Warriors for the Faith

 Yesterday I did not blog; I didn't sleep in, but once I finished some emails and other stuff, I returned to the business of emptying closets.  I started with the one in the library, which had an interesting mélange of stuff, including gift boxes and bags.  At that point, I realized I needed to go through the closet in the spare room, which also had a much larger quantity of them (and was a real mess).  Anyways... the short answer is both closets are cleaned.  The spare room is quite neat -- mainly gift stuff -- and I found some interesting things, including a set of dishes (Lord knows how they ended up there), a Polish baptismal outfit (not mine), and enough bags and boxes for an eternity of holidays; obviously, I will be giving out more gifts.  The closet in the library is also "empty," sort of; all the crap has been removed, save for the board games.  I found a box with random pieces parts and I realized I would need to go through some of the games to see if they are complete...followed by the realization that I should probably play some of them, not like I have the time, but... the fond memories of my youth.

Anyways, the rest of the day I watched some war movies ("The Dirty Dozen," one of my dad's favorites; "Kelly's Heroes," always good; and "Objective, Burma!," the Errol Flynn one that is...well, amusing now)  and started another project of mine I have been neglecting.  As it turned out (as I expected), it is a bit more engrossing than I expected and I will be lucky to complete it fully this week.  But, in its own way it is worth doing, so I will plug along.  I also opened all of the windows in the house to let in some fresh air and to breeze the place out; it did feel good to do so, I will admit.  Now it is deliciously cool in here, though the nice weather this week will make it less so.  It has been perfect so far, and long may it continue.

Dined with some old friends/former coworkers at Fire 45, the new high-end restaurant in North Royalton.  It is quite big -- they seem to have expanded the space since the last time I was there (in one of its many incantations) and it was good; I had the salmon and it was cooked perfectly.  The side of succotash was ok; I prefer mine a bit creamier, I guess.  Interesting pizzas; I might try one next time if the blood sugar cooperates.

The revolt of the Christian home-schoolers (msn.com)

Interesting read; to me, I think the advantage of the public school is just that -- the public.  One is exposed to so many different people and customs and things that one learns not only the basics (albeit barely) but...well, how to be exposed to different things and to learn and profit from them.  Not saying people shouldn't homeschool, but to me a highly religious one... leaves out some important things.  Of course, one can almost imagine the glee of the WaPo writers over this one.

Bay Village priest faces backlash after he discusses LGBTQ controversy during Sunday sermon - cleveland.com

I don't know...this could be me, but if you can't recognize that the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are... blasphemous and anti-Catholic (if not anti-Christian)...well, you are obviously in need some of remedial catechism.

This Tweet From an MLB Pitcher Is Sure to Make Leftist Sports Media Melt Down (townhall.com)

This is good to see; first there was Kershaw, and now this pitcher, who, I think, provided a low-drama but powerful rejoinder as to why this is a problem.  I would love to see more people speak out against this, and you can imagine that if the Dodgers had a clevelandbaseballteam-style boycott...well, current events would argue that they are not any smarter, but they might be better businesspeople, and take heed.

AOC upset over parody press account cracking up conservative social media | Washington Examiner

I guess this is one downside of NOT being on the socials, I miss regular updates about stuff like this.  I could check using my work account, but I try to steer clear of political stuff and other controversies there; to date, the most political thing I have accessed is the account about the former fox that was running around the grounds of Congress, and I think this wise policy will continue...

Sloth

 Yesterday, I am ashamed to say, I woke up at 10 AM!  I guess I was tired, and as I didn't set a clock...I have to admit, it discombobulated me the entire day; it was noon before I finished some of the morning emails and stuff I usually do, the errands were delayed, and as it turned out all I did was empty a closet.  I put 32 garments into the Plato's Closet pile (I counted hangers; the great shortage is now more than officially over), threw the metal hangers into the scrap metal pile, and even moved some clothes to the closet I use for most of the stuff I wear (closet two is pants, winter clothes, etc.).  It did look...neater and more concise, and now it is possible for me to move more stuff inside that one.  Then it was off to the family poker party (I won $13, rah) and then home.

Today...well, after Mass (Fr. Eric was flying, must have had a date) and gym, I met a friend for coffee (he buried his dog; I tried to be as sympathetic as possible, but, as I like to say...it's a dog) and then came home and... fell asleep on the couch.  Whoops.  Very depressing.  I didn't do any house organizing, though I did clean the bathroom and sweep the kitchen floor and the steps.  Rah.  Now I am catching up on the 800 things I need to administratively do, joy.  I am NOT surprised that we have a debt ceiling deal, in theory.  I wonder if the right will scuttle it; I think not, given that Jim Jordan has give his imprimatur and they can probably get enough votes from the left to ram it through.

The Enduring Mystery of Barbara Lowe and the Lost ‘Jeopardy!’ Episodes - The Ringer

This is a fascinating tale!  Not being allowed in the TOC...well, it all seems quite petty, honestly.  Nor, it appears, was she allowed back in the UTOC, which is also...quite petty.

‘Why do I have to pay this?’: Car theft victims pay the price at Cleveland’s impound lot - cleveland.com

I get a kick out of stories like this, for a bunch of reasons.  First, no one in the city seems to think that this is a problem... I realize it is other peoples' money, but, still, the optics are bad,  Two... the city's response has NOT been to go after the thieves, but rather, to sue the carmakers.  I mean... they could at least do both?  Third...as I like to say, as we have a GOP state, you would think they would pass a law holding the thieves responsible for any fees and repair damages... I realize that there would be little to recover in most cases, but not always, and... the optics would be better, right?

Glacial

 I would not say that Operation House Clean is off to a roaring start, but... I did go through a couple of bags and loose stuff; filled one box with recyclables, one box for garbage, and one for the OC, so...that is not that bad, I guess.  I did find a container to put some folded clothes in to take to Plato's Closet, so once I wash it out...well, maybe I can fill it with some stuff.  I have nothing planned for tomorrow, of course, so aside from a trip to the gym... I can put a few more hours into crap culling and closet restoration.  Probably should read a book with all the free time, too; it's not like I don't have a list of them, or anything like that.

In the meantime, here I am, up past my bedtime.  Of course, I was planning on not setting the clock tomorrow, which is fine...but I should get extra rest sometime this weekend.  I would have gone to bed sooner, but...one, I was thinking about replacing the vacuum cleaner, and two, when I came home, two bathroom tiles had fallen off the wall.  To be sure, it is high time to get the bathroom remodeled (almost done with my savings goal!) but I can't have two tiles off, so sometime tomorrow I have to run to a hardware store and buy something that will keep them in place til the renovation occurs.  I guess years ago I used Elmer's glue on the one, which may be why I am in this predicament today.

What Happened in 2022 | Catalist

Mystery at the Midterm: What Happened to the Red Wave? | RealClearPolitics

Both of these were quite interesting; the question is what will the GOP do to fix it?  Precious little, I am sure!  I think they could have delved more into candidate quality, though I would guess that is more subjective.

Geraldine Tyler Wins ‘Home Equity Theft’ Case With SCOTUS Ruling (reason.com)

I guess I am not surprised that this happens, but my concern is that the people who perpetrated this fraud upon the taxpayers will go unpunished, and that is a huge concern for me.

Clear cut

 Well, the lawn mower was finally fixed today -- the battery was dead.  I had to buy one on my own, and bring it back for the tech to install, which he did (I am truly inept at these sorts of things).  So that was done, and my lunch break was spent cutting said grass; quite long, but good now, though I should probably weed-whack in the areas where the mower does not go.  Alas.  I do hope this is the last expenditure for a while, and then I can concentrate (again) on reducing said debts.  One downside:  a piece of grass, or something, has lodged in my eye.  It's more annoying than painful, and it is not affecting my vision, but I am not sure what exactly to do, and with Memorial Day weekend upon us, not is not the time for medical issues.  Oi.

Today, thanx to the soon-to-be-ending wonders of Netflix, I watched "Iron Man."  It was....fine?  I think I will never understand the appeal of superhero movies and such.  I mean, I liked it well enough, and the story was fine, but I think I prefer some more realism.  Humorously, every time I saw Gwyneth Paltrow, I thought of her Goop! line or whatever.  More seriously, though, I thought of Jacqueline Bisset's character in "Bullitt;" included just to have a pretty face but not really given a role in the film.  Not quite the same, but...  just my impression.  Anyways, now up to 817 on the NFR.  

Also, the end of the Masters! tournament...let's just say that I was happy -- and miffed -- that I posted a 49 on regular J! today, which is above average, and I am sure I missed a question or two by not paying attention, and thus... a rare 50 was lost (the categories were favorable).

Inside a ‘toxic atmosphere’ at Cincinnati: What USC didn’t know before hiring AD Mike Bohn (msn.com)

This could be me, but I find it hard to believe that NO ONE knew about this, or at least was willing to talk about it.  Unless, of course, they wanted him gone at UC and figured that this was the best way.  In this day and age...well, there are fewer and fewer secrets, especially of this sort of behavior.  One would think...

Representatives from diocese attend School Choice Rally in Columbus (dioceseofcleveland.org)

This does seem a little rich, even for me; given the amount of money sent by the state to support Catholic education...well, whores do not advocate for legal prostitution, do they?  Yet.

Target CEO cites theft as a significant drag on corporate profits, joining other national retailers - cleveland.com

This could be me, but shouldn't someone be doing something about the shoplifting?  Stores could hire more guards, or off-duty cops; I think people would NOT object to this sort of thing.  Some GOP governor with cojones could offer to pardon citizens who "stand their ground" when confronting shoplifters, and I think in many states it would be an incredibly popular (and effective) strategy.  Being a law and order person, I just don't think it is too much to ask for people to follow a few rules...

DeFuture is Here

 Good news, as my dental ordeal is finally over.  Cap was finally completed today, and so far so good -- it feels normal, and it has not fallen off yet.  I did get yet another bill from them (we will see if the MSA covers this!), which was unpleasant... actually, I have had quite a bit of spending lately; car repair (needed), this, and the lawn mower person tomorrow.  Let's hope that it just needs a quick fix.  Yes, the mower is quite old, but... I would prefer not to face that decision now.  I have been paying down the HELOC, and I do have a 0% balance transfer off sitting here (which I will use once ALL of the bills are on the credit card), so that is not terrible, but it is a bit unsettling to see my "short-term" debt jump up.  I do want to get the bathroom done this year, hell or high water.

The great underestimation of DeSantis starts to unravel | Washington Examiner

I missed the DeSantis roll out on Twitter, and it appears so did everyone else!  Ha!  I mean, I guess it is good that people are interested, but bad that it was glitchy and Elon Musk's new toy is not so shiny as it once was.  The ad was quite good (the man is good at that!) and from the snippets I saw... good.  I think there IS a lane for a non-Trump candidate but it will be a bloodsport.  On the other hand... getting a W in either IA or NH, or both...then SC where it could be a five-candidate race...

My plan for a gym double today was ruined by low blood sugar at 5, so instead I worked late and then caught up on the Masters! games I missed from Monday (meeting), followed by the end of the affair.  I do like that it will be on next year, though I wonder what will happen if no candidates really present themselves; you could argue all the multi-game winners made this possible; no one will get too excited about a bunch of people with two weeks of wins.  OK, I will watch, but... at least I have done some progress on Mom's puzzle books.

I am fascinated by the latest round of boycotts and attacks on Pride gear; first Bud, then Miller, and now Target.  I have a sneaking suspicion that not that many GOPers shop at Target (for a bunch of reasons) and it may be limited, but maybe not.  I guess my big question is why now?  And what's next?  A boycott is fine but it would be nice if we could a GOP alternative so that people would have a long-term option...which would hurt the sales of the companies deemed to be "woke."  Much as the GOP should have put all of that money into a cultural media force, maybe now we need to consider a retail network...

Fatigue of Every Sort

 I guess I have not had as much rest as I thought, as I cracked and took a power nap this afternoon (yes, I worked a bit late to make up the time).  I was both exhausted and not feeling well; the sort of thing that a cup of coffee, or two or three, just cannot cure.  I have felt better (not good) since then, to be sure, and the general drowsiness has disappeared.  The gym was a bit rough but not awful, and I even did a bit of extra cardio.  I am trying to get to bed soonish and might consider a gym double tomorrow, because, well, I need it, and I do want to read.  Funny; tonight I watched both J!s (the Final in the regular was much harder than the Masters games) and then fired the laptop up to do stuff, and... with one exception, I have stayed off the phone.  Impressive.  I have also decided I need to brush up on my mythology and read some Shakespeare; one to refresh, the other... a lacunae that should be filled.

My sister and I were discussing the Masters Tournament -- her correct responses are way down, and mine... well, I am getting between 35 and 40 right (it is category-dependent), compared to the 40-45 in the regular.  One thing though is the pace of play; they are just zipping through and there are times when you are trying to fumble through the mind to get the answer; these guys know it right away and the electrons don't fire (for me) in time.  Most depressing.

Last night I read Goodnight Moon; I had not read it (I think, my childhood is quite the blur) and... I don't know, but while it was cute, I am not sure as to what made it so...special.  I began to think that it is sad I don't have children, but then I also realized that I am a selfish and insensitive jerk, so this is probably for the best.  It would certainly focus my life in many, many ways.  But there are many joyous and nice things about children, toys and play and cuteness; I tend to reject them, but having children would have forced me to soften and enjoy these things (I hope; again, I am an insensitive jerk, so probably not).

The Restaurant QR-Code Menu Is Being Shown the Door - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Thank God!  I know I am something of a Luddite, to put it mildly, but I have always felt these things were a royal pain.  And, at certain restaurants...I think I encountered one at Fahrenheit, and it was... well, not very high end, if you get my drift.

What's Driving Inflation: Labor or Capital? - The Big Picture (ritholtz.com)

This is quite correct, but the issue is now what to do about it?  In some ways the Liz Warrens of the world are correct, but in that case... shouldn't the Biden Administration done something?  Shouldn't any GOPers be campaigning on this?  Not that anyone will outdo Trump on this, but the economy is something the GOP can and should run on.  Americans generally do not like big corporations, so this should be an easy win (harder to solve; taxes might not claw back the money, and there is little to stop them from charging us for the privilege, but something could be tried).

WFH vs RTO - The Big Picture (ritholtz.com)

I think this is largely correct in both cases; workers need to be back at the office, but not at the level bosses want.  And, people like working from home -- more time, more money, more flexibility, more family time, whatever.  Work has to reflect this new reality.  I think the battleship is turning here, but it does not do so on a moments notice...

Linx

 Funny; I was tired all day today (didn't sleep well last night, or long), caught a second wind in the PM, and now... well, I am not exactly tired.  Nor have I been pounding the caffeine, another oddity.  One thing I was today was productive; did a lot of little things at work (that needed to be done, or were at least useful to other coworkers), handled some business for the food pantry and the East District, answered some emails, that sort of thing.  Also took the truck in for repairs -- the minor leak in the transmission has been fixed.  Not a yuugge crisis, of course, but it was more than high time to have it handled before it gets worse.  With car prices and interest rates, it is my best interest to keep the Behemoth running as long as I can.  Heck, even put in about 60 wages on Grann's The Wager, which is quite a solid read.

The Ratcatcher - The American Conservative

Interesting look at this from the side of Ron DeSantis and his allies...

How Democrats Learned to Love the God Gap (msn.com)

Also interesting.  I mean, I have a number of issues with the increasing secularization of the US, but this shows that it is not an even course.  

A techy, hip and bold new idea is revolutionizing horse racing - The Athletic

I love this; for one, I enjoy horse racing, and as the article states, it just might be a way to get people involved in the sport.  And, using new methods -- crowdfunding, offering investment-style rewards and risks -- is one to do it.   People already complain about such things as bad races and betting oddities (I don't necessarily think them signs of malfeasance, just bettors looking for an arbitrage opportunity, no matter the final result), but this is one way around that.  

Immigrants’ Share of the U.S. Labor Force Grows to a New High - WSJ

This could be me, but one issue with this is that there are plenty of Americans who could be -- and should be -- doing these jobs.  Much as my point in a previous post that more Americans should be working to be on Medicaid, the fact of the matter is that they do not do these jobs because there is no mechanism to force them to do so.  I don't have a problem with immigrants taking these roles over, but I do think that not pushing Americans into these jobs adds to the resentment and hatred that spurs Trumpism, and it is more damning when there is a simple fix at hand.

Back to the Blog

 Busy weekend!  Glad to be home and blogging.  Actually, today, after Mass and gym, I came home, and... caught up on stuff.  Answered a bunch of emails, read some articles, handled some bookmarks, that sort of thing; also finally scheduled an East District meeting for SVDP -- hopefully we can get a good turnout, for a bunch of reasons (it would be the first in a while, and the first of my presidency).  I figured I got about two-thirds done of what I wanted to do, which will have to suffice.  I did finish book 30 today -- Numbers From Nowhere -- a discussion of how the population of the Americas before the European invasions could have been inflated.  Quite interesting, actually, if a bit dense at times.

Saturday was food pantry duty -- the last of the month -- and I was surprised as we were only moderately busy.  To be sure, this was a welcome change after the screaming death of the first two weeks, but we wanted more... we were able to largely able to clear out the freezers and the produce, clean and sterilize the shelves, that sort of thing.  One funny thing... we had a limited supply of milk, juice, creamer, that sort of thing; we put them out on the table and told people they could take one.  Well, we disappeared to move more stuff, and when I came back, one client had taken milk, a juice, etc... he was of the opinion that when I said "take one," I meant one of each... I had to chuckle about that.  Of course, they are Hope and Changers, and we all know what that entails.  

Inside John Brown Gun Club And Other Left-Wing Gun Groups – Rolling Stone

Is this a bad thing?  I mean, if a bunch of Proud Boys and Antifa types kill each other... I am sure we will survive, even if they do not.

Conservative pundits are increasingly open about who they think should be killed | Media Matters for America

I don't know; if we can revisit the issue of who is a boy or a girl (or both, or neither), or who can marry whom... we can't revisit other legal issues, as well, such as who deserves the death penalty?  Quite frankly, given that the left has opened the door... they can't complain who walks through it.

We’re effectively alone in the Universe, and that’s OK | Ars Technica

I completely agree with this!

Making Plans

 No blogging yesterday, as my plan to go bed slightly after Dr. Pimple Popper was foiled by a friend who came over with a series of unfortunate events, and I had to be the soothing yin to his raging yang.  He didn't leave til 12, long after the point I wanted to give him a raging yang of my own (not that an hour of friend time served as the alternative to blue pills, if you get my drift).  Anyways, today... well, I was busier at work than expected, which led to no gym (an unfortunate but necessity calamity, I guess), so instead I stayed home, had dinner, caught up on the accumulated J! episodes, and also watched "The Commitments," which was... not exactly my usual fare, but it was cute and who doesn't love the music, right?  A friend recommended it, and... I would as well.

I was thinking today -- I haven't made a restaurant visit in a while.  Lots of reasons for this -- my fatness, the money, and my general busy-ness, but next week, when the schedule should be a little more free, I definitely need to go and cross off or one two on the list.  My "food" list is sort of like my book list; stuff gets on it faster than it can be crossed off.  Hell, even my bookmark list is creeping up again.  Anyways, let's report back in two weeks to see what, if anything, I was able to do...

Without requesting emergency funding, Democrats will own the border disaster - Niskanen Center

I was talking with some people about this last weekend, and this was the general consensus of the group (which leaned right, but certainly had some Dems in it) -- they have had three years or so to come up with something to fix this, and the fact that they came up with nothing...well, I suggested that that might have been the plan.  You appeal to the hard left of the party, and the moderates/centrists can pin the blame on the GOP.  Again, it is not a real plan, and you would think the Republicans would be hitting him harder on this.

Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid & Work: A Look at What the Data Say | KFF

Interesting; I would have never thought that 61% of Medicaid recipients were working (43% full time).  And, honestly, I think it SHOULD be higher; at the least, 61% should be full time, with another 20% part time, especially now, given the labor shortages that are affecting the economy in other ways.  I get that yes, some of these people cannot, but if there is one thing I have learned in my food pantry service, is that plenty of these people could work, and probably should, even if it is beyond their capabilities to do so.

The Real Reason Rent Costs Are Sky High: People Left Their Roommates (businessinsider.com)

Interesting; I certainly didn't think about this as a factor!

Deez Nutsism, If You Will

Funny; long food pantry meeting (quarterly board, lots of stuff to discuss), and then, since my blood sugar was high (as it was all day, odd), I decided to hit the gym for leg night.  I then decided to watch the J! episodes I had accumulated on the Tivo... odd.  My scores were down, and while some of it (on the Masters Tournament) is because of the questions, I had to admit... my mind doesn't work quite as well at 11 as it does at 8.  Odd.  Maybe I am not as smart as I once was, and I guess I am certainly not as young.  Alas.  Anyways, I crashed a little after 12:30 (having NOT done much of what I wanted to do) and eschewed the blogging...so today we are definitely catching up.

I listened to the City Club podcast of the debate they had about Senate Bill 83, the Higher Education Endorsement Act.  Honestly, I don't know.  There are some First Amendment and free speech issues here, no question.  On the other hand... no one (at least no one as dumb as one of the panelists) is immune to the fact that on a lot of campuses, free speech is under attack, at least when conservatives try to do it.  To me, any bill should, well, punish those who disrupt speakers and such; I think expulsion would be a very serious, expensive, and more than appropriate gesture, and certainly one that would work (at least after a few events).  That would be an impressive bill, although one, I suspect, the RINOs who run Ohio would shrink from immediately.

The Harms of Hospital Mergers and How to Stop Them - American Economic Liberties Project

Yet another horror of Obamacare, and...crickets.  The people who pull these cons on the American people never seem to face any accountability or punishment for this sort of thing.  As I am fond of saying, my healthcare costs doubled -- costing me about $1,500 a year -- and have been that higher since it passed.  Not the savings of $2,500 I was promised (not that I believed).  Nor could I keep my healthcare.  Anyways, if I were an enterprising GOP governor, I would 1) announce a plan for the state to run rural hospitals (such as those closed) and 2) make Obamacare supports/ACA plan recipients/etc. pay for it, such as by special taxes and the like.  You could put something cool like "Making Them Actually Pay Their Fair Share" in the bill title and then say they have to do it...all while reminding everyone that it was the ACA that did it.  And, of course, as they wanted it, well, now it is time to pay the piper.  In some ways, Ohio would be an ideal state for this to work, given we have a GOP supermajority (save for the gubernatorial seat) but... well, let's just say the cojones only applies to enriching themselves and not, say, enriching their supporters sometimes.

Recovery

 Interesting and busy weekend, so here we are now, finally catching up on stuff.  Joy.  Ok, not too bad; bit dragging but that is all.  Yesterday was food pantry duty and it was largely fine; gave away all the produce, always good (above average crowd, always helps).  We were quite busy -- not zoo like, but solid and steady for most of the day; the early kept the crowd down a bit, but not for long.  It was mildly amusing; we had a bunch of our charming clients arrive at roughly the same time, and we had a newer volunteer who took everything they said at face value, and the results were...well, comic to me, especially after I sorted the mess out.  As I explained, my general policy is that a client is lying to me until proven otherwise (and you would be surprised).  Anyways, it went fairly well, and then I had a few moments to myself before sprinting off to a wedding, which was also fine, and fun, if a bit long.

Watched "The Ballad of Gustavo Cortez" today (816 on the NFR), and it was interesting; basically a Western in the style of "Rashomon," starring  Edward James Olmos as a Mexican farmer trying to evade a Texas posse/prove his innocence.  It was good, maybe not great, but it has some interesting character actors; James Gammon (Lou Brown on "Major League"), Bruce McGill (D-Day from "Animal House"), and Jack Kehoe (from "The Sting"), as well as some others.  The flashback scenes were easy to follow, which also helped.

Lost Movies | History Today

Interesting!  And more than a bit depressing for me!  But society, and life, is like that, I guess.

Weedwhacked the ditch and the flower beds today; it looks a bit nicer, even if this is the growing season, and I need to cut the rest (not until the mower gets fixed), but it was good to get out of the house and enjoy the day.  It was quite nice, and I made sure I meandered a bit outside in the afternoon.  In terms of spring days, this is as good as it gets.

Stuff Good and Bad

 Interesting day today... didn't sleep well, for one -- and then to top it off I had charley horses in BOTH legs this morning.  Oi.  I am still a bit tight and sore there now!  It was not good, I have to admit, and then to top it off I felt the lack of sleep all day.  Continuing with the theme of the day, I went to cut the grass on a late lunch, and... it wouldn't turn over.  Sigh.  I have a tech coming out in two weeks (oi) but the grass is a bit tall as it is; I figure I can weedwhack some of the high spots by the treelawn and the stuff by the front of the house.  But... well, if I need to replace the mower I will do so, but I would rather not, of course.  Alas.  I was planning on hitting the sheets a little early today, but I keep getting stuff to go through -- we were approved for some grant funding at the OC, I have Board business, etc. -- so that might not happen.  

In other news, I skipped the gym -- my leg muscles appreciated it if my pot belly did not -- and instead watched "House Party."  Not quite my scene, if you will, but as I was certainly old enough to remember Kid N'Play, and it was... well, not terribly funny, but funny enough.  It did certainly remind me of the "Can't Hardly Wait" genre of films, and I could see how it was culturally significant.  Some of the jokes, of course, could not be made today, which makes me wonder where the cancel police were on this one.  This does bring me to 815 on the NFR, and I should maximize my viewings before Netflix goes the way of all things.

Chicago Already Feels Strains of a Migrant Influx as Title 42 Ends - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

This is...amusing.  I mean, people in Chicago proclaim they are a sanctuary city, and lo and behold... they don't actually want to do it.  I did appreciate how they hinted at the racism of the majority-black South Side residents demanding they send those poor migrants home; quite ballsy, even for the NYT.

Completion

 Quite the morning today; the wifi wasn't working, and it took until after 9 to get it restarted.  Oi.  I realize it is one of those things that sometimes happens, and we survived, but... I had a meeting at 10, so I had to work late today to catch up, so much so that I missed the gym.  Alas.  Anyways, the meeting -- SVDP Conference Presidents' coffee klatch -- went quite well (as always, plenty of follow ups) but I couldn't help but notice that a lot of what other conferences do we do not.  Part of this is that we don't really communicate that well, part of it is no one is/was really aware of what we all do (I am working on that!), and...well, let's just say that our clientele is... different?  Difficult?  I think of Desmond and his work, and yes, some of it is the poverty.  But, in a lot of cases, I think the issues are independent of the poverty, or, indeed, the issues caused the poverty.  And that makes it quite difficult to deal constructively with the problems.

I am almost finished with True Blue, which will be the 28th book I read this year; it is a reflection of Duke hoops and Coach K.  Written in 2005, so much of the current greatness is not there, and in some ways it has taken longer because a lot of the people (it's a collection of guest essays) were before my full fandom, so off I go to wikipedia or somewhere for further research.  But it is interesting; I do like these inside-baseball style descriptions.  And, if you are a truly a sad and misguided soul who hates Duke, there would be plenty of fodder for your shitting-on-the-crucifix-equivalent actions.

I am looking at the calendar, and I am thinking that I have nothing planned for Memorial Day weekend.  This, quite frankly, boggles my mind, as this seldom happens, and with the extra day, I should do something, like empty a closet or some adult activity (like cleaning), but... prolly not.  

Mattie Is Going to Hell

 Funny; as always, I have been tired, but now I cannot sleep.  Last night I had a meeting at the Cathedral, went longer than I expected... anyways, I managed to make some friends, as they gave us a tour afterwards.  I didn't realize that the Bishops' crypt (and the St. Christine reliquary) were right off the altar area, and it was certainly odd/interesting to trek inside.  At St. Patrick's the tombs are literally beneath the place; here they have their own space, which was certainly penitential in and of itself.  I noted that Bishop Lennon's tomb is on the top level, mainly so no one from any of the closed parishes would pee in the corner.  That, as you can imagine, went over well...

Yesterday I also had my last appointment with my MD, as he is retiring.  I will miss the guy; same-day call backs (even late at night) will NOT be a thing with the new one, which I have to find, as well as renew/transfer prescriptions, etc.  It does happen, and I need to do this soon, as much as "Not only there is no God, but try getting a plumber on a Sunday," but try getting a medical appointment nowadays.

Elon Dishes Details on Tucker Carlson Show Coming to Twitter – RedState

Interesting; maybe not completely surprising.  I wonder who cooked this up; Tucker or Elon.  But it does make incredible sense for all involved; Tucker will have his own platform for content, and plenty of freedom to do and say what he wants.  Elon gets plenty of customers/users, and I suspect many of them are, like me, indifferent to social media, but for Tucker, will gladly access him.  If half of those who have stopped watching Fox at 8 move to Twitter... 

America’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’ Moment Has Already Arrived, New IRS Data Show - Foundation for Economic Education (fee.org)

I always get a kick out of people who bitch about the novel; I mean, yes, it's rather long and the sex scenes are ridiculous, but she was rather correct about the general drift of things.  People (like, say, Elon Musk) who are brilliant and creative and feel like they are repressed by the system will simply not do it, and, as I learned in college, capital goes to where it is welcomed and flourishes there...well, this is the slow and inevitable result.  Alas.

Finally got around to watching the J! tournament tonight (Monday's show is still on Tivo) and... revealing the Daily Doubles before the round?  Oi.  I do like the points and the round robin affair, and the questions were surprisingly tough (better contestants get them faster, too), though I thought the FJ! questions were easier...  I will admit that an extra hour of J! does crimp my time to do other stuff, but I do plow the accumulated word seek books from Mom, so that is not the worst thing in the world.

Catching Up

 Busy weekend, which explains the radio silence.  Food pantry duty Saturday, and it was quite a zoo; people were lined up even before I arrived (an hour before we were officially supposed to be open).  I asked them if they jobs or lives (the first amused me, of course) for why else would they be here, but the joke went over their heads.  Anyways, we had a line -- and a long one -- until 11:30, and even then we had plenty of stragglers.  At least we were able to get rid of all the produce, the bread, and any random stuff, which in turn allowed us to wipe down tables and shelves, consolidate freezers, etc.  It was a nice day, and considering that I had a wedding that afternoon and evening, I fully anticipated a full crowd.  Alas.  

Anyways, the wedding was lovely, if long, and it was good to catch up with friends, miss the Kentucky Derby, etc.  Long day, so I was quite the sleepy boy today.  Indeed, I forgot my pyx this morning, so I had to borrow one from the sacristy (I hate that sort of thing!).  Mass was quite nice -- good homily, the Easter season music schedule -- and I completely forgot that it was coffee and donuts Sunday, so there was that.  I had two cups of coffee while noshing and bsing.  I had a little bit of time, because at 11 I was supposed to go to St. Adalbert's -- on the East Side -- to attend the opening of their new food pantry.

Unfortunately, they decided to delay the opening, so... I attended Mass; it's a nice church, not St. Stan's nice, but nice enough.  Was a Bohemian parish, but with white flight, it is now an African-American one, and, aside from the priest, I was the only Caucasian there.  This was largely fine; I knew some of the people already from SVDP stuff, and was introduced to some more (plenty of hugs).  The only downside was when, at the end of Mass, they invited me up -- as a first-time visitor -- for a blessing; I tried to deny it, but there I was...  Anyways, after Mass, they had a community meal, so I gladly volunteered to help serve, which was more than gladly accepted, for a bunch of reasons.

And it was nice; I am no extrovert, but everyone was friendly, I gave them my spiel, they told me about the plans for the food pantry, and everyone appreciated that I helped clean up.  Then it was home, where I finally got around to catching up on stuff -- emails answered and read, grants applied for, paperwork filed, that sort of thing.  I am somewhat pleased to note that the email box is a good deal lighter...

Workers can't afford housing, so some companies are building it : NPR

I rather like this; this will not fully end the housing crisis, but anything that puts moderately affordable housing on the market is a good thing...

(2) How the White Working Class Could Sink the Democrats…Again (liberalpatriot.com)

Wouldn't that be nice?  I am not sure that is the case; maybe, but... possibly.  The economy is a big issue, and if things continue as they are... working class voters may continue to feel that they are being squeezed, and if that is the case...

Bar Mleczny

So, today my sister and I (it was our monthly dinner, my turn to pick) went to Bar Mleczny, the pop-up at the Polish American Cultural Center.  I had wanted to go the minute I saw it online, and my sister had no objections -- indeed, she noted that it was not particularly daring, in terms of the fare I usually select.  I assured her that next time we would have monkey brains or the pig with the apple in the mouth next time.

Anyways, the pop-up was good.  I had the bigos (Polish hunters' stew) and my sister had the pork chop; as she admitted, it was quite a good-sized pork chop, and the pickled cucumbers that came with it were quite good as well.  My stew was decent; potato pancakes beneath and I appreciated the earthy flavor of the mushrooms.  Desserts were quite solid as well; I had the blueberry crepes (I told the server we pronounce them "craps" in our family and he was amused) and my sister selected a cherry kiesel, which was... sort of a richer, thicker jello, but something was as tart as it was sweet; we both agreed it was good, and different.

I was a bit surprised by the fact that they had it in the basement, rather than upstairs, which seats more people and is a bit nicer/lighter; the basement there has a more rathskeller feel, only seats about 30, and it's a bit darker... to be sure, the kitchen is in the basement, and maybe they didn't want to truck food up the steps (I have done it many a time when helping out there!) and keeping the crowd down doesn't overload the kitchen.  But in terms of revenue, I think you have it upstairs...

Anyways, it was nice to get together with the sister and to talk (we did this last week, but always have much to discuss), and I certainly didn't mind supporting the PACC and the people Chrostowski are trying to help.  As we agreed, we would rather dine in the Village than Shaker Square, being closer, and, possibly safer.  Or, at least, the devil we knew than the devil we did not... 

Funny thing... busy day for me today, lots of stuff handled or set up for tomorrow, which was largely good, so this was sort of the highlight.  I mean, I hit the gym this morning to lift (I tried to reverse my workout, and lifted last, which didn't go over as well) and then tonight I had some stuff to do; so much so that I have yet to finish the royal household book, but that will be tomorrow, just in time for the coronation, a fact which I find to be splendidly appropriate.

Royal Progress

I broke down today and bought a new electric razor...my old one -- Lord knows how long I have had it -- seemed to be going, and, well, it was time, despite my general dislike of spending money.  It is still charging, so tomorrow is the day of decision.  Very exciting around here, let me tell you.  Ok; I finished a project at work, finished some food pantry/SVDP follow-ups, and read a couple of articles about the Hollywood writers' strike, which...surprises me?  I don't know; on the one hand, I feel badly for these people, but... I think it is fair to say that these people had a really good run, and now, with things in retrenchment, they won't be.  Yes, that sucks, but... shouldn't someone have seen this coming?  I realize this is my comment about And The Band Played On, and the answer was of course no, but...

My current read is Behind the Throne, which looks at the role of the royal court in the UK (quite timely now, with coronation week).  It is interesting; basically, no monarch could ever keep things under (or at) budget, even in the best of times, and given their personal habits...  you get the drift.  Anyways, I read the chapter on George III today, where they discussed his mental illness (they are still not sure what actually caused it), and started the one about Queen Victoria, which included a discussion of the Bedchamber Crisis -- basically, an unmarried lady-in-waiting started showing a stomach bump, pregnancy was suspected (scandal!), but it was undiagnosed (and painful) stomach cancer... and there were political ramifications.  Anyways, one thing that struck me was -- like dentistry -- how medical care has been transformed... mental illness is still a mess today, but at least they have inklings of treatment -- medicines, humane treatment -- whereas before, they were just fumbling in the dark.  Similarly, a cancer diagnosis today needn't be fatal, but back then... well, you were lucky if the laudanum worked until you died.  It is quite impressive to consider.

The FBI's Catholicism Memo Is No Laughing Matter | Opinion (msn.com)

This could be me, but this should be more of a scandal, but, much like the Hunter Biden stuff, it didn't seem to get any traction.  Some of this is the usual protect the Dems, some of this is because Jim Jordan is quite the scandalmonger, and some... anti-Catholic bias?

Why Is Inflation So Sticky? It Could Be Corporate Profits - WSJ

This could be me, but isn't something Congress should be on?  I have no doubt that consumer behavior will play a role in ending this, but... the horse is largely out of the bag now.

Recovered

 No blog yesterday; I felt tired -- quite -- and went to bed a little after 11.  This was probably wise; I woke up at 6:30 moderately refreshed, although I am now tired again.  I think I am coming down with/battling a cold; between the weather and the moderate amounts of sleep, I am not surprised.  I do have some leftover antibiotics from the dental procedure (I forgot about them), so that is helping, but... nothing can take the place of proper habits in the first place.

Today I went to another author talk at the library -- David Grann, the author of Murders of the Flower Moon, as well as a couple of other books on the list.  I didn't realize he did Lost City of Z, for instance.  Interesting; mainly he tried to give highlights of the new work without letting too much out, and it was remarkable, hearing of his travels (and their difficulty now) and comparing them to the 1740s.  I added the book to the pile, and that, combined with the latest library trip and some stuff ordered from Amazon, should take a while.  Or, more hopefully, spur me to read more.

Opinion | Why do women stay with their abusers? Money is one overlooked reason. - The Washington Post

I always get a kick out of these articles.  On the one hand (as a feminist), one hears that women are strong, independent creatures, and then something like this comes out, and... well, they need all sorts of special protection and extra cash to make it so, and one cannot help but wonder why no one puts one and one together... now, I am NOT condoning domestic violence, but the fact is that in some cases, women are not strong and independent, and while we should do all we can to prevent this... of course, one way to do so would be to more liberally apply capital punishment here; I can't help but think a few abusive men dangling on public square would be an asset in so many ways.

County Councilman Triggers Woke Liberals and Gets Them to Protest Their Own Ideology by Proclaiming He Is Now a Lesbian "Woman of Color" (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit | by Cullen Linebarger

I love this, and the best part is when he tells them that -- by their rules -- they can't question the sincerity (or even the action) of his moves or motives.  I always joke that if men start identifying as women and use their bathrooms all the time this nonsense will be over in six months, but this is even better, and I only hope more people start pulling this.