Celebrations

 Took a day off from blogging; not that I wanted to, but instead I met a friend I hadn't seen for a while for coffee, and we ended up chatting and such for nearly three hours.  By the time I got home and did some things, it was time for bed.. considering the sleep-deprived nature of the weekend, it was worth it, though I did not get nearly enough.  Sunday, actually... sometime after the Houston game, I fell asleep on the floor.  I woke at 5 AM with the light on and me still dressed.  Whoops.  I just shut off the light and rolled over for an hour.

Yesterday I also managed to watch "Maya Lin:  A Strong Clear Vision," a recent addition to the National Film Registry.  It was... ok?  The parts about her design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (and its controversy) were interesting.  Some of the other parts -- about her other works -- were...meh?  I don't know... not much into landscape art, I guess.  Anyways, this gets me to 830 on the list, which is...something.

Today I went out to dinner -- I decided to use some of the pile of gift cards so off I went to Bonefish Grill.  It was very good; for all my disdain of chain restaurants, I must admit that the better ones do do better on the details -- good service, soup was good, dinner was cooked perfectly.  You are paying for corporate consistency, but it is worth it.  Not quite culinary tourism, but... anyways, another reason for celebrating was that I paid off a balance transfer, so, aside from the mortgage, I am debt-free.  To be sure, in a few weeks that will change -- immensely -- as the bathroom work begins, but for now... retrenchment and reform!

Video of Biden effigy beating prompts calls for Kansas GOP leaders to resign | AP News
I don't know...could be me, but the burning of people in effigy is one of America's oldest democratic customs, and to see it fall completely off the map... in addition to the potential First Amendment violation, I think these sorts of things need to be brought back...would GOPers -- aside from Trump -- care if he was burned in effigy?  I somehow think not.

Weezer's Blue Album: The oral history - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
Interesting if depressing -- I still have the album and love it, but it pains me to realize that it -- and the glory days of my youth -- were 30 years ago.  Those vampires might be on to something...

Trump gagged again - POLITICO
This is something I want to see!