A Sense of Equipose

 Interesting development in the Idaho murders -- the arrest of a suspect!  One suspected that this would have gone unsolved.  To be sure, an arrest is not the same as a conviction, but...one hopes.

Slept in today after crashing on the bed -- lights on, dozing away.  It was quite good, actually, and I should do it again today (tomorrow).  I ended up having a busier day than I thought -- couple of hours of work, some bills to pay, errands to run, then a trip to the gym, with plenty of cardio... felt good, actually.  I don't know; there are times when I definitely feel my age (have an MD visit coming soon, need to discuss that), and other times when I do not... and today was one where I did not.  I guess that is good.

You know, it's bowl season, and I have just not been able to get interested.  Watched much less college football than usual this year -- no office pool to motivate to win, I guess.  My football fandom decreases every year, so I guess this is not exactly a surprise.  But when I was a kid, and even not so long ago, I watched as many as I could.

I continued my trip through the NFR with a watching on "Mingus," a documentary from the late 60s about the jazz great.  I knew nothing about him or jazz, so after a quick Wiki check... it was odd.  To be sure, a Black person in the 60s had much to complain about, but he... well, there was certainly something a little off kilter.  Guess if I was more of an afficionado I would have found it more enjoyable... at least we are now up to 806.  We all know how I love progress....

Probably will not finish book 51 by midnight tomorrow.  I think I can fairly attribute it to next year's goal (why not read more?) though it does seem a bit Hopey and Changey to start something now and count it for later.  Of course, reading and intelligence are hardly Hopey and Changey concepts, so there is that. 

Reflections

 Went back to the gym today, finally -- with the snow, the holidays, and yesterday's drama I didn't have the time or the energy.  Today I did, and while my blood sugar was a bit too low for cardio, it was good to do arms.  Might do a double tomorrow, depending on how I sleep and the AM blood sugar.  I should do one every day, or at least every other day... I was exactly 194 pounds, and considering the holiday snacking, that sounds about right.  

Good day today!  Did some work in the AM, met a friend for coffee in Strongsville (not a bad choice, but getting through the town, oi), a few errands, and home in time for J!, what could be better?  I also watched "Union Maids," a documentary about three women in the union movement in the 20s and 30s.  Interesting, of course, but as I like to say... I wonder what they would say now; unions did much good for the country then, but now... the record is a bit mixed.  Of course, if they were true believers, they would double down...  Anyways, 805 on the National Film Registry, and I am sure there will be more to come.  Now, of course, it's trying to see the ones that are harder to locate.  Sigh.

Hard to believe the year is at an end; I mean, things go faster as you age, to be sure, but I guess with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, then it is the new year, and then... well, more of the same.  At least the winter weather has disappeared for a few days, but that too will be back, alas...

Sleepy, and not sure why... I got decent sleep last night, but I guess the accumulation of not getting enough...it weighs on you.  Oi.

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward

 Quite a charming day... as it turned out, the next time I went to the garage and get the car out... the garage door was completely off the rails and completely stuck.  I called a couple of places and was told that it would be Saturday before I would be needed...anyways, I mentioned my first-world calamity to my sister, and she mentioned an app called Thumbtack, which connects you to handymen and such.  Fascinated by this entire concept, I downloaded it and signed up, and within an hour, I had someone here fixing the door.  I am not quite sold on this... so far, the garage door works perfectly, and he was done quickly and nicely, so I guess that should be 90%, though, of course, you never know who is coming to the door.  Let's just say I will be monitoring quite closely my accounts for a bit...  More seriously, this is another hunk of cash on the house, and while that's what home ownership is... I can't pay down more bills and start the bathroom/windows/carpet/chimney until I get the debt down to a level I prefer.  Sigh.

Anyways, some better news was that my contract with my former employer is officially completed, and they will be (hopefully) paying me, and that's that... while on the one hand I wouldn't have minded finishing the work and getting a little extra dough (especially now), on the other... well, let's just say that I am sort of over the thing.  I love my new job and my new company, and the quality of my life has greatly improved since I quit... so maybe, just maybe, that chapter of my life has to close.

Funny, because I met a friend at Beachwood Place for dinner and window shopping, and the new office of my former employer is at the co-work space there... it was a bit odd, to be back, sort of, and it has been years since I was at Beachwood Place.  Lots of cops there (I told my friend it was the East Side, which he appreciated) and dinner for two at the food court was $34 (ok, it is Beachwood), which was oi.  My friend has expensive tastes, and took me through both Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom's... I told him that the value of my entire wardrobe didn't cost as much as one Gucci bag, and he, of course, told me that he was fully aware of the bargain nature of my sartorial choices.

In the category of striking while the iron is hot, I watched "Behind Every Good Man," a short film (less than 9 minutes, yay!) from 1967 about a cross-dresser looking for a date.  It was a student film, and, as we like to say around here.... you could tell.  But, progress is progress, so...804.

The Triple Header

 So last night was TCM's annual day commemorating the National Film Registry, airing five of the new additions to the list.  I had a haircut and missed the first ("Charade") and didn't stay up for the last (the 1950 Cyrano was Jose Ferrer) but I trust they are easy to find.  I stayed up to watch three others, in order:

"Titicut Follies," a documentary by Kenneth Wiseman (I think this is his fourth on the list) about a mental asylum in Massachusetts in the sixties, basically a commentary on the bleak conditions there.  I don't doubt that is the case, of course -- then and now -- but I think recent events show that we cannot have these people on the streets, either.  (801)

"Super Fly," the 1972 blaxploitation film about a drug dealer looking for one last score to get out of the business.  I liked it -- the ending was a bit much, and nowadays the treatment of women would not fly (well, maybe not), but who doesn't like someone trying to take it to the man?  (802)

"Word is Out:  Stories of Some of Our Lives," a 1977 documentary about the lives of LGBT people.  As this was 1977, I can see how the film was culturally significant, though... it was a little long.  

Anyways, I woke up nice and early today to take out the rubbish...and my garage door is off on one of its rollers.  Sigh.  This is not the worst thing -- assuming I can actually get the car out -- but of course it is annoying (at least the weather will be better) and we all know how I love paying bills.

One advantage of the long and only moderately interesting documentaries was that I was able to get some reading some, and I was able to finish book 50, which was A Campaign of Giants:  The Battle for Petersburg.  Unbeknownst to me, it is the first book of a planned trilogy (it went to the Crater) so I will have to read the next (when done), like I need another 500 pages... of course, I do.  Anyways, I intend to plow through 50, on to 51...

...but I do need to start cleaning closets and going through things.  I was poking around in one cabinet, and I suspect a lot of the stuff in it could be...reorganized, at the very least.  I could do it, as it takes nothing but time, but then of course I think I could be doing something else, and there is always time later, which is sort of true, but not really...

A sense of achievement

 Finished the Christmas festivities today -- sort of -- by going to my sister's and spending a few hours snacking, having some loaded egg nog in honor of Mom, exchanging presents, and being our usual loving selves to each other.  It was quite nice, actually; we all agreed that while it was a bit off not to Christmas on Christmas, it wasn't that odd -- certainly with the weather a lot of people moved the holiday to today (hell, I even saw two houses on her street where obviously Christmas was happening) and it certainly was a bit more relaxed.  Present-wise, I got some books and some slippers, so I really cannot complain.

Also finished book #49 today -- one about the treason trial of Aaron Burr; sort of a truncated but detailed look at the case from the legal perspective.  Quite interesting, and -- in a day and age when John Marshall is on the cancel list -- a reminder of why he deserves to be remembered... namely, that the case -- in addition to the legal and constitutional questions involved -- was a trap laid out for him by Jefferson that could have impugned, if not destroyed, the role of the Supreme Court.  Marshall was able to dodge the trap by a very careful -- yet nuanced -- approach to the law.  Reminded me, in some ways, of what John Roberts is trying to do now...

I watched "Scorpio Rising," which brings me to 800 on the National Film Registry.  It's a short film, rather avant garde, from the 60s...  as with a number of films, it would have been more enjoyable, I think, if I had been on something.  But I was not, so instead I got an interesting, if disjointed, visual tone poem with some odd themes.  Oi.

I also watched "Happy Valley," a documentary about the Jerry Sandusky scandal and, moreso, about the aftermath and effects of everything.  I am still of two worlds about this -- one, of course, demanding heads on a platter, the other...well, I have never been a fan of the damnation memoriae approach to history, so taking away the wins, the statue, etc., is...dumb.  On the other hand, as Joe Posnanski said...while JoePa did what was legally required, he was JoePa, and as such, he needed to do MORE than that -- the right thing to do, no matter how unpleasant that seemed to be.  He did not, and a large part of why things ended up the way they did was because of that.

Christmas is a time for...

 Merry Christmas to all my readers!  Today has been... quiet.  By design.  Went to Mass, which was quite nice -- not too rambly sermon, moved along, lots of people were there (including people I have not seen in a bit!), and the church was beautiful, as it always is.  Couple of people gave me money, not sure why, but I have decided it will go the Order, as it would be...Hopey and Changey of me to accept it for myself.  To be sure, attending Mass is the least Hopey and Changey thing ever, so maybe it is not a perfect analogy, but...  anyways, then it was off to the food pantry to drop off part of the accumulated collection (I need to bring one of 92 cloth bags I have to help haul), then home... I napped a bit, caught up on some articles, worked on the book I want to finish today, and decided to post before getting ready and going out and visiting... and delivering some presents.  Joy!

Watched an interesting documentary..."Concert Crush," about the Astro World/Travis Scott debacle last year.  This could be me, but if he were not famous, and a POC, and someone who has...accumulated a lot of goodwill with politicians and such...well, let's just say that he would have a lot less freedom, if you get my drift.  That said...while there were a lot of lapses by everyone involved, I wonder if at the end of the day everyone is going to escape because of the actions of the crowd, who, to be sure, endangered themselves...  

This is pretty good, especially considering that it came from the NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/21/magazine/civil-war-jan-6.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20221225&instance_id=81112&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=31060267&segment_id=120813&user_id=f914b0e213c5e2b4265494b6d07fe88f

This is funny as always!

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/article270398307.html?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3cIPUfDTXavJE_LkjbJ5mjf2UMVDcjahSL0fPyw7hS-YVlZuGwSsVSkR8

Merry Christmas Eve!

 Merry Christmas Eve everyone!  Today was good.  Slept in til 7:30, and then I woke up, did a bit of cleaning, wrapped all the presents, baked peanut butter cookies for my brother-in-law, and got ready for the day's festivities -- my Aunt hosted at their house at 1.  I almost was late, because the high winds -- which made my driveway appear nearly bare of snow -- had instead put all of it into an 18-drift about two feet from my garage.  I didn't pay attention to it til I tried to leave the garage, whereupon I stopped, even with 4WD.  So off I went to shovel -- despite the cold and the winds -- and eventually I cleared a path.  Oi.  At least I didn't have a coronary.  To be sure, much of the snow came off in chunks, which was sort of heavy to move, but at least easy to flick out of the way.

Then off to the fest, where just ate, chatted, exchanged presents, and watched the Browns (first game I have watched all year).  Ate way too much, of course -- my uncle is quite the chef, and the apps were kickass, as always.  While dinner was much less extravagant than usual, it was still good, and I even have some leftovers for tomorrow.  Getting up the driveway, thank God, was quite easy... I had 4WD on, but I don't think it was necessary, as most of the roads were good, and the snowdrift had not reappeared.  Still a bit cold, even though I wore extra layers.  Oi.  As always, anyone who wants to tell me about global warming should get punched.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-looks-at-increasing-benefits-to-lure-americans-back-into-workforce-11671574992?mod=hp_major_pos1#cxrecs_s

Oh, I don't know; these are good, but without slicing and dicing the generous unemployment and welfare benefits that people receive, I think these efforts will be...incomplete.  To be sure, as I often say, I work with these people, and most of them you don't want in your store/shop in any capacity, but on the other hand, there are jobs available, and people need to fill them, like it or not.  I can assure you that for many of them, a swift return to the workforce -- to be followed by unpleasantness if they do not or can't cut it -- is exactly what many of these people need...as does the country as a whole.

In other news, I celebrated the new issue of entries to the National Film Registry by watching one -- the two minutes of footage from the 1898 Mardi Gras parade.  I do like these sorts of things -- snippets of the past -- and this brings me to 799 on the list, and we all know how I feel about progress and getting things off a list, no matter the actual achievement...

Frostbite

 Finally finished the tree today.  Plenty of ornaments; I kept finding ones to put on, including some cute ones, and, dare I say, the glass ones with my parents' name on them, as well as one for my Mom and Favorite Niece.  Again, I became...well, misty eyed.  Not good.  I think it was the George C. Scott version of "A Christmas Carol," the one where at the end he has the sense of... joy of finally being able to celebrate Christmas with the family, but sad over all of the good times he missed?  I guess that is a perfect encapsulation of how I feel.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/12/14/national-film-registry-2022/?utm_campaign=wp_todays_headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_headlines&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F38923d6%2F6399acc9ef9bf67b231e021f%2F596cf07dae7e8a44e7fd0781%2F44%2F59%2F6399acc9ef9bf67b231e021f&wp_cu=157f7da43ebae6b425b06f864ac9774c%7CC0E52F16EC2F7BB2E0430100007FD996

This happened when I was out in New Mexico, and I am not ashamed to say that I have only seen one of these films in entirety -- "Carrie."  Hell, half of them I had never heard of, but that is nothing new!  Anyways, this now brings me to 798 of 850, but I suspect I can knock off a bunch.  I do have a whole week off -- the office is closed between Christmas and New Year's -- and while I will work a day or two to catch up on stuff, the off time can be used to read and watch films.  So that, at least, excites me.  

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/12/19/mike-pence-identity-crisis-00067939

I guess you could say all this crying is Boehner-esque.  :)  More seriously, I read the article and the first person I thought of was Richard Nixon... if you recall, he was Ike's veep, lost in 1960, lost the CA governor's nomination in 62, did the old "you won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore" bit, and went into the wilderness...as did the GOP.  Anyways, after the debacle of 1964, everyone decided that maybe he wasn't so bad, and the rest of history.  Now, to be sure, everyone seems to think DeSantis is very viable, and Biden is... not exactly Reagan.  But I wonder if a longer period in the wilderness, if you will -- going around, campaigning, being normal, letting Trumpism run its course -- might just not be the best case here...

It was impressively cold today!  I didn't even go outside, but could feel it when I was tossing the orange peels outside (animals have to eat, and I am keeping organic materials out of the landfill, so I don't want to hear it); the wind was strong (at least the power stayed on, long may this continue!) and I could feel my fingers cracking just from the four seconds of exposure.  I cranked up the thermostat a bit, not that I want to consider the bill this month; yes, it will be 50 in a few days, but...now, of course, I hope the roads are good and the car starts.  I didn't think about leaving the house today -- no Festivus Chinese -- and were it not for the Christmas festivities, I wouldn't do it, either...

Mattie has a tree!

 Calm before the storm here... I threw my apple core outside a few minutes ago, and it was still... decent?  I mean, it was nice and warm (for the season today), and tomorrow...meh.  I guess the cold is the issue for some, but the wind gusts -- and the chance of the prolonged power outages -- that worries me.  I have plenty of blankets, and food, but no one wants frozen pipes or worse, especially now.  I can make up the time at work, I guess; just keep the phone and everything charged and hope for the best.

In more positive news, the Christmas tree is up!  I went today at lunch, and for all the griping I did about Tractor Supply coming to town -- I would have preferred housing -- it was the site today, as they had some trees left.  Not a lot, mind you, but I expected that... and I was not one to complain.  Anyways, I found a nice fir -- tall, a bare spot but I moved it to the back -- and for $20 and change I took one home.  It IS beautiful, of course.  Anyways, I put her in the old stand (one of the screws doesn't work, I forgot about that), watered her, and then today after J! I started with the ornaments.  I took a couple of hours, and while I am not done yet... I am most of the way there.  All of the "toy" ornaments are up (I think), and now it is the glass ball types -- there are a bunch, many from the 50s, and I tried to be careful with them.  The tree is a bit crooked, but as far as I can tell, it's stable; the trunk just branches differently at the top.  Honestly, it was a lot like when I was a kid; heavier glass ones on the bottom (more fragile ones there in case the tree falls), non-glass ones at the top.  I almost got a bit teary-eyed; one of the metal teddy bears was inscribed with my name, and Christmas 1978...which means Mom and Dad got it for me when I was a wee baby...

I guess that is part of the reason I don't like Christmas; too many memories, happy and sad, co-mingling together... sort of like how I cry during Frosty (when he melts, it's awful), and now I never watch, but of course people call and text me to watch (my Mother, of all people, was the most enthusiastic reminder), and it's just as bad as tuning in.  Mind you, no one will ever accuse me of being sentimental (I saw a friend a couple of nights ago and she was quite adamant about that) and not having the stiff upper lip, but there are days...

Commercial Activity

 Went out and did some shopping today; most of it is now done, which is good, and I think I may finish it off tomorrow -- we will see!  My brother-in-law is not that hard to shop for, but shopping without ideas is a challenge in its own way.  Anyways, getting it done and organizing the presents shouldn't be that hard, and then it's a monkey, of sorts, off the back.  Next up is actually getting in the attic, getting the decorations, and finding a tree.  It's time.

Shopping was mostly fine; stores are crowded but not terribly so.  People do shop online more, I suspect, and I don't blame them.  It is quite convenient and prolly worth paying shipping fees and such to buck lines, crowds, and morons.  

The last book I finished was The Shootist, and it is indeed the novella from which the John Wayne movie came -- I sometimes like to read the novels on which movies are based, and for Westerns, they are generally quick reads.  Indeed, The Shootist was about two hours, with 180 slender pages.  I was surprised at how similar the book was to the movie; normally Hollywood likes to chop stuff up, but this mainly was the movie, save for a few changes -- most notably in the ending and the character of the son.  Other parts, though...the dialogue was exactly the same as the movie, which was...odd.

The fish in the water

 So, I crashed hard yesterday...and I was cold; I mean, like shivering cold, which is rare for me.  I think whatever cold I have has NOT gone away; between the odd sleep schedule in New Mexico, the germs on the plane, etc., I am not quite back to square one, but...close.  To be sure, 3 or 4 days of solid sleep, decent eating, that sort of thing -- should help.  It is, of course, a question of actually doing it.

One catastrophe... all of my bookmarks on my work computer are gone; not sure how, somehow, between the trip to NM and back, everything was reset and nothing can be found.  Oi.  To be sure, some of it can be recovered -- I remember some of the sites.  Others...not so much.  That will be a real bitch to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.  Funny; my boss and I went over the schedule for 2023 -- lots of changes, not a huge deal -- and one of the things I told her was that searching for everything would take time... and it is now on the schedule.  Sigh.  

Went to see the new Avatar movie with a friend yesterday (he had passes).  Mind you, I have not seen the first one, but as I told him, I saw the original (i.e., Dances With Wolves), which, as you can imagine, he found to be hilarious.  Anyways, I guess it was ok; the special effects were cool, the plot was predictable, as were the internal dramas, and it was long.  If you are a fan of the world, it would be a real pants-wetter, but for me, it was...fine?

https://www.popsci.com/science/mediterranean-diet-fish/

Interesting, and this makes perfect sense to me, if only because 1) fish were cheaper than four-legged critters and easier to obtain and 2) fish are a tremendous source of protein -- other civilizations (such as in South America) used them extensively in their diets, so no reason why the Greeks didn't, either.

https://www.thefp.com/p/the-rise-of-the-desantis-democrats

Long may this continue....

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-catholic-priests-are-increasingly-conservative-as-faithful-grow-more-liberal-11671343608?mod=hp_featst_pos4

Catholics acting like....Catholics.  Who knew?

I Have Returned

 So, I am not dead; rather, I was in New Mexico for work, and while I had planned on blogging and keeping everyone informed, a series of unfortunate events (access issues) intervened and I decided NOT to risk it.  Alas.  As for the trip...it was good.  Finally got to see nearly everyone in the flesh, which was nice, and even interacted with a bunch of them.  The flights were 98% smooth, thank God, and while I do not fly well, it was a little better.  New Mexico was nice -- beautiful scenery, roads a bit bumpy, lots of Native American casinos.  Everything seemed far -- Los Alamos (where work and the hotel was) is about 25 minutes from Santa Fe, the next largest city, and then 50 miles to Albuquerque (airport, large city).  Didn't have time to hit Santa Fe but did see the museums of Los Alamos -- lots of stuff about the bomb.  They seemed to dodge slightly the role of the morality of it and concentrated on the perspective of the workers... which was fine. 

The altitude really fucked me over; they told me it would but I didn't get the full sense... I upped my water game and all, but the first day, I was completely out of sorts, and my sleep patterns were a bit off the whole time.  I did rest some on the plane, FWIW.  But I am still feeling a little bit of it now.  In better news, I managed to read three books (45!) and am almost finished with a 46th, so there is an outside chance of my getting to 50 by the end of the year.

Now of course I have to catch up on everything...the mail, email, stuff to handle, to say nothing of Xmas shopping and decorations.  (In some ways, the timing of this trip was a bit inopportune.)  Slowly wending my way now through the email chain...

https://www.thenation.com/article/society/1990s-gave-birth-present/?utm_campaign=wp_the_daily_202&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_daily202

Interesting; not sure I agree with all of these, but...

Sad news about Mike Leach...I always thought he was hilarious...

The Belly of the Beast

 Busy day today -- even though I slept in a little and skipped the planned morning gym session.  Anyways, I decided to visit the Fr. Michael Wittman Ozanam Center in East Cleveland, because I hadn't been in a while and I wanted to see my holdings in the East District.  As always, I forgot about the Opportunity Corridor til I got on 77.  It is a time-saving godsend, but, at the end of the day, you're on the East Side, so...  The area north/east of Case is really built up, and it looks impressive; then you cross the border, and... well, as I told one friend, it makes Slavic Village look charming in comparison.  

Anyways...it's a nice setup they have, taking over the rectory and turning it into everything -- clothing area, food area, lots of storage, toy and book room for kids, reception area, even use the garage for fruit and veggies.  They don't seem to get as many clients as we do, though they get some walkers from the surrounding projects.  They actually started letting clients in last month -- like us, they were a walk/drive by center during the pandemic.  Learned a lot, asked questions, that sort of thing...seeing the empire, as I like to say.

Since I was in the area, I decided to cross into the People's Socialist Republic (a different kind of unsafe) and lunch at Pacific East.  It has been a while since I did any culinary adventures, and I had a taste for sushi.  I hadn't been there in a while, so it was quite gratifying to see that Revolution Books had closed... there was one store that had a "Merry Christmas" sign up, which, in that part of town, seemed... well, good for them.  Anyways, the place was...a bit pricey, but pretty good.  Had soup, salad, octopus balls, two types of sushi, several cups of tea... 

Watched two Lubitsch films today -- "The Oyster Princess" and "I Don't Want to be a Man."  Cute silents, made when he was in Germany... funny, not terribly so, more light humor... he did use a LOT of extras, so I am beginning why his movies tended to be loss leaders.

Crises of Moderation

 Interesting day...one blemish was the wi-fi (and cable) kicked out for a couple of hours this afternoon... thankfully I had downloaded some PDFs, so I could read those, but I was locked out of the network, so some typing could not be done.  Oi.  It was a first world problem, and I marvel to myself as to how put out I can become about this, but...  of course, it would be less annoying if I had not paid the cable bill a couple of days ago.  The gas bill...yikes.  I boiled some eggs today, and I was thinking that maybe I should have highballs instead.

Another oddity:  weighed myself at the gym, and came in at 197.  Very odd, as a few days ago I was 192, and my eating has been...about the same as it always is, so I doubt I added five pounds in the interim.  I also doubt that the gym double from yesterday added so much muscle.  I guess when I arrive tomorrow I can weigh myself and go from there.  Or just not eat for three days.  :)

Watched a film noir tonight (as if I have nothing else to do, but I am in a Netflix-advancing mood, and I do like the new DVD player); "They Live by Night," which stars Farley Granger (the crazy guy from "Strangers on a Train").  It also has Howard da Silva; I was like "wasn't he Ben Franklin in '1776'?"  He was (I could tell by the voice).  Anyways, the film was... good.  The ending was a bit contrived, but I did like how the story arc went -- boy and girl on the lam fall in love, they plan to live a normal life, and things happen.

The Kyrsten Sinema thing is...interesting.  I wonder what the idea is; the best one is that she thinks she can win re-election (if running) by pursuing moderates -- those (unfortunately numerous) who don't like the neo-Trump Lake wing of the party on the right, and if she believes that the Dems will run a hard-leftie in the general.... there might be an opening for her to slide down the middle.  I don't really see it, but it's not completely implausible, but, of course, 2024 is a while aways.

Activity

 Long day today... well, not really.  It was a Holy Day of Obligation so I woke up before six (had to shower!) to get ready for Mass.  I of course rushed and made it with plenty of time to spare (this 6:45 AM Mass bit is still a mystery to me).  Father had a date, as there was no homily and Mass was over in 30 minutes.  Not sure who it is, but he is a Benedictine, and... I like him.  Moves along, but quite reverent, and when he does say homilies...thoughtful.

Then it was off to the gym.  Actually, first time in a while -- since before this cold -- I did a double today; lifted in the AM, legs after work.  Truth be told, I need to go more -- for a lot of reasons -- and I liked it.  Felt good to get some reps in, ride the bike more, that sort of thing.  I need to get in the habit of doing it again, for a bunch of reasons -- not getting fatter, not getting any younger, get some more reading it.  I am busy with work, of course, but that is no reason...

Finished up the BBC/PBS "Ridley Road" series.  It was...ok.  About how a bunch of Jewish activities infiltrated a British Neo-Nazi group in the 60s.  I think the Brits have slightly different TV experiences than us, and it seemed that this show suffered from too much deus ex machina to get the desired ending... I mean, there was some suspense, but not really; we all know things were going to turn out well in the end.  Alas.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/congregations-sue-to-leave-united-methodist-church-over-lgbtq-disputes/ar-AA1535ri?cvid=2463f239bca44630b8e45e5e9b38bcfa

I really shouldn't be amused by this, but more attacks on the NeoConfederate wing of the Methodist Church make me...giggle.  This is a new twist, but it shouldn't be that unexpected (especially given how many lawyers we have).  It also helps that I think they are right...the people who lost the vote should NOT be making the rules, and the fact that they were allowed to do so is simply shameful.

Blasts From The Past

 You know, I am still not exactly feeling better -- my voice is a bit hoarse, still a bit sniffly, that sort of thing.  Hitting the hay early tonight in the hope that maybe an extra hour of sleep or so might help.  

So, Herschel Walker lost last night, and I think it went as most people expected.  Alas.  I do enjoy the articles about Trump taking yet another beating, but I don't think this means he is beaten; I mean, the king has to be killed, and you best not miss.  For all the hand-wringing among the professional politicos...the man has an immense following, and that is hard to miss.  Yet there are cracks...  

https://hotair.com/david-strom/2022/12/07/hey-aclu-defend-this-one-n516163

This is hilarious, and I for one would love it if Project Veritas, Jim Jordan, or some other similar type wandered into the local ACLU office (or county prosecutor's office) and went about trying to file a suit.  Now, to be sure, I largely agree with the restaurant -- they should be able to serve who they want -- but that is not what they to do when it applies to them, and of course they should be called to the carpet about it.  Of course, they won't be, but... one can dream.

I was going through the house today, and man, my living room table is dusty.  I should probably do a clean day Saturday, though that is sort of problematic, as I have a full day on my plate (and ditto for the weekend).  Of course, it takes not that much time to clean!  Or at least dust.  Hell, my plan to go through the pile on the kitchen table has been in abeyance, done in fits and starts, and subject to revision, as new stuff is added.  Oi.  It is a lack of disciple at the end of the day!

I am halfway through book 42 on the year, called Porphyry's Against the Christians.  I dummied into it while reading something else (book about Rome in Late Antiquity) and of course I had to check it out.. basically, Porphyry was one of the first pagan philosophers to really go after the Christians, and he did it using logic and the words of the Scriptures itself.  Now, what is left of him are excerpts from Christian defenders because once the Christians took over the Roman empire, such books were sent to the fire pit... anyways, what is left is quite good.  Some of it is based on differences in perception, other times logic, and other times he takes the contradictory texts of the Bible and says "this is crap" in so many words.  Interesting.  The second half of the book is the author's look at Judaism from 600 BC to the Roman times, and how the religion was affected by cultural contacts (Babylon, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Rome, etc.)... as well as by the new sect of Christianity.  It's not long, so I want to finish it, but it is a cool look at a changed time, and we know how I love that...

Thoughts

 Weighed myself today and I was at 194 pounds, which was odd, as Saturday I was 191, and I haven't really eaten any more or less than I normally do.  Oi.  I rode the bike a little extra today, and milled around the house more... other than avoiding low blood sugar (easier said than done), not sure what I can, aside from eating less, though I have been fairly restrained lately.  

So, I was watching J!, and when the answer popped up in the Final round, I was like "Gee, it's a shame they have such an easy question when the game is so close;" in other words, that I thought it was a gimmie and the champ would nail it.  And he...did not.  Shows you what I know!  Anyways, another super Champion goes down.  I was thinking today about how many great contestants of the past (say, Frank Spangenburg) could have put together a run of 20 or more wins, and the answer I kept coming back to was "quite a few."  To be sure, buzzer strategery and wagering was much more primitive (save for Chuck Forrest), and you couldn't actually practice on a buzzer system at home (unless you made one), but in terms of knowledge... I find it hard to believe that few Undefeated Five-Day Champions of the day couldn't have a month of wins if they wanted to.

https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/11/30/ftxs-collapse-was-a-crime-not-an-accident/

Quite a good summary.  Will we see charges?  Ha!

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/12/04/liquor-capitalism-prohibition-repeal-day-00072067

Interesting take.  Not sure I fully agree with it; ok, yes, that was one of the concepts, but I really think -- at the end of the day -- a lot of these people really believed that they were going to get rid of the demon rum (and all of its pernicious influences) finally, and I suspect few, if any, imagined the consequences.

Smirkery

 So, Watson started for the Browns, and the world did not end.  People obviously watched the game (I did not) and they won, so... I guess I am bemused by the number of people who are appalled/displeased/saddened by the thing, and yet they still watch.  I would say the number is a lot less than those who have abandoned (like yours truly) the clevelandbaseballteam, and one would think that in some ways, the conduct has been more egregious.

Finished the Lubitsch book -- #41 for the year.  One of the points the author makes is that no one really makes films like he did anymore, which is true.  I don't necessarily like it, of course, but times and tastes do change.  Also... it certainly seemed that studios had him in spite of his films; as a rule, the didn't often make money (and much of his US career was in the throes of the Depression), and while he was certainly brilliant, it seemed -- like the Oscars of today -- he made films for Hollywood, rather than the market... which is not exactly a long-term strategy.  I added a bunch of them to Netflix/ordered from the library so I can add to my own sense... 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/04/business/media/elon-musk-twitter-matt-taibbi.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20221205&instance_id=79332&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=31060267&segment_id=115053&user_id=f914b0e213c5e2b4265494b6d07fe88f

This could be me, but if even Jack Dorsey thought the coverage of the issue was wrongly decided... maybe we should all calm down a little and admit that it was?  To be sure, now GOPers have a new hero, and this is not necessarily a bad thing...  as someone who uses the socials as little as possible, I am surprised that I even care about this.

I am amused also by the reaction to the Neon Deon career move... for one, he did what any other coach would do -- moved to a more prestigious program that paid more and had more resources.  Yes, it sucks for Jackson State, but... this happens every season; hell, it's happening at KSU now, or CSU hoops last year... them's the breaks.  I was also impressed by the blowup about telling the current team to enter the transfer protocol... harsh but they were 1-11 this past year, so any improvement will have to happen by regime change... Hell, in some ways such blunt honesty should be appreciated...

Oddities

 Busy day, despite my efforts to the contrary!  Slept in a bit, then went to a World Cup party hosted by a former coworker/good friend and his gf.  This was mostly fun, aside from the fact that 1) It was soccer and 2) We lost.  To be sure, this was not unexpected, but it is still no fun.  Then it was off to the library and the gym, followed by a meet with a friend and then off to pick up some winter coats for the food pantry.  We are getting quite a bit of them this year (this is good) but the question is getting them out... appears we had some rain today so they couldn't do it today, which is all sorts of trouble...  anyways. then I went home and did some online shopping, organized the Xmas list, and cleaned the bathroom (which was more entertaining than the soccer game).  

Watched "Blood Simple" last night; it's a Coen Brothers film noir from the 1980s; quite good.  Very sparse in a lot of ways, but the disparate plot twists came together quite nicely, and the film really moved along.  Wasn't very long, either, always nice nowadays...

Been feeling out of sorts lately; I mean, maybe the cold is part of it, but it is something else.  I wouldn't necessarily say that I have been lonely lately, but I have been feeling that I need to get out more, hang with people, that sort of thing...maybe even, like, go on a date.  Odd and not sure why... I am getting older, and maybe I know what is coming, but on the other hand, in no way would I consider myself to be a social creature....

Activity

 Funny; I met some friends from SVDP for dinner in Strongsville.  On the way there, I was stuck in traffic, and I couldn't help but note that literally all of the places on the way there... the parking lots were full.  Outback, TGI Friday's, The Rail... all of these places, of course, are not exactly McDonald's.  It was impressive.  And, of course, the place we went to -- Gran Fiesta -- was full; I got there early to reserve a table, and there were people waiting outside when I left...  It was good, of course, and it was good to catch up -- not really gossip, but what's going on, the world of the Order, that sort of thing.  As my sister noted, there is some sort of recession going on.  I don't know; I think 1) people still have money and 2) people still feel good about things, so they can go and spend on dinner.

Amusingly, I was told NOT to work this weekend or the week between Xmas and NYD, when the company is closed.  I was... well, fascinated.  As I told my supervisor, no promises on the latter.  Still, it is nice to consider.

The Elon Musk/Twitter stuff -- while the traditional Friday night news dump -- is... well, pretty revealing.  Between this and the crypto scam, heads should roll, but, of course, they won't... not that anyone is surprised by this.

Funny; last night and early this morning I cleaned out most of the email inbox... old stuff, responses I was delaying, other stuff I wanted to handle ASAP.  And today, during the day...it all got full.  Sigh.  Tonight we are back to status quo antebellum, but...

Dinner

 Not sure if I am feeling better...  My sister and I had our monthly dinner for November (I know) and she noted that I sound horrible and while I don't exactly look like death warmed over... she was surprised I was still feeling it.  Alas.  Anyways, it was her turn to pick, and she selected the newly open (for indoor dining) Hot Dog Diner in Parma.  Both of us had been there -- at the drive through -- with Mom, but that was a while ago.  It was...good, not great.  She had a hot dog and fries (I had some; good, the hand-cut variety), and I went with the cranberry pecan chicken salad sandwich, which came with pickle, cookie, and grape salad.  It was good -- good-size portion, would have liked a little more cranberry, and maybe some wetter chicken salad (a Matt thing).  In my haste to catch up on family stuff, I forgot to take the food photos, but at least the tradition is alive... and much gossip was exchanged.

The more I read about SBF, the more I am convinced that this was not benign, but actual criminal activity... and given that most of his work was done to benefit Democrats, I will be very surprised if anything is actually done to him.  Now, if GOPers had any brains, they would be all over this -- people lost money, where did it go, and gee, look who benefitted -- but, you know what I say.  Alas.

Not sure what I am doing this weekend, which annoys me; some stuff is in the air, and I cannot plan ahead (and we all know how I love that) until that gets settled.  Oi.  To be sure, a weekend of rest and sleep might be ideal, but there are plenty of things I would like to do, and other stuff that needs to be handled, and depending on how things fall, the concept of clearing a bunch off the plate is just too good to be true...