Salvation

 Yesterday I went on a rescue mission... to save my brick.  Many moons ago my parents had bought me one of the bricks for the Bob Feller statue (one of the first, it was quite close), and when they announced they were tearing up the plaza... well, at first I wasn't sure if I should, but my sister reminded me that Mom and Dad were so proud of that brick, so... Friday night I went on a made search for the paperwork (which I knew I had), found all sorts of stuff to go through and pitch/recycle/sort, and eventually found the purchase agreement ($50!!), which included the original location.  Phew.  

Saturday I woke up earlyish and drove downtown.  I ended up parking at Reserve Square, as I certainly wasn't going to give anyone money to get my shit back... so I hauled ass across downtown and arrived at Progressive Field, where -- as shown on TV -- a long line awaited.  Basically, you waited in line (outside) until you got to the table, where some employees with computers would track your brick.  I was quite glad I had the paper, as some people just had a name, or a misremembered inscription, and God help them.  Of course, plenty of people (like me) had their stuff, and... then you were given a piece of paper with the new location of your brick and it was off to the other line, where you stood until a staffer got to you and they brought you your brick.  I have to admit, mine was in perfect condition, and for all the talk of these things ready to fall apart...well, let's just say that the general opinion of the crowd was that that was extremely spurious.  Then it was back to Reserve Square; the thing was heavy but not terribly so, but I still felt a bit ridiculous trekking across downtown.

Indeed, the whole theme of the morning (it took about 90 minutes from start to finish) was one of...superfluous sadness?  No one seemed to think this was handled well -- shouldn't they have realized people would have wanted these back?  (Not the first time the Dolans completely misunderstood their fan base.)  Only two days to recover them?  To say nothing of the cock-and-bull story about the bricks being bad shape... and, of course, why the need to move them now?  To be sure, I fully suspect they will be putting in new bricks for the CBT, but... good luck selling them.  At least I was able to read 150 pages of Leavy's Big Fella, her bio of Babe Ruth, which is quite good; I have read her Koufax and Mantle bios, and she seems to have a good handle on her subject.

The deeply human love stories of people and their AI sex dolls | British GQ (gq-magazine.co.uk)

I think I have seen everything...on some days.

https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000187-a908-dfb1-a5df-e90da92d0000

This was quite interesting; love this stuff!

‘The Most Dangerous Person in the World Is Randi Weingarten’ - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

I think the interview on CNN -- where she was assailed by a CNN reporter, of all people -- nailed it spotlessly; it's not that they were wrong, but that there hasn't been any remorse.  The damage to our children has been severe, and no one seems to grasp that (on her side).  I don't necessarily blame her for this -- she would lose her job, I suspect -- but the fact that opposition has crystallized around this should be at least partially illuminating...

The End of An Era

 Excellent day today!  Did a gym double -- lifted in the AM, legs in the PM.  No double cardio (too low of blood sugar in the AM) but it was still good to work everything out.  I finished Desmond's Poverty, In America as well; I am up to 25 books on the year, and while the next couple are quite long, I am confident I can meet my goal.  To be sure, I have neglected other things... other hobbies, some work around the house (I have decided I need to put more stuff in durable, waterproof plastic tubs, for instance!), some cleaning and culling...but eventually that will get done.  Funny, I was thinking about what will happen when I die and where all of this stuff will go... most of it in the trash, I am sure; sad, but such is life.  Unless I find someone to share it with... but no one is that crazy and stupid, n'est-ce pas?

I finished watching all of the "Poirot" series from the BBC -- the one with David Suchet.  (It might explain the French and the melancholy tonight.)  I have been doing this a while, and while I still want to read all of Christie, this is a good place to start.  Poirot was always quite the interesting one, I thought, if the psychology and such is a bit much.  But he was always a funny guy, in a lot of ways; certainly, like Holmes, the ego was played up... anyways, the one I didn't like in the series was how they handled "The Murder on the Orient Express."  I guess I always saw it that Poirot caught the joke and decided to play along... they made it very dark.  Alas.  Editorial decision, I guess.

It was quite a dreary day, though it didn't seem it; I mean, it looked a bit and always threatened rain, even if it appeared to be mostly dry.  In that way I am glad I was able to cut the grass...let us hope it is a while before that particular atrocity needs to be done again.  Snark!

Surprises

 Cut the grass today -- first time this year.  I figured now was the time, as it was long, and with the weekend of rain coming up... I also swept the garage and threw away a couple of things -- I really need to do more of that, actually, for a bunch of reasons, mainly for decluttering and such.  Anyways, the lawn is cut, and... I always get a kick out of those Thursday Night Mowing League people, as the last thing I want to do is cut the grass every week.   I mean, I can think about things, but that's about it, and the waste in time and carbon emissions... well, I could do without.

Watched "When Harry Met Sally" tonight, thanx to the wonders of Netflix (can't say that much longer, can I?).  I liked it; not terribly, but enough; it's cute and sort of funny.  There is something about those 80s rom-coms... I think part of it is that they really can't be made anymore, as dating has changed so much.  Things are so different now, I think, so there is no way to recreate them now.  Equally importantly, we are now up to 814 on the NFR.

White House regroups after McCarthy’s debt ceiling success - POLITICO

This could be me, but if they were really surprised that it passed... isn't that on them?  I mean, at the very least, they should have had the plan ready to go if it passed.  The odds of it passing were, to me, at least 50/50, and I am not sure that that is something you just discount.  I suspect the GOP will cave (the hand is not that strong to begin with) but it does offer up something to the base, to say nothing of the fact that for all the hem-hawing about Kevin McCarthy (and I am responsible for this as much as anyone)... this is impressive.

Life after death: Texas abortion clinic set to become parenting center (pillarcatholic.com)

This is quite the heartwarming story!

Wakey

 Took a day off from work today, as I had to help out at (ok, not had, but you get the drift) a Communion breakfast, at which I gave a little talk... I had to get an early start, so it was early to bed yesterday, and while I am not exactly feeling it now, I was in the afternoon -- I didn't have nearly enough coffee today.  Anyways, then after the breakfast (which was by then lunchtime) I stopped at my sister's for a quick shower and then off to the SVDP quarterly Presidents' meeting.  This was fine; learned a lot, took copious notes, and have a shitload of follow up emails (to downtown in general, to downtown with specific questions, and the various parishes in my conference.  I guess this is not the worst thing -- part of the job, I learned much that can be disseminated, and this is what leadership entails -- but after a full day, I literally need another one to get caught up.  Alas.  Hell, I even Tivo'ed Jeopardy! just so I have time now when I am fresh.

Is it me, or is the use of "freedom" by the Dems a solid choice as a theme for the re-election campaign?  I mean, it does have a ring to it, and it does pre-empt a traditional GOP line.  Of course, there are a number of ways to attack it, from the Joe eats ice cream while the world falls apart, the surge in inflation, drag queens/education wars (where GOPers, except in Ohio, were at the forefront of keeping schools open), and, finally, the general question of competence.  Still, it is better to take the war to the enemy than vice versa, and I give them credit for trying.

I got a phone book in the mail today; I was simply fascinated by this on so many levels.  It will probably be sent to the recycle bin, but...a relic technology still being used, what's not to like?

Goings Away

 Well, that was an interesting news day... Tucker Carlson out at Fox.  Don Lemon out at CNN.  Aaron Rogers traded to the Jets.  I can't find anyone who doesn't believe that the Lemon canning was a direct result of the Tucker news -- in other words, now is the day to fire the guy.  I am a little (ok, more than that) surprised by the schadenfreude over the Carlson news... first of all, does anyone think that he cannot go out and find a bigger platform than Fox?  I think he is bigger than Megyn Kelly, IMHO; I can easily see him putting together a Joe Rogan-style empire of content and getting the same viewership/listenership there.  That would be a kick to Murdoch and the ilk, I am sure.  More to the point, he could make a lot more money doing that, and I doubt his influence would decrease; if anything, he could say pretty much anything.  Hell, I might even subscribe!

The keys to a hypothetical Tucker Carlson 2024 campaign - POLITICO

This would be funny as hell!  Now, I don't think he will -- too much work and he can make more money doing something else -- but having him at a GOP debate (or against Biden) would be... well, compelling TV, I can assure you.

I was felling tired today -- not sure why though I suspect the obvious reason -- so I laid down after work.  It took me a few to fall asleep, but when I woke up... it was past 8:30!  Oi!  I guess I should have expected this, to be sure (when do I ever lay down and NOT pass out) but it was annoying, if needed.  No gym, no reading, but I did need the rest.  Not tired now, but I think I will still hit the hay soonish (once I get the stuff done I didn't do before).  

Artifacts support Polynesian oral histories | Popular Science (popsci.com)

I love stuff like this; I mean, I always get a kick out of this.  I guess it is racism that caused this idea that people couldn't traverse the ocean in small craft, even though they were incredibly seaworthy and the mariners were as skilled as Western sailors... or, let me put it this way:  I suspect the share of Polynesian sailors who did not return from their voyages was probably equal to that of those from the West who crossed the Atlantic.  Alas, it is good to know that now we are correcting this narrative!

Bemusements

 Interesting day at the food pantry yesterday... no clothing racks due to the rain, but plenty of volunteers.  Fairly busy -- the month has been, I was looking at the numbers -- and despite the weather, we cracked 100 yet again.  It was actually sort of funny; we ran out of produce and bread (this is a good thing), but we also had about 20 gallons of milk.  They of course went early, but the rest of the day (even a few minutes before closing) people were clamoring for milk.  I almost gave them the "this is not a grocery store" spiel but I instead reminded them that we only had a limited supply and if other clients can get there 30 minutes before we open, so can they.  Being Hope and Changers, I don't think they got it (or my sarcasm), but I was amused, at least.

Today was quite decent; I met a friend for coffee, gym, Mass, caught up on some work, and did some reading (trying to finish a book today, doubtful).  I had planned on a gym double, but the rain, work downloads, and the general laziness kept me home.  Tomorrow is another day, I guess, but I have plenty of stuff to do this week, so... hell, I need to do a spot of laundry as well.  I did clean the bathroom, so I did not fully disregard the domestic duties.

In a thriving Michigan county, a community goes to war with itself (msn.com)

This could be me, but isn't this a form of election denialism?  Funny that this is in that bastion of democracy, the Washington Post.  More seriously, isn't this what democracy is about?  People voting for the representatives they want and getting the people in office they voted for?  I can certainly see why they wouldn't like it, but...isn't democracy supposed to be messy?

Mental Spinning

 Back to the gym today, and it was glorious; back and shoulders, and a smidge of cardio (blood sugar a bit low for more).  I do need to get back in the habit of regular doubles, for a bunch of reasons, mainly due to fitness, but also some forced reading time -- 30 or 40 pages while on the bike is nothing to sneeze at, especially given my reading goals, or the fact that I keep getting books at author events...

Made a commitment to answer some emails tonight -- I know, hardly glorious on a Friday night, but certainly adulting, which is something one has to do sometimes.  Also trying to delete some links, which is proving to be less successful, for a bunch of reasons.  I think this weekend I will be doing more of both -- have some SVDP business to attend to, for one, and the prospect of a mostly free Sunday (aside from the gym double, ahem) should allow me to do that.  Unless, of course, I find some other task to do; I keep thinking about how I need to go through closets... not only could they use some cleaning and organizing, but I seem to have more clothes than hangers.  Yes, I could buy some, but... I could pare stuff I will simply never wear.

Will We Ever See Affordable Housing Prices Again? - A Wealth of Common Sense

I think the lack of supply is the main issue, honestly, with the high interest rates being a further factor (albeit temporary, I hope)... I was looking at the details of my mortgage (it was refinanced many moons ago, with a car payment and some insulin purchases included for good measure.  My rate is 3.85%; originally 5.25%, and when I redid I was told they would never be so long again... and then they were 3.1%.  I tried to refi again, and the math couldn't be made to work...not that I tried that hard, or that I complained; even then I was quite happy with 3.85%, and now...financially, I don't need the blue pills, to mix metaphors.  Anyways, people can and do buy houses at 7.5%, but -- after a decade of much lower -- the number will be small, and buyers will do what they can to limit their exposure (more on the down payment, for interest).  Plus, if people think the Fed will keep rates high for a while... well, that is a tough pill to swallow, and no "love the house, not the rate" approach will help.

Troubled Waters: Reading Urine in Medieval Medicine – The Public Domain Review
This was unintentionally hilarious, but also quite informative and interesting...

Ordeals and Travails

 I didn't blog last night because I ended up passing out on the living room floor, sometime after 11.  I woke up at 2:30 -- lights on, laptop on sleep -- and shut everything down and went to bed.  Alas.  The day started with a trip to the dentist, as I had to go in for a permanent filling and ideally putting on a permanent crown.  Things didn't go as planned, as first they tried to tell me that they weren't sure they could save the tooth -- after the fricking root canal!  Thankfully, though, they did, and inserted the permanent filling.  Next was an hour of excruciating...well, maybe not pain (though there was some) but incredible discomfort as they tried to attach the crown.  Eleven X-rays were taken; I guess the tooth next to it was a bit off in shape, there wasn't much room, the odd shape of the tooth remnant... I was there more than two hours (an hour at most I was assured), and each time it was the same; drill around the tooth (still sore from the root canal), play with the crown (more soreness), X-ray... finally they stopped and decided to make a new crown, so I have to return.  It was draining in every way, and it will be a long time before I return to any dentist.

Then it was home to plow through work (I had a project due Monday, which I turned in today), take a pain pill (I filled the root canal prescription), take the antibiotics (to prevent another infection like the last one), and rue my misfortune.  To be sure, I did reflect upon the wonders of modern dentistry; even a century ago, it would have been a pull and much pain, and now... well, it is remarkable what they can do.  But it is remarkable what they cannot do, or at least some of them.  

Topping it off...drove to the gym and it was closed -- water main break.  Not that I needed a workout, but I sort of wanted one, just to clear my head.  Alas.  I saw on social media that they are open now, so that long national nightmare is over.

Today I went to see Matthew Desmond give a talk about his new book at the Parma Snow library (I also got a copy as part of the deal, which has been added to the book pile).  I didn't realize they literally have an auditorium back there for this sort of thing -- I think it seats at least 150.  Let's just say that it was not a Parma crowd, and considering the number of Hope and Changers and PSRCHers there, I am glad we have CCW in Ohio.

Anyways, the speech was fairly good; I agree with a lot of what he says, but I think 1) A lot of the policy/tax choices we make to support what he calls affluence, are, to me, one of the few ways government actually support the middle class; and 2) a lot of what he recommends isn't even done by the people of his ilk, so why does he think anyone else will do it?  He even made a comment about how people never complain about their mortgage deductions.  I openly laughed at that one (my neighbors were less than amused), because I used to make the same joke at Freedonia -- none of them ever gave their tax refunds back or paid more than their fair share, and I suspect Desmond did not, either.

He also doesn't talk about housing supply; we simply have not built enough housing in this country, which makes it so expensive... I realize he is, ugh, a sociologist, so this salient point is over his head, but...you cannot put people into non-existent housing.  Some of what he recommends would work -- I think an excess profits tax would be fine (especially now), I think raising wages for the lower classes would work (but it would drive automation; I can only imagine the Luddite rage of fast food workers when the robots arrive).

Another thing he tends to gloss over, but something that has become more crystallized in my mind from my food pantry experience.  Namely, many poor people make bad and dumb decisions, and many of them... you really don't want as neighbors, or in your neck of the woods.  I think it is fair to say that yes, poverty does create these behaviors, but I also think that in an equal number of cases people cause their own poverty.  As I often say, behold the universality of Gresham's Law... 

Good Things Must End

Had my root canal today...and it was not exactly fun.  But it was largely painless, though incredibly uncomfortable.  I did take a pain pill, just to get rid of the aggravation in the corner of my mouth, but other than that...  I did ask if they use a general anesthetic, and of course, they do not, which is not terribly surprising, but I think I would prefer it; every time the dentist says I have a strong tongue, we know what happens next...  I lifted this morning; could have gone to the gym this afternoon, but was feeling meh, and the blood sugar was a bit low, so... no double.  Ugh.  Sloth and a lack of discipline!

Opinion | Let's cancel toxic diet culture — if not for us, for our kids - The Washington Post

I read this this morning, and this probably influenced my decision to do an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill.  More seriously...isn't this...bad?  Obesity is a huge issue; not only are there higher risks of COVID mortality, but all of this stuff costs money later on -- knee replacements, cardiac issues, you name it; it's not good for the body.  So why do we indulge these sorts of things?

Netflix will finally stop mailing DVDs. These people will miss them. (msn.com)

This is an unpleasant news item; I guess i will have to watch as many items as I can before it runs out.  Now, this is not completely surprising, but. as the article indicates, the movie range they had was pretty incredible, and you could often find stuff there you couldn't find elsewhere.  I guess I will have to find something else when it runs out...

Team DeSantis Ad Slams Bud Light, Transgender Athletes – OutKick

This was... good.  I fully approve.

I did finish book 23 today, the Civil War Diary of LeRoy Gresham -- The War Outside My Window.  It was good; not quite as good as Jones' or Chestnut's diaries, but...still interesting nonetheless.  Given the writer was a 16-year-old dying of consumption, it was in many ways...poignant.  Good look at the period; people read a lot and spent a lot of time with each other (not like now), and even he (he was from a wealthy family) noted that there were a lot of issues with getting food and coping with shortages.  In many ways he was quite perceptive, given his youth...not sure I was at that age.

Catastrophe

 So, I went to the dentist, and, lo and behold, I need a root canal.  The filling I have in the tooth is 1) partially dislodged and 2) too close to the root, and all of the options are not good... unless, of course, they move the nerve and then they can play with it.  In defense of the dental staff, they did tell me a few years ago this could happen, and I think I decided to just go with the filling (why it is now dislodged is a mystery)...but this is still not fun.  Soft foods and such in the meantime (I stocked up on soup at Aldi on the way home).  Mainly this has affected my morale; today was the downer (especially as it took an hour plus at the dentist to figure this out, plus scale down the filling a bit so they could re-apply the crown.  

Also, I have not slept long or well the last few nights, so I am tired, maybe coming down with a cold, and I had but two cups of coffee today... so I was feeling the effects of that as well.  I think I will be going to bed soon, as I am tired and down.  At least I was productive at work and got some reading done, and cleared out some emails (though I need to send more out).

Funny...my sister asked me if I stock up on soup; she has a supply in case they are not feeling well or feel the need.  I told her I did not; I could make some, I guess, but if I want some I just go out, as it is not one of my go-to-foods.  I realize the salt in canned soups is a killer, but I guess I make up for it the rest of the year.  I made salmon yesterday, and while I think I can eat it -- it is soft and chewy enough -- I will have to be nibbling it for the interim.  Oi.

Return to Youth

 Yesterday I decided to cross off a place sort-of but not really on my list; Hough Bakeries, or, Archie's Hough Bakeries -- the recreation of the original store out in Beachwood.  Now, I remember the original; there was one where TJ Maxx is in the plaza by my house, and I seem to recall how wonderful it was; all kinds of baked goods, sort of like a Malley's store for bakery.  I guess I was expecting the same, and thus was... underimpressed by it now?  The site is small, and they really don't have a lot on display -- some white cupcakes, cookies, coconut bars, and doughnuts.  That's it.  They are also quite insistent on a mask, which, in this day and age, does not make one feel welcome.  I some cookies and two cupcakes for myself, a half-dozen for my sister, and that was that... and I was pleased to escape the East Side.

That said, the bakery was...quite good?  The cookies were good (especially the next day) and the cupcakes were pretty awesome.  Normally I eat the bottom then the top, but I found that the white frosting -- delicious on its own -- is quite magical with the cupcake itself.  Would I go back?  Maybe... it is far (not far far) and expensive (what isn't) and if I did I would probably order something custom (and thus available).  I also felt badly as this was a place Mom would have loved, unlike the usual Asian/fusion/chilled monkey brains places I prefer.  Oh well.

The tooth problem has magically solved itself, as the cap popped off while eating pineapple yesterday evening.  They told me to avoid crunchy and sticky, so I can only imagine what they will tell me next.  Oi.  To be sure, I had to go back anyways, but... my mouth, at least, hurts the least in weeks, since I went there for that silly periodontal treatment.  It could have happened Friday night, when my office chair broke -- one of the screws popped off the left armrest, it fell over, and now -- while I fixed it -- I cannot lean all the way back (I have tried twice, with comic, for now, effects).  I do not think I will replace it -- I am cheap, you know -- but that could change.  Probably when I actually fall over...

Decisions

 I have decided that the cap needs to be redone, as it is just not feeling right.  I came to a conclusion while at the gym today; going home and not trying it out is dumb.  I need to bring something to eat (to the dentist!) to see if it actually works.  I mean, something like canned peas or such; soft, but still requiring some mastication to better digest.  I am sure they will love that, but they really have no reason to complain, and, quite frankly, I would think that they would prefer to be done with me (as would I).  I realize this is a first world problem, but...

I did a gym double today, first time in a while.  Funny; I was in bed at 11, but woke up at 5:45; obviously, the prospect of extra rest was too much for me.  That, and my blood sugar was surprisingly high (Lord knows why), so... I lifted in the morning and did quite a bit of cardio.  Legs in the evening after work; no cardio as the blood sugar was a bit low.  Sigh.  But it was good.  I need to watch my snacking; the granola bars I usually buy at Aldi were $2.49 a box, which is... quite a jump over the past year.  Fruit is still cheaper, and while the bars are better at quickly boosting blood sugar, they will be on ration call for the foreseeable future.

A Well of Conservative Support for Public Schools in Rural Texas - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Interesting but not surprising; people go where their values are welcomed, and if that means the conservative suburbs grow... I do wonder how much damage could be done by the bill; if people move to an area for the schools, I doubt they will go and send their kids to a private school, but that is me.  I guess I would be a bit careful about this in Ohio, though a lot less concerned than, say, before the pandemic.

Opinion | Why People Are Fleeing Blue Cities for Red States - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

I think Brooks is one to something, but is missing it... namely, the red states create an environment that is very good for livability; low taxes, school choice, housing, etc.  Liberals move in and immediately want to recreate what they left behind...forgetting, of course, what made those places crapholes in the first place.  They are liberals, after all.  People elsewhere in the state react to it, unfavorably... and so the battle begins.

Capping it Off

Another soup day today, as I went to the dentist and had the "permanent" cap put on.  It feels... well, at times I can't tell it is there, and at other times I hit it and it does not feel right.  I know it takes a couple of days for it to settle down, but... this is a bit annoying, to put it mildly, and yes, I realize that my feelings about them (a half step above quackery) is playing into this, as is my preference to never go back there again...we shall see what tomorrow may bring.  I guess I am used to chewing on one side of the mouth due to the hole that was there...

Skipped the gym today -- in addition to the mouth, I decided it was high time to remove all the twigs and branches from the front yard (and the back yard) in preparation for mowing.  It took a good hour, and while there is still some wood on the ground, there is nothing that would affect the mower blade (I hope).  The pile on the compost pile in the back yard is quite high... I should probably start putting some actual compost there to push it down and to promote some breakdown.  Mind you, not like I garden or anything that requires compost, just don't like the idea of putting more stuff in landfills.

This could be me, but it isn't a good idea to let a 21-year-old National Guardsman have access to the nation's secrets, not anywhere close.  Much as I would love to shit on Democrats about this, I am sure this is a bipartisan failure, or, more to the point, no one really paid attention to this until today, which is part of the problem.  No matter how you slice it, the optics are... not very good.

In more positive news, I did handle/delete some emails and some bookmarks, which is always good, and I am considering just packing it in and hitting the sheets early; not only do I need the rest, but an AM trip to the gym is just what the doctor ordered, as I do prefer a bit of morning lifting to start the day... this is what passes for ambition around here now, sigh.

How Does It End?

 I have to admit, I am fascinated by the Bud Light boycott, in so far as it exists.  I mean, one hears of these things, but how often do they actually achieve anything?  CFA, maybe -- a counter-boycott?  I think we can argue that they benefitted from the stand they took, but do you really see A-B backing down?  I am not sure that Bud Light sales would collapse that much to affect such a change -- A-B has plenty of other brands, and unless those sales fall sharply as well, I am not seeing it.  Plus. even if this decline did happen, does anyone think that they would publicly admit their error?  Then they would get worse heat from the other side (even if, I suspect, the LGBT and lib types drink a lot less Bud Light than, say, John Q. Conservative).  I mean, I would prefer if the GOP orchestrated -- and won -- a lot more of these fights but I don't see it happening.  Sort of like the Tennessee Three (two?)... they are back in and the legislature will let them back.  Reminds me of the quote about Braxton Bragg, what does he fight battles for....

Watched an interesting documentary -- "No-No:  A Documentary," about Doc Ellis.  I think I knew he had the LSD no-hitter and his Pirate career, but I learned much -- comeback year with the Yankees, and then his long post-playing career as an addiction counselor, which, if you think about it, is just as important as anything else.  Of course, the living took its toll later on...

Endings and beginnings

 A friend of mine -- as well as someone who I have known from Church and SVDP for many years -- lost their mother over the weekend, and the funeral was today.  I took the day off (sort of) and attended.  Good crowd, nice Mass, wonderful homily, and then a fun (as much as possible) post-funeral luncheon.  Methinks that is all one can really ask for, at the end of the day... that you are remembered positively.

Of course, before I went to the funeral and did some work... and equally, of course, I had a big project due ASAP.  Fortunately, I had done most of the work previously, so I got that out before I had the mourning attire on.  Then, when I got home, I made sure to log on for a couple hours -- til J! -- and caught up on stuff I missed.  My work was received positively (I hope) and I even cleaned some minor stuff off the plate, setting me up to finish something else up tomorrow.  Phew!

I completed another page-turner today -- Desperate Ground -- about the retreat of the First Marine Division from the Chosin Reservoir in the early days of the Korean War.  Quite good; incredible heroism (by the Marines), incredible stupidity by MacArthur and his staff, and... well, while a retreat is seldom a victory, the Chinese soon learned that the US forces were easily capable of inflicting heavy losses.  I still wonder if maybe, just maybe, we should have tried to push past the 38th parallel -- every foot of ground would have been beneficial to the South -- and used our superior firepower to maximize Chinese losses.  I suspect it would have not worked -- they did not seem to worry about that -- but I get the sense it wasn't seriously considered.  This puts me to 22 books for the year, and while this pace is not likely to be maintained... 23 will be started tonight.

The flip side of the reading binge is that many little projects that should be done I have not, so tonight I am trying to remedy that; one batch of SVDP stuff was just done, and I may work on some budget stuff tonight (eventually we will have a meeting, and people tend to want to know these things).  I told a friend -- in between work on the giant pile of laundry (darks are drying as we speak!) that adulting isn't necessarily hard, just tedious, and he concurred.  Alas.

Catching Up

 Two days off...quelle horreur.  Saturday I woke up at the crack of dawn, was at the gym slightly after 7, had breakfast with a friend at 8 (Chick-Fil-A; not quite the sandwich, but a breakfast biscuit...it was simply heavenly).  Then, after the dispensing of the Easter baskets to the kids... a bunch of errands and such.  I barely made it home for 1, had a late lunch, nodded off in the chair a bit... and mainly hung around.  Watched "Casablanca" on TCM, caught up on some stuff, and read -- Killers of the Flower Moon, about a series of murders among the Osage Indians in Oklahoma in the 20s.  Didn't realize they were making a movie out of it...but the book is good.  I guess I do like the mysteries and the page turners.  Quite sad, actually, to read about what was done to these people in a mixture of racism and greed.

Sunday was...well, wonderful.  Beautiful day for Easter -- perfect weather, maybe a tad bit cool, but no complaints.  Mass was quite wonderful as well; not too long, music just right, a good crowd -- even if I had reserved my pew with a hoodie and a pyx and came back to discover it had been occupied.  Oi!  Course, I had to run to choir loft to get a Communion count, confer with the ushers to see if anyone else needed Communion, and see who was saying Mass.  Anyways, aside from that indignity... I have to admit, I felt as if the line to receive the Eucharist would never end; we had plenty of hosts, but it was a bit jarring (albeit in a good way) to disseminate so many.

One place equally packed was the gym; I went after Mass, and I was impressed with the crowd.  Several joked about getting a workout in to offset the honeybaked ham, which seemed quite right.  I did some extra cardio on my own and then it was home for a bit and then to my cousin's for brunch, which was quite nice... calm before the storm because later that evening I attended yet another metal concert.  One of my best friends from the last job, his favorite band -- Insomnium, from Finland -- was playing at the Foundry in Lakewood, and he asked me to join him (he had not realized the date when he asked, which, as you can imagine, amused me immensely).  So there I was... the place was slightly nicer than No Brass -- more like AAA baseball, if you will -- but still a decidely cozy atmosphere.  The music itself was...ok?  Not quite my scene, but they were a bit more orchestral, if you will, so one could enjoy that.  I really couldn't make out the lyrics, and that was most probably fine, especially with it being Easter and such.  

Today was quite different; plenty of work -- finished a minor project, started another, got the working assignments for the week, that sort of thing.  Listened to a series of podcasts about the Havana Syndrome, which was interesting and at times shocking; seems hard to believe that we don't know what caused it or why, and yet...I suspect we have a good idea but for some reason, we choose not to reveal it.  Hmm.  Went to a wake today; I get a little uncomfortable at these things, yet... well, it seemed so normal, people hanging out and talking and remembering the good times.  I guess it is the best way to remember the deceased but it still seems odd.  Coming, of course, from the man who wants the fun in funeral at his...

Good Friday

I was surprisingly busy today... finished one project (at least the big half of it!) and then moved on to some smaller items that need to be handled before I go back to the second half of the big one.  Definitely one nice thing about my company I need to remember... at the last job, we would literally beat a project to death with complex questions, reviews, back-and-forths, etc.  Here... well, not that we don't want detail, but that can come... later.  It's not that it is not important, but we need answers to questions first, and if I need to go back... I can.  That, and people are actually happy with my work.  It's quite impressive.  

Today, of course, is Good Friday.  Odd; I had to explain to a few people some stuff -- why I went to church (not Mass, of course!), why I was off the phone in the afternoon, why I had a quiet day at home and gyn... are we really becoming that secular of a county that this stuff needs to be explained?  I guess when I worked on the East Side I was used to it, as the place is full of Hope and Changers.  But now... it is really everywhere, and it is sort of depressing.  At least now people were polite with my explanations...but it all seems somewhat superfluous.

Almost done with the White Flight book, where the author is now explaining how the civil rights movement created the suburbs and the modern GOP.  This is slightly amusing now, as today -- the party of Trump seems to have lost the suburbs.  We've kept the racial resentment, it seems, but now we have become the party of the working classes.  To be sure, I think the suburbs are in play -- education and crime mean a lot, and the GOP answer resonates, but candidate quality and abortion are definitely issues as well.  Again, much like both parties grappled in the 60s with what and where they stood on issues, so too are GOPers doing so now.  It is quite fascinating, though I would prefer we figured it out sooner rather than later.

Changes

 I went to the Holy Thursday Mass tonight, and it was glorious.  Surprisingly, I was NOT required to serve, take down the altar, anything; they didn't even want me to serve as an EM, which was a mistake, as we could have used one.  Alas.  But, it was nice just to be in the pews and take it all in.  Hard to believe Easter is on us and Lent is almost over.  

I had a fairly good day, aside from the whole tooth thing.  I weighed in at under 190 pounds this morning at the gym, which I attribute entirely to the fact that I have been eating less crap -- indeed, the diet has been baked potatoes, tuna, and softer foods.  To be sure, I dug into some of the kielbasa I picked up from Krakow Deli, so I suspect this little victory will be extremely short-lived.  I am not sure that it is as good as last year's batch, but it is still pretty decent.  I should try some of their other offerings...I still need to find paska bread, though I think that will not be an impossible task by Saturday.  As always, I should have planned ahead!

I am about halfway through White Flight, and there is one thing that surprises me.  Namely, one of the main reasons many whites claimed for leaving their homes/neighborhoods was economic -- that they had to sell at the inflated prices offered by Black realtors or else they would sell later at a loss.  Now, I am not saying that racism didn't play a role -- these people were Democrats, after all -- but economically, it sort of makes sense.  Many of the neighborhoods "integrated" (they switched from white to black almost immediately) were working class areas and the homes were literally the only investment/property they had.  Looking at it this way, this sudden shift to the suburbs makes a bit more sense... I wonder if people didn't notice this at time.  I've always felt that African-American political leaders wanted the whites out of the urban cores to obtain political power, and if you could get rid of the white working classes... well, so much the easier.

Quarantine

 Interesting results from the elections; a loss in the WI Supreme Court seat, and the more progressive candidate elected in Chicago, but the GOP added three supermajorities in state legislatures (NC, LA, and WI).  Furthermore, state legislatures continue to enact bans on gender-destroying surgeries, even after vetoes.  I told one of my progressive friends that it was democracy in action, and to deny the results of those elections...let's just say that she was not amused by strong defense of democracy.  I was, of course.

Funny, sort of; I didn't leave the house today.  I slept in a bit (oi!), then when I logged on to work I discovered I had a new CEO project that I wanted to finish today because I have another project I want to get done this week.  So I was slamming away longer than usual.  Plus, for some reason, my stomach has been rumbly today; this is odd, as I have been on a somewhat irregular diet due to this teeth issue, which is still not exactly better.  Oi.  Lots of soft foods -- cottage cheese, baked potatoes, and tuna fish, with plenty of oranges.  The antibiotics run out tomorrow, which does concern me, though I don't really think it was ever infected, just a slow-healing (and superfluous I suspect) hole under my tooth.  Grr.

Horse nations: Animal began transforming Native American life startlingly early | Science | AAAS

Interesting; I love this sort of thing, where people go and challenge the orthodoxy of historical theories...and now, with DNA and advanced dating technologies, we can.  Quite cool.

New season of Dr. Pimple Popper today, and it was glorious, but... the ratio of content to commercials is going down the Bar Rescue path, which means you get a lot less of the good stuff, and that IS a problem.  Not that I won't stop watching, but it is becoming less must-watch TV, as I multitask more...

Inflation and you

Funny; on the one hand, I am concerned about spending, paying bills down, that sort of thing... on the other, I was plotting out today how much I will be spending on Easter gifts and grub (paska bread, kielbasa, maybe some potato salad or cranberries, like Mom used to make).  Top it off, I bought concert tickets and a ticket to another social event.  To be sure, I am economizing in other ways (not driving to work, watching grocery spending, etc.) but I, like a lot of people, have enough to spend on the stuff we want to.  Which I guess is good...

A philosophical question about the Fed's 'mistake' 🤔 (tker.co)

I liked this one; I mean, I think a lot of people have this debate... yes, inflation is quite high, but a lot of people don't seem to notice -- the restaurants are full, low-wage jobs are paying more (for those who take them), people bought things they wanted... it is a tradeoff.  Certainly some aspects of the economy are going well, even if these price hikes are affecting people in different ways.  Funny; I went to Marc's at lunch to pick up pop at 4/$5, and the checkout lady told me that she never drank the brand I picked til now, and it was quite good... I said, yes, especially at the price.  

Three people I know have suffered deaths in their families -- two mothers and a daughter.  While the first two were not quite unexpected (old age is old age), it is still unsettling, especially now, with Holy Week on us and Easter soon.  

Putin, Trump, Ukraine: how Timothy Snyder became the leading interpreter of our dark times | Ukraine | The Guardian

Interesting!

Right Minded

 34 counts?  34??!!  Impressive.  Overkill?  Making a point?  Hard to say... I mean, I know of very few objective observers who don't think the Donald pulled crap (such as paying off the mistress), but there is the matter of proving it.  The Feds couldn't do it, but can the locals?  To be sure, one defense he might have is that he can't get a fair trial there, and honestly... that could work; certainly a more favorable jury in upstate NY but I doubt he could get it moved.  I sort of wish I could be there for the train wreck, though I think "a hot mess" is a tremendous understatement, to put it mildly.

Started a new book today, White Flight, which looks at how Atlanta was desegregated...and then resegregated.  I didn't realize that Atlanta, like Columbus, basically absorbed a lot of its inner ring suburbs -- including the Buckhead neighborhood that wants to succeed again.  Interesting -- and I not into the sixties yet -- as to how the city came together and how (initially) it seemed that they racial harmony there.  I definitely should pick up the pace, as a friend gave me a book to read, so...

I am coming to the end of the antibiotic treatment, and the mouth still is sore; ok, the hole on the right side has not healed, I suspect.  Not sure what else can be done, save for time.  This is Easter week, which means that in a few days I will want to eat everything in sight, and if I cannot...not sure I want to call the dentist again and go back for more quackery.  Actually, the more I think about it, I don't even want to go back for the "permanent" cap...

How America Started to Fall Out of Love With College Degrees (msn.com)

Is this a bad thing?  I don't think so.  For one thing, they brought it on themselves...with the cost, the war against men, the concerns about what they are teaching, and the increasing need for people to have jobs that don't necessarily require one... oh well.  Colleges can reinvent.  Or not, and there will be fewer of them.  As I am fond of saying... we will survive.

The Christian Liberal-Arts School at the Heart of the Culture Wars | The New Yorker

I was actually surprised by this piece; I expected a hack job, but, dare I say, they tried to be fair and balanced?  It was certainly informative, and I get the sense that the place avoids many of the fights present at other schools, which makes it doubly attractive to the right.

Is it me, or is the latest news from Florida -- Disney found a way to get around the new special district created by Governor Superb -- a set up?   Not saying it is, but I can imagine the DeSantis team orchestrating this to not only lure them into this, but then to really hammer them, which would provide a not-so-significant boost to Ron's chances in the GOP primary.  Which would be terrible...

MD

 I guess this is a milestone, post number 1500.  Very exciting; I guess it means I am alive, still.  And I have a lot to say, even if it is not about that much.  I sort of had an exciting day; Palm Sunday Mass to start -- quite nice, and my tradition of not joining the collective shouts of "Crucify him" remains intact.  The text was the Gospel of Matthew -- one odd thing is that he does not mention the Good Thief; just that the revolutionaries taunted Jesus as well.  Interesting.  Then it was a brief trip to the food pantry with a big bag of canned goods (I remembered) and an inspection (I think we are winning the rodent war, for now), it was off to the next adventure.

Today was a fundraiser dinner at St. Vitus, so I decided to go there and see what it was about.  Driving there -- Broadway to 55th to St. Clair -- was certainly interesting, seeing the sites, or lack of them.  Certainly plenty of empty ones, but closer to St. Clair, it is certainly an interesting mix.  The area around the parish itself reminded me of that around St. Stan's -- not much parking in the church, so people just park on the street or wherever they can.  The site is not very handicapped-friendly; I helped an older lady in a roller walker get in, and she had a hike to get there in the first place.

The dinner was fine -- decent chicken and potatoes, bakery was good, and I was certainly full, so that was good, and of course, one should support our urban ethnic parishes.  I then decided to hop across the street and see the church itself; this took a little while, as Mass ran long -- Palm Sunday!! -- but once it was concluded I got to look around.  Quite pretty in there -- not St. Stan's nice, of course -- but I did get a good look at the altar and the ceiling murals.  I also liked the stone grotto chapels to the Blessed Mother (even if they have electric candles); it was certainly an aid to the contemplative moment.

I had a couple of more errands to do and then it was home to watch the women's national championship game.  It was...fine?  The officiating was craptastic (who calls a technical on the best player in the game) but for a team to put up 100 in women's basketball is impressive, as was Kim Mulkey's outfit... to use a phrase of my parents, I hope she didn't spend any money on it...

Transitions

 It's already April!  And Holy Week is upon us!  How quickly time flies... I do like the warmer weather, the increased amount of sunlight, and the generally fresh look of things.  I still need to pick up the branches from the front yard, and I should probably start the mower (I always forget to fire it up during the winter), as soon it will be time for my favorite activity... I paid off the snowplow person for the year -- only two pulls, which is... a record low.

Finished book 19 yesterday, a look at the history (and excavations) of Hadrian's Wall.  Lots of detail and military stuff, which I liked, and I did like how he discussed the changing views of the wall.  The author seemed to pooh-pooh a modern idea that it wasn't military in nature, just a barrier to define Rome from elsewhere.  (I told my Rome-loving cousin that people nowadays don't like big, beautiful walls.)  This could be me, but that is just...dumb.  The army built it and staffed, and it had both offensive and defensive capabilities.  Not that there weren't flows of people and trade goods across it, but... the point was to protect Roman civilization from everyone else.  Oi.

Went to St.  Augustine's yesterday for dinner.  Yes, it's in Tremont, but I found a reasonably close spot.  One thing I did not find (at first) was the fish fry; absolutely no signage, and meandering about the parish complex... you meet some interesting people, if you get my drift.  I eventually found my way there.  I did get a chance to look at their food pantry -- very nice, now, though I cannot imagine how it looks when the crowd gets through the place.  Anyways, despite the crowd of illiterates putting their orders in at the station, I eventually got a meal.  Wasn't bad; crumble-coated cod, hush puppies, cole slaw, dessert, $12.  The roll I saved for breakfast today... service was fairly quick, and they bring it to you, a nice touch.  Probably too many Hope and Changers to make it a regular, but it is open Good Friday, another nice touch...

Still can't believe South Carolina lost, but if you are going beat them...it helps to have the world's best player having the game of her life...