Switching

My plan to pull a gym double almost went to plan until I woke up at 4 AM with low blood sugar and charley horses in both legs.  Oi.  On the other hand, while walking around to get snacks (granola bar and an orange juice), the moving did seem to help the charley horses, and I was able to get back to bed a few moments later.  I decided to sleep in a little more -- probably wise -- and the blood sugar really didn't get that much higher.  Alas.  I did do back and shoulders this afternoon, and that was... good.   Also got some licks in on the stationary bike, as the current read -- Guelzo's Gettysburg:  The Last Invasion is 500 plus pages of small text and the usual erudition and detail one expects from Allen Guelzo.  Hell, I am even imagining him reading it in his sonorous voice... funny, though, in that he has taken some hits from the military historians (I would put Guelzo more in the political sphere) over some of Guelzo's takes on Union strategy (e.g., Reynolds on Day 1) and such.  Not there yet, but...I am looking forward to seeing it.

Scheduled the root canal for next week; I mean, I guess it is better to get it done sooner rather than later, and the sooner this gets done, the sooner we can get the cap on and end this mini-nightmare.  I will be ok, but as always, my bday will affected (in so far as I celebrate) by this tooth issue.  The preview for the bill... oi.  I have insurance, thank God, and a HSA, but... sigh.

A growing minority of religious conservatives reshape the US Catholic Church (yahoo.com)
Interesting take, though -- as I like to say -- you really can't complain if the people who show up to Mass regularly, participate in parish life, and (most importantly) put envelopes in the basket change the Church in their own image.  And you know what... they should!  I always tell my liberal Catholic friends that if they don't show up and make their voices heard... I mean, if only conservatives show up and say, sling pierogis at the Church festival, one will think that only the conservative types only show up for Mass. Which, I think, is not quite true...

Dentistry

 So, adding to the general stress level... I have been having some toothaches, so I went to the dentist first thing this morning.  Yes, the dentist I wasn't sold on, as the other one I called never replied (sigh).  They discovered one cavity -- for which I will need a root canal -- but the other pain is... not sure.  No cavities, but there is a slight gap between my tooth and its filling -- not sure why; age, diabetes, gingivitis.  I called the periodontist to make that appointment, and while I got a human, they didn't return my call (this seems to be a trend).  Something else to do tomorrow.  I told my sister that this will all be handled on my birthday, continuing a long trend of that day being craptastic.  I guess it is consistent, and I always say I want consistency.  

I wasn't tired before and am not now; did some contract work and caught up on some OC stuff -- the lock on the door has been messed with, so a locksmith came out and added a deadbolt.  Some minor changes to how we open -- ugh -- and another bill to pay.  I realize this is not exactly a surprise, given where we are in that part of the world, but it is annoying and unpleasant.  I, of course, wanted to know what happens if people keep trying to break in... at least the Mickey and Minnie issue seems to be in abeyance (for now) as nothing was reported in the traps.

So, the Trump trial (largely) ended today...I am not sure anyone (save for the Donald) was surprised by the result.  Nor do I think that it will move the needle that much either way, though I do wonder what the actual sentence will be.  I guess my other thoughts are 1) if this is a BS trial -- in the views of GOPers -- shouldn't they do something to punish them?  Especially if they say, take back the POTUS and both houses of Congress?  Two... shouldn't the Donald have expected this level of scrutiny into all his operations and planned for this?  Covered it up, burned the docs, paid more bribes, whatever?  I would have thought some functionality in the campaign would have pointed this out along the way...

You Can Thank Private Equity for That Enormous Doctor’s Bill - WSJ
I read this, and I thought -- once again -- we need to rein down, if not get rid of (Ha!) private equity.  Then I remember how modestly libertarian I scored yesterday, and I thought to myself that this is why.  A real libertarian wouldn't care about this -- it's a market function --- but I am of the opinion that the finger is on the scale (in a massive way) and thus we need to fix this.  Brutally, if possible!

Tautness

Two early meetings today, then.... back to projects.  Quite good, I guess.  Just... odd.  My blood sugar spiked in the morning and then coasted back down... and stayed down throughout dinner and even now.  Not sure why; could be stress though it is weird (but not impossible) that it goes both ways.  Alas.  At least the commute home was much smoother, though I did see myself driving a bit slower and more defensively today.  Stress?  Feeling my age?  Some residual PTSD from yesterday?  I cannot tell.  Odd feeling.  

I had to re-open my old email today -- I guess I forgot to change over some insurance stuff -- so there I was re-opening (and re-closing) the thing because I had also forgotten the password to said insurance account.  So it was a barrage of emails, confirmation texts, and alerts that a password had changed or there was a log on.  I guess -- if I didn't know it was me doing it -- this is useful -- but it seemed that it was more tedious and irksome than anything.  Speaking of irksome, I started the school supplies project for the summer -- getting what people want, talking to our parishes to see what they need, trying to find donors -- and as always, I am glad to do it, and am pleased that our parish schools are supported... but THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR HASN'T EVEN ENDED YET!  Not that I have strong feelings about this, as you can tell.

What Libertarianism Gets Wrong - by Jon Gabriel (discoursemagazine.com)
Interesting.  I took the test and found myself in the libertarian corner, albeit not as much as I thought.  I mean, of course government has some reason to do things, and correcting injustice is one of them, but... much less than people think.  I think in the above article... well, art and culture is useful but I think we spend way too much on both; or, more appropriately, elites spend way too much of their money and ours on this sort of thing.  I love art as much as anyone, but... that which is not sustainable cannot be sustained.  Alas.

I have to admit... I love Justice Alito; telling everyone to pound salt on recusing and pointing out that this is his wife's fight and not his... I love that, and... this could be me, but who calls the cops over a neighbor's flag?  They should arrested them for being faint of heart!

Stresses

You know, I have been stressed all day... didn't sleep particularly long or well last night, and then today... there was an unpleasant email about a work project (my supervisor and I were not aware it was a top priority), and I had to shift a bit, and then there was a meeting to follow-up... fortunately, all went well -- our original intentions were confirmed, the meeting went well, and all was well.  I almost got hit getting on the highway on the way home -- older lady with a handicapped sticker didn't realize I had the light -- and that sent my nerves back.  Then, there was carmageddon on the highway due to an accident, which snarled my commute home, and that was not good, as there was stuff I wanted to do.  As I turned out, one of those things was done, and the other... a voice mail.  I also totally deleted my old, original email; an end of an era, but... it had to be done.  Alas.  

That said, I am going to bed soon tonight; I did some stuff that I needed and wanted to do, and if some stuff is moved to tomorrow... I will be ok.  But today, I have been... high strung?  Blood sugar running high?  Stomach a little churny?  I hope tomorrow does not have this; so far I don't think so, but of course one never knows.  I did skip the gym -- cheat day/handle stuff -- but I will not do that tomorrow; if anything, it is good for me to burn off this nervousness.  Some of it, of course, is me; I do need to be a bit more mellow about certain things.

Dems in full-blown ‘freakout’ over Biden - POLITICO
Interesting; I think this is partially true -- the economic stuff is poor for them -- but with infanticide, Trump, democracy, and the generally balanced nature of the electorate in the battleground states (of which there are fewer), Biden still has a chance... sad to say but true.  Can either side get the voters to the polls?  I think that is the answer, like it or not.

Detroit ministry aims to ‘Unleash the Gospel at Work’ (pillarcatholic.com)
Interesting for two reasons... one, as we become more secular, work is a good but fraught place to look for converts.  Two, as we become less religious, this means that Catholics/people of faith become minorities, and thus will merit special protections...I would get a kick out of that, of course, but more seriously, I think this is a good thing, even if we don't get many converts out of it...

Sloth of a sort

 Another good day -- mostly.  I didn't hit the gym double as planned; I slept in a bit, went this morning (did some heavy leg day!), and then I settled into the contract work and other things.  Caught up with a couple of friends via text.  Did some dusting.  Answered some emails that were sitting around.  Did the OC budget report -- no major problems, but still had to update everything and make sure all of the transactions lined up.  In some ways, there was clearly a Sunday vibe -- I remembered J! was on tonight -- but the lack of work, the languid nature of the day... it was very nice.  I should have napped today, but...there was much to do.  Hell, there is still much to do; making progress on the contract project, but this week...

One amusing thing... I went to the OC after the gym today, as I had some stuff to drop off and I wanted to be sure that I got the extra glue traps down.  I mean, I think it is a good thing that we have all the traps down, but I don't want to leave any holes in the coverage, and by blocking the doorways.  Anyways, I heard someone unlocking one of the doors, and lo and behold, one of the Thursday guys was coming to get our carts for repair; three of the four we have are broken -- heavy use, overloaded, whatever -- and he was going to weld them.  I was impressed and amused, especially when I helped put them in the van.  It will save us from buying new ones, not that we are cash-hurting, but...

One of my former coworkers and I were texting today, and we were amused in that we couldn't decide -- one way or another -- how the Presidential race was going to go.  We identified a dozen scenarios for votes and states and whatnot; it was interesting in that in each case you could go and find polls/data/scenarios where yes, Trump or Biden could claim "X" while also losing "Y."  It seemed that distrust of the polls seemed to be the only constant...

Laziness

 Operation watch a movie saved on the bookmarks list every day took a break today as I did not... rather, I watched the war movie marathon on TCM; "The Dirty Dozen," "The Great Escape," "The Cold Blue," and now -- for a bit, "The Best Years of Our Lives."  Funny; they had the best ones today in prime time, while some of the others are at very odd hours.  Unless they are trying to showcase some different films, you would think they would air those.  Not that I am complaining... I did watch all of the J1 episodes I had archived, which was good, and maybe tomorrow I will catch up on the Masters Tournament.  

After Church and gym and J! I mainly worked on my contract job, which was fine... it was somewhat rainy and foreboding as the evening progressed, and while I think we missed the worst of the rain here, the storm warnings were omnipresent, and I heard the progress of the fronts throughout the night.  Today, though, Church was fairly beautiful, Mass was fine -- next week is Corpus Christi, I took an extra bulletin to remind me -- and I did a bunch of errands after gym.  First to get more glue traps for the food pantry (I don't care if we need them, I want them down), then off to Meijer for some deals -- sweet corn is 8 for a buck, peaches are 88 cents a pound... I loaded up on both, as it has been a long time since I had sweet corn.  Two for lunch, two for dinner... might have to buy some more before the week is out.

I have a bevy of people who need Streetcards, so now I have to figure out how to get them delivered.  I should also assemble the vacuum I bought...well, tomorrow is another day.  I should hit the gym early -- before parade traffic -- so maybe we could do a double -- and catch up on some long and personal emails to close friends that I have been... well, putting off.  Sigh.  Funny how that works.

Perfection

 Good day today; slept in a bit, hit the gym, completed a bunch of minor errands -- grocery shopping, the like --, listened to my niece do a radio show about her job, and had copies made of the client surveys and the new OC policies.  I put them by the door to the garage so I will be sure to remember to take them to the OC tomorrow.  Now, I still need to get Streetcards to my conference presidents; a bunch of them will want some, which is fine and good, but I had to figure out the logistics of getting them to the East Side.  Such is District President life!

Also met my college roommate and his three eldest children -- on their way back to Michigan they stopped to see me for dinner, and we met at Bar Louie at Crocker Park.  It was really quite nice... the children were happy to see me, Tom and I had some interesting conversation, and after they left I meandered around the outdoor mall... it was a perfect day in terms of weather and temperature, and there were large crowds about.  Quite interesting, and certainly good to stretch my legs, engage in some retail therapy (a shirt for work at Nordstrom Rack), and see the sites.  Then it was home, where I caught up on some paperwork and watched "Loving Vincent," a very interesting film.  It's about the life -- and death -- of Vincent Van Gogh.  Every scene was painted in the manner of Van Gogh, using the paintings as a base to the scenes.  The film was made by a combined Polish-British team (quite cool), and it was visually impressive, at the very least.

This Isn’t Your Father’s Marijuana Use | Washington Monthly
I think this is quite correct; we really don't know the effects of the long-term shift in pot use, and it is quite interesting, in a way...  I suspect that most users will be less than habitual, and use it for good, but... we don't really know about the rest of the potheads, do we now?

An autopsy of government dysfunction: How Cuyahoga County wasted over $1M on a service that was never installed - cleveland.com
Is it me, but didn't this sort of thing happen all too often under the Budish administration?  If we were a Republican state, they would be looking into this sort of thing, but... alas.

Starts

The Memorial Day weekend is proceeding in grand style so far.  I watched a few saved up episodes of J!, cleaned up some bookmarks, and watched one of the films I had been saving -- "Meet Me in the Bathroom," a look at the indie music scene in NYC in the early 2000s.  Interesting and a bit nostalgic; lots of good bands -- The Strokes, The Rapture, etc., that I listened to but not seriously.  Of course, I could do it now, but I guess one of my life regrets is that I never was quite avant garde in that department.  Didn't realize it was based off a book, which I should read, or add to the list, which I may get to when these guys are as old as the Rolling Stones.  Oddly, I am now a bit sad, realizing that the music I enjoyed then is... close to being a golden oldie now.  Very depressing.  At least I handled a bunch of emails and while I didn't start a book yet, I did finish off one Games magazine and started the next.  Rah.

I do not intend to set a clock tomorrow, which may allow me to sleep in, followed by a leisurely trip to the gym and then some house cleaning and contract work... though I should get up early and watch some more documentaries.  I guess I will just nod off and see when I arise...

Went to the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless on my lunch hour to get some Street Cards -- and ended up with half a box.  Not quite what I expected but good enough.  Actually, I have plenty now for the OC, my parishes in the East District, and anyone else who wants them.  I wish we could do more to get these people in homes but I also realize that a lot of these people are... well, out there for a reason.  Nor do I particularly want them in or near my home.

Downshift

Met some friends from church at Slyman's -- the new one in Independence -- for dinner.  It was...good.  I mean, the sandwiches were as large as ever (took half home), the pretzel and the potato pancakes decent.  On the other hand, I am not sure it was $25 good, not including tax, drink, and tip.  Yes, everything is expensive nowadays (thanx Joe!) but this seemed... a bit much.  At least we were able to hang out and shoot the breeze for a few hours, something which would not have been possible last week, or two weeks ago.  Work today was busy but also like the last day of school; people (a lot) are off tomorrow and everyone was in a good and peppy mood.  Not exactly odd, but different.

I am not exactly surprised the Cavs fired Bickerstaff, but it did seem... well, not exactly deserved.  They wanted Boston in the second round and got them, and that's on the front office.  I would think he overachieved.  More to the point (and not that I am an NBA fan), who out there is better than Bickerstaff?  I guess that is the question people are asking, and if you cannot find an answer... 

I rather like the move to break up Ticketmaster, but the argument the GOP should be making is that why wasn't it done sooner?  Have they not been selling tickets under a monopoly for the past few years?  Of course they have.  Election year politics are fine, but... to be sure, this is on the GOP, as they could have raised this issue, passed legislation, held hearings, at any time.  Alas.

One downside of dinner was that we spent a lot of time talking and bsing and thus I got home late and didn't do some of the things I wanted to do.  Not exactly fatal, but not exactly wise.  Tomorrow and the weekend...well, let's just say that if I can remove half of the bookmarks and complete two projects, it will be a happy and blessed weekend.

Progresses

Continuing my trend of accomplishments, I finished book 16 for the year, Bullivant's Nonverts, which chronicles the rise of the nonbeliever in America.  I am of mixed feelings about this; on the one hand, more room in heaven for me!  On the other -- and this is mentioned in the book -- is that many of the things churches do in our society, the nones simply do not (or won't) do, and this is a problem, given the social capital inherent in religion.  Of course, in some ways that is their problem, but we all know that liberals are the types to not solve the problems they cause.  Alas.

Did Obamacare ‘massively’ increase the cost of health care? (msn.com)
For instance, this one.  I think it is quite disingenuous to claim that it did not, given that the whole point of the law was claimed to "let you keep your health care and save $2,500 a year."  Many of us are still waiting for the $2,500 for one year, much less all of them (or with interest).  Claiming now that the sole point was to provide healthcare for everyone is... a bit of a lie, even for the WaPo.

I also watched "Desperately Seeking Susan" today, and it was pretty crappy.  I mean, I know there are good 80s comedies out there, but I didn't laugh once during this one, and the plot twist was about 1/100th of the charm and intelligence of "North by Northwest."  Alas.  This is 833 on the National Film Registry, and I do need to watch a few more as soon as I can... I will see what the library has and order the next one on the list.  There are plenty of films in my bookmarks list as it is, but... that is what the weekend is for, right?

Chiefs' Harrison Butker jersey ranked among NFL's bestsellers amid kicker's faith-based commencement address | Fox News
Harrison Butker, Harbinger? - by Glenn Harlan Reynolds (substack.com)
This could be me, but is anyone surprised by this?  I mean, I realize this is just virtue signaling at this point, but...people on the right watch NFL games and buy jerseys as well, and the only downside about this is that the NFL -- after shitting on the guy -- is making money off of him.  In the meantime, I have ordered a Large.  :)

Accomplishment

I can tell it is spring, as the ants are trying (and getting in) to enter my home.  This happens every year, of course, until I squish enough of them and they get the idea to go elsewhere.  Always a few who pop in the front door during J!, and I see a few more during the evening (I don't want to imagine what happens during the day).  I do have the stuff to spread along the window panes and other areas (cornmeal, right?) and it does remind me I need new windows, which will happen if and when the bathroom is done.  In the meantime, it is a moderate annoyance.

All of the follow-up stuff from the OC meeting Monday that I didn't do yesterday I did today, and it was glorious.  Not that it was incredibly complex or time-consuming, but there were a bunch of little things, and doing them all at once... anyways, they are done.  We discussed surveying our clients about the canned goods they use/don't use, so I typed that up, and then we decided we need to tighten/actually follow GCFB rules regarding IDs, zip codes, etc., so I typed up something to explain the "new" policy... and if we hand it out now (i.e., June), it will be ready for July.  Immediately after sending it out I thought of that scene from "1776" when Jefferson finishes reading the Declaration of Independence, asks for amendments, and chaos ensues.

I am vastly amused by the Alito "Stop the Steal" controversy.  On the one hand, blaming the wife is an excellent strategy -- it works for Bob Menendez! -- though honestly, if my wife was involved in a petty fight, I am not sure I would get anywhere near this one.  More seriously, though, shouldn't he have told her "Gee, I am a Supreme Court Justice, someone will notice this, and it will hit the fan?"  I mean, much like letting a convicted pedophile play cantor on the altar, the optics of this sort of thing are not very good, and someone should know better.

Today was somewhat stressful -- both at work and other things -- and thus when I got home I immediately cleaned the bathroom.  I didn't swiffer the floor (I was distracted by the laundry, which I also did) but the sink was cleaned, countertop dusted, and the toilet thoroughly scrubbed.  Quite thoroughly, as I worked out some frustrations while going after individual bacteria or whatever was there.  Also while doing this I was thinking of the expanding list of J! episodes on the Tivo, which is another thing to handle during the upcoming weekend with nothing to do.  Ha!

Survival

Final day of busy weekend was today, and I survived it.  The final one was our quarterly food pantry board meeting, and it was long but fine -- lots to discuss today, from the toy drive (yay), the upcoming re-registry process, mild changes to what we give people out of area/people who come twice a month, the need to find school supplies (oi), the usual.   It was just long, and I had low blood sugar (as I have had all night) I skipped the gym, came home, watched J!, and carried on with some paperwork.  Sigh.  Then of course I got caught up on stuff and now here we are...   At least all of the meetings and such are done, and now I just have work -- busy today and will be the rest of the week.  Phew.  I hate to say this but getting the weed-whacking done today between work and the OC meeting was... well, a smart choice.  Though, of course, it will grow again.  I keep reminding myself that the weekend cannot come soon enough, and there will be very little of having nothing to do, and I intend to do it.  :P

If anyone should be paying slavery reparations, it’s West Africa (msn.com)
This is a bold statement, but quite true, especially of how the Islamic world -- even today -- keeps slavery alive.  Nothing would amuse me more than for someone, somewhere, to bring a suit or make these claims publicly... course, it would have to happen here first, if at all.

Red Lobster Gets Stung By Endless Shrimp - WSJ
Two things.  One, the role of private equity firms in this cannot be stated enough, and no one is ever going to call them out for this or force some sort of changes to how they operate.  I am not sure what changes are to be made -- and that is part of the problem -- but something must be fixed.  Two... you know, for all that people may shit on the place, I have never had a bad meal there; on the contrary, most of the ones I have had were pretty good -- the biscuits, the shrimp, the fish, all properly cooked and delicious.  Bit pricey, but... worth it.  Maybe I should go back...

The real story of Bauhaus and the Nazis | The Spectator
Interesting...

A Modicum of Success

 So, the final part of my weekend triumvirate happened today:  the Cuyahoga East District Mass and Communion Brunch.  I skipped Mass to set up for brunch, but...servant leadership, as they say.  More seriously, I think it went well!  People seemed to like it -- the food, the get together, and some of the issues we discussed at the meeting that happened anyways.  Attendance was 30, wished we could have had more, and people sat by parishes -- we need to break them up -- but it was good!  We did discuss some things and I gleaned a few ideas I need to work on, always important.  I even took leftover food to the Polish lady I take Communion to (a decent touch).  Cleanup and set up were easy, mostly, and if we can keep this up... phew.  

Funny, after Communion taking I did a couple of errands and then -- because it was so nice out -- I cut the grass, which was quite overdo; should have weed-whacked but I was tired, as I was out and about all weekend (my sister, of course, mocked me for this, correctly, but it needed to be done).  I didn't really nap, though (a brief crash notwithstanding) I was a bit draggy for the afternoon.  I picked up as the evening wore along and of course now I cannot sleep.  Alas.  Amusing.

Interesting news out of Iran, and many are wondering if the Israelis had something to do with it, though flying around in a chopper in a fog in a mountainous area is asking for trouble.  Not that this happened to a more deserving person...

I guess the other downside of this busy weekend is that all of the stuff I wanted to do -- clean bathroom, laundry, vacuum, fill out budget, etc., was not done; hell, I forgot about the OC budget and our May report fill out for the Hunger Network.  There is no real why I should not have done this stuff, just sloth.   Alas.

First and Last

So, today at the food pantry was...mostly good.  160 was the count, as expected.  We were shorted on half of our produce order, so that was not good.  We did achieve our goal of getting rid of all the produce as there was much less to give.  The milk and the eggs and some bread arrived, and the first hundred or so got that.  Yay.  

The toy drive went mostly well; all who showed up with kids got toys, and even some people who didn't pre-register but had kids in the car (most clients don't bring them) got one.  Some clients came back and got them, also good.  Of course, many clients complained that they had kids and didn't bring them (none were registered on pantrytrak) or had someone else's kids staying with them...  now, all of us have been around the Village for a while, and ALL of us agreed that kids had to be present to get toys.  One, seeing the joy in a child's face... Two, this giveaway was from another group, and they wanted pics, etc., so... I like to keep people happy.  Three, all of us have seen clients pulling shit, like selling stuff they just got, etc., so... tough crap.  Of course, people bitched, so I am not sure we will do this again...

I did miss one bit of excitement; one client who had already been here this month was told he couldn't get anything, save for the supplemental produce bag, which was now amended to extra tomato soup and PB&J.   He didn't take it well; he put the bag under his tires and drove over it, sending the contents spewing.  Alas.  I think he is banned, though who knows what next month's manager will do.  We are dealing with Hope and Changers here, so...

Why Trump keeps dreaming he can flip Minnesota - POLITICO
I don't know; after yesterday's Kari Lake article and this, I would prefer a candidate who is aspirational and trying to win everywhere.  Yes, Trump has his flaws, but so does Biden, and Trump would do well to hit as many states as possible that are close; I think this will be a close election (though it should not be) and MN's 10 votes may be crucial, or at least nice to have...at the very least, making the Dems play defense somewhere allows us to succeed elsewhere, and the stakes are too high for us not to do so.

Links

 As you can see, it is late, but here we are, blogging away.  I worked a bit late, was graciously asked to help lead a meeting, and then went out with some friends after.  It was fun and nice to get away -- we even saw some kids in prom finery, which was impressive -- but on the other hand now here I am.  I do work from home tomorrow -- plenty to do! -- so I guess it is not a total catastrophe.

The DNC Is Preparing for the Worst in Chicago — Without the Help of the City’s Mayor - POLITICO
Could Democrats be that stupid again and have convention chaos?  Of course!  Will they?  Maybe.  Will it hurt them as much as the CW thinks?  That I am not sure; older people may be turned off but younger people might be enthralled.  I would also note that in most cases people hold their noses and vote anyways (why I am skeptical of the Haley vote going to Biden), so even if there is convention chaos, Dems will come home -- as will the GOP.  There is the independent vote to consider, but that number is decreasing.

Kari Lake keeps giving Republicans new reasons to worry - POLITICO
This could be me, but shouldn't this seat be considered as important as Ohio's?  Gallego is on the air and defining himself; to me, the national GOP and others -- whether they like her or not -- should be countering that.  We might not win in Ohio or Montana or elsewhere, so ALL seats must be considered to be in play.  God forbid we win 5 or 6 seats or something.

Fat people are costing us all billions. It’s time to get tough (msn.com)
I largely agree, and I am not so surprised this is coming from the UK, where they have the NHS and all; it does affect their tax dollars directly, so people in turn are going to be miffed and want to pay less... not that they will want to eat less or get off their duffs.  In the US, of course, our health care bills are often divorced from us and reality, and aside from the general platitudes about health, there is no incentive to drop a few pounds.  Alas.

Unexpectedness

Long day today; worked late to get a grip on one of the projects (which underwent further revision, albeit somewhat more clarification), and then had to rush to the OC, as someone had left toys in the storage room (the fallout shelter!) for the Hot Meal.  So I made sure I went over there and salvaged them -- four boxes of games and such, nothing too exciting, but new, unopened, and available.  Might come in handy Saturday.  I made an unpleasant discovery; I heard a rattling, and something was in one of the traps in the food storage room.  I mean, it is good that we caught the thing, but after four months... well, to have a visitor was NOT pleasant.  I did write the exterminator to come and lay more traps; I guess I need to find more holes to fill, though the gaps in the garage door -- which we cannot fix, save for installing a new one -- could be big enough for a critter to enter through.  Sigh.  I may buy some as well, just to expand our coverage and get rid of them; like Democrats, you have to eradicate at first glance or else... you're stuck with them.

I must admit I am vastly surprised by the continuing contretemps in Broadview Heights; this could be me, but if you have tell people -- with great hullaballoo -- that you are inclusive, you really aren't, are you?  I would love to see new leadership in the city, and if this is what brings it about...well, I am going to be almost sad.

When I got home tonight it was the usual -- emails, paperwork, and follow-ups, accompanied by the PBS special (as a Republican, I feel somewhat dirty watching it, but if I can do it for "Downton," I can do it for something educational) about Pompeii, which was quite interesting -- hard to believe there is so much of the city yet to be excavated, and the interesting (and sad) things they keep finding in what they do excavate.

Sighs

Interesting day; got a couple of new projects at work, which were followed by multiple modifications of said projects, as well as shifting due dates.  This was meh as it is -- understandable but no fun -- but then I had a bunch of difficulties downloading some of the data files; namely, they were too large for converting to Excel, and I couldn't figure out/wasn't allowed to break them up.  I just put them in PDF form and will have to manually search them to find what I need.  Oi.  Then it was off to the gym (there was leftover pizza at the office and I felt fat) and then home.  Tivo'd J! and have been too busy to watch, alas.  I have quite the collection of shows, and I will eventually get through them, to say nothing of the Masters, which are hour-long affairs and thus are... well, I have to block out time.

The Democrats Have a Joe Biden Problem | The New Republic
Isn't this everyone's problem?  I do find it humorous that if the New Republic notices this, I can only imagine what John Q. Voter does.   I would say not good economically, but the rest... that is a problem.  I can still see large numbers of undecideds (in so far as they exist) breaking for incumbent due to infanticide, "democracy," and Trump fatigue, all of which are somewhat legitimate.  Somewhat.

Also funny; my plan to get through the paper pile on the kitchen table has been progressing -- in so far as it does -- slowly due to the general busy nature of my life, and the plan to get through bookmarks and such has been equally truncated.  Some of these are links related to my side hustle -- on which I have been putting in some work these past few nights -- and until I complete those writeups I cannot delete them.  I hate to say it but I am looking forward to Memorial Day weekend so I can devote some time to doing absolutely nothing but reading and watching films.

I realized today that I have a Communion breakfast this weekend and a pile to get ready for the toy drive.  I am fond of saying sometimes my life is not my own (every parent says hold my beer!) but this week is one of those times where it is especially apt.

Hot Meal Fun

 Well, that was a mostly exciting game, aside from the part about the Cavs not winning.  Funny; I barely watched the team during the season, and now...playoffs baby, I guess.  I was actually only home for the second half, as I was graciously invited to the quarterly Hot Meal meeting.  I am not sure that I was needed at the meeting, though it was good to see who was involved (some of our parishes are hot meal only, and some have different people involved in food bank operations), and they got to see me.  I told them about the other hot meals parishes/pagan churches on, and how we have similar issues -- rising costs, rising demand, etc.  This could be me, but a lot of our clients... well, the sense of entitlement is a bit much; I think fourths and tupperware containers for extra food is... well, right out.  At least we can afford what we are doing... for now.

A “Restaurant Apocalypse” Is Starting To Sweep Across America, And That Is Really Bad News For The U.S. Economy (substack.com)
Dare I say a bit of nuance is required?  I think a lot of people are doing well; if your house is paid off and you are working you are in great shape!  If you are working and have minimal debt (like me) you are ok; you notice costs and can deal with them, even if you are frugal (like me) and can reduce your exposure.  But for the bottom third, of course, this is something you cannot avoid...now, of course, most of these people voted for Biden, and they are getting it, and deserve it, but they will also keep voting for Biden, and.... alas.

Opinion: With Biden versus Trump, Catholic voters face a spiritual crossroads (msn.com)
This could be me, but when you have a Catholic president who says he is a Catholic, but never seems to endorse any doctrines or Church teachings...well, there might be some people who reasonably conclude he isn't actually Catholic, or a Catholic in name only, and thus that is something of an anathema, thank you very much.

CBS's Robert Costa Begs Bill Maher to Stop Mocking Lefties, Just Hit Republicans (newsbusters.org)
First thing I noted when I saw the headline is that he used to write for National Review, and was a good one, too... and now...alas.

Rest

 After the busy weekend, it was good to do... well, less.  My sister surprised me and showed up at Mass today, so we went to breakfast at the Chimney afterwards, which was good as always.  Favorite Niece was in town but slept in, so she didn't join us, though we did get her a side of hash browns to go.  It was good to catch up with my sister, not that we don't stay in touch, but...  then it was off to the OC, gym, and brunch with some friends.  It was well over three when I finally returned home and then it was off to do some contract work.  It was quite nice, and there were plenty of interesting things to learn -- always good.  Now, of course, I cannot sleep, but that is hardly new anymore...

Sad news about the police officer in Euclid; as always, I am shocked and appalled that his murderer was even out on the street.  I realize prison is about redemption, in some ways, but how many times do we read of career criminals being out on the streets and then going on to commit more serious crimes?  Oi.  Have we not learned the lesson that some people simply need to be put away forever?  

It was Mother's Day today....funny how one adapts to the fact that Mom isn't around anymore.  I was joking today about how I could have honored Mom by going out to eat, hitting the casino, or that sort of thing, but I didn't.  Maybe I should have but of course the casino has no charms for me, and I had plenty of grub at home.  Or, as my sister helpfully suggested at breakfast, there is always time for a rain check.  Sigh.

Catching up

 Busy weekend, as evinced by the fact that I am just getting home now and blogging.  Today was an early start, as I had OC duty.  The crowd ended up being ok -- 119 -- but we had shitty weather for most of it; rain, often heavy, windy, and cool -- so much so I ended up getting one of the space heaters in the back to dry off.  The clothing racks could not be put out, a bummer as we had plenty of them.  Also, I had plenty of handouts for next week's toy drive, which we didn't need, as the people we thought would come did not. I guess I had made too many.  Alas.  I still think we will be able to give them away, but...at least all the produce went (not that we had a lot), stuff was rotated, and the mission was done.  Phew.

Wedding after, and while it was fun, it was very tiring, as I was out and about all day and night.  And, on the heels of last night's Four Eagles Dinner... well, Mattie could use plain fare, plenty of rest, and plenty of quiet.  None of these are especially forthcoming in the next few days and weeks, but we will make do.  I may nap tomorrow, though I will probably just drink five cups of coffee instead.

At the wedding today a couple of people told me about the story from St. Thomas More in Brooklyn, how a convicted pedophile is cantoring at Mass.  While on the one hand I can see the point -- he is not with kids, he is front of everyone, everyone deserves a second chance -- the optics, at the very least, are incredibly poor, and as always...I find it fascinating (but not surprising) that no one downtown thought to say "Gee, this might not be a good idea, which leads me to wonder who is actually running things...

Restlessness

 Last night was not good; I just could not fall asleep.  I went to bed at 12 or so but it was 2 before I fell asleep, and even then it was not fitful, as I got up a few times.  Oi.  I was definitely feeling it today, with some cramps and discomfort, and a general sense of blah during the day -- a couple of extra cups of coffee for sure.  I intend to hit the hay soon, and while I may do a gym double tomorrow... if I sleep in a bit, it will be ok.  This is depressing, as I have a busy weekend and I need the proper and sufficient rest.  Alas.  We march on.

I am fascinated by the drama in the House with MTG and Speaker Johnson.  I find it interesting that Dems are working to save his speakership, one because he did the right thing on Ukraine, and two because he doesn't have the dishonesty of McCarthy (which seems to have affected equally on the left and on the right). It could, of course, be his personal religious views that are driving this -- it certainly hasn't been claimed by any of the articles about him, which doesn't surprise me, given who is writing them.  It is odd.  Of course, as the Dems do not have a majority, and I don't see anyone crossing over to vote for Jeffries, I think he can hold on, at least until the next election.  If we still have the majority then... who knows.

I decided to treat myself after work and went to Slim Chickens; it is a fast casual chain, specializing in fried chicken (tenders, wings) and such.  It was quite good -- decent portions (I will switch out the fries next time for a less heavy side) and I think I got more value for my cash there.  Now, I wouldn't eat there all the time, but... another thing. I was one of three people who ate inside; I counted 14 cars in the drive-thru and three DoorDash types.  I realize the rain -- quite a contrast from yesterday -- might have compelled people to stay inside, but it is a very odd thing to see, even after all these years.

I put the Cavs on late (forgot they were on) and I thought it was a typo; impressive win.  Hearing that the Celtics missed 16 of 17 threes in one stretch reminded me of the Duke offense, where -- whether they felt they were able to make them or not -- they would keep shooting, no matter the score, and usually it ended poorly.  That said, if the Cavs can keep this up...

Argh!

 At no point during my day could things have been described as "smooth."  First, I took the Behemoth to Safelite to have the windshield replaced, and... well, there is some rust by the windshield (the cause of the crack!) and they won't do it; the options are to have it repainted or go to a place (not Safelite) that will fix it.  I have an oil change next week, and I can discuss the options my car care professionals, but...oi.

Work was fine, actually; they want me to add a second screen -- I will try anything once -- and while the usual issues continued, I had a good meeting with my new supervisor and we went over a bunch of things, long- and short-term, which left me feeling good.  I worked late (catch up on stuff in advance) and then decided to treat myself to Panda Express -- it has been a while.  It was... ok?  I guess I had orange chicken with rice last time; this time I had the veggies, and it was surprisingly spicy; I expected sweeter, I guess.  Not sure it was worth $13 and change, either.  Alas.  I also went to Lowe's to get a new mailbox (sigh) and then Meijer to buy a vacuum.  When I got home, my plan to quickly remove old mailbox and install new one went awry; had trouble finding tools, for one.  Next, the old mailbox was really on it; I bent a hammer trying to get the old fasteners out.  The wood shims used to hold it in place fell off -- rotted, too much damage, who knows.  This was a problem, as new mailbox is slightly larger than the base mount.  I was able to screw it in on one side and gorilla glue it on the other (getting it on my index finger, joy) so it sort of works.  For now.  I suspect the next snowplow season will kaput it, but maybe the city will replace it...plus it took longer than I expected, so no assembly or use of new vacuum.

At least I was able to complete some grant applications, catch up on food pantry paperwork, and ID a few more websites and addresses to switch.  I need to close out the old account -- sigh! -- and I may do that this weekend.  Also finished book 15, The Dead of Winter, which looks at how Belgian civilians look for (and locate) our WWII dead from the Battle of the Bulge.  Hard to believe that so much military material is just lying in the fields and woods there, even now.

Also annoying:  not only did a new Games Magazine arrive -- not even half done with the old one -- but the local free paper came with a very solvable brain teaser... and of course it two days past the day the solution was due.  Oi!  As I have yet to use the gift I got from when I won a couple of months ago... well, it is the principle of the thing!

Crypto Exchange FTX Is the Rare Financial Blowup That Will Repay Victims in Full - WSJ
I realize the chance of this happening is slim and none, but couldn't SBF have an appeal here, as how could there be any fraud if the victims (mostly) got their money back and then some?  I know I have mentioned that I always felt he could said there was no intent, I am just an idiot (and as vegan Democrat, easy to believe)... but it must now sit well with him in federal prison knowing that many of these people will make out ok in the end.

Can Trump be Trumped?

 Is it me, or is the Trump trial not exactly going well for the guy?  I mean, first is the constant threat of contempt and jail; I know it is completely against his character, but keeping one's head down and quiet might be an asset about now.  The testimony from the campaign staffers isn't exactly a slam dunk in his favor -- even if you favorably spin Hope Hicks' testimony.  And then today there was the Stormy Daniels experience, which, no matter you may think of her, didn't exactly spin the guy in a positive light.  I am not sure that any jury -- much less one in NYC -- will be able to split the difference between worry about the wife and payola for the Presidential campaign.

‘F46 LGB?’ Federal lawsuit claims Ohio license plate request has nothing to do with Joe Biden, or Brandon - cleveland.com
This could be me, but -- aside from the whole First Amendment thing -- wouldn't we be better off in selling these things to the highest bidder?  Certainly you could make a bit of cash for the state, which they could use (poorly).  More to the point, how do you decide how anything could be vulgar and offensive in this day and age?

Evangelicals Hate Stormy Daniels But Love Trump. Here’s Why. - POLITICO
This is... interesting.  I don't really buy it, and the Catholic in me... well, this is somewhat foreign, mainly because we do not read the Bible, of course.  (Snark!)  I can't really reconcile these two things, the man of God and the virile, lying, cheating, warrior, and I have a sneaking suspicion we would all be better off if we ditched this sort of thing.  

Technological Pretensions

I sort of had a backwards day... I didn't realize I had an MD appointment today until they called this morning and asked if I wanted to move it up, so I worked through lunch and went there... it's at the Ahuja complex on the East Side, and if there is one thing I learned, it is that we now know why our medical care is so expensive, as that place is a fricking palace that makes City Hall look like a log cabin.  I didn't feel badly getting a free cup of coffee, let me tell you that.  At least my health is fine!  Then, after an interesting drive home (I do not miss driving on the East Side), I worked til 6 to make up the time.  I then did some much-need weed whacking (first of the year); I should have prolly cut the grass, as my neighbors did, but there is only so much time in a day.  It does look quite nice, and I would like to think I reached the line where I cannot mow with the riding machine.  Then I watched J! (but not the Masters) and off to the gym.  It was good to lift and get a chest workout in, good to ride the bike (an excuse to get some reading done is always good) and I reflected upon the stuff I need to do, both long term (house crap) and short term (like buy a new bathroom, upgrade my wardrobe and shoes, etc.).  We all know how much I love lists, so I may as well make one.  The short term I should start handling; maybe not all at once, but one or two action items a month is fiscally doable.

One action item I did take care of today was getting my windshield fixed.  The crack is long, and water drips in, and as I hope to keep the truck a few more years... well, I called Safelite, and while of course the cost is just under my deductible, they can get it done (hopefully) Wednesday.  I would not say the process was terribly smooth; you make the appointment online (they have a site across the street from my workplace) and then they call you and your insurer to determine coverage.  A bit odd, and of course my first call disconnected, and the second was... comprehensive.  But it was done.  For some reason I decided (later on) to call the cable people to see why my Tivo isn't recording or deleting programs.  That went... well enough?  I realize I am talking to an AI bot most of the time, but it took quite a while for he/she/it to figure out the problem, and of course my cable box froze while troubleshooting.  For now, though, all is working normally.  I hope.

I watched Tim Burton's "A Nightmare Before Christmas" today; one because it is on the National Film Registry (832) and two because it was due tomorrow at the library.  It was... interesting, I will give them that.  I think it is fair to say that I am not exactly the target audience.  Actually, I had trouble trying to figure who was the target audience; not quite a kids movie, but more for adults who are fans of Burton as it is?  The story was fine, and the animation was interesting, but...I am not sure what was the point, other than the fact that he could.

Rain on the Parade

 We had Mass for my grandparents on my father's side today, and it was... fine?  I picked up my aunt (a bit out of the way) and a couple of my cousins made the trip from Medina to the Shrine... we took the gifts up, which was a bit nerve-wracking but ultimately successful, and then we all hit the Chimney for breakfast.  One of my cousins is getting a divorce, and as no one in the family likes the guy, there is general happiness.  I do feel badly for all involved, but... well, these things happen, I guess.  But still sad.

One of my friends' sons was in town for the afternoon -- he is a flight attendant -- and he wanted to hang out for a bit and catch up.  This was fine, but his hotel was downtown -- when multiple sporting events were occurring.  I went down there and found a spot on Lakeside where they have those app-based things on the parking meters.  I wasn't sure about this, but... the spot I picked was free, which surprised me, given there was sportsageddon going on.  As for the getting together, it was fine...good to see a young man growing up, but it is a little odd that people think of me as providing moral guidance...

One thing I didn't do was the laundry pile or the bathroom cleaning, which is not that surprising... I did some more research work, which I wanted to do, and then I took a nice long walk outside; despite the threat of rain, it was good to meander a bit and catch some fresh air...hard to believe that spring is finally here, maybe because there was a week of crappy weather just three weeks ago.  I did note it was the Polish Constitution Day parade, and there is always rain on that one, which is why I avoid it...

Progress Of A Sort

 I don't know... I wanted to get to 1,800 posts by my birthday, and while I think I can, I need a month of posts, and there is slightly more than a month to my birthday, so... I will need to post pretty much all the time, which I should be doing anyways, of course.

Food pantry duty today, and I was one of the co-managers.  Actually, it went quite well; we had plenty of volunteers and the people were... not so crazy.  The count was 159, so with the exception of two squashes, we gave away ALL of the produce (including some old stuff).  Actually, only about 12 clients took squash; the rest were given to supplement produce bags as we ran short.  All of the bread went, while we went through exactly half of the frozen meat I ordered.  As planned.  While it looked sketchy, we put the clothing racks out, and aside from a few sprinkles, it stayed dry, which was fine, as we gave away plenty of stuff.  This was good, as more is coming.

Even better news; not only did the contractor confirm for the Communion breakfast, but I may have found a partial sponsor, and one of the parishes on the East Side we are trying to get back into the Order called me tonight and they are planning on attending.  Phew!  It would be nice to get them back in, for many reasons, from PR to geography, to say nothing of the Matt desire to add new members.  Course, getting this brunch off would be meritorious enough, sort of.

That was quite the Kentucky Derby; close and exciting race, just what people wanted to see (even if the photo finish took a bit long to call).  The star power I saw was... an interesting mix, I will leave it at that.

I have yet to watch any of the 82 movies I have wanted to, which is a problem, and my reading is also lacking (I did some contract work today -- I have a bathroom to pay for!).  I think I can finish a book and a movie tomorrow, which would be an accomplishment, but not really, given as it is stuff I should be doing.

Links

 My streak of blogging ended last night, as I had dinner with a friend.  Funny; he suggested Brew Garden in Strongsville... and the neither of us drink.  I had an interesting -- and quite good -- beet salad with quicken; I really liked it.  It was just nice to sit, eat, and shoot the shit for three hours.  Odd, because once I got home, I couldn't fall asleep; I went to bed at 12 but it seemed at three I was still up.  Very depressing.  At least I had plenty of energy during the day... can't crash tonight or tomorrow, though!  Methinks I will hit the hay early -- or at least try to -- tonight, though I suspect I will just lay in bed again.  

Why Late Night Shows Won’t Roast Joe Biden - POLITICO
Two things; first, Greg Gutfeld has the top-rated late night comedy show, and it took them until the last paragraph to mention it?  That's laziness, stupidity, or both.  Two... they didn't stop to ask any of them what they will happen if they keep going easy on Biden; I mean, it's one thing to say he is a defender of democracy (yeah, sure) but it is another NOT to cover the basics, like he is senile and is prone to say stupid shit...for five decades.  I would be vastly amused if some guest -- even if not a GOPer -- went on their shows and called them out for it.

Why the FED Should Be Already Cutting - The Big Picture (ritholtz.com)
This is exactly correct, and again, you would think someone -- anyone -- would be asking the President, the Fed, anyone with even a finger on the levers of government -- about this.

Did Richard III Kill the Princes in the Tower? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
This is a fascinating article.  Hell, this is a fascinating tale, and people are still interested in it.  Indeed, this is one of the problems with history; not that the minutiae is not important or interesting, but if no historian wants to write about this, and some highly talented amateur comes in and does it... why carp?  Can't someone look in the mirror and say "Let's look at this?"  I saw the TV special about this and this is a book I would move up on my list...

Parishes turmoil as traditionalism sweeps US Catholic Church | AP News
God forbid people expect Catholicism at Mass.  More seriously, I think there is something to be said for this; yes, many people will not like the changes, but there are also plenty of people -- the ones who write the checks and do the work in the parishes -- who like and want these changes, and if more of those people start coming to Mass... we might just be better off.  I always say there is a way to be political, conservative, and orthodox at Mass, but of course... one has to be nice yet doctrinally correct.  I am not sure one priest in twenty knows how to do this, but much as the GOP is becoming a party of working people, so too can the Catholic Church be a church of... actual Catholics.

Transitions

Had our quarterly District Presidents meeting today for SVDP, and it was... good.  I had a full page of notes, and I just finished all of the followups related to them.  Didn't exactly solve some things -- leadership changes in the District, need to add parishes and members -- but I got some ideas as to how to proceed.  Our CEO is retiring in a week -- no replacement yet -- and our President is term-limited out in September, and we selected his replacement.  This is all fine, but we all know how I love change.  I suggested the President should accept the resignation of the District Presidents so he could choose his leadership team, which everyone was amused by.  Afterwards we chatted and I got some more ideas...

The Jeopardy! Masters tournament started today... the first game the questions were impressively difficult; the second, a bit easier, a bit less pop culture, and my score was higher...I mean, it should be harder, but when I am not getting as many correct, it is very, very sad.  At least I can get through the pile of old puzzle books from my mother... 

Biden’s Electoral College Challenge (msn.com)
Interesting analysis; I think this could change if his polling improves, but will it?  Gas prices and inflation are one thing, and the student protests should have a positive impression on the nascent GOP electorate, which appeals to the "poorly educated."  On the other hand, Trump can't get out from in front of himself, and the abortion question is something we have not resolved...  I will admit I am bemused by the MTG issue; it appears her machinations may save Speaker Johnson, and it seems to me she should have been primaried at the first opportunity...