Catching up

 Busy weekend of sorts...caught up on stuff.  Answered a bunch of emails.  Food pantry duty -- slow but steady.  We had plenty of help, which was nice, as we were able to do stuff -- rotate stock, clean, take everything to the recycle bins, move stuff around that needed to be moved, put out extra clothing racks, clean bins -- that sort of thing.  It should happen more often, but for a number of reasons (crowd, help) it does not.  The place did look a bit better when I left.

Last night I went with the godsons to see "Death on the Nile."  (I do love Christie.)  It was...ok?  Good not great?  I mean, I think Branagh catches the spirit of the man, but I am not a fan of going away from the canonical story of Poirot, nor the diversions of the movie from the book.  Everyone does it, but...  the other thing was that we were the only people in the theater!  I know there is COVID, and I know you can order movies from your home, but... I don't know, something about going to see a movie...well, it's still fun.

https://noahpinion.substack.com/p/the-big-sanctions-a-quick-explainer?utm_source=url

Good explanation!  More seriously...while all are pleased that Ukraine is holding on...it's sort of like the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-1940, or what Shelby Foote said about the North in the Civil War -- we fought it with one hand behind our back, and if we had needed to, we could have pulled out the other one.  I wonder if the world will -- once this ends -- go back to the way things were, or if the sanctions and such will continue.  I just wonder how long people's memories will last.

Soaring

 One thing I've noticed is that the rampant inflation is affecting fish fry dinners; $15 seems to be the norm all of a sudden (ok, not really).  On the one hand, it's a lot; on the other, it's not (costs are up), it is for the church, and I can afford it, with the not driving and the new-job-and-raise-in-pay (to say nothing of me being a cheap SOB).  I have certainly been around long enough to know that the margins on these things are not that high and people have to hustle to make bank.  To be sure, there are some bargains abounding, but I feel the need to spread my travel wings a bit this year.  The guy who says "Restaurant Lives Matter" really shouldn't be squawking about an $3 for a church dinner (Mom spins in the urn).

"Hoosiers" was on TCM tonight.  It is the season, with March Madness upon us; more to the point...I just love the film -- even makes me cry at the end -- and of course I had to watch.  I think people like sports movies in general, and this one -- redemption, second chances, the underdog victorious -- does it for me.  But...he doesn't do much as a coach, that's true; no nifty play calls or anything of the sort.

https://deadspin.com/it-hasn-t-taken-kim-mulkey-long-1848593866

This is pretty cool, though I am not surprised.  I mean, she can coach; she may be a lightning rod for controversy, but...I still can't believe Baylor let her go.  Certainly, coaching at the alma mater must have been especially...enervating for her.  And, well, women's basketball is still at the stage where you need some attention; media numbers are rising but are not high, if you get my drift.

https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2022/02/25/pinnacle-of-hypocrisy-has-been-achieved-guess-where-the-dem-governors-assn-is-having-a-meeting/

Snicker, snicker.  You can be damn sure, of course, that no Democratic governor will be asked about this...

Sadness and joy

 And so it begins.  The news out of Ukraine is disheartening; not unexpected, but sad all the same.  In some ways, I wish we had troops on the ground and were threatening nukes; Putin is a threat to all that is good and holy, and he needs to be -- in the words of Robert E. Lee -- "suppressed;" let's hope the Ukrainians make it as painful as possible.  Again, not sure we can do more, but I also think Biden could have been...stronger.  More support to Ukraine.  More sanctions.  Indeed, as Trump pointed out, Putin is rolling him because he feels he can, and he was right.  No one, I see, is asking Obama if he wanted to apology to Mitt Romney (and America), I note...

In happier news....Cleveland has a pierogi week.  This is new to me, and my thought was...awesome.  Now, with Lent coming up, this does limit the menu choices -- as does my dislike of potato and cheddar (a truly not Polish choice) -- but I have found a few places that offer interesting alternatives.  I realize a pierogi is technically hard to fuck up, but not impossible (sadly).  Anyways, I will hit one, at least.  I also need to strategerize my fish fry visits, and maybe cross off some of the food list.  I will be a fat pig at this rate.  Tonight's ice storm will mean only two gym doubles this week, but some healthy fish will offset that.  I hope. 

https://www.si.com/college/2022/02/24/grambling-state-adds-art-briles-to-coaching-staff

I don't know...I mean, for one, an HBCU hiring a white guy...most impressive.  More seriously, I get the point of the article, but...maybe he's learned?  Maybe he won't be in a position to let rapists run wild?  Ok, who are we kidding, probably not, but, how on earth do you expect people to be repentant if you don't give them a chance?  Unless the argument is no one gets a second chance.... I am not opposed to this, of course, but 1) It's not very Christian (for those who believe in that) and 2) It's not very American ("Hoosiers" is on tomorrow night, for instance).

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/19/pj-orourke-republican-00010199

Interesting and amusing.  I don't know; I have gotten more libertarian as I have aged...might be a function of the process, or maybe you just care about different things...

Agony

 My back hurts.  I mean, it's really sore, and it hurts even to move.  Funny thing is, I have no idea how this came to be; I crashed at 11 last night, but I don't think I slept in an odd position... I woke up at 3 and went to bed and didn't feel any wrenching. It could be old age, could be something else, but it is most annoying.

The J! College Tournament ended today...you know, I actually enjoyed it, for all its faults, it provided much amusement and entertainment, and I managed to average just over 45 correct questions a game, a not unimportant characteristic for me.  Wonder if they keep the format for next year.

This could be me, but short of sending US troops to Ukraine to fight the Russians -- which seems to be a nonstarter -- I don't think Biden has done a poor job here.  Now, I think his weakness hasn't helped (Putin was remarkably quiet under Trump, ahem) but so far he has been...ok?  I think stronger measures could be used to help the Ukrainians -- hell, I would even sell them some nukes about now -- but on this point the criticism should be...muted?  There are no good options here... save for the most unpleasant of them.

I need to hit another restaurant again (or make some of the recipes on the list); it has been a while since I crossed one off, and it may be time to hit some again...especially with Lent coming and I will be trying to hit fish fries.  Holy Name is bringing theirs back, and I am hoping others do as well... I was not exactly satisfied with what is around here, so I may decide to travel afield a bit...

Exhaustion

 I am just...tired.  For a bunch of reasons, none of them particularly good, I barely got four hours of sleep last night, and I am feeling it today in spades.  I have nodded off a couple of times already, not gotten as much done as I liked, and have been rather lethargic, despite several cups of coffee.  I even met a friend at Atomic Dog in Montrose this afternoon (it was quite good) and the two larges I had this afternoon managed to power me a bit, but now...the torpor just overwhelms me.  I am off tomorrow, so I can sleep in, but I have meetings and other things, and do want to get some things done as well.  Oi.  Poor discipline all around!  

Almost done with the current book -- 10 for the year -- By More Than Providence -- which is a look at US foreign policy in the Pacific Rim since the foundation of the republic.  Interesting, if the modern era is a bit scrunched together.  Long but I certainly learned some stuff, always good.

Friday night I watched "The Wobblies," a documentary about the IWW, the first large-scale union in the US.  It was good -- quite informative, and I think it was highly sympathetic to the cause and the people who joined (they had a bunch of interviews with surviving members), but it didn't really cover all of the story, like their brushes with various laws, isms, and other sorts of "minor" things.  Still, I liked it -- given a new glimpse at a semi-forgotten world....

The Slow Walk to Judgment

 My plan to get to bed before midnight is probably shot, but I have been...productive.  Funny, didn't start that way -- I slept in a bit and didn't hit the gym, which I should have done, considering the weather (so I didn't go at all).  But I just plowed ahead with the new job -- presentations, stuff to read, stuff to look up, papers to revise -- and it was good.  It is new and different, and I am learning a lot.  Do I miss the old job?  In some ways, but not in others.  Next week, I think, I will quit trying to work in both time zones -- they are ok with this -- and life might get a bit more normal.

I am not surprised by the verdict in the Skaggs murder case; I wonder what the follow-up will be.  I realize they have other problems in that league, of course, but I can't imagine that all of this drug use will go unpunished.  Or, it shouldn't.  To be sure, this is not baseball's first drug scandal, and nor will it be the last, but... someone is dead because of this, and if they can't figure out a mixture of punishment and rehab...

Rob Portman endorsing Jane Timken was not something I saw coming.  To be sure, it makes sense; she has been a loyal soldier as head of the GOP, has plenty of money, doesn't have the RINO tab, and is a woman, always nice in the GOP's push for diversity.  On the other hand...well, this is the thing that will get her to stand out; it's not like she has distinguished herself in one way or the other. More importantly, RINO Rob's endorsement might hurt, as well; he hasn't exactly endeared himself to the base, and every other candidate can make haste to stress the point.

JD Vance has campaign ads up now, and they are... pretty good?  Certainly point out his strengths, and the generous shots of Tucker Carlson don't exactly hurt with the GOP electorate that views him as must-see TV...

One other downside of not hitting the gym, working more, and being busy is that I have read less, and the movies from the National Film Registry and the library are sitting on the table...maybe this weekend?

Unavoidable

 So, last night I went to bed -- too tired to blog.  I watched the Duke game on my phone while watching the three Jeopardy! games...I think I am glad I did, given the multiple ways Duke tried to throw the game away.  They still won, thank God...but the look on Banchero's face when the miracle heave rattled in and out...well, it said it all.  I was slightly perturbed by the whole thing, so I went to the gym and had a good work out.  Woke up early for leg day today, and tonight...well, low blood sugar, so there went that.  Oi.

I do want to read the new Coach K bio that comes out next week (of course).  I am sure all that is mean and unfavorable is nothing but a pack of lies. :)  More seriously...this could be me, and I am sure Tommy Amaker is a fine coach, but...he has been gone a long time, and while he deserves consideration for the job of coaching Duke, I am not sure he merits anything special.  I can see how he would be hurt, but... Coach K has a right to pick his successor.  Anyways, I expect the thing will be a real page-turner...

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/15/stefanik-quieting-doubters-messaging-chief-00008877

This is...good?  I mean, if you are convinced the press is biased against you, only talk to the people who are with you?  Eventually, if people are left out in the cold long enough... ha!  Who are we kidding?

I got a kick out of the Canadian Parliament debate, where Justin Castreaux (I love that) accused the Jewish MP of siding with people who wave swastikas.  As you can imagine, that went over all, and the Internet has reacted accordingly.  I actually prefer the parliamentary system in that way, in that the leaders have to face someone when something goes wrong; that and the fact you do get honest debate in these things.  I have to admit that between Donald Trump and Joe Biden it would be a complete trainwreck, yet completely glorious to behold...

A new start

So...today was the first day of the new job, and it was...intense.  The day started off with a crisis -- I got a bum steer on the introductory email password, but once that was fixed, it was into the role.  Lots of stuff to learn -- the science, the tech, where to find the documents -- and plenty of meetings this week to meet everyone.  But I got started on my first project, with more to go.  Everyone seemed nice and happy to see me, so... so far so good.  I was nervous, I had to admit; drank a lot of coffee and even snacked a bit.  I felt fat, of course, and the low blood sugar this morning deep-sixed the gym in the AM trip (I rode the bike more tonight to make up for it, of course).

Yesterday I watched the Super Bowl (sort of; I was reading and working on something during game action), so I had my annual football game-watching extravaganza.  It was...fine?  I don't know; the commercials were ok, I guess.  Some were funny (the one with Gwyneth amused me) and there were a plethora of electric car commercials.  I mean, I know one person with a Tesla, one with a Prius, and that's it.  I know they are more of a coastal thing, but... I am not sure they are all that worthwhile yet.  I am interested in the electric pickup trucks, albeit...not yet.

I also forgot it was Valentine's Day, at least for most of it.  Maybe because I am single, maybe it was that I had so much other stuff to do, but I should have...I even got cards from the aunts (before today).  One bright side of this is that I can now buy the shit I was supposed to at a discount, and we all know how I feel about saving money...

Clearing the decks

 You know, today was a full day!  OC duty in the morning...a bit nippy but not too bad.  The ladies had done yeoman's work in getting the clothes on the racks and ready to go, so I made sure we got them out.  And, fortunately, a lot of people took stuff -- so much so that we added some clothes during the day to fill up the racks.  Less fortunately, people brought more clothes (at least they were clean) so the net gain was not so much.  But some; now we have to get rid of the 100 or so bags in storage.  Crowd-wise, we hit 100 on the dot, though half of them came in one 45-minute burst.  We had volunteers and plenty of stuff to give, so it worked out well -- all of the potatoes gone, most of the cabbages and lettuce, even some eggplant (which is about ripe).  Lot of the clients were...pains in the rear; people not having IDs, coming back twice a month (we went back to once long ago); some who came last week came again and tried the old "no one told us this" routine...which would have worked, but it is in the computer, often multiple times.  Hell, sometimes I am the one who is the bearer of the news.  And of course, these people are so poor that they can afford cigarettes.

Alas -- then it was off to the gym (chest), the store, the library (stuff to print out) and then home, where I did some cleaning and went through the mail pile (I also solved the Games magazine mail-in puzzle, I think).  Made some dinner (salmon and eggplant), watched some Duke (those scrappers pulled it out against BC), then decided to hit the gym again for some leg action.  Then back home and did all of the laundry (I had let stuff pile up), followed by the sending of some emails and reading some articles I had bookmarked.  I mean, it may not seem like progress, but there is less mess everywhere, which is...nice.

The End of an Era

 So...today was my last day at Freedonia.  I have known about this for a while, of course, but kept it largely on the q.t. (for a bunch of reasons).  Monday I start a new position with Pebble Labs, where I will be a Market Intelligence Analyst -- a role similar but not exact to mine (obviously).  It was...just odd.  I mean, I've been there for two decades, written all kinds of studies, press releases, PR posts, etc.; become the go-to person for a bunch of things; and played a role in developing a lot of the work we do.  To say nothing of the usual office crap.  It was weird, couple of weeks ago, bunch of people were asking me about Amy Schneider on J! and all, and I was like "in a bit, these conversations won't be happening."  Turning in my computer and the work sources I saved was a bit of finality... but, on the other hand, some stuff I haven't liked, and some things were not getting better, so... I found a new position.

Anyways, to celebrate/commemorate the new role, I decided to have dinner at Red (in Pinecrest).  I had a gift card that I was saving for a special occasion, and this was it.  I tried to get a reservation -- they don't do ones, and it is technically Valentine's Day weekend (this is why I am single, I guess), but I was told I could sit at the bar if I wanted to and could find a seat, so I did.  Hell, I even had a cocktail -- aviation, with gin, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, and something else, which was pretty good, even if it had an octane rating. 

Back to the food.  It was excellent; ranks with Salt in terms of best meal I ever had.  I had a 14-oz NY strip steak, and it was cooked perfectly (at $50, it damn well should be, but you would be surprised). The crab stuffing on top was good, not quite sure it was that good, but this was more than made up for by the twice-baked potato.  It was yuuuuggge and delicious; potato also cooked perfectly, and the filling was excellent -- near perfect blend of bacon and cheese.  I even "splurged" on a pear tart; two slices of a pear pie with whipped cream, a sweet sauce. and white chocolate.  Heavenly!

I got home (feeling fat, and also telling myself I have no grounds to complain about my gas bill) and watched all three games of J! (on a Friday, no less) which was of course wonderful.  Then, I checked and discovered the new firm had sent a swag pack to my house. One package was my new company laptop (it works, will log on to network tomorrow) and the other was cool stuff -- business cards, a two-pound water bottle (ha), paper and pens, and a canvas bag.  I was...impressed, to put it mildly.  

Progress of a sort

 First time in a bit (ok, since Monday) I was able to get a double gym day in.  Low blood sugar in the AM so no cardio, but I got a good long session -- on top of leg day -- in the evening, so I think I am ok.  Not really; I put on a couple of pounds during the weekend and all these IPAs and fries and such do not help.  I do feel stronger -- added some weights to the workouts this week and I don't feel too bad after.

I do need more cardio time, though, as it allows me to read.  Right now -- and this will be book ten -- I am working on Cornelius Ryan's A Bridge Too Far, his wonderful history of Operation Market Garden.  It's sad, knowing how everything ended (especially for the British) but one cannot help but get the sense that it was too much -- especially with airborne troops -- and it was exacerbated by the refusal of the Allies to seriously consider the evidence that the Germans had stronger forces there than originally thought.  To be sure, the idea was that the airborne troops were just sitting around (rhetorically speaking) but all of the resources used for that battle could have been given to Patton to fight his way into Germany (before the Russians).  And, no one should ever discount the fighting power of the Wehrmacht... which the Allies (East and West) often did, to their own peril.  Anyways, this book is long (500 plus pages), some of the next ones I got from the library are bulky, and I also have some films to watch.  It will be a full-media weekend at Chateau Mattie, not that this is bad.

Got my gas bill today, and...wow.  I mean, it was almost double what it was last month.  While there were a couple of days when I put up a bit, most of the time we are at 60 or so, so...this was incredible.  Now, I know why gas prices are so high (it is my job, in part) but it is still no fun.  The windows as the next home improvement project seems to be gaining steam.  But I would like a new bathroom...

https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2022/02/10/the-gop-must-adopt-a-no-prisoners-agenda-for-2023-n2602998?106

I would like this very much, but...seeing is believing, they say.

Mattie Snickers

 So, I went to Great Lakes Brewing for lunch today (I met a friend).  It was...ok?  I mean, the sandwich (pretzel-coated chicken) was fine, though I am not sure it and the fries were worth $15.  The beer -- I had a tropical IPA, and it was...meh?  The stuff I had at Hopping Frog was a bit more flavorful and hearty, if you will.  Plus, getting there and finding a parking space (the streets are fine, but the curbs are a hot mess; you can't pass, and parking spaces are hit or miss) and everything... I guess I should have gone in June.  On the other hand, it was on my food list, so that's a good thing.  The food list also has recipes, so maybe I will spend some time cooking one of these days.  (Not during food pantry month, though.)

Speaking of, some of the volunteers went down there today and cleaned and organized and sorted the clothing, with the result being -- provided the weather is nice -- we should have full racks to put out. This is good, as the clothing storage area is packed (literally) and stuff keeps coming in (sigh).  The snowdrifts were high last week so we didn't do much; this time, though, there is supposedly a clear area to put the stuff, so we will see.  We are also collecting plastic bags again, in expectation of another ban... I hope not, for many reasons, including the simplicity of having them.

https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_stephen_moore/why_are_liberals_so_miserable

Maybe because they are miserable to begin with?  :)  This could be me, but one thing I have noticed is that my GOP friends (and I) tend to have so much more to do; I mean, in addition to, say, family stuff, most of my friends who lean rightward have jobs and do other things -- church stuff, scouts, volunteering -- and thus they have less time to be miserable.  I always get a kick out of a couple of my progressive friends who say they would love to do food pantry/charitable work, but don't want to do it with a church.  Ok, fine...then go do it, I tell them; get a bunch of your like-minded types together and start something.  So far...crickets.

Senate Stuff

 You know, I sort of like the new J! format for the college championship.  36 players instead of 15?  Sounds good.  Twelve games -- an extra hour of J! per night -- what could be better?  Win or go home?  Ok, not too bad; I mean, it takes the strategery out of the equation for betting, but who doesn't love winning? Again, it's different but it is good.

The problem, though, is the set up for the finals... the twelve semifinal players play a game, which gives you four winners...but only three move on to the finals; the lowest scorer gets to say behind.  This, to me, is ridiculous, as...what's the point of playing, and winning, if you can't go on?  I mean, a game with three competitive players might lead to a lower score -- say, if everyone gets $10K or so, while someone else pulls an Amy and gets $40k?  What about a triple stumper?  I mean, it shouldn't be that hard to figure out a system that gets three players into the finals.

https://www.axios.com/modern-republican-party-primary-trump-gop-d445dd51-adfc-469e-b1dd-5d6b25118bc7.html?utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_daily202&stream=top

Interesting.  I am not sure I agree with all of this, but I think a lot of this is close enough.  Is this good for the GOP?  I think so...you don't want ossification; change is good.  I think new party players is a sign of growth, as you are open to new ideas and theories.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ohio-s-senate-race-is-a-trump-era-tragedy/ar-AATv23L?li=BBnbcA1

Is it?  Maybe.  I mean, I liked the guy, and I think he is a good candidate, but if he couldn't break through... some of that is on him, given that there are so many other candidates running.  I used to joke that I don't think car dealers are quite the profession I would look to for politics, and it seems the GOPers of Ohio would agree.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/07/jd-vance-warning-ohio-senate-race-00006310

This could be me, but....JD isn't on the air, and he doesn't seem to be online, either, and that's a problem (his competitors are).  There is still time, but I don't necessarily think being against Trump is the issue.  It's not so much the message but the lack of messaging...

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/22912353/democracy-united-states-douthat-beauchamp-debate

Interesting; I liked how Douthat parried Beauchamp's thrusts; more like swatting down paranoia or worst-case scenarios.  One thing I thought of was that we did have one-party dominance from 1933 to 1947; Democrats pretty much ran the show -- and the Presidency til 1953 -- and I don't recall GOPers trying to figure out ways to re-do much of the Constitution; they passed the 22nd Amendment, but other than that...they just found a candidate who could win.  Crazy talk.

Ups and Downs

 Last night I crashed...hard.  Like, slightly after 10.  I was off today, so I didn't set the alarm, thus sleeping in a bit.  But, it was a busy day besides --  an AM trip to the gym, lunch at Cracker Barrel (one gift card gone, one to go), a stop at the library, a meeting with the SVDP President for some ideas for the future, a brief visit to help a friend with some things... also took up the Xmas decorations (sad). My sister told me I should rest, which is true, but also amused me, as I am not one to do that, and today...let's just say  that my schedule tends to fill up.

Watched the Duke game...and while they certainly deserved to lose considering how they played, it still sucked for them to lose.  All those turnovers, oi.  All that lack of defense in the inside; even when Williams was in -- to say nothing of letting him get that 4th foul early in the second half.  They talked after the game about how they can't seem to get emotional and win after a big win...this could be me, but given where we are in the season...this problem should have been fixed by now, and the fact that it has not been is a problem.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/02/14/amy-coney-barretts-long-game?utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Magazine_020722&utm_medium=email&bxid=617af5c4dd208067fa48c3e0&cndid=67096253&hasha=f914b0e213c5e2b4265494b6d07fe88f&hashb=6bdc725b8ad01d4b008008db7e5675596bf06f37&hashc=801d804b365ab77c00420f3c94d30e088f245796e4271708cfe1828c72ef4837&esrc=Auto_Subs&utm_term=TNY_Magazine

At least this cheered me up; the more I read about her, the more love ACB.  So there's that.

Labors

 Much of my day consisted of shoveling, and not at my house.  First was OC duty today, which was fine -- I know how to bundle up -- but the parking lot was barely done, so I helped to clear out a space by the door so we could have some room to set up the table and haul bags.  This was followed by widening the car space so I (and everyone else) wouldn't truck through a snowdrift.  Then some volunteers came to sort in the clothing room (sort of a mess; mainly just a LOT of clothes there), which was of course not plowed or accessible, so we shoveled a path for them (I even salted).  Anyways, the day at the OC was fine; not a big crowd, with the weather and the fact that most of the people who did come complained that they had bad streets or driveways.  Top it off, we didn't get any deliveries Thursday or Friday; we had plenty of canned goods, of course, but no new produce -- just what we had before.  At least we managed to get rid of most of that.

Funny...because while I was there my sister texted me if I could shovel her driveway a bit more -- the plow was a little short of the width of her garage, so there I was after the OC to push away more snow... then I had to go to another engagement which took most of the day.  It was nice to come home, finally...  even if I missed most of the Duke game (which they won, thankfully).  A hot shower, some dinner, a quiet cup of coffee... and some reading for a bit.  Not exactly the most exciting of days, but one that was ...eminently sensible.

Leisure

 It was a glorious day!  I took the day off -- I have the days -- so I slept in a bit, read up on the news, went through some links, and had a leisurely lunch.  Did some SVDP -- emailing people about plans and ideas for the new year, and then I met a friend for coffee.  Quite nice... I waited until the driveway was plowed, of course.   I mean, it was done yesterday, and today...you would hardly have known it had been done.  Oi.  As always, I do not want to hear about global warming.  Anyways, a quiet and simple supper, a night trip to the gym to lift (always a sound choice!), and now home... I didn't take down the Xmas decorations, but there is time, and, to be sure, I like them up.  

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/02/sarah-palin-new-york-times-trial-supreme-court.html

This story amuses me quite a bit.  For one, the idea that Sarah Palin should be the victim of a media campaign... two, of course, is the idea that the NYT should be sued for defaming her (she is sort of past her prime as a media celebrity, no?) is also amusing.  But here we are; and, I think she has a case.  I mean, if this relies on malice...well, pretty much all coverage is rooted in malice, so I don't think it would be a hard case to prove, save that the trial is in NYC.  Alas.  I want her to win, mainly because the case does expose how the sausage is made, and that will not be fun for those involved...

Snowed in

 That snow was impressive today.  Mind you, the couple of times I ventured out, it wasn't that bad -- not that cold, not that windy; hell, I saw a couple of people walking around and taking the dogs for a stroll for a bit (about noon)  when it snowed less.  But from about 2 on...whoa.  I put the news on at 6 and saw the camera at 271 and 480 -- where I would have been driving on crappy roads -- and they showed three cars the entire two-minute camera pan.  I mean, between the pandemic and this, no one was driving, and that is good.  No gym today, and I think I will skip the AM workout (for now).  Of course, I may feel fat and decide to go twice, just because.

Watched "A Cool World" tonight.  It's interesting; basically, a look at a Harlem street gang in the mid 1960s, shot from the perspective of the gang leader.  All-Black (mainly), lots of interesting street scenes, and shot with an amateur/cinema verite feel.  It was a bit difficult to get used to, at first, but I was fascinated just by the whole thing.  Pretty cool overall.  This brings me to 786 for the NFR, and sent me on a mad search through Ohiolink to find more films (with some success).

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/02/bernie-moreno-drops-out-of-ohios-republican-us-senate-race.html

Interesting (especially the part about the visit to the kingmaker).  I liked the guy -- he was #2 on my list of candidates -- but it did seem he had trouble getting traction in the crowded field.  I am still Team Vance but he has been silent on the air, which is a problem... not that I pay attention to ads on Facebook or elsewhere, where I guess the action lies.

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-near-earth-comet-may-have-destroyed-a-north-american-culture-1-500-years-ago

This is fascinating!  More to the point, a good use of science, history, and oral tradition.  Let's hope more work is done here...

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/03/kyrsten-sinema-staff-revolt-00005270

There is always suicide, I guess....

Falling Hard

Snowpocalypse 2.0 is upon us... I guess my plow-person is happy -- he only had to plow twice last year, and tomorrow will be #4, if not more.  Funny, as my driveway was completely pavement today, between the rain and the melt and my driving over it.  Now...well, behold the power of global warming.  At least I don't have to go anywhere.  Not that I wanted to, and I won't.

Watched "Stop Making Sense" today; it's a concert video of the Talking Heads from the mid-80s.  It was...fine?  I mean, I didn't really have much experience or knowledge of them until today (I asked a coworker for guidance).  I liked what I heard, but it did seem to me to be...period music, if you will.  To be sure, one had to be there to appreciate the difference, which I get.  Anyways, this gets me to 785 on the National Film Registry.

I am bemused by the Jim Harbaugh/Vikings story.  Unless the NFL is putting that out there to deflect fire from the Flores story, it does seem odd for Harbaugh to be so publicly linked to the job, and then not take it.  I would suspect he wanted too much money/power/personnel input, so the Vikings leaked it to smear him. I am sure The OSU is very saddened by the brouhaha.

Of course, this is not as amusing as the CNN scandal; I sort of want to work there, as there is literally plenty of action to go around!

A Fest of Awesome

 So, there goes my plan to blog every day.  Ok, Sunday night I was tired and just went to bed.  Last night, I watched Duke -- the announcers' claims of a high-scoring game was sadly deficient -- and while it was not exactly a thrilling win (no wins against top-quality teams lately, though ND is...decent), it was a game they had to win, and they did.  I know it is not like Duke will miss the tourney again, but... still.

Approximately two minutes after the win, I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke again.. it almost two, the lights and the TV were on, and I was comfortably ensconced on the living room floor.  Oi.  Anyways, I then went to bed (officially) and I couldn't fall asleep after a bit -- and had a series of odd dreams when I did.  Double oi.  I decided to skip the gym double (bad Matt! bad Matt!) and sleep in a bit more... prolly wise.  I do feel fat, of course.  Maybe I can work it off shoveling the 90 feet of snow we will be getting...

https://amac.us/can-the-gop-take-advantage-of-its-big-opportunity/

I would like us to, but probably not!

https://jacobinmag.com/2022/01/cryptocurrency-scam-blockchain-bitcoin-economy-decentralization

I have two schools of thought on this...on the one hand, if this is a fraud and a Ponzi scheme, these people should be punished.  On the other hand...it does seem like everyone knows this, or at least is aware of the fact that you could lose all your money; a classic Ponzi scheme (like, say, Social Security) is that the first few people get fantastically rich and everyone gets screwed.  Here, people are still getting rich, for one, and two, it seems that you still can, either by mining more Bitcoins or engaging in the various cryptocurrency games.  Is that a crime to engage in that?  I don't think it is!

https://www.enworld.org/threads/original-known-world-documents-released.685499/

This is awesome!  I mean, I always loved Mystara when I played -- we figured out a way to bring the world into AD&D, and even when we shifted our characters to Faerun, this system was never far from our hearts... Seeing this at the beginning is pretty cool...