The new mode

 Interesting about the death of Dianne Feinstein -- not that it happened, of course, but to think if it had happened last year, with the split Senate; in that case, we would now have a GOP Senate, and I can only imagine the shit he could have pulled in the short amount of time it would be in his hands.  I say short because now Gavin Newson can take his time and "discern" the best candidate -- and in CA politics, I can only imagine the demographic calculations there.  Last year, he would have to have hurried... interesting.  I am not a huge fan of what-if-ism, but...this would be cool.

You know, I have not slept long or well this week, and I have certainly been feeling it.  Not sure why; I mean, I suspect it is a mixture of nerves and excitement over the new career, but it is not good overall.  Here I am at midnight not ready for bed -- a lot of stuff to do, especially when I am not at home -- and there is just stuff that has not been done.  Alas.  I know if and when I return to the OC (and I am surprised I was not asked to come in tomorrow, but the day is young) there will be a pile of paperwork, and God forbid there are reimbursement requests.  But... the job is going ok -- lots of work and research, stuff to learn -- and the commute has been fine.  A bit long -- I need to think about gym switching as it is indeed slightly out of the way -- but not terrible; the worst is in the Lakewood/Cleveland area, where there are a lot of Hope and Changers and people drive like the East Side.  Surprisingly.  

Funny thing is, I have a lot of stuff to do this weekend, and need to figure out when and how to get it all done (or at least most of it).  I need to take a few minutes to plan this out (errands and stuff) but if I can get it all done tomorrow it will free up Sunday for other things.  Adulting is hard, and this is the new reality -- and will be -- for the immediate/long-term future.  But this is mostly good!

Up to book 55 -- and I need to pick up the pace; I have been caught up on filling out Games magazine that the book list and pile and increasing, and the rate at which they are disposed of...well, need to get hopping.  I don't think 75 is terribly possible but there is no way I shouldn't be able to get well past 60...

In my cups

 Watched "Nomadland" today -- the last DVD ever from Netflix, which seemed vaguely symbolic.  (I will be putting it in the mail and sending it back; also symbolic.)  Anyways, the movie is good, but...sad.  A friend told me it was a bit sad, and I thought it was more than that.  (Maybe I have been feeling maudlin.)  To be sure, I also thought about myself, being the loner that I am (my choice, my own damn fault, but still), and who will remember me?  What will happen with my life and stuff?  What memories will I leave?  I guess (as if this is some hard choice) one must just resolve to be a better person every day... treating people with kindness and love as best as you can.  But it still put me in my feelings...

Michael Gambon died; while everyone was talking about Dumbledore, I was thinking about his role as Charles Fox in "Amazing Grace;" I've always thought the line "Do any of you saints drink?" was...expertly done.

Why is New Jersey So Corrupt? A Corruption Researcher Offers Some Answers - POLITICO
This could be me, but if the GOP had any brains, wouldn't they be looking into this?  I mean, I know we have an impeachment to run, but I would think this sort of thing -- along with Chicago and any other place you can think of -- would be useful.  To say nothing of the fact that Menendez has done this sort of thing for a decade; nothing would be more interesting (if you will) than to bring all the people who supported him over the years -- after his first trial, the thing with the 16-year-old girls - and ask them WHY they felt to keep staying with the guy.  I would think that would be quite useful come ad time.  But that of course is me, trying to win an election (and stick a few knives as well).

A New Beginning

 No blogging last night as I went to bed early, or at least tried to... but I had immense difficulty sleeping, both falling asleep and then bouncing around all night.  This was surprising, as I started a new job today:  I am now a Pricing and Business Analyst at Kaman Aircraft Wheel and Brake in Avon.  Bit far, but the role is hybrid, and the commute so far was... quite smooth -- direct, on the highway, and sort of against the traffic flow.  Long may this continue.  As for the job...so far so good.   The people seem nice, and while it was odd to be back in the office again, it was also somewhat reassuring.  And, of course, full-time actual work is... well, the things ought to be, to quote one of the greatest American political thinkers ever.

Speaking of... the next GOP debate was tonight, and it was... interesting? Sort of?  Honestly, too many people, too much talking over people, too much not answering questions.... I mean, it wasn't that bad, and there were certainly moments...but on the whole this was much less entertaining and enthusiastic than the first one.  It seemed like DeSantis got less time, Vivek took more -- though the fight with Nikki Haley was entertaining -- and while they were attacking Trump, I do not think it moves the needle in the end.

The Mel Tucker thing continues to amuse me... I mean, I am not quite a fan of firing a guy before he is found guilty, but it might be just a business decision; even if he wins an appeal, he will just get a settlement.  Of course, teams shouldn't pay skidillions of dollars for mediocre coaching in the first place... especially in this day of concerns about university budgets.

A Double Event

 You know, I had a busy day, even if I didn't do all that much -- work, some errands in the afternoon, and a lot of catching up on stuff that didn't get handled over the weekend -- paperwork, articles I saved and bookmarked, a couple of emails to answer.  While I didn't get them all done, I got much of them handled, and we all know how I feel about that.  Of course, I have plenty more to do tomorrow, so I should be in bed getting ready to plow through everything.  Rather, I am blogging/reading/listening to a podcast about the landings in Sicily.  I am not sure how much knowledge I absorb from these things, but I feel better listening to them, and I am always surprised by the things I do pickup from them.  Or, as my Mother used to say, this is why I am still single.

Brooklyn football coach resigns after players, coaches yell out ‘Nazi’ during game against Beachwood - cleveland.com
My first was that this can't be real, as this is 2023, and anyone who thinks this is a good idea -- no matter the school -- is a loon.  Of course, what's the line... the football coach is smart enough to understand the game but dumb enough to think it is important?  Then I thought of that, and not that this made any sense, but... I can see how someone thought this was a good idea.  

How Elites Ruined the Black Lives Matter Movement and Other Tales of Left-Wing Failure - POLITICO
This was interesting for a number of reasons.  One, this is 2023, and anyone who thinks that Marxism is a good idea...well, you get the drift.  Two -- and this amused me immensely -- is that at the end he notes that a lot of Democratic voters make a lot of money and thus vote like Republicans and won't tax themselves.  To which I would answer:  when have any group of Democratic voters agreed to tax themselves for the good of society?  Ha!

Fullbore Friday - CDR Salamander (substack.com)
This is cool!  I love my silent films of course, but I also like stuff like this -- these random vignettes and action scenes.  Cool stuff.

Merry Christmas

 This post should have happened yesterday, but I of course crashed and fell asleep.  Yesterday we finally had Christmas on my dad's side of the family -- originally moved to summer, and then delayed due to some COVID tests and vacations.  Anyways, I had to make a seven-layer jello (HAD TO is the word, my cousin insisted on it) which, due to the busy nature of my weekend, was done Friday AM and then finished Sunday AM.  Exciting, in a way... more seriously, it was good to see all of the cousins (even if I just saw them Jug Day) and catch up -- good food, family card games, fun... I am hosting next year and we all discussed potential dates.  I suggested June and all there seemed to agree (for now), which I prefer, due to the calendrical simplicity and such.  The cousins also suggested that we should have something for my bday -- even if small and belatedly -- and while I didn't say no, I didn't say yes.  Maybe next month.

America’s New Battlefront (msn.com)
I don't know; on the one hand, we should wait until a judge does or says something stupid before we start the impeachment process.  On the other hand... one thing the author seems to not mention is that Democrats have been using the courts to enact all sorts of wins -- which I think is incredibly un-small-D-democratic -- and thus in consequence Republicans (who aren't completely stupid) are going after the courts.  I don't like this, of course, but if we are going to use the courts to machinate and engineer social policy...well, time for Plan B!

How Individual Retirement Accounts Changed the Stock Market Forever - A Wealth of Common Sense

Interesting!  I think I knew this, but not in the depth I should have.  Certainly people are more aware of the market -- but I do not think it is as well-known as people expect.  My sister and I joke that we watch our 401Ks and pay attention to the market, but I suspect most people do not... or know why things are going up or down.  But on the whole, this is progress.

Deion Sanders Can Recruit. He Can Motivate. Can He Coach? - WSJ
Losing 42-6 to Oregon might put some blemishes on this, and with a Top 5 matchup this weekend...  well, one can argue that after 1-11 last year, to be 3-1 is one heck of an improvement.  And I think that is correct, but to think he will go 11-1 -- even with all the bells and whistles -- is a bit much, or, at least, too soon.

Dereliction of Duty

 Can't believe it has been so long since I posted...ok, maybe?  Wednesday night I had plans with friends to hang but the options they suggested were...unappealing, if you will, so I ended up "Falling asleep on the couch" and staying in.  To be sure, I did crash early so I was not lying, but... I am not sure if this is a sign that I am getting older or what.  Of course, my time is valuable and short, and if it is not going to be fun.... there are other things to do.

Another reason to crash was that Thursday was Jug Day -- the Little Brown Jug -- and so it was a long and early (but beautiful) day with my aunt and the cousins.  We stayed the entire race (the card was 24 races) and I even ended up $9.40 ahead on wagering.  This is something of a victory, at least for me.  I hit two trifectas in a row -- nice -- but those were really the only winners I backed all day.  Alas.  We all discussed how they make it hard to win -- putting a favorite with several lesser-quality rides to keep the odds low, for instance -- and thus you have to bet a lot to win a lot.  Oi.  I had my deep-fried twinkie -- awesome yet disgusting -- and I sort of realized that there is no reason I shouldn't try any of the other interesting, fascinating, and delicious foods there.  OK, I may crap my guts out, but it is once a year.  And... usually, the bathrooms in the fair grandstands were pretty...well, shitty.  But not this year!  They were nice -- really nice -- with actual urinals and toilets, working sinks; I mean, I even used them twice this year, just to revel in them.  

Friday I was busy -- errands out the wazoo -- and some stuff to do Friday (and today) with the result that I did a bunch of things in part during the day as I had time -- for instance, in the AM between errands and my run to the OC to handle the Friday deliveries and pick up the paperwork from the Thursday ones.  Then I came home and did a few more things.  I also realized that the exterminator -- supposed to come with bait traps to see where the mice are coming from -- didn't do so, which is a problem, as I am still living with a kitchen that resembles a rodent kill zone.  (Though no further signs of them.)  Considering what I am paying, they WILL visit again.

We were short volunteers at the OC today so I was called in, and I was glad I did -- they needed some runners.  It was a count of 110 -- a bit low -- but seemed more, maybe because I was just tired, or maybe because... well, aside from canned goods, we were short on everything else, and people were like "that's all?"  I tried to tell them that our counts are up -- more of you keep coming -- and we get less, so... yeah.   On the one hand, I get that, but on the other... well, there are still plenty of jobs out there, too.  

Inside the Next Republican Revolution - POLITICO

This would be awesome, but as the article states...no GOPer ever cuts spending or government employees and such, so...

Equipoise

I would not say today was a day of debacles, but...let's just say it was mixed.  First I woke up with low blood sugar, so no gym (which was fine).  Then I took the truck in for an oil change -- it was time -- and I was approaching the end of the lifecycle of my spark plugs, so I decided to bite the bullet and get them replaced, which, to quote Woody Allen, read like a bill for an aircraft carrier.  Ideally, though, I will not have to do this again in the lifetime of the Behemoth.

Work, at least, went fairly well -- still plowing away at the projects -- and the exterminator arrived this afternoon.  He was a bit flummoxed, as there was evidence of mice, but... no obvious ways they can get it in -- no holes in the foundation or the walls (which, I guess, is good).  He appreciated my retinue of glue traps and added some more, and decided to come back tomorrow with the bait traps to see where exactly the things are coming from (if possible).  In the meantime... carry on as best as I can?  He didn't seem to think there were that many, and while he definitely had a Pineapple Express vibe, if you get my drift... he was knowledgeable and thorough (the exterior inspection also revealed no obvious holes) which was all I needed.

I listen to a lot of history podcasts during the day/night -- mainly a rotation of the Civil War, WW1, and WW2.  (This should surprise no one.)  I was listening to one today and they were of the opinion that Midway was not a turning point of WWII -- mainly because it was the attritional battles at Guadalcanal (in terms of ships and pilots) that were the real turning point.  I am not convinced, as I don't think the Guadalcanal operation happens if there are still four (or some) Japanese carriers riding the waves.  Indeed, it was that blow that convinced Nimitz to take the offensive -- even if on a shoestring -- as he felt he had parity (at minimum) and the immense might of US production in the background for 1943.  I guess I would say the two battles together are the turning point... but you really cannot have one without the other.

A Day of Debacles

 So, I slept through the alarm this morning.  I had planned on hitting the gym, but that didn't happen; possibly ok, as I needed the rest, but... not good.  Then, when I went to get my insulin out of the fridge this morning, I noticed a "bump" on one of the glue traps, and sure enough... I had had a midnight visitor.  This was incredibly frustrating to me, given that I had seen no evidence of their presence.  Anyways, I called Orkin this morning and they will be in tomorrow to set traps, prevent them from coming back, and kill the ones still here (every time I hear a rattle or such in the house I immediately assume it is a rodent).  It is a bit pricey but we cannot let the things run amok.

Anyways, work was fine today -- a bit sleepy but otherwise ok.  I went out at lunch to do some banking (paying off the HELOC is always good!) and hit Aldi and the dry cleaners (I needed some pants fixed, and now is as good as time as any to get them done).  I have to admit, drinking four cups of coffee is a good way to power through the day, even if I now feeling it.  Then it was off to the East Side for Pub Quiz at Rustic Grill.  We were a bit short-handed (just three of us) but it was good to get out and play... until, of course, we came in third.  Alas.  

Was the Yugo As Bad As Critics Said? Yes. « Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog
This was actually... pretty funny.  I don't regret the time I spent watching it, even if trying to comment on a car that is 30 years old...

That Miserable Bag Of Goo Mitt Romney Slinks Away Humiliated (townhall.com)
First I thought this was a bit harsh, but... no, I think I want fewer Thurston Howells in my GOP, thank you very much...

Scrubbing away

 Busy day yesterday; I had planned on blogging but ended up crashing in bed.  Alas.  Woke up early and had food pantry duty, which was fine... we were quite busy, no record crowd, but very steady.  As we did not have a lot of meat and bread and produce, we gave it ALL away.  The ladies from one of parishes were a little perturbed by this, but I was able to explain to them -- personally! -- that just because we order something doesn't mean we get it (I even pulled up the order sheet and the receipt of what we got), which sort of helped.  Anyways, all but one of the freezers were emptied and everything else was gone.  I filled out the order form today for this week and next (I am learning all sorts of stuff) and pretty much ordered anything, especially if it was free.  We DO have a budget and I try to follow it, even if not everyone does.  Funny; we told people that we didn't that much to give them, and they were like "it's slim pickings everywhere."  And I was like, gee, maybe that's part of the problem?  

Today I decided to tackle some needed cleaning -- after the mouse issue, it needed to be done.  Wiped down and sterilized all the surfaces in the kitchen and then took apart a cupboard where I found some mouse droppings, so of course I took everything out of the that thing, wiped and sterilized the cabinet, and then did the same for all of the stuff in it.  Funny; I hadn't looked in there in a while -- pulled out some roasters, some aluminum trays (I assume for PF brownies), a mixer (used to make milkshakes back in the day), and various cleaning supplies.  If they were wrapped I kept them, if not they were pitched.  I have not seen any evidence of visitors but will keep looking for a bit more.  In the meantime, I piled all the stuff on the kitchen table while I figure out what to do with it; I mean, I don't necessarily think that I want to save it all, so some stuff will be culled.  But not today!

Working Through and Out

Today was a good day!  Hit the gym this morning and did some cardio and arms -- always good.  Then home for a spot of work, then off to a lunch meeting that went long, but useful, as I made some contacts and got some ideas for food pantry and other stuff.  A couple of food pantries are adopting kiosks -- clients use a tablet, basically, to "order" food, volunteers pack them, and there you go... I think it can work, but not for us, as we have 150 people at a time, and it would simply fall apart; places that are open a couple of days a week and space out the people can get away with it.  But it is not unwise.  Also... most places give a lot less food than we do, so you can pack a bag a lot more quickly.

Anyways, after, I had a spot of energy, so I went back to the gym (I had to drop something off at my sister's) and did leg day -- and more cardio.  This was quite good, because after the triumph of 179.9 pounds... well, I am at 184 now.  A bunch of reasons, none of them good, but I do need to hit the gym more (and, if possible, get some more cardio done), and today was a good as time as any.  Hell, after dinner -- and before J! -- I took a nice long walk just to try and burn off some more pounds.

I fell asleep after J!, sadly, for an hour, which compressed some of the things I wanted to do tonight, but... I did manage to delete a few links and burn through some emails.  We all know how I love those empty email folders and deleted links.  Anyways, tomorrow is another day, so maybe I can watch a movie or two, get some reading in, and maybe finish some of the cleaning and organizing I have been not doing.

(2) Tommy Tuberville's war - Don Surber (substack.com)
This is a take I have not seen, but -- as several friends pointed out -- has been gaining traction among the right side of the media.  I rather liked his comment about how we had only 7 4-star generals in WWII compared to 44 now, and -- honestly -- if his constituents support his stand on abortion (and I think they do) doesn't he have a right to represent their views?  

The Grave Evil of Unemployment - by Bryan Caplan (substack.com)
Having experienced this, I can assure you that this is mostly true!  There are a lot of good points here, actually.

A sense of adventure

 Good day today...started very early as we had an early pickup at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, and I went along to see how that operates.  Our pickup was earlier than usual -- 7:30 -- but I was assured that they would have it at 7:45, so we arrived at that time.  The new GCFB site is...well, I wouldn't say it is Versailles, but it is... very nice for what is basically a warehouse of canned goods.  And, humorously, our order was NOT ready, as they were running behind.  Equally humorously, I bumped into the manager of the SVDP food pantries on the West Side, so we talked a bit, and then I saw a familiar face in another loading dock -- the Lake/Geauga President of SVDP.  We then talked a bit about business and such, which was... well, good.  Serendipitous knowledge is in some ways the best.  Anyways, most of my order arrived (5 of the 7 things came through, a sadly usual ratio) and then we went to shop in the Marketplace area; all of that is free, but it could be anything, and it is mixed... anyways, they didn't have that much, but I scrounged some needed items (we are short on meat).  Then it was back to the OC to unload, a side trip to Kinsman Aldi (no one had went; we were short-handed, and I think they were bsing), and... we were done.  

Then it was off to drop off stuff for a friend on the West Side, and then home, where I had a flurry of calls and emails to attend to... which was fine, actually.  Just took a boatload of time, and of course, this means more meetings and such next week (which, honestly, is also fine).  I skipped the gym (maybe all that hauling crap counted, or maybe it's a rest day) but took a nice long stroll after dinner...which caused some low blood sugar.  Sigh.

Is it me, or are the questions for the second chance tournament on J! slightly easier than average?  Not sure if this is due to the nature of the tournament, or the fact that they are using leftover questions, but... mind you, I think the Final J! questions are fine -- I knew both answers today, of course, because I am a nerd.  But, the regular questions are a bit soft.

GOP Senator Josh Hawley channels his inner AOC with new nanny-state credit card proposal - Based Politics (based-politics.com)
Methinks they protest too much.  For one, the new modern GOP is more populist and is less beholden to theory.  Second... this article forgets that in many cases consumers do NOT have the choices to use something other than a credit card to finance their lives, especially the lower quartile of the population.  This to me is smart -- a lower percentage would be better and really go after the banks -- and while I am not sure it will gain that much traction, it shows that we are trying.

Fatigue Duty

 I was going to post last night, but my friend Devin came over last night to sort out some personal problems, and with the lateness of the hour, and my general sense of exhaustion... well, off to bed.  We did talk it out, and I was glad to help, but I always wonder as to why people would come to me to help now.  Oh well, maybe my sense of honesty, or what was said about Andre Thornton -- he would give you the advice you needed to hear, not the advice you wanted to hear -- is in effect here.

One thing I remembered... with the new season of J! I cannot linger/dawdle after work or at the gym anymore.  I did both and got home promptly at 7:28.  I did watch J!, and while it took me a few moments to come up with Final J! (the name, just, not who it was!)... well, it is good to have the show back.  The questions are ok, and while I am not exactly sure about the contestants... we will survive.

Slate: Maybe some of these books really aren't suitable for younger kids (Update) – HotAir
Snicker, snicker.  I get a kick out of Senator Kennedy; he does this to people all the time, and it is terribly effective.  Sooner or later someone is going to start Democrats if they want their kids to hear this stuff, and I can only imagine how they will squirm then..

The Religious Right’s Grip on the GOP Is Weakening. That’s Working to Trump’s Advantage. - POLITICO
Interesting; I can't help but think that this is just related to the general secularization of the US society as a whole; just because these people are not religious doesn't necessarily mean that they are liberal.  I would imagine that in such a case, along the general distribution of people, there will be a bunch who will be more traditional.  It does call into question what will happen to the Religious Right if they are a smaller share of the GOP's new coalition...

ObamaCare Turns Out to Be Affordable Only for the Healthy - WSJ
I noticed this while trying to get some insurance for myself... you would think the GOP would start pointing this out.  I realize they will not, as this would generally require a lot more government spending to fix, and that is simply anathema to conservatives -- and fairly so.  But, I would argue that this is a way to go after the cost of health care and figure out ways to reduce that... of course, that would be an actually conservative approach and we cannot have that...

Bemusement

 No news on critters; this is probably good, though I am still in full lockdown mode.  I didn't get to do any cleaning -- busy with work -- but I will make some time tomorrow for it.  I did finish (tentatively) one project today, and have several more in the pipeline.  As with so many other things, it is good to be wanted.  Funny; I wanted to get out and run some errands; I guess those will have to wait until tomorrow.

I completed my VIRTUS training today -- mandated by the Diocese for insurance purposes, mainly, so I went as East District President/OC Co-Manager.  I could have gone online and taken it for $15, but instead I used the website and found that it was being offered today at St. Basil's, and I figured it was cheaper to go there -- even at $3.40 a gallon -- than online.  All I can say is that I am now registered and Downtown will be made aware.  The stuff was...well, as I mentioned in small group, to NOT mention in either of the training videos the fact that the reason why we were there was because THEIR staff (especially the Micks) couldn't keep it in their pants... and that they kept covering it up.  Oi.   But it is done, I have the certificate, and I assume it is done for a while...

I watched the "American Experience" episode on PBS today, the one about the reaction to forced busing in Boston.  It was...fascinating.  One, it seemed that everyone felt that busing was a bad idea -- no one wanted their kids sent away from home -- but no one seemed to figure out how to fix it.  Two, this was a long time problem that could have been solved anytime.  Three -- and I have said this before -- that only in Boston did they yell and scream; everywhere else people just left, and left behind crappy schools and a depressed tax base.  Oops.  Another thing:  At no time during the show did they mention that ALL of these people were Democrats; you would have thought that would have been of note; I mean, if a GOP crowd had done this... well, they were the new Klan.  But here, people were actually acting like the Klan, and... crickets.  

Hunkering Down

 I woke up this morning with a sense of trepidation and excitement, and... no more visitors.  Traps empty.  Am I pleased?  No; I suspect there are more critters around (I went in the one cupboard I never look in and I found some shredded paper).  To be sure, there are other hiding places in the house (such as the above cupboard).  So the traps will remain and on my lunch break tomorrow I will go through the thing and maybe lay some traps there?  I am tempted to call the Orkin man but will hold off.  For now.  In the meantime, every door in the house is closed and everything is sealed as well as possible.  It is an odd way to live, but...  couple of people suggested I get a cat, which is... well, let's just say that there will NEVER be another pet in this house, over my dead body.

In the meantime, a usual Sunday, of sorts; nodded off in the chair, went through some articles, re-filed a grant application from the United Way (it is $2,500, but it IS a pain in the ass), did some paperwork, caught up on a few things, moved some stuff to the basement (I do need to get the house ready for the bathroom and carpet, even if those projects are delayed interminably!), and watched "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles."  This movie -- no, I had NOT seen it before -- was pretty funny, in that 80s sort of way (didn't know it was a John Hughes film).  It came from the wonder of Netflix, and that is one of the things I will miss about the end of mail service.  I tended to select a bunch of movies at once, and then, over three or four months, I work my way through the list... so I could have said "Gee, this looks good" months ago.  I guess I could subscribe and watch anything on demand, but...not quite the same.

Also not quite the same:  I went to the Independence Kiwanis chicken dinner today and took one home.  My Mom loved this, which was odd -- the chicken wasn't fried, the smoke from the grills would blow into the pavilion, they only had unsweetened iced tea -- so we went every year.  I forgot about, but saw the signs this week and remembered today.  It was... good not great?  $20 -- yikes, I recalled when it was but $14 -- and while I got a lot of food... I guess with the to-go order, the chicken juice got on the fries so some were soggy, and I think it was better seasoned in the past.  But there was more food (and better) than the Ukie fest, by far.

Republicans get major boost as 'fired up' young men lean right in record numbers (nypost.com)
Interesting, but as I have often said, that if one party positions itself to be the party of women, the other will be seen as a natural home for men.  I think this explains much of this... not that this is bad, but there is something in that we are polarizing over this.

Iowa and Iowa State Athletes Were Busted for Betting. But Why Were They the Only Ones? - Sports Illustrated
This is exactly right; I would argue the reasons are 1) They were dumb enough to get caught and 2) No one wants to investigate this and be the DA who cripples your local football program (and not that I blame them).  If the NCAA was a serious institution they would look into it, but much as what I say about Republicans having brains...

Excitement

 So, last night's post is occurring now, because at about 10:40 last evening, I noticed a mouse run across the kitchen floor.  A mouse!!  In my house!!  As I told one of the food pantry people, if you think I am angry about the rodents there...  Anyways, this caused a flurry of activity on my part.  I hauled ass to Meijer (open til 12) and purchased a dozen glue traps.  I laid them on the floor by the stove (where I saw him run), wiped down the stove and the counters, cleaned the bathroom, took out the trash to the garage, and even put a couple in the bedroom by the baseboards (as recommended by the Internet).  I also started closing every door, carrying a broom, and wearing my steel-toe shoes in the house.  I don't want to think about the upcoming start of the J! season and my hobby of eating dinner on the living room while watching the show.  It was about 1:45 when I got to bed, and even then, I laid awake, as every noise (mainly outside) made me want to jump and attack.

I didn't set the clock last night (too much excitement) but when I woke up at 8:30 I was greeted by a most wonderful sight:  Mickey and Minnie stuck in two of the glue traps.  But...they weren't quite dead (I dummied into a Humane Society post that said it takes hours for them to die) so I had to go to the garage and get the coal scuttle (I need to buy a real snow shovel, obviously) to finish them off with a pop to the head (in so far as one can tell with a mouse).  Of course, we are NOT raising the victory flag here; today when I finally got out of the house I went to Wal-Mart and picked up a dozen more glue traps -- I need to replace to two I "lost," and I need to put a few in the garage (a possible infiltration source) after I sweep it out.  I have been thinking about cleaning out stuff there -- I took the scrap metal away last week and there is suddenly more space -- so this may impel some cleaning. 

Funny, as I have nothing to do (I hope) today and tomorrow (save for the usual work, look for work, etc.) and I had planned on cleaning the fridge -- wiping the shelves and drawers down, that sort of thing.  Now that is on hold as the glue traps are there, but I may re-attack the kitchen table.  Hell, I have a pile of mail to go through as it is!

One of my friends asked me if I was using a humane trap... I told them that mice are like Democrats -- they have no redeeming value, all they do is mooch off hardworking people, leave messes for others to clean up, and spread disease and filth...and as such, they ALL need a good smashing.  Whether I meant the mice or the Democrats is an open question by now...

Retrograde

 Let's chronicle the day in reverse, shall we?  Studied for a couple of interviews tomorrow and applied/looked for jobs.  I don't want to mention the application count, but let's just say that... well, if we don't apply, we don't get chances for interviews, right?  It is just... depressing, to keep applying and looking and...silence.  Oi.  I also finished up some work for the part-time job -- trying to finish, though I have yet to hear any insights either way, which is fine, I guess... just a bit odd and I think we all know how I hate uncertainty.

Had dinner with my sister today -- the delayed August installment of our monthly series (funny; I was talking to a friend today, and he couldn't believe we do this, in addition to our daily series of texts and emails.  I guess I feel badly for people who are not close with their siblings).  It was my turn to pick and I selected Tita Flora's in Independence.  It was quite good!  I had chicken adobo, not very spicy, decent portion; the only downside were the small bones; my sister suggested a number of ways to avoid them, which I pointedly ignored.  Anyways, I would go back and try something else.  And, in the words of my sainted Mother... who eats that shit?

Food pantry duty this morning was...interesting.  I hit Dave's on the way in, got the bakery order, was told that was it, and... it wasn't; they had stuff in front, too.  Oops -- the guys on the way back from Kinsman got it though.   Then the truck ran late and our ops manager was under the impression I had NOT placed the order, which... amused me, immensely.  Of course, I logged on to the computer and found the invoice... no, I had ordered, and the truck was just late.  Oi.  Most of the produce order was there, though they gave us many more onions and nectarines than I ordered and welched on the other stuff.  Alas.  We also had a food rescue from some bakery on the East Side; an impressive amount of bread, but has to be wrapped individually.  It will be one-off (fine) and the first time we received something from the food rescue program; we will supposedly getting a regular supply from a grocery store on Saturday.  I am NOT on duty this month, so ideally I will NOT be directly aware of this.  

More seriously, there were reports of mouse droppings in the main room.  This annoyed me but sure enough, I was directed to some possible sources of the problem -- another pipe vent and two floor vents, one of which was completely unattached from the mountings.  (I am betting that is the main rodent doorway.)  Anyways, tomorrow's assignment is to fill the pipe hole and the cement the vents to the floor (they were covered up by our racks for food pack storage).  I am not exactly sure that this will work, but I am in this far, and -- at least! -- there seems to be no sign of critters in the garage, and I wonder what caused that...

Despite harm to public schools, a lot of Ohioans are applying for private school vouchers: Today in Ohio - cleveland.com
This amused me, mainly because... the interest in school vouchers comes from the surge in interest in people looking to send their kids to something other than a public school.  They seem to completely miss this in their talk; I mean, to completely ignore what the effects of public school teachers and their school shutdowns on student performance is borderline criminal, but far too often it is what passes for news at the PD nowadays...

Refreshingly Cool

 I broke down and turned the AC on today... I had a zoom meeting today, had to be dressed-dressed on camera, and figured I should be somewhat comfortable.  While I am concerned about the electric bill, I figure it will not be that warm for that long, and it should not be that bad.  Besides, I have kept it at 79, so it has not been on full blast all day.  The meeting was fine -- social justice stuff, sort of a pain, and I am thinking that it is high time I pawn some of these things off on someone else.  Ha!  Anyways, I also met a friend for lunch, and while that was fine... he selected a place in Uptown, forgetting that Case was back in school, so there was no parking (I parked in Little Italy and hoofed it), and there was plenty of traffic -- not that there is NOT traffic there at that time.  All I can say is that we will be meeting next time in Parma or Independence, where there is ample -- and free -- parking.  Other than that, I worked today -- slowly going through a project, trying to be as thorough as possible.  I hope they are happy about that!

A few schools mandated masks. Conservatives hit back hard. (msn.com)
I read this, and I hardly doubt that this constitutes "hard."  I mean, there is pushback in many places, but there has been pushback for a while against masks, so that hardly is new.  Some places are instituting the mask returns anyways, but again... people have been doing that on their own.  I realize that the WaPo needs some propaganda to sell papers, but... this hardly seems a scandal.

Funny; the food rescue people from Hunger Network came through today with two rescues; one Thursday (one-time) and one Saturday (continuing).  This is hopefully good; free stuff is free stuff, depending on quality and all.  This is also good because all of this has been on my plate, so if this can be a regular thing... well, I am not a moron at the OC, which is a feather in my cap, not that I am counting, but...  I only hope that once these deliveries are set the other people who co-manage can handle them, but let us ust say that I have some minor doubts about that.  Sigh.

Swelter

 Man, it was hot today.  Hell, it is still hot in here; I realize my home is poorly insulated, but it seems to be keeping the heat in today (no, I have not put the AC on; some of this is for economy, some for the carbon emissions, and some because, well, I really have not had it on much this year).  Oi.  I guess sweating off the pounds is not the worst thing, given the scale creep I have noticed.  At least it was a good day; some work, an interview (with a follow-up Friday!), and I spent a few hours making goulash for the Polish Festival (with this abundance of free time).  It was interesting; someone was frying up pork, I was cutting up carrots and onions, and it all went into the cooking unit with the gravy and the seasonings.  I will admit, it was pretty good, and it was interesting to see it being made -- the recipe seems simple, but there is quite a bit of work involved.  At least I can speak about what's in it to our guests.

One thing I was able to do today was really go through the email folder (it is quite empty, for now) and I went off and went through some bookmarked articles (that pile seems to be diminishing, albeit less rapidly).  This is good -- we all know how I feel about that -- and in some cases I read some interesting articles.  This is in contrast to my book, which is... not bad, but you can tell it was not written by a professional historian.  Stuff is repeated, points are emphasized with exclamation points that are highly superfluous, and there are some incorrect facts (McPherson was NOT the only army commander killed in the war; 60 pages before he mentioned the death of Albert Sidney Johnson!) which are cloying.  Still, we carry on!

Turnabout Is Fair Play And Also Both Fun And Essential (townhall.com)
This is funny and has some element of truth to it.  To be sure, few GOPers would have the stones to do it, but....

Some Republicans Worry that a Trump Nomination Could Bring Steep Down-Ballot Losses for the GOP - The Messenger
This, to me, is a fairly important concern, and one which I see no real way of solving, save for someone else winning an early primary.  No one wants to see the House lost or the chance of taking back the Senate go up in smoke, which could be an issue.  Yes, the Donald does attract some new voters to the GOP, but he does seem to rankle moderates and suburbanites, and there are plenty of those floating around on Election Day...

Torpor

 I would say that in some ways today was a continuation of Saturday, mainly because last night -- in addition to a wedding -- I went out with some friends for a 21st birthday in Tremont (of all places!) at the Tree House.  I did get lost; I parked by the Greek Orthodox church and then walked there; the name changes didn't help my commute, I can assure you!  Anyways, it was largely fun, but by the time I dropped everyone off and got home myself... well, it was 2.  I decided NOT to set a clock and awoke at 9:30.  This was probably good -- that and the nap I took -- but as I am behind on rest anyways... well, it was hardly enough.  I would say that an example of this is that it was not until 4:30 that I arrived at the gym today (there went the plan for a gym double).

I went for a walk today after dinner and I was barely out of the driveway when I heard an ice cream truck.  An ice cream truck!  Thankfully, it was barely a block away when I found it, and I treated myself to a strawberry shortcake bar.  It was $4 with tip but sooo worth it; just for the happy memories.  To make up for it (not really), I took an even longer walk -- about 4.5 miles -- down Wyatt to Harris to Avery to Broadview and then home.  I felt fine, of course, but I suspect the 9,000 calories in the ice cream were not offset by my extended perambulation.

'Bidenomics' Fail: Food Stamp Bonanza Sends Grocery Bills Soaring 15%, Study Finds | ZeroHedge
On a related note, I finally sent out my amended email to our elected government officials about the SNAP (food snap) program.  I took the standard text suggested by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and promptly deleted it, adding in text and suggestions that were taxpayer-friendly, if not more moral and ethical.

What Happens When Americans Stop Going to Church - The Atlantic
Interesting.  I am a little surprised by this, actually; I would think people would leave a church because of the politics, but this says otherwise, and worryingly, the moderation is less (though that does not surprise me).  

The current read is Failure to Pursue, which discusses why Civil War officers rarely pursued a beaten enemy, unlike in the Napoleonic era, where Napoleon often did so.  In most cases, officers chose not to due to the fact that the men were just tired, out of food, and out of ammo, and by the time these supplies were brought up... of course, even if they were brought up, they often didn't move.  One thing I think the author tends to forget is that Civil War combats happened at longer ranges than those of the Napoleonic Era, and thus when an army was beaten, there were very few opportunities for the sorts of bayonet charges and such; rather, an army could just draw off (covered by artillery, which also had longer ranges).  Also, I suspect that in the Napoleonic Era, forces had their logistics closer to bear, so if they were lost...well, you had to sue for terms.  But... in the railroad era, even the Confederates could keep supplies at a sufficient distance from the front, which made it easier for armies to move faster, but more importantly, an army could retreat to its base more quickly, resupply, and thus be ready again for combat.  I need to read more, of course, but... I like it (mostly).

Moping

Odd day; I really didn't feel like doing anything, and I didn't, really.  Ok, I finished the book I was reading, did some damage to the Games magazine pile, did some OC paperwork, but... not much else.  I woke up at 7 (I had planned to sleep as long as I could, and, of course, that was it) and hit the gym, but after... I had low blood sugar for most of the day, and my stomach was a bit rumbly, but... on the one hand, it was good to do nothing and just relax, but on the other... I feel like a wasted failure.

I did the OSU game, just because, and... it was... fine?  I don't know; it did seem Day called too many weak-side misdirection plays, and the inability to run up the middle is a problem, but I think the offense played better as the game went on.  I am not sure an Indiana team playing not to lose is a good barometer on the defensive side, but the defense seemed to avoid screwups, so there is that.  I tend to wonder if a team -- when it underachieves -- actually does so, or is the other team just playing better than expected?  Or is OSU trying not to use everything in the playbook to beat IU, and trying to work out their own kinks?  I can never tell, and it is probably too late to start watching football again.

A thought came across me at the gym...anyone ask Tara Vanderveer what she thinks of all this realignment?  Stanford is a top program, and while I suspect it probably does not make a difference, I am sure there are some coaches who will pointing out that anyone who goes to play for them will now be spending that much more time on an airplane... to be sure, there are lot of programs for which that now applies.  My sister and I were joking that our mother must have designed this one, given how it looks on the map...