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).