Pluses and minuses

 Halloween today; funny, I asked a few friends if their kids were going out -- even with the weather -- and they were... a bit surprised that I would need to ask.  I guess this is the downside of diabetes; I never really went trick-or-treating after I was diagnosed, as there was no reason to go and get a bag of stuff I would never eat (save for a small part) before my friends and parents would eat it all.  Alas.  Funny; on the way home from the gym -- right at 7 -- I noticed several bunches of kids (and parents) making their rounds in the Parma area (where the houses are closer together)... and then it started to snow.  Lightly, nothing sticking, but... as always, all I could say was "Behold the power of global warming."

Amusing of sorts; I got home and accidentally put on the main kitchen fixture (the broken one) and it....came on!  I have not shut it off since -- I want to do the dishes in the light before I shut it off -- but if this keeps up... this would have been funnier had I not been writing out my list of shit to do this weekend and on top was "Go to Lowe's and get a fixture and get it installed."  I wonder, of course, if this is a last hurrah, or the magic of electricity has found its way back into my kitchen.

Less happily, I went to fill out some paperwork online on the National SVDP site, and... well, first it wouldn't accept my login, so then I went and re-set the password... and that didn't work, so I created a new password, which also failed, and then the system blocked my account.  Sigh.  I sent a letter to tech support, and we will see what they say... I mean, it's not a disaster, but I wanted to do it tonight, and it is sort of time-consuming to put it all together -- budget stuff, volunteer hours, volunteer demographics (I know, I know).  Oi.

The hidden economics of obesity (msn.com)
As someone who needs to lose a few pounds myself... this is a huge issue (pardon the pun) for us as a society.  I have no problem with punishing people who make bad choices, but if we are going to nail half of the population, this is indicative of something deeper...

Seeking Equilibrium

 Watched "Frida" today, the Hayek/Molina film about Frida Kahlo.  I am not quite a fan of her work (and certainly not his!), as I do not extensively use illegal drugs, but I do think the sense of the movie regarding their lives was...accurate.  Mainly, they couldn't keep their legs closed.  I would say they were Hope and Changers before that was a thing, but...well, they did pal around with Communists and the like.  In the meantime, now I only have 24 films to get through.

Got my flu shot this morning, and to be honest with you, I have been slightly off all day -- not by a lot, like 10%, but it was odd, as I have never had that happen before.  I am not sure if it the vaccine, my lack of sleep (like tonight), or something else... I have to admit, it's not the same when my college friends do not come running in, asking -- imploring -- me to get one so I do not die.  Some jokes (most) do get better with age!

Why Trump’s Drastic Plan to Slash the Government Could Succeed - WSJ
I will believe it when I see it, but... let's face it, GOPers have always promised this, and lo and behold, it never seems to happen, which is a problem.  I guess I would just cut the government and not worry about the carnage to the civil service, which would also probably not fall afoul of the Supreme Court; no more funding means no more employees, in theory.

Cooper Flagg Commits To Duke, College Hoops Fans Will Hate Him (outkick.com)
I always get a kick out of these articles; I mean, everyone hates on Duke, for reasons known but to themselves, but isn't there something to be said for a commitment to excellence and winning?  I mean, compared to the Browns, for instance...  

Joys Upon Joys

 The joy of Speaker Johnson was tempered by the sad news about the Mike Pence presidential campaign.  Honestly, the man deserved a better fate; one could argue he was the mature voice in the room for... well, four years?  I hate to think we can't find a use for him in our party somehow, somewhere.  To console myself, I resorted to this:

New House Speaker Thinks Creationist Museum Is 'Pointing People To The Truth' (msn.com)
Yes, our new Speaker is not only a Creationist, but a Young Earth Creationist who wants people to go to the Creation Museum (and the Ark!), which, as you can imagine, caused me to literally pee my pants with joy.  I then proceeded to find his podcast, and listened to a couple of them, and... well, I feel our country is in excellent hands going forward.

Helped out with the sale of Festival leftovers today.  We sold all of the food, though -- to be sure -- there was not that much left, as we sold it all at the Festival (the preferred route!).  Most people understood this concept -- -a good festival is a good thing -- but I did feel badly for people who expected the full range of stuff to buy.  We also "made" less money from this sale, but that means we sold it at higher margins during the Festival, which is...fine.

My friend Jarrett came by for a couple of hours with an intractable problem, of sorts.  I was able to help him -- and that was good! -- but I completely forgot that I wanted to get a light fixture for the kitchen, so my trip to Lowe's will be slightly postponed.   Alas.  I was doing some work on my other job when I realized that that had slipped my mind.  Oops.  I also skipped the food pantry paperwork, though I got the order in, which was fine.  I had duty this past Saturday, and while it was steady busy -- 109 -- it was also fairly calm; even the pain-in-the-rear clients seemed to stay away (mostly).  This was fine, as we were able to move stuff around (not that stuff really piles up anymore) and we beta-tested my idea to carefully count produce so we don't run out too early (and it worked!).  Next month of course it will be a giant zoo, and the fact that we have a blanket giveaway will only exacerbate that joy.  Sigh.

Linx

 Busy day -- aside from the usual work-related issue with the automatic reboot and subsequent log in -- and it was good; got a lot of little stuff done, work-wise, which is always good, as then I can concentrate on other things (which are growing in number, which is also good).  After work I went to the volunteer appreciation dinner for the Polish Festival, which was not as well-attended as I thought it would be.  Not sure why....anyways, the general impression was that the Festival was quite profitable and that the crowds were quite sizable each day.  Funny; only by talking with some of the volunteers was I able to find out what is happening elsewhere at the Festival -- bakery booth, bar, upstairs, that sort of thing.  Un faut cultivate notre jardins, to quote Voltaire.  With all the pizza, salad, and cake floating around, I decided to hit the gym for a double, and despite it being 10 at night... there were like 15 people there.  I was impressed.

What If Men Could Make Their Own Egg Cells? - WSJ
As a feminist, this cannot happen soon enough; I mean, for all the talk of women not needing men -- yet forcing them to participate in reproduction -- this would be ideal.  I suspect of course that your local female feminist is not fully aware of the consequences of this decision, but... won't they be surprised?

How conservatives are waging a coordinated, anti-LGBTQ+ culture war in California schools (msn.com)
We Don’t Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right’s Supreme Court Supermajority — ProPublica
I marked these articles for two main reasons.  One, the general tenor of these articles is that any sort of conservatism activism is bad (for reasons) and thus the people who are engaged in it are something worse than Illinois Nazis and need to be called out prior to eradication.  This is especially suspect in the first article, where parents -- God forbid -- who object to what is going on in their local public schools and trying to do something about are given the degree.  As I am so found of telling my teacher friends, you cannot for years complain that parents aren't involved enough in their kids' schools, and then complain when they get involved.

The other thing that troubles me is that the whole process is viewed as suspect, when in actuality both are brilliant, be it Leo's work in creating a deep and multi-pronged bench of conservatives judges who can affect policy for generations, or a bunch of parents getting together to protect policies they see as unjust... this is how democracy is supposed to work (especially if Dems want to use the judiciary as a mechanism of political change), like it or not.  Oi.

NCAA Announced Major Changes to the NIT and College Hoops Fans Are Not Happy - Sports Illustrated
This is a shitty change (for many reasons) and while nothing is going to make them change, I am glad to see that they are being raked over the coals for this.  Now, if we had a real NCAA that actually cared about student athletes, they would deep-six this, or maybe even expand the NIT to make sure these teams keep their bids.  Hell, if Fox had brains they would announce a tournament with these bids intact; I could imagine Murdoch or some other bomb-thrower doing it a generation ago, but not now, sadly...  I would also be vastly amused if some governor or other politico got involved and decided to join the fracas by holding hearings and poking around the money.  That might get a policy change, and it's not like we are actually doing anything else useful in Ohio, so...

New Beginnings

 Got a new phone today; I am not sure I needed one, but the old one was a little pokey, and if you recall, I tend to use a phone until it breaks, nothing can be transferred, and I spend an inordinate amount of time messaging people on Facebook and God knows how on contacting me.  This time I decided to put that off, and with the new career, I do have a bit more cash, so.... 

And it was... ok?  Took a while.  Not sure if it because they were short-staffed or I went with only a slightly more expensive/newer version of my current phone; if I had went with the $800 one, I suspect, they would have moved me up.  Most of my stuff was transferred; 80%?  Not sure about the other 20%, and while it is fine, I would not say that the thing is noticeably better than the last one (maybe I should have gone with the $1,000 phone).  Plus, when I went to Five Below for a case, all they had were those for IPhones, so I will have to go to a T-Mobile to get a case.  Sigh.  I had to go to the post office anyways, but...  At least I have contacts intact though I should probably manually input them just in case.

‘Who’s Mike Johnson?’: Diplomats scratch their heads at new speaker - POLITICO
This is pretty funny, especially as I suspect for most GOPers, being unknown to some European functionary is a plus.

Mike Johnson’s Podcast Tells You Everything You Need to Know About Mike Johnson - POLITICO
I listened to one of these today, and all I can say is... on the one hand this is totally awesome, and on the other... well, I am not sure that I expected anything different from an Evangelical Republican from NW Louisiana, and that's... fine?  I strongly suspect his views represent (albeit broadly) that of the GOP electorate as a whole, and... well, someone has to be Speaker.  I am quite fascinated by this little experiment and am looking forward -- immensely -- to see how it goes.

Aware and awake

 Mike Johnson?  Mike Johnson?  I have to admit, I had not heard of the guy prior to today, and I probably more into politics than the average American.  Not only is that surprising, but... he got the votes of the entire GOP conference? I find it fascinating, given some of the bigger/better-known names that were floated about.  He is no moderate -- social conservative, religious, election denier; not that this is bad, given the overall tilt of the party, but... it does have a certain level of problematic behavior for the general election.  On the other hand, we have a speaker!  This is good!  The dysfunction might be over, or at least this level of dysfunction.  No word if they can actually govern, lead, pass bills, etc.  But the ability to do so... well, after the past few weeks, this is something.

Guess What Happened to Violent Crime Rates After Ohio Adopted Permitless Carry? – Bearing Arms
I was going to make a point that people like Connie Schultz -- who long proclaimed that the introduction of CCW in Ohio would be a bloodbath -- have never apologized, or even called to the carpet, for making what has since to have been shown to be false.  Now, to be sure, no one ever expected an apology, but...  

Then, of course, we have the horrible events in Maine, and... the more one knows, the worse it sounds.  (At least it is not Islamic terrorism.)  The shooter is known to authorities, had a history of making violent threats, had been hospitalized for said threats, and was released (this seems to be the story as of now, and we need to be concerned as to their accuracy.  Point taken.), which is the worst!  Perhaps equally bad is that no one there seemed to be armed to go after him?  I don't know; as my gun-owning and toting friends like to say, you should not be afraid of the guy who openly carries; it's the guy here who walks in and starts shooting is the worry.  The only was to combat that is to use your own weapon.  It is a terrifying thought, but -- given my own life -- I sometimes wonder if I need to go and get trained and have my own weapon, just in case.  I am not sure I want to, but one must always be prepared for the worst.

The Merry-Go-Round

 Finally plowed all through the OC stuff I wanted to do tonight, as well as some other stuff, so now we can blog.  Very exciting.  More seriously, it was...fine?  It is adulting, I guess, and while I did not get to the laundry -- the pile can get a little taller -- we all know how I love a nice, cleanish, email inbox and the illusion and pretense of efficiency.  By that same process I did the dishes, though there are some things in the fridge I need to clean out, and that task I will defer until some later date (hopefully tomorrow). 

Three meetings at work today and three more tomorrow.  On the one hand this is good -- I am learning something, this is the job, and I am glad they think of me enough to include me in these things.  On the other, I am a man of action, and sitting through meetings... well, I will get used to it, and this too shall pass, moreso when I finish training and orientation and such.  

I am beginning to think that the House GOP should just put everyone's name in a hat, draw one, and simply anoint them the Speaker.  I think it would more logical than the current process, and at least at the end of it, we might just have a Speaker.  I realize that there is a certain logic to this process, but at the end of the day someone has to do the job, and it is beginning to resemble my dating process -- no one meets my criteria and then you realize you are consigned to solitude, as the options get worse as you go on.  :)

After the gym today I snuck out to Acme to try and get some things, and all of the stuff I wanted...was gone.  Oi.  Most unimpressive; it's one thing to see their prices go up, but not to have anything -- I would think that as these were sale items there should be some quantity available -- was incredibly frustrating.  It would have been less amusing had I not stopped at the Avon Aldi right after work for some low-tax shopping (I am beginning to love this) and gotten some other things.

There’s Never Been a Worse Time to Buy Instead of Rent - WSJ
This could be me, but this is a real issue, and one would think a GOPer -- any GOPer, at this pace -- would make haste to take advantage.  Yes, it is the Fed, but if the Oval Office can't at least jawbone for a change, shouldn't the opposition party do so?

Bemusement

 Stepped on the scale today and I came out at 186 pounds.  Yikes.  Too many big dinners, too much snacking, not enough exercise -- the rain has put an end to my nocturnal ramblings -- and of course I have had other things to do, which affects the time I could spend walking.  I spent some extra time on the treadmill this evening (a gym double but not AM cardio due to low blood sugar, grrr) and that may help, but as I did not gain the poundage at once, it is only fair that I will not lose it at the same pace, either.

I looked at the food bill for the OC this past month and yowsers; we are $2K over budget.  While on the one hand I can see how it happened -- demand is up -- on the other, we really cannot do this with regularity; for one thing, we will eventually run out of cash!  For another, if the other food pantries we run in the Diocese can operate on about $2K, it boggles the mind as to why we need more -- we have parishes that subsidize our operations, so we can give out more, and operate the food rescue apparatus -- at such a scale.  I of course brought this up to our operations manager, which, as you can imagine, went over fabulously well.  I am co-managing next month and can handle the online ordering, and we will certainly have some disciple there!  Funny, because we are getting an extra hunk of change from the Hunger Network, so we can load up -- to an extent -- on canned goods and such.  I sent out an email about this and reminded everyone just because we have more stock doesn't mean we should give it out.

I am fascinated by the Hamas strategy of dribbling out hostages; I guess it is good that they do so, and if we can get them all home, so much the better.   But I think we all know that they are doing nothing but digging in and making it that much more costly when the IDF moves in.  Of course, I suspect it will be more costly for Hamas, a prospect which bothers me absolutely not at all. 

Also not bothering me:
‘The man broke my heart’ — Biden’s Arab-American boosters begin to leave his side - POLITICO
I don't know what is more amusing here; the fact that none of these people seem to condemn the atrocities and barbarism of Hamas (they are Democrats, so...), or the fact that is enough of them stay home, they might swing the election to the GOP nominee, who would be Trump, and... well, I chuckle.

A Life on Tilt

 Dare I say it was a good weekend?  Slept in a bit Saturday -- til about 9 --and I was able to catch up with a bunch of things, which was good.  As I had -- for once -- nothing to do in the afternoon, I was able to watch 95% of the OSU-PSU game.  Dare I say that I was not exactly impressed with either team?  I mean, I think it is fair to say that OSU's defense won them that game, but I guess I have never really been impressed with the PSU offense -- their QBs are never as good as advertised, and there are times I wonder what on earth James Franklin is calling offensively.  

Anyways, yesterday we had our first ever volunteer appreciation dinner for the OC... after Mass at Holy Name (only the second time I have been to Mass there) we had dinner in the hall.  For all the hem-hawing and trepidation I have about these things, it was quite nice -- nifty charcuterie board, salad bar, and pasta station, with a cassata cake for dessert.  Monsignor found a caterer and a donor, so...that was another plus.  Anyways, the grub was good and it seemed everyone had a nice time (I even won a $15 Dunkin card as a door prize, which I will add to my pile, I am sure).  Then it was off to my cousin's bday/poker party, where I arrived for the second card game.  I came in third, had some grub, and had some nice family time, chatting and going down memory lane, that sort of thing.  We did dawdle over the conversation, as by the time I went through the football scores, I hit the hay at 2.  Oops.

I had entertained thoughts of Democrat Sunday and skipping Mass, but it was in memory of my parents, so... anyways, that was fine, and then my sister and I did breakfast at the Chimney, where we caught up and she mocked me for my Hawaiian shirts/collections/etc.  Then gym, and then I spent the afternoon visiting friends in Lakewood/Edgewater; it was quite nice, but it was after 5 before I came home.  One odd thing; none of the friends I saw are football fans, so I missed the Browns game; not that I care, but three separate households...no game.  The whole Watson thing amuses me, mainly because as he has a mega-contract (and guaranteed), so he gets paid no matter what, so I wonder if there is something else going on...

The Great Cash-for-Carbon Hustle | The New Yorker
This was one of the most unintentionally hilarious things I have read in a while!

In the dark

 I have a new (first-world) problem; my main kitchen light fixture is on the fritz.  Now, for years I was told it needed a ballast (it has fluorescent bulbs) and worked...well, not fully, but well enough.  Now it is completely dark.  One would think this would be simple, but the fixture has -- and I am not making this up -- bulbs that are 39 inches in length.  This is not exactly standard in size; as a matter of fact, I have been to a couple of stores, and no one had even heard of this.  Sigh.  Now, the thing is 30 years old, so it could be time to replace it, but... we all know how I feel about spending money, I am trying to save for the bathroom, etc.  Alas.  

Yesterday I was doing other things and while I could have blogged, I decided to hit the hay; I had just fallen asleep, and then the low blood sugar alarm went off, and it was...back to square one.  Funny, I woke up at 6 and hit the gym (double today, it felt good) and felt completely fine, but as the day went on -- especially after lunch -- I felt some torpor.  I just had some coffee now (did some OC budget stuff) and now it is time to just go through things... this is mostly fine, I guess; I hear the rain coming down (and it has been coming down for a while) and I am like "who wants to leave the house?"  Of course, it is not snow, and that is fine with me.

'Then the alligators got him' - Inside Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant's 18-month downfall - ESPN
This could be me, but I don't necessarily think it is the alligators; maybe the family helped, but if Ja Morant did these things on his own, isn't that on him?  I realize the life and all of its temptations can cause all sorts of problems, but at some point, don't people have to see that it will end poorly?

I wonder who the next candidate for the Speaker will be... I mean, at this point, it really could be anyone, and if no one wants to vote for the guy (or gal)... that is an issue.  Literally anyone could sink a candidate, which is a problem in and of itself.  I am not sure Jordan ever had a chance, but it seems he played his hand...poorly.

In the Kitchen

 Today I was really feeling...fatigued.  Didn't sleep well last night, and it was exacerbated by a lovely attack of low blood sugar, which causes me to snack, and we all know how I feel about gaining weight.  Between the rain and the cold, and my health, I have not been walking at night (though I took some meanders today at work; really quite beautiful!) and I can feel it.  Ugh.  

Made a dish from the parish cookbook for the company potluck tomorrow; Swiss vegetable medley.  It's... not bad.  Bit heavy -- cheese, mushroom soup, sour cream -- but I put extra veggies in, and added some salt and pepper to kick up the taste a bit.  I mean, I think it is fine, but one never knows what the new coworkers will think,  I was told we needed sides, so that is what I did... maybe the old "flip to the page in the parish cookbook" policy isn't the best, but at least I get to try something new, and we all know how I love that. 

So, it appears that Jim Jordan will not be Speaker, which begs the question of who will be?  Someone should nominate Gaetz or Mace, just for shits and giggles.  One would think McHenry would put in a bid; I don't think he would be a bad choice, as while he was a McCarthy pick he seems to be solidly conservative, and as far as I know has never greatly annoyed anyone; he could be the good soldier, or might not want the role (not that I blame him, given how things have turned out).

Funny, I had planned on doing some food pantry paperwork tonight, but between all of the other stuff going on, I have not done so.  To be sure I achieved other things (applying for grants, less important paperwork) but I still need to do stuff like fill out annual report (I suspect I will have to do others as well), make an agenda for our next quarterly meeting, and maybe do some long-term stuff, like look for new parishes...if I didn't do it when I was unemployed and had all this free time...

Travels and Travails

The next round of the GOP speaker drama begins, with now Jim Jordan's turn to drive the clown car; mind you, this is a clown car by choice; I think most in the GOP were fine (or at least fine enough) with Kevin McCarthy, but we can't have nice things, so... here we are.  I sort of want him to win the thing, given the hand-wringing and pearl-clutching of the media over the guy.  Considering, for instance, the Plain Dealer's stellar record of endorsements, I find it fascinating that they continually crap on the guy.  I can readily (if not easily) imagine a number of scenarios where he would actually do a credible job, if he wanted to... I suspect the temptation for bomb-tossing would be too much for him, though.'

I forgot to mention another aspect of my Sunday; I went to Panaderia las Villas, the Puerto Rican restaurant on the West Side.  It was something of an adventure -- I made a wrong turn, not many people there spoke English -- but it was really quite delicious; it rivalled Gually's as some of the best Latino food I have had.  The flan was 50% caramel, I suspect; really quite rich!  I would definitely go back, and it was certainly kind of the staff to explain to me what I was ordering and looking at.  Especially because EVERYTHING -- signage, menus -- was in Spanish, and, well... while I didn't wear my MAGA hat, my understanding was highly limited.  (One of my Puerto Rican friends wants to go with me the next time, mainly to see the floor show.  I am almost touched.)  More seriously, I should do another one, as I am overdue.  

Funny; today was the first time ever on my new commute that I thought "Gee, these people could be driving on the East Side," and it wasn't in that stretch of 90 where Cleveland and Lakewood are, where the Hopey and Changey types are out in force.  No, this was in Avon, which surprised me, but sure enough, the slow-driver-in-the-left-lane and the people-changing-three-lanes-in-feet types were all together for a perilous (if not bemusing) minute.  

One thing I do enjoy are the low Lorain County sales taxes... I made an Aldi run at lunch for the potluck Thursday (first one I will be joining, stakes are high!) and while the savings are not significant, it's not nothing, and it does add up... to say nothing of not subsidizing the moonbats who run this county.  If only we had a Republican state government to investigate these shenanigans!

Reflections

 Two steps forward, one step back; I didn't sleep long -- or well -- last night.  I suspect I may have had too much sleep, which in turn affected my overall schedule.  I don't know; I felt -- and still do -- pretty decent today, with little of the exhaustion I usually have, and just two cups of coffee.  I will probably get to bed for 11, and if I can get 7 hours of sleep (6 good ones, maybe) I will be... feeling confident.  I mainly sat around, if you will, and did some work for my contract position, finishing a couple of small projects and working on a longer one, listening to a couple of podcasts, that sort of thing.  

I also spent a couple of hours at my friend's son's bday, where I was subjected to a Browns game...which they surprisingly one, much to the joy of all involved.  I guess no one was giving them a chance, with the 5-0 Niners in town and them using the #3 QB.  But, lo and behold, the non-24 QB and some stout D -- and a missed FG -- sent the home team out with a win.  I really do not care, but it is fascinating to see people literally crying over this.  And, a boy should see his favorite team win on his bday, right?

Teens Are Developing ‘Severe Gambling Problems’ as Online Betting Surges (vice.com)
Are we really surprised by this?  Young people who have trouble with limits, understanding consequences, no sense of finances, not terribly risk averse or thinking of the future... I don't know; I have never been a fan of gambling, probably because I grew up around it, and while I understand the arguments for people who think it is good, I cannot help but think that the societal costs of this (to say nothing of the actual costs) more than outweigh it.  God forbid some economist goes and calculates this.

Funny; I was going through the paper pile on the kitchen table and found my master sheet of Pebble stuff; passwords, codes, health insurance and other important user names... all of it of course now completely irrelevant.  I felt badly consigning it to the recycle pile but I have a new career and life now... funny, while on the one hand I feel like I was royally screwed by being laid off, I truly loved my time there, loved the work and what we were doing, and hope they succeed...  In the meantime, I got my first paycheck from the new career, get to enroll in the health plan and such this week, and have my first company potluck... such is the march of progress.

Sleep

Today was... maybe not a waste, but... I slept.  Last night I did indeed go to bed early (ish) and skipped the clock-setting... so I guess I should not have been surprised when I woke up slightly before ten.  Ten!!  Anyways, it was noon before I got out of the house to hit the gym and do a couple of errands.  This was good, though; at least I did that.  Anyways, then it was home, where I finally cleaned the toilet and the bathroom and handled some paperwork.  I felt sleepy about 5 ish so why not lay down... and lo and behold, I woke up about 7:50.  Again, I guess I needed the rest, but to have spent so much time in bed... oi.  I had wanted to watch some movies, catch up on some work, etc., and that was...gone.  I also had to re-cancel and re-order my prescription for insulin, which the MD's office screwed up again.  Oi... I swear to God, if I had to do it again, I would enter the medical profession, as the lack of accountability is...incredible.  And frustrating.  

I did watch one movie:  "Klimt," the John Malkovich film from the 80s about the artist, who was... quite brilliant, but quite the character.  I rather like his works, but as a person...whoa.   Anyways, I think the movie was meh?  I mean, I think in some ways the film captured his way of life, but I would have liked more of a focus on his work, which would have been pretty cool -- in many ways it was quite revolutionary.   

One thing I need to do again -- maybe tomorrow?! -- is to start hitting restaurants.  I am employed again, I have some cash, and it has been a while since I have done so (save for the monthly dinner with my sister).  Winter is coming, which may clip my travel wings, but right now, at least, I can go and start doing what I enjoy again.  One never knows what one my find at these places, of course, but... that is the fun.  And it is not like my list has magically gotten shorter in the past few months.

Friday Night Likes

Last night, of course, I went to bed early-ish, and of course it was all for naught...so tonight I am closely monitoring my blood sugar and once it is what I hope is the ideal level, I will hit the hay.  Tomorrow being Saturday, and my schedule being completely empty for the weekend -- save for the trips to gym and church, cleaning the bathroom, and catching up on stuff -- I can simply sleep in (hopefully) as much as I want.  It would be ideal if I could get through a library book or clear off some bookmarks, but I will try to watch some things I saved, like movies and documentaries.

Biden Won’t Directly Address the 2024 Age Issue - POLITICO

I don't know; I don't think that it benefits the Dems to highlight this, actually, but I can see how it doesn't help them, either.  The man has always been not-so-bright and every time he stumbles and falls... well, they should have thought of that before they nominated him?  Were it not for the idiocy of the GOP the polling would be far worse.  Hell, as it is, the Donald is competitive in the polls for a reason!

It was payday for my new job today, so I guess I am officially part of the team.  This is good, as I am now on payroll -- no more unemployment -- and the usual schedule of bill paying and such can now resume. With interest rates still high I may delay the new bathroom, but not for too long, as I really want a new one.  Ditto for carpet.  I just might have to bite the bullet as the Fed does not seem to be in a hurry to lower the rates, sigh...

Retaliation

 Oi... funny; I have been trying to get to bed early -- I feel like I really need the rest -- and of course it has been a fiasco.  Monday night I went to bed at 11 but laid awake for about an hour... I know my parents said rest was good, and they are probably correct, but... this was ridiculous.  Of course, I proceeded to be woken up by a low blood sugar alarm at 4 AM (oi!) which further interrupted my sleep.  Yesterday was more of the same -- going to bed at 11 and then just laying there, thinking about... anything.  No go.  I will try again tonight to crash early and maybe get some full rest; I hit the gym hard today (and yesterday) and I have sort of cleared off the email account (lots of links and other stuff to watch and listen, sigh).  One bright side:  my weekend plans have fallen apart, so I literally have nothing to do.  I have some side projects for the contract job (which I intend to keep) to work on (good) and maybe, just maybe, I can shut off the alarm clock Saturday and sleep in.

This is something I find bothersome -- not the fact that we just gave $6 billion to Iran (they are Democrats), that plenty of Dems refuse to even consider condemnation of Hamas -- but that many nations (including the US) saw innocent people killed this past weekend.  Shouldn't they be militarily involved? Being a student of history, of course, can you imagine someone like Palmerston just ignoring this?  To me, the death of any American overseas by terrorists should merit an immediate (and severe) military response.

Conservative group circles two trucks with photos, names of Pro-Palestinian Harvard students around Harvard Square (archive.ph)
This is pretty funny; like a lot of conservatives, I am against cancel culture, and support free speech, but if they are going to say that people need to be held accountable for their actions...well, this is the most obvious end of that rationale, isn't it?   I would have some respect for these people if they doubled down, but to weasel out and complain of death threats and such... oi.

Festival Festivities

 So, this past weekend was the annual St. Stan's Polish Festival (everyone should go!) and of course I was in the kitchen all three days.  And, I am feeling it today.  I haven't been sleeping well (or long) to begin with, and all the running around and such...well, today I was quite sleepy.   Also sore; I woke up at about 4:30 with charley horses in both legs; it was like the last scene of "The Whale" getting of bed, standing up, and trying to move to get the spasming to cease.  Eventually I moved, and it did, but...  as for the Festival itself, I think it went well, though, as I always say, as I am in the kitchen, I have only the vaguest of senses of what is going on elsewhere.  We did sell almost all of the food, including the big-ticket items.  Big crowds each day -- not quite zoo but close.  I thought we did well, mostly, getting stuff out, and once we got the kinks out of the line and such...all the bakery was sold, including my mint brownies, also good, as most of the stuff is homemade and thus offers the chance of 100% profit.  It does help the church, and if people have a good time...

This could be me, but... if Israel does not destroy Hamas once and for all... that's a problem.  I cannot help but note that on Indigenous Peoples' Day, Hamas and the Palestinians are acting as indigenous people have often done throughout their history -- with cruelty and savagery.  As for what to do, I think this is partially correct:

The Final Solution To The Gaza Problem « Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog
I would send them all to Iran, who is funding this.  Now, Iran can take them, and deal with the problems of assimilating two million or so people, or they can not take them, which would be (in some ways) a "Voyage of the Damned" propaganda coup for the Israelis, as they could say "Gee, if the Iranians didn't want them, who does?"  I don't think any other Arab/Islamic nation would do so, either... which would speak volumes.

(2) Taking Robert Reich to school on school choice (substack.com)
Too funny, and sadly...too true.

The Night Before

 As always, I should be in bed but I am not.  Not exactly tired but will be soon.  Tonight I made the first wave of brownies for the Festival; five trays all sitting in the fridge (they look good).  I was tempted to go, cut them, package them, and then start the next five, but decided against it; rather, tomorrow I will bring them with me and let the ladies cut them, get the trays back, and ideally make the rest tomorrow night.  Certainly a bit much, but I was just too spent to do more and then do it again.  Reminded me of that book I read a few weeks ago about Civil War armies not pursuing their enemies, mainly because they were out of juice.  I get that -- my lack of sleep, age (not as young as I used to be), and the fact that I need my strength for the weekend.

Trying to finish Beevor's The Battle of Arnhem --- the Bridge Too Far battle.  One thing a friend and I always discuss is how MacArthur was sort of an idiot, but another good discussion topic could be how Allied intelligence always said "Gee, the Germans will NEVER recover from the beating we gave them" and then, of course, they did and often proceeded to give a beating right back.  This was certainly the case with this battle, with the Germans using literally ersatz formations to hold off/defeat Allied advances.  To be sure, the plan was probably unworkable, but no one expected the Germans to put up such resistance (again, in the face of all available evidence).

One thing I need to do is...well, everything.  Stuff is on hold with work and the Festival so eventually I will need to pay bills, organize my finances, do some house cleaning (I put the kitchen back together, left the traps up, in what can be called cautious optimism), handle some stuff piles, get some stuff ready for the OC, and anticipate the next round of food pantry paperwork (everyone knows I am occupied this weekend, otherwise that would be also an issue; now it is just a half-issue).  I think I will a have better time than the House GOP... I am not exactly surprised that Jim Jordan wants to be speaker, and I wonder if he would actually be a good one; I mean, for all of his bomb throwing, I think there is a seriousness beneath that, and I could see a Saul-Damascus transformation here.

Catching Up

 Quite the delay in posts!  Monday I just nodded off.  Yesterday I was going to post, but one I went clothes shopping; I needed some business casual clothes for work, and I am not sure my collection of Hawaiian shirts pass muster.  So off I went to Crocker Park (if God had money, everything would look like that!) and found a few things that passed Matt-muster.  I mean, I think I saw more shirts I would prefer to wear than those I need to.  Adulting is hard.  Then I met my friend James, who is in town for the week.  It was fine, but he... well, he can be a hot mess, and was yesterday, so much so that I had to do laundry (he spilled coffee on himself and required two towels to clean, oi) and decompress, and then I just crashed.  If and when he returns it will be an away game for me!

I still have plenty of stuff to do for this weekend and all, and I am thinking that the Mickey and Minnie problem might be over -- no sightings or evidence -- and maybe I should move the traps and start putting things back where they belong (I need the space and want my house back, if you will).  Watch tomorrow I will have a morning visitor and will NOT be happy, to put it mildly.

Today we had a leadership dinner for SVDP in Westlake, which I found to be extremely convenient.  (Also, I started doing some projects at work, which was good, if a bit nerve wracking; I know the basics but I am still feeling leery about more).  It was good -- not only was there faith and fellowship (which I tend to crap on, but IS important) but we also shared and discussed what is going on in the provinces (if you will), which is good, as I think half of the ideas I have had have come from elsewhere.

The Kevin McCarthy thing is sort of sad; I think in some ways he deserved a better fate, honestly.  I think he will be missed more than we think; his fundraising acumen, for instance, cannot be discounted.  That money might dry up, and will certainly be redirected (if available).  I guess I looked at him as more the HS QB; maybe (definitely) not the smartest guy, maybe not the one capable of the most detailed and devious plan, but one who had paid his dues and commanded the loyalty of (most) of the troops, and deserved a pass or two.  I am not sure what Gaetz's end game was, as given the GOP reaction, I find it hard to believe he could even win a primary.

The future of California’s homelessness crisis will be decided by judges, not politicians - POLITICO
This to me is quite anti-democratic (small D) and thus problematic... I am not sure I want unelected judges making policy, quite frankly.

Sunday Slippage

 Jesus...it is October already.  At least the weather is nice, beautiful.  I was out and about in the AM, and I had my sandals on, of all things, and I was thinking this might be the last weekend I can wear them (closed toes at work!).  My one pair of good Birkenstocks is actually... a little worn?  The one sandal, the rear strap might need to be replaced.   I realize this happens -- people buy things! -- but it does depress me a bit.  Hell, I was thinking I might need to go and buy some business-casual shirts for work, as much of my wardrobe is a bit on the Hawaiian side and might not pass master.  I am employed now and can afford it, though -- hilariously -- I was thinking today about how much more I need to go before I can pay off my HELOC so I can start the next wave of home improvement projects... I haven't even gotten my first paycheck!

Busy weekend and today was spent catching up; I had planned on doing more but I got caught in the weeds/plowing through other things, and here we are... I guess this is not the worst thing, as I did get plenty of stuff done, just not everything.  And we all know how I feel about that!

The drama in the House is incredibly fascinating to me.  I think McCarthy did the smart thing and took the deal, but...basically he is being primaried by Matt Gaetz.  Matt Gaetz!  And it might work!  OK, maybe (probably not); I don't think every Dem would go for this, and I don't think that many GOPers would go along with them to fire Kevin.  Of course, he doesn't have that many members to lose before it could happen.  I guess the question would be who would replace him?  Gaetz?  Ha!  Jim Jordan?  I think he is on the record as being against a change, but I wonder how that would switch if it should happen to fall into his lap.  If we come out of this with Speaker Jeffries... let's just say that I find it hard to believe that Gaetz would have a long future in our party.

Tim Wakefield passing away is very depressing; as many of you know, I love the knuckleball, and his loss... incredibly sad.  And, I would say, he was a good person as well; for every Schilling, we need to remember there are at least five of the good guys.