  Does he really think that the new creative class he produced is going to willingly give up a part (much less all) of what they have reached for and achieved for the sake of the equity of which they so earnestly preach?  Has any group, over time, ever done that?

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/07/american-anger-polarization-fox-news/

In a related vein, I think the author identified a problem, and then found a solution...this could be me, but one think I always say is that liberals love to say and do things that are simply not true, and no one ever calls them out for them, or, more accurately, they never suffer any consequences for these things, and then you wonder why conservatives get so angry?

Linx

 Sad news today:  my TV died.  Mind you, this was an old TV, not a flat screen; it's a box, and it is possibly two decades old... my parents bought it a while ago, and while I certainly watched less TV than they did... Anyways, right in the middle of Jeopardy!, the screen went "pop," as if a fuse went, and the screen collapsed.  There is sound, so I can hear the show, but no picture.  Alas.  I mean, I guess it was more than time to replace it, and I know they aren't that expensive, and I can afford it, but... as always, one of those things I didn't want to do, and not like I want to run around TV shopping.  Alas.  And, with the supply chain issues, Lord knows what is out there...

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-biden-do-job-secure-border

This is pretty awesome; for all the grandstanding involved here, I think this sort of combativeness is what drove a lot of GOPers to Trump, and if DeSantis can hold that mantle while actually acting like a Republican... should be interesting.  I sort of think he should be the nominee, but I can see him as Veep in case Trump runs again.  I also suspect that most GOP voters would prefer someone who has...less baggage?  Especially if Biden or Harris have weak numbers going into 2024.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/kevindowneyjr/2021/08/04/hello-no-he-wont-go-cuomo-refuses-to-resign-n1466766

I think this is exactly right, one; two, Cuomo didn't get to be governor of NY by being soft, and if he thinks he is going down...he is going to make them fight him for it.  I, for one, find this to be hilarious -- two bowls of shit hilarious -- and if he starts dropping unpleasant facts on his opponents, this is going to be awesome.

https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2021/08/02/espn-writer-wonders-why-people-dont-like-megan-rapinoe-and-i-have-thoughts-n420269

Hate is too strong a word, but I think that for many people Rapinoe does bring forth some bile.  I guess at heart I am a "stick to sports" guy, and thus the constant sermonizing is a bit much.  Coupled with social and political views that roughtly 45% of the country disapprove of...this should not be much of a surprise. 

https://religionunplugged.com/news/2021/8/3/the-young-and-secular-are-least-vaccinated-not-evangelicals

Interesting.  I guess I don't really care; I mean, again, it is just Darwinism at the end of the day if people chose not to get the vaccine, but it is one thing to blame this on Republicans in its entirety.  I don't doubt of course that politics plays a part in this but the above data would suggest that younger people are just less convinced of the need to vaccinate...as has been true all along.

Trolling

 So, Nina Turner did not win the primary in Ohio 11; like most people, I was immensely amused by the ad barrage.  This could be me, but if I was the GOP, I would run -- or tried to -- an actual candidate for the race.  I realize that, yes, they probably would not win, but 1) the Dems have been giving you free ads for a year, so use them; 2) you could always appeal to the disgrunted Nina backers; and 3) it would be funny as hell for the Dems to fight their own ads.  I guess I could have ran, and aside from the airing of my dirty laundry, would have enjoyed two months of trolling.  Alas, alack.  

The eviction moratorium is back on...for now.  I guess I thought, when I heard it, how is this legal?  And it probably is not... not, of course, that the RINOs on the Supreme Court will strike it down.

https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2021/08/02/welcome-to-the-star-studded-superspreader-obama-birthday-party-no-you-arent-invited-n1466393

This, like the special election in Ohio 11, should be prime GOP trolling/attack ad opportunity.  I mean, you could air the Texas Dems, then this (let's not forget all the private jets and their carbon emissions), maybe some footage of Kamala Harris and all the others who pooh-poohed Trump's vaccine push.  Just saying.

I also got a kick out of the Andrew Cuomo story, but of course, who doesn't?  Ok, those who were subjected to the guy.  But, again, this should be prime GOP ad time; all those people lauding him, now this.  One could also run ads with all the journalists who sang his praises, followed by something like "You wonder why we don't trust you?"  Brilliant, I tell you!

Wastage

 Food pantry and wedding duty yesterday.  Food pantry was pretty quiet all month -- the usual summer slowdown, exacerbated Lord knows what -- and it sort of sucked, as we had plenty of volunteers and stuff to give out.  Indeed, the produce has been a race to give it away before it goes bad (some of it arrives so, or pretty sketch besides), which is not exactly a blast.  Alas.  Anyways, it is now finally August, and I am relieved of my duties...sad, the only good thing about the new month.  Summer has flown by, as always.  Alas.

Today I went to church, hit the grocery store, and then met my sister and favorite niece for brunch -- Burntwood Tavern in Brecksville.  Quite good, but there was a long wait for a table -- the server shortage is everywhere. Then I came home and laid down for a nap..it was about 12:30, and it was just before 5 when I woke up.  Oi.  Ok, so I sort of expected this, and should have set the clock, but to waste the day in sleep (not that I didn't need it) was...unpleasant.  I finally caught up on the stuff I had planned to do (the most important stuff) and now it is time to chill (or do some other shit that was planned).  Oi.

I did watch two more films off the National Film Registry -- "Suspense," a 1913 silent short done by a woman.  The plot is pretty simple (well done even then) but there were some cool camera shots and tricks (a rare triple scene) and let's face it, women producers and directors were not exactly common then (or now). I then watched a few snippets of Aloha Wonderwall's travel pics -- she was a noted (and again, rare) world traveler who, of course, took along the camera and shot her voyages.  Not a lot is publicly available, but I guess there are some places that have more extant copies...and sure enough I found one -- the MPAA.  You have to ask to see them, so I dashed off the form (I bet "Trying to watch every film on the National Film Registry" isn't something they come across every day at the Academy) and we wil see...