Wonders

 Is it me, or is there not only a lot of movement in the college football world, but a lot of guys leaving desirable jobs for greener pastures.  Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma for USC; ok, maybe he is afraid of the SEC, but I would think there is more talent in the pool at his current position...and, let's face it, an SEC team will be more likely to get a playoff bid than a PAC-12 one.  Similarly, Brian Kelly leaving ND for LSU; I don't know, maybe he thinks it will be easier to make the playoffs, but Coach O (and his fate) would be a cautionary tale.  I guess I don't see the new gigs as that much better as the old ones; or, at least, great reward but great risk.

It might also be me that tomorrow (ok, today) will be the last nice day of the year... I guess I don't like seeing snow, especially in November, to say nothing of the global warming...  Still, a high of 50 will melt everything, and then a few more days of relative calm (one hopes).

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/chris-cuomo-andrew-cuomo-cnn-1264204/

Ha! I mean, Rolling Stone is right; anyone else caught doing this would be fired immediately.  But, this is CNN, no one is watching, so no one really cares. On the other hand...why would CNN keep him around, on top of all of the other shit he's pulled?  His brother is gone, so even that connection is shot, and the "governor-as-hero" theme has been long given the Old Yeller treatment.  I find it hard to believe that, say, college football -- a business known for its ethics, I can assure you -- has a much better approach here, paying the guy and telling him to move on, but it sure seems to....

Activity

 You know, I was sort of productive today -- made cabbage and noodles,. did the dishes, cleaned some of the kitchen, emptied a set of drawers, moved some other stuff around (by which I mean to where it belonged!), and that was...good?  Hit the gym today and weighed in at 194; not ideal, but could have been worse, after the weekend.  The cabbage and noodles was good -- been a while since I made it -- but I suspect my plan of bumping up the cabbage ratio has caused...gastrointestinal distress, if you get my drift.

Watched "Becket" today; interesting film, and didn't realize it was an Anouilh play.  I liked it -- in so far as I love those historical dramas that involve wrestling with God and the law -- and the acting was certainly first rate.  A bit long but not terribly so...  After watching it, of course, I told myself I need to start trying to find movies from the National Film Registry again...

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/11/22/lets-go-brandon-fest-michigan-523174

This could be me, but what did they expect?

Finished the Bill James book (quite good) and a book about the environmental fall of Rome; it was interesting but it mainly about the plagues of the Empire and their probable causes, with a discussion of how global weather patterns spurred Roman growth when times were favorable but caused, of course, barbarian gains in the third and fourth centuries -- i.e., changing weather was too much for them to handle on the steppe, and gee, our neighbors elsewhere seem to be doing quite well... one nice thing about the extended weekend -- plenty of time to hit the pile from the library

A Weekend Away

 So, I was in Columbus for Turkey Day -- my cousin lives in Westerville and took over hosting from aunt, and I decided to stay for a couple of days, see some people, that sort of thing.  And...it was good?  Food was the same -- awesome as always.  Family time was fun; didn't see Mom's side last year, of course!  My cousin had a baby, so it was good to see him, too... 

Stayed at the Drury Inn; I didn't realize they offer both free breakfast and free dinner (with three free drinks!) as part of the deal (it's "free," as we say!), so it was...nice?  Everything was clean, the room had a tub, and the TV worked, so...that and two squares was fine.  Friday I decided to cross some places off the food list, so I hit Fox in the Snow -- coffee place -- with some friends.  It was jam-packed, so the coffee and grub selection was sparse, but it was good.  I then met some other friends for lunch at the Thurman Cafe; it's not large (I was surprised) and there was a wait, but it was good; the burgers are huge and yet cooked pretty consistently... most impressive.  And it was good to catch up.

Friday night, of course, was THE GAME; Duke and #1 Gonzaga.  I really thought Gonzaga would have had our number, but we seemed to handle their size well, and aided by the red hit and sober Banchero... one thing I did learn was that wearing Duke blue in Columbus was...not wise.  Baby Jesus, of course, cried.

In the meantime, today was The (Lesser) Game, lost by OSU...you'd think Cbus had been scheduled for nuclear destruction; I thought it was a bit odd, given that OSU could not stop UM; I realize the D has been putrid all year, but if it keeps happening all year... how many of the run plays that UM ran were literally mismatches; you would see 5 blue jerseys for two of ours...oi.  Then on the way home I decided to stop at the Buckeye Express diner in Bellville, just off 71 (violates my rule about running the express).  Heard about it, figured I would stop.  It was good -- it is in part in a caboose, and the food is simple, but decent and the fries were fresh.  One thing about the weekend...ate a lot.  Can't wait to hit the gym tomorrow, but...a week of baked fish will be on tap!

Turkey Day

 There was a lot I could have done yesterday, but instead I watched "Casablanca" and read.  Alas; laundry can wait.  One thing I have been noticing while watching Jeopardy! (and that is one thing I do); namely, there have been a lot of runaway games.  I mean, this isn't a problem per se in that the champions are really good, but I also think people like to see competitive games; no wants to see the Washington Generals 100 times.  Not sure it is problem that has a ready solution...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  Hope your day is filled with gluttony and safe travels.  And, if you so desire, quality family time.  I don't know; some people don't like turkey, but to me, a leg and some dark meat is Matt-heaven.  I will also note that as always, I am staying far away from the food pantry and the hot meal served today...a most wonderful Thanksgiving tradition.  :)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/it-s-time-to-hold-democrats-accountable-for-the-lies-that-incite-riots-and-violence/ar-AAR2Fzr?li=BBnbcA1

Hahahahaha.  Can anybody tell me any time when Democrats have been accountable for anything?  Obamacare.  Joe Biden's rape allegations.   Bill Clinton and his rapes.  The Afghan "evacuation?"  I mean, I want this to happen as much as anything, but not in my lifetime will any media presence admit to that sort of thing...

Up All Night

 I tried to go to bed early, and succeeded, but woke up with low blood sugar, so here we are...sigh.  Between the sleeplessness and the eating (and both so soon before Turkey Day!)... sigh.

In the meantime, I watched "Minding the Gap," a documentary about four teenagers in Rockville, Illinois; it's about how they skateboard, but also how the use skateboarding to deal with the stresses in the lives.  Quite poignant, actually; I sort of liked it, and even found myself rooting for them as they tried to search their way to some conclusion.

I am about halfway through Bill James' The Man From the Train, which is about the serial killer behind the Villasca Axe Murders, and (he ties this together quite well) a number of other related crimes across the US in the first part of the 20th century.  It's quite good; James writes well, of course, and he is able to document how he was able to tie all the crimes together using modern research (not that some people didn't do it then).  His historical and cultural commentaries are also largely spot on as well.

If there is one thing that the tragedy in Waukesha should do, it is to put a kibosh on the various bail reform schemes out there.  Not that the system doesn't need reform, but one issue is that a lot of serious criminals will be out running around, and for all of the people who seem to think that this is a feature of the new order, and not a bug (including the prosecutor who let the guy out in the first place)...this should be a perfect opportunity for the GOP to swat them down.  To be sure, between the press and our reluctance to push the issue, it will be a meh, but...one can hope.

Awake and alive

 So, I took a six-hour nap today; it's like I slept a whole night.  Came home from church and gym, had lunch, read a bit, and that was that.  Oi.  Impressive, but not really; I am still tired, have stuff to do, and of course feel lazy for sleeping...  I did have a busy Saturday.  Food pantry duty in the AM -- completely forgot it was my turn to help.  I am glad I did, not that we didn't have a lot of volunteers -- we did, but we were sort of busy, especially early.  It was good to help -- everyone who wanted one got a turkey, for one -- and we also cleaned out and emptied some of the freezers.

Been reading Downfall by Richard Frank; it's about the end of WW2 in Japan.  Bit older but quite interesting; I think it largely reinforces the side of the debate about the end in that until the atomic bombs were dropped, the debate about ending the war on the Japanese side was just that -- debate.  Not until that overwhelming force was used did the matter become academic.  

https://reason.com/volokh/2021/11/18/professor-removed-from-campus-for-writing-and-talking-about-people-who-have-sexual-attraction-to-minors/

You know, I agree with this; it's not a pleasant topic to discuss, but 1) I am a First Amendment absolutist and 2)  Volokh is correct in that if it could be done (and I stress could), it would be good to help prevent people from acting out on their impulses, and this is one way to do that.  I am skeptical, of course, but...

Pre-gaming

 So, today there was a debate in Strongsville among the candidates running for the open GOP Senate seat, and off I went, because, well, one, it was down the road, and two, because I like politics...and this sort of stuff is interesting to me.  I will post the full details tomorrow -- I took copious notes, of course -- because I want to get some rest, but it was certainly entertaining and illuminating, if not informative.  I skipped dinner before and had a light lunch, so I was ravenous after...hadn't been to City Barbeque in a while so off I stopped.  It was good (no corn pudding!  the horror!) but I am not sure it was $17 good, and chicken and a side...that's sort of a lot, even with inflation.  I wonder when the consumer will feel the same way; not, of course, that you can tell that in the eatery-starved locale of Strongsville.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/11/17/republicans-are-becoming-more-diverse-thats-great-thing/?utm_campaign=wp_follow_henry_olsen&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl-henryolsen

I got a kick out of the comments; not that I expected anything less. More seriously, this is good, right?  I mean, most of the GOPers I know (and I keep meeting more) are more concerned with the politics than the demographics; hell, I think we are not stupid and would be more likely to vote for a GOPer who is not a stereotypical one just because of the electability.

https://deadspin.com/will-the-knuckleball-ever-make-a-comeback-1848079121

Interesting; I think the pitch can make one, but it's not like an MLB team will create; it'll have to be someone like Wakefield, who knew how to throw one coming in and had some experience; the development time will be less.  The other issue, of course, is that winning teams seldom have one; it's staffs like the Orioles who will use them (for want of other candidates), and that also limits development opportunities (teams will use the even more limited farm team space for actual prospects).  I don't blame them, but given the attrition rates of arms these days... 

Bemusement and then some

 Hit the gym today -- a solid arms workout -- and then weighed myself.  I have been eating leftovers (mashed potatoes are yummy, but filling) and to top it off have been snacking at night due to low blood sugar...so I was concerned.  But I came in at 192 -- still 12 too many -- but not catastrophically bad, and as long as I can stay active (I've been drinking more coffee, too), I think I can chip away.  Rah.

https://theovershoot.co/p/the-case-for-patience-on-inflation

I think this is largely true, to an extent; for one, we still need people to get back to work -- yes, more wages means more spending and inflation, but it will also minimize the supply chain issues that are exacerbating the problem.  Gas prices are an issue, and that's not going away, and with winter coming, that means heating bills. On the other hand, are people moderating their spending?  Hard to say.  Retail sales were up this week (for October), but I am curious as to Black Friday; will they spend as much as last year?  If people are concerned, they will cut back.  I don't spend that much, but have been watching and trying to minimize the damage.  Course, I also have a roof to pay off, and the sooner the better.

https://kaus.substack.com/p/how-to-bribe-trump-

I do love the circular firing squad around Kamala Harris, and who doesn't?  I don't know...for one, being the diversity hire means that you had to look past her other issues -- inexperience, lack of a (positive) record, her negatives (putting kids in prison, staff issues) -- and now it appears she is in over her head.  Yes, she is a Democrat, and they are always there, but...  Now, of course, if it is true that Team Joe wants a divorce (maybe, I have my doubts), this is wonderful for the GOP.  Except, as Kaus notes, there is the Trump problem.  To be sure, if Joe remains Joe, Trump can win in 2024.  But, Biden will have a GOP Congress to run against, and we all know what that entails. No one here seems to think they can prevent themselves from shooting themselves in the foot.  The bribe idea, though, is priceless; I don't think anyone in Trumpworld could keep that a secret, but...

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/17/college-democrats-of-america-dnc-522864

Snicker, snicker....

Rest

 So yesterday I went to bed right at 11 -- I had a thrilling day of work, punctuated by a trip to the dentist for some fillings (they really hurt after; I don't recall so much discomfort the last time), and a haircut...and I was just pooped.  Woke up at 7, and on the one hand, I felt good to have eight hours of sleep, but on the other...I just felt tired all afternoon.  Not sure why... I also missed a food pantry meeting, which is no great loss -- all aspects of the place run better without me, I am sure -- but I am sure something went down that required my attention.

Today...well, work was the usual, life was the usual.  I did note that Armond Budish will not be running again for County Executive; I am sure, of course, that this had nothing to do with the latest contretemps in the news.  Again, if only we had a GOP governor and judicial team that wanted to get to the bottom of this...

https://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/discovering-the-oldest-figural-paintings-on-earth?utm_source=pocket-newtab

This is pretty cool!  I wonder how much "entrenched racism" is really at play here; I mean, I am sure there is some, but considering that homo florensis has been accepted as is, you'd think it is passing? Certainly, if we can discover a new human species and re-think the idea of Clovis culture being the earliest in the Americas (an idea under debate to be sure), I'd like to think that science is at least open to the idea of man outside of Indonesia making art.

Tumult

 Long day today, sort of; after Mass I went to help out at the dinner served at the Polish American Cultural Center (I know, I know).  I guess I should have expected (knowing me) that my offer to stay for "a couple of hours" would mean "until closing" but there it was, and it is good to help out, especially for my Polish culture.  Anyways, there were a good hunk of leftovers, so I took some to my sister's, where we talked a bit and caught up.  Then it was off to Lowe's to buy the new screen/security door for Chateau Mattie; that didn't take too long, but the order got swallowed by the computer... oi.  Then home (no time for gym), where I had some leftovers for dinner (better hit the gym hard this week) and then to catch up on some of the stuff I had to do.  Got tired so laid in bed, and three hours later... I woke up.  Oi.  So here I am now, trying to finish up some of the other stuff I wanted to do (no budget report, no Netflix, laundry til tomorrow; oi!).  At least I got some needed rest.  

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2021/11/cuyahoga-county-has-twice-as-many-judges-as-franklin-county-how-did-it-get-so-many.html

Well, first of all, these aren't so much Democrat-jobs-protection plans, as all of these people need clerks, bailiffs, and other staffers.  Secondly...as I often say, if only we had an actually Republican governor, as then he could go and start whacking some of these elected positions (like the legislature won't go along), as part of a general Republican thing about cutting government and all...

Musings

 So, the laptop is done; not only did the save and transfer all the files, they kept them on the desktop (as asked) and left them in the same folders.  It was most impressive, and easy to find, and for that I am eternally grateful.  Aside from the multiple trips to Strongsville, it went off fairly smoothly and easily.  Now I just have to pay for it... but again, if it lasts five years, it's not a particularly expensive investment, and I do use this thing for many purposes...

Of course, I am not using to catch up on any of the paperwork I delayed doing.  :)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-biden-isnt-benefiting-from-a-strong-economy-11636548983?mod=hp_featst_pos3

Oh, I don't know; high inflation and a lot of product shortages are not the signs of a strong economy? Ok, wage growth is impressive, but it's also coming after a pandemic, and to be sure, unemployment is also an issue.  It might be voluntary, true, but the fact that a lot of jobs are still unfilled is a problem.  Also, it seems as if the administration was completely flummoxed by this, given their lack of response. That doesn't exactly bode well, either.

https://www.nationaljournal.com/s/715600/the-fight-for-the-political-mainstream-is-on/?unlock=Y17DXN760BA2ERFW

I was a little surprised to the reaction to Sununu's decision, mainly because....he's right?  It's far more awesome, if you will, to be in charge of a state than to run around the Senate; even as a junior senator.  And, of course, if you want to get something done...well, you just pick up a pen.  This could be me, but the GOP probably should have 1) not raised such a snit about it and 2) had some replacements in mind in case he said no...

Eloi, Eloi...

 Well, the long national nightmare is over; the new laptop arrived today and while the file transfer is tomorrow, the Internet works and everything is slowly returning to normal.  It is nice, the new one, both in terms of the device itself as well as not having to use the work computer (which connects to the network there, so people think you are online)...  I was off today -- our optional mandatory holidays, so I took it; slept in a bit, did some errands, read some...didn't do as much as I wanted, but it was nice all the same.

Went to Crust in Tremont as a celebration/cross one off the list (a lot of coffee places are on it, so I should start hitting some of those as well)... I didn't realize it was literally next door to St. John Cantius; which shows you how I navigate around Tremont.  But it was good!  I ordered the pizza of the day; crispy chicken, bacon, smoked mozzarella, and a buffalo ranch sauce (bit of a kick for me).  It was pretty tasty; slightly hot but not too much so, and I had my annual Nosferatu as well.  I would try it again, especially if I was in the area (not that I am).

US food banks struggling to provide for hungry families amid surging prices, supply chain issues | Fox Business

Oh, I don't know...first, many of these people voted for Joe, so it is only fair that they reap what they sew. Two, of course, the last thing some of these people need is food, so...  Three, if even Amazon is paying $16 an hour...  more seriously, so far, no major changes for us, though, as I remind our clients, we are a food bank, not a grocery store, so....you have to deal with it like we do.

Public records: Bill Mason told prosecutor in Cuyahoga County probe that Mike O’Malley would face primary opponent if investigation into Executive Armond Budish wasn’t dropped (msn.com)

Isn't this a crime?  As I like to say, if we had an actual Republican governor, we would have all of these people in the dock for public corruption... but we do not, so...

Perpetual fascination

 So, in other news, bought a laptop today, to be delivered Friday (I won't go into the latest horror story of the router now; eventually the mystery of my spotty wireless access will have to be solved, but not today.) and data migration hopefully the same day.  I ended up hitting Best Buy and...it ended up being cheaper and I got a slightly better machine; this was quite the surprise.  Assuming it lasts for five years...all I can say is that the long national nightmare will soon be over (I hope).  In the meantime, I can manage with the work machine for a few days; if all goes well I will be able to update all of the OC budget stuff and everything else ASAP. (Again, I hope.)

It was so nice out yesterday and today, hard to believe it is November, and that in a month...well, we will longing for a day like this.  I keep telling myself I do not like winter and that I should relocate, yet here we are.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/conservative-school-board-wins-may-deliver-chilling-effect-on-racial-equity-efforts/ar-AAQrYQx?li=BBnbfcL

Ummm...yeah?  I don't know, to use the words of a certain progressive politician, elections have consequences, and...you lost?  This could be me, but isn't it also true that this could be the start of more parents getting involved (on both sides) in their childrens' education?  I mean, teachers, in some ways, pawned off the responsibility of educating the kids, and parents had to pick up the slack, so they can't really complain about how people are reacting to the man behind the curtain.  And, let's face it, if you don't want people involved in the schools...people pay taxes through the nose to support their local schools, and now you can be damn sure they want to have a say.

https://www.outkick.com/scott-frost-to-return-as-nebraska-head-coach-has-clear-plan-and-vision-for-the-future/

Interesting; I mean, on the one hand, the record isn't all that.  On the other, all those losses have been close, and one could argue that with one more year, development, etc., he could turn the corner. Course, as I like to say at the office, if it hasn't happened by now...  There are also budgetary considerations to consider (even at Nebraska); I am sure a lot of people are keeping jobs because no wants any more dead salary (I read the article on ESPN), especially now, when budgets are in flux.  I would lean for keeping him, but of course I am not exactly emotionally involved here.

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/11/02/1050999300/how-american-leaders-failed-to-help-workers-survive-the-china-shock

This could be, but...1) Didn't people like Ross Perot predict this?  I guess I never believed the promise of NAFTA and other trade deals... and 2) Wasn't this one of Trump's things?  I find it fascinating that now NPR is telling everyone that he was right.  Of course, the issue is what to do now; it's not like you can put these people in coding class.  Ok, you can, but it's not likely to end up well...

https://magazine.atavist.com/the-butcher-of-havana-cuba-che-castro-aclu/

I had never heard of this guy before, and this was quite the interesting tale...

Ennui

I am a bit lost; hard to believe being without the laptop has caused it, but it has -- sort of the structure to my day, turning it on after J! and catching up on things, doing some paperwork, etc.; now, of course, I am out...  today I slept in til after 9 -- slept through the alarm, I guess -- and I was completely out of sorts by this.  I had planned to do some things (including handling the laptop) and while I need the rest, I have felt out of sorts all day. Last nite I got some reading done and went through the boxes in the living room.  It was a real trip down memory lane; stuff of mine, stuff from my parents (why didn't I go through this with them?), and quite interesting...funny; not quite sure what to do with it, actually, and of course, then I got to wondering what will happen to my memory lane stuff when I go...

Now, of course, I should stop being lazy and put it back in the attic, albeit in a close place, so I can get it...I could even be less lazy and put up Xmas stuff this year; I certainly have enough of it, even if I am not exactly an Xmas kind of guy.  Prolly not, but with minimal food pantry duty this year...

https://theathletic.com/2936488/2021/11/05/inside-overtime-elite-the-start-up-thats-disrupting-the-basketball-world-its-even-more-than-i-thought-it-would-be/

I have been thinking of canceling the Athletic subscription (less baseball to follow) but this is...interesting?  Course, none of this would have been possible with the internet, for one, but I think some of the comments -- that younger people view sports and games differently than my generation does -- is spot on, and I wonder how that will affect the league -- if it carries on -- going forward.  I mean, having thinly watched TV games won't help, but if people watch all the ad-filled highlights, it might. Also amusing was that the notion that this was bad for the kids --- no education, no college, etc. -- was barely touched; it appears they are getting "school" (to quote Cardale Jones) and some of the practical modern athlete stuff was interesting...but even John Calipari only did some minimal shitting on them, which is... impressive.

Amusements and Annoyances

 So, first, Akron fired Tom Arth today.  This may or may not have been surprising -- not winning a lot of games may do that to you -- but it was amusing.  First, of course, is that when they fired Terry Bowden (who I think was doing as good a job as possible), it was because he wasn't winning enough (never mind a MAC Championship, bowl wins, beating NW, almost beating UM) and not recruiting enough Ohio kids.  So, they fire him -- with years on the contract, so they (a school in the red!) -- hire the local guy (paying a second coach) and he... recruits more Ohio kids, and...wins an average of one game a year?  Mind you, now they have to pay two coaches again (did I mention the financial troubles) and Lord knows what strategery the new guy will have.  Also... had they done this sooner, they could have had Clay Helton (just hired by Georgia Southern); maybe he is not the best coach, and GA Southern is certainly a drop in class (to use the parlance of the track) but I think he will succeed there.  More to the point, do they think he couldn't have succeeded in Akron?

In other news, I went to MicroCenter today to buy a new laptop.  I decided on a mid-tier one, and handed them over the old laptop with instructions to copy everything over (at $100).  Ok, fine...it was done -- surprisingly -- today.  I was quite pleased, until I arrived at home, whereupon I discovered that 1) the thing doesn't have a DSL port.  As I had been using DSL for years, this was disconcerting.  I don't have Wifi here -- no wireless router -- so that was unpleasant, but it was my fault. But, all is not lost, as I had paid all that money for them to transfer my new one, so...I could at least put Humpty Dumpty back together again and do some work on other things.  So, therefore, you could imagine my surprise when I turned the thing on and there was...nothing.  NO files had been transferred; no text docs, no spreadsheets, no bookmarks, anything.  Oi. I don't know what to do now.  I mean, on the one hand, I can truck back there soon (I was in-office today) and have them actually transfer the files and buy a wireless router.  On the other hand, the whole thing has pissed me off (yes, my anger at myself has been transferred to them), but not transferring anything is not pleasant, and there are literally a half-dozen Best Buys equidistant from Chateau Mattie, all of whom offer similar services, so...  I will ponder this over the next few hours.

Joy and sadness

 So, yesterday I took the day off from blogging -- sort of -- as I was watching the election results.  They were quite mesmerizing; GOP wins in VA, almost winning in NJ, a much more redder electorate.  It is surprising (these were solid blue states a year ago) and also not (historically, of course, off-elections tend to go against the WH incumbent), though certainly the "inside straight" trope that seems to get played every time worked well here. I think it IS correct to say that Youngkin did split the needle between "Trump" and "not Trump;" to be sure, aided by McAuliffe and his gaffes (the parent talk didn't help). Also...did the GOP let one go in NJ?  No one saw a close one, but would have thought that a few million -- or some visits by anybody -- should have been considered.  Oi.

In other news, my laptop isn't charging and I think I need a replacement.  I mean, the thing is old, and certainly should be upgraded.  On the other hand...well, one does hate to spend the money and I will need to get all of the old stuff transferred to the new one, and that takes time.  So that sucks.  On the other hand, considering the use I get out of it, assuming it lasts four years, it is like 50 cents a day or something ridiculous, so I should complain less.

https://ritholtz.com/2021/09/deficit-bullshit/

https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2021/10/the-united-states-has-been-going-broke-for-decades/

I think these are largely true, but 1) just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it can't happen now and 2) the issue of course that we could spend the money better on other things, or, God forbid, giving it back to the people.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/11/reconstruction-the-war-the-army-lost-that-changed-america-forever/

Quite true, and I have been saying this for years...of course, part of the problem was that the people really didn't want to fight another war, for one, and two, the usual practice of "cutting the army to the bone after the war ends" was certainly done in the Civil War, so even if we had wanted to fight the southern insurrectionists, we couldn't; hell, we could barely contain the Native American tribes, and that was a smaller and technologically backward population

In other news, I finally got around to watching "Harriet," the story of Harriet Tubman's life (as told by Hollywood).  And....I liked it; I think it was a bit restrained in portraying the horrors of slavery, but it certainly did a fine job of showing the complexities of free/slave society during the time.  Quite good overall, and certainly worth a watch or two...

Catching Up

 After a busy weekend, here I am, back at the blogging machine.  Funny; I literally crashed last night at 8 -- just laid down and woke up at 3, then went back to bed until 7:45 today (this explains why I am up now).  Missed the World Series game, important news events, everything.  Oi.  I guess it was good to get some rest, even if I give it back now.  I have been tired, mainly due to poor quality sleep.  Also, my weight is back to 193; low blood sugars at night and a day of gym-skip will do that to you!  Still, some food discipline and more exercise later in the week should help.

Went to Church today; mind you, not Mass, though I should have -- it was NOT a Holy Day of Obligation, so I didn't attend, but there were several boxes of food in the vestibule, as well as four bags of hangers for clothing (which we don't really need now), so I decided I would just go and get them.  Polish Mass was still going on when I arrived; there were quite a few cars in the lot and plenty of people inside, far more than any English ceremony.  I was most impressed.

https://www.mischiefsoffaction.com/post/party-cares-unpopular

Interesting, to which I might add that nowadays, a lot of the time, people also do not want to be primaried, which does not help the matter.

https://www.pragcap.com/is-hyperinflation-coming/

I think this is largely correct -- no hyperinflation, but rising prices are here for a while. Mind you, the issue is that for so long, prices have been fairly stable; people are conditioned to the price of some things being somewhat the same for months and years at a time.  Now, of course, they keep rising and rising (when wages do not, at least for the salaried), and people are...concerned.   Not that a spot of inflation is that bad to the debtors of the country (and many in the US are) but for a lot of people what you see is... more and more to be spent on basics and less for the other things. Meh.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/evangelical-trump-christians-politics/620469/

As I commented on Facebook...isn't this what Protestants do?  I mean, Luther didn't like Church teachings, so he left.  Ditto for Calvin.  Henry VIII wanted to remarry, so he left.  John Wesley left the CofE...the list can go on (Shakers, Quakers, Baptists, Salvation Army, etc.).  I am not sure that the author's worry is valid; ok it is for the established Protestant/Evangelical denominations, but many of them started out as branches of another, so...

Similarly, the idea that politics cannot cause a schism in the pews is also...historically wrong?  Again, the Reformation was eventually settled politically through the notion of "His the region, his the religion" (at least in the states of the HRE) and elsewhere in Europe; France remained a largely Catholic nation, England a Protestant one.  In this country it is also a fact; the Baptists and the Methodists splintered over slavery, and more recently, the Methodists and the Episcopalians have splintered over gay marriage...while that may have been a doctrinal decision, it is also one of politics.  But schism it was.  I guess I don't see a huge issue with this; some will sort back to the old denominations, others will find a home in the new.  That's life in the Protestant big tent, and if the pastors aren't solving it, someone else will...