Activity

Busy day today.  First, of course, work.  Then it was off to the quarterly SVDP District Presidents/Board meeting, which was long but informative.  I have 24 "action points" to follow up on; I had planned on doing that tonight, but I am leaning against it now, as everyone will think I am fucking insane if I send out an omnibus email -- or series of them -- at midnight (or later).  On the other hand, I am not tired, and I just made some coffee, so I could, or, better yet, create a bunch of drafts that I can send out bright and early tomorrow, not that that is any less fucking insane.

Then it was off to... Popeye's.  Yes, I had never been to Popeye's before, and as I was but 15 minutes away from the one at Lorain and 150th, I decided to go.  It was... interesting.  First:  the food is good.  The sandwich -- dare I say -- is as good as a CFA one, with good chicken and pickles.  Bit too much sauce, but a minor quibble.  Fries were good, too.  The experience, though, was a bit...discombobulated?  I went inside and I am not sure they are used to in-person service; lots of cars in the drive-through, and there were a bunch of pickup orders... so I ended up getting a meal and a side because I couldn't explain to the counter person that the meal deal could exchange a side.  Oi.  I wanted rice and beans, but they were out, and at first I couldn't get mashed potatoes, as they only had a large, and explaining that you could put half in a regular bowl... whoa.  Anyways, it was good, and I may try the chicken, but I will hit the Summit County location, not only for the lower taxes, but ideally the prospect of less dysfunction.

Then off to the gym for a long workout -- not very healthy dinner, you know -- and a longer stint on the bike, as I finished book 38 for the year.  Romance of the Rails, about how passenger rail -- from cross-country trains to passenger rail in cities -- is basically setting money on fire.  It is by a Cato Institute member, so there is that, but when you read about how Elon and Paulson want to save money...well, you can start there as well.

Texas Immigration Law Could Upend Immigration Enforcement | FRONTLINE
Interesting.  I rather like it; quite frankly, if the national government evades its responsibility to protect the border, why can't the states do it?  I do get a kick out of the fact that people always say that states are the laboratory of democracy, except, of course, when conservatives do it...

Trump Shows Up To Wisconsin Rally In Garbage Truck After Joe Biden Comments | OutKick
This is hilarious.  I have to admit -- Trump did luck out with Biden's comments -- but this thing, and the reaction, has slowed the bleeding from the MSG rally.  More to the point, this is pure comedy gold, trolling awesomeness, and good PR all in one.  Say what you want about the guy, he has a sense of humor, which may be a help, considering the Dems seem like petulant scolds.

‘All Trump, All the Time’: Inside the Trump Campaign’s Media Strategy - POLITICO
I need to listen to the entire podcast, but I think this is...largely correct?  Trump is better as a retail politician.  Getting out there -- even on untraditional media -- humanizes him and presents him to people who really don't follow politics.  The Cheney name is radioactive to most GOPers, and Trump should be mentioning their role in the Iraq war as often as possible -- Vance does it, but Trump needs to while mentioning his "He Kept Us Out of War" policy.

‘Frankenstein coalition’: Can Trump win Barstool and Bible-study Republicans? - POLITICO
Will this work?  Maybe?  I mean, the GOP has always been a study of difficult alliances -- free market types, neocon hawks, and the Moral Majority of a generation ago, for instance -- but as long as they were able to offer each group something, they stuck together.  Trump, for all his faults, can do that, so...

Late Linx

My plan to sleep early and get some rest foiled by low blood sugar, so here we are...  interesting day of politics, with the Trump rally in PA and his non-apology, which I obviously think is an error.  PA is the state he has to win -- like Harris -- and God forbid a turn of 20,000 Puerto Rican votes to be the cause.  I am not sure that any messaging could solve it, but to mitigate it at least...

Kamala Harris Surrenders in NC, Withdraws Nearly $2M Ad Spend
Interesting if true, and, to be sure, they could be convinced they are winning the state and canceled it for that reason.  My impression was that they thought NC was the reach state, so while it is not crucial for them...well, if they are putting the money in the Blue Wall, it might be for the best.  I guess I view MI as lost, but WI and PA...well, this is where the thing will be won.

Candidates’ supporters seek Pennsylvania's Catholic voters, whose votes may be crucial | AP News
I cannot imagine how any actual Catholic would vote for Harris, but of course, there are many not-so-practicing Catholics around, and they are...ripe for picking.  Of course, many Puerto Ricans are Catholic, another reason for...caution.  

Of course, Joe Biden now calls -- sort of -- Trump supporters "garbage."  Or, more accurately, is being accused by our side of calling them garbage.  I don't know if it will help -- hardly a basket of deplorables moment -- but it will help.

Satanic Temple plans Atlanta ‘Black Mass.’ What’s that?
Were I a betting man, I would say that they are all Democrats there!

Forward and Back

 Trump knows exactly what he’s doing by going on the Joe Rogan podcast - POLITICO
I have to admit, that yesterday all of the momentum Trump had was rather shot... I think the Rogan bit was quite good; again, not for the content, but putting himself out there for three hours to the Rogan audience (which is all over the place) and trying to get seldom voters to the polls.  Then, of course, there was the rally at MSG -- which, honestly, for the most part, was... good?  Certainly there were plenty of clips of a diverse crowd, and if some of the comments were a bit off... but the one about Puerto Ricans was a bit much, to put it mildly.  Especially now, in a close election, where Puerto Ricans could be voting for the guy, and now -- barring a turnaround -- won't.  This is certainly not the October Surprise we wanted.  Now, to be sure, Trump is doing an event in PA tomorrow with a predominantly Latino crowd, and he could apologize, but he will not, and that is a problem.  I mean, Trump -- by not sounding like a politician -- could pull off something plausible and sincere enough and stop the bleeding.  Of course, he won't, and that is the problem.  Sigh.

Jeff Bezos: No One Trusts Journalists and It's Journalist's Fault – HotAir
This is quite true, and I suspect that few, if any journalists, know this.  Or, more appropriately, they don't care, for reasons.  Now, until the GOP starts calling them out about it every time -- one of the nice things about Vance -- or even better simply stops showing up on their shows and answering their questions, this will never change.  Much like a Trump apology, it could, but it won't.

I didn't sleep well all weekend, and in consequence I am blogging early and trying to hit the hay early.  I suspect a night of seven hours of sleep may help, but...maybe not.  Hell, with Election Night one week away, and that will be a late night...

Quite the weekend for the Browns; mourning Jim Donovan, starting Famous Jameis, and pulling off an improbable comeback win against the Ravens.  While I would not say that the QB debate has been settled, not shitting the bed seems an acceptable standard for the entire franchise, and at least they met and passed that impossibly high bar, which is...something.  

The Main Event

Busy but productive day?  Woke up early for OC duty, which was fairly fine.  I expected a big crowd and we really didn't have it -- 108 -- and we didn't exactly clean out the produce (though most of it is gone).  Did have a lot of clothes move, which was nice...next month I am one of the co-managers, and the other co-manager and I discussed some of what we want to do -- empty shelves, get rid of the paper pile, that sort of thing.  We are definitely expecting good crowds the first two weeks, and maybe more... bit we will survive.

Then it was off to do some errands -- bank, grocery store, gym -- and I decided to lunch at Arby's.  I had a coupon, and honestly, I have not been there since before the pandemic, or at least since Mom died.  It was good; not sure it was worth $6, but it was nice to load up on Diet Dr. Pepper and enjoy some curly fries.  I got home in time to watch the last three minutes of tOSU.  Two main thoughts:  one, it was a head shot, and the guy deserved a penalty, but targeting?  Hard to say; I think it is very difficult to discern intent, especially on a replay.  Secondly, if that was the Nebraska two-minute drive...it was very underwhelming, if you get the drift.  I guess tOSU was good to escape with the W, but could it be that Nebraska was better than everyone thought?

After the game I listened to this:
BREAKING: The Trump-Rogan Podcast Just Dropped! (WATCH) – Twitchy

You know what?  It was entertaining.  Not sure it passed the smell test on facts, and it was something of a softie, but...1) can you imagine Kamala Harris doing a three-hour podcast?  2) Trump came off as...funny?  Interesting?  Knowledgeable about a lot of things that men would like, like fighting?  Does it help?  On the margins, probably.  I am not quite the target audience, but I can see how he would be for a bunch of people, and if they get to the polls...

Bemusement

Man, it has gotten cold quickly; yesterday it was quite nice, but today was clearly hoodie weather.  Not good.  I mean, it is the end of October, and winter is coming, but it was unpleasant and jarring.  Today has been some activity -- post office to pay OC bills, other OC paperwork and budget stuff, some medical reimbursements, a full day of work.  The table is somewhat less full of paperwork, which is good, and I intend to do the rest this weekend, if I can; I have noticed some piles of stuff I need to go through, and might have some time.  I also had a nice talk with the bathroom contractor and I am on the schedule for mid-November.  This is nice, sort of -- bit long of a wait, but maybe another rate cut to push the HELOC down.

In Nevada, immigration is a nuanced issue. But the politics of it is painted in black and white | AP News
Good article.  I often note that we don't do nearly enough to get Americans into the workforce, but as this one indicates, in many cases, they do not want to enter it.  Now, I wouldn't give them a choice -- you want benefits, you have to work -- but I am more than fully aware of the challenges there -- education, work ethic, health, child care.  I think I realize we would be extremely lucky if we got half of them into the workforce, but... there is something that it must be tried.  One, getting money into Social Security and local taxes would help.  Two, more US citizens in the workforce means fewer immigrants are needed, which seems to be the new goal, politically.

Democrats brace for a crack in Blue Wall and signs of North Carolina slipping
Maybe?  I don't see it; I guess I am more inclined to see a sweep by one side than a fracturing.  On the other hand... all of these could be in play for Trump.  PA due to fracking and the economy, MI with the war in Gaza, and WI (and all of the blue wall states) with its concentration of white working class voters.  Of course, the other side is mobilized, too; it all comes to turnout, which is why the lack of a ground game by the GOP worries me. 

Funny; someone knocked on the door and lo and behold it was a volunteer asking me if I wanted a Sherrod Brown door hanger... mind you, I have a Moreno sign in the front yard...  yes, I could be a tenant -- and Sherrod would know -- but it seemed to me that if they are knocking on doors in my area -- signage be damned -- they must be worried.

Newness

 Long day of work -- meetings, discussions, follow ups, etc.  You know what?  I didn't mind.  I skipped the gym, sadly, but it was good -- caught up on the back episodes of J! I saved -- and if I can get some paperwork done tonight (50/50) it might have been worth it.  More to the point, today reminded me a lot of what I used to at TFG -- problem solving and question handling -- without the craptasticness of everything.  That, I think, is good.  I also discovered my weekend might have a lot of less stuff to do, which would be good as well, as I can do some stuff like read or get through the backlog of films/links/articles.  I am behind on the reading goal, alas.  I often joke that the book like expands exponentially and the read list does so geometrically, but it should be glacially, and that is not so good.

‘They’re Just Over It’: How Trump Has Converted Male Frustration Into a Movement - POLITICO
I do find these articles interesting, mainly because the reporters who cover them seem to be only barely obvious as to why these things are.  I just hope it pans out on Election Day...

Inside Trump’s Sleepless, Exhausting Mad Dash to Election Day
Dare I say this is the way it should be?  I mean, on the one hand, I am impressed, the guy is 78 years old, and doesn't exactly seem to (or eat) in the healthiest way possible, but here he is giving 110% on the campaign trail.  Again, I hope it pans out on Election Day, but then you see/hear stuff like this, and you realize what it really means.  Then you see stuff like the McDonald's thing, and you have to laugh; this stage of the campaign, and this is what he is doing?  Is he trying to rake in all the chips?  But...PA is this close, and is the electoral prize, and this sort of thing is free publicity (important, given how cash-strapped we are, which boggles my mind), a free troll job, and, dare I say...something that brought out the crowd and maybe swayed a few voters?  If you don't have to win by a lot, just win...

I have this ingrown hair on my neck, sort of on the center of it.  Ok, I think it is still there; I pulled out a couple today -- if I cannot be Dr. Pimple Popper, I settle for this -- and while I got something (and even drew out some fluid), there is still something that I can feel when running my hand along it.  I don't want to poke too much with the tweezers and tear it up, but it is annoying.  I think there is something in my genetics that does not allow me to let things be...

Musings

 No post yesterday as I treated myself to a concert and saw Rise Against at the Agora.  Good show; played a lot of B-sides (or, at least, songs they don't play often), as well as some old favorites.  Got an hour of music, which was good.  The two bands in front were fine two -- Spiritual Cramp and Microwave.  Quite a bit of punk in the first, and the second was more of a Strokes vibe.  One amusing moment...they were giving a "get out the vote" speech, which was fine, and of course they drifted into... how they (and we) needed to be LGBT allies, supporters of women's rights to choose... and in my section of the crowd, there was a decided silence, and even a few boos.  I was amused, of course.  But it was good to get out, and I guess I should go out and spend some money and do what I enjoy myself once in a while.

Yesterday we also had Mass for my parents -- quite nice -- and then we (myself, my sister, my aunt, uncle, and cousin) went to brunch at LA Pete's; I had not been there in 20 years, and it was good.  Bit pricey, but good.  I seem to recall my Mom didn't like going there because it was pricey, but we wanted a table for five, which is a stretch at the Chimney...then off to the volunteer appreciation lunch at Church, which was fairly celebratory, as we had a good Festival, and I think we made good bank.  Of course, we needed to, as the big Raise the Roof fundraiser is up next...

Dare I say the Deshaun Watson injury was...wildly, and widely celebrated?  I was rather fascinated by this; on the one hand, Myles Garrett is correct, and no one should be pleased by this.  On the other hand...well, Deshaun is Deshaun, having not exactly performed well this year, and with his history... to be sure, they can't boo (more) the Haslams, so... I am not sure the Browns know what to do anymore, save for maybe going 1-15?  Or does Jameis rally them to something approaching .500?

Speaking of football...Notre Dame is, what, 11th/12th in the football rankings, and if they win out, will make the expanded playoffs.  I find this interesting, because... well, if this was hoops, wouldn't they be considered something of a bubble team?  I ask because unlike the other teams, they have a rather glaring loss -- NIU, who is 4-3 and 1-2 in the MAC.  (Vandy is ranked, so 'Bama has that in their favor, and it seemed that tOSU lost one spot from its loss.)  In college basketball, we would be calling this out, examining their SoS, etc.  Different sports, different perceptions, but I find it interesting that in football, the NIU game is forgotten, but in hoops, a November loss can have immense relevance five months later.

Trump’s Interview With the Economic Club of Chicago Was Epic – PJ Media
More, Please: 'Bussin' With the Boys' Answers Serious WaPo Inquiry Re Their Trump Interview – HotAir
I listened to both of these things, and while it was not exactly hostile territory, these -- like the McDonald's appearance -- show why he is a good candidate.  He's funny; not terribly so, but... in the first one, he is sparring with a semi-hostile interviewer (and a friendly crowd) and he is... gently sparring with the guy?  It's impressive.  The second... I wouldn't exactly say it was awesome, but it was humorous, and if you are not exactly a politically aware guy, you would definitely get a good vibe...given the general trend of the campaign, and its need to attract male voters, this isn't the worst way to do it.

Saving lives and reducing crime: Insights from peer-reviewed studies of 24/7 Sobriety and ideas for future research - Niskanen Center
Interesting.  I like it.  The study rightly points out the social costs of crime and drinking, and this could be one way to get people off the drink and into productive (economically and socially) lives, which would also save money.  I am not surprised it would be tried in the Dakotas, given their blue-collar/independent/GOP ways, where it might not be the best to be shoving a hunk of your blue-collar workers in the clink every other week (without good reason).

Milestones and Millstones

1900 posts, which I guess is a milestone, so hence I am posting in the middle of the day.  I crashed early-ish last night, and didn't set an alarm, so I got a full night of sleep, and it was glorious.  Anyways, I decided to take advantage of the last weekend (for a while) with very little on the schedule by hitting a place on my restaurant list.  So off I went to Cleveland Bagel.  It was...underwhelming?  First, there is no parking, and if you are not lucky enough to park on the street in front, you have to look around, and the place is sort of skeeball-y, if you get my drift.  Next, it is take-out only -- I should have checked this out, but did not -- we all know I hate to pre-scout, but here it bit me.  Then...they mucked up my order; I wanted a breakfast sandwich, a bagel with cream cheese, and a coffee...and I got just the bfast sandwich at first.  Eventually I got the rest of my order, and walked back to my car and drove home, where I discovered that 1) everything was just lukewarm and 2) my breakfast sandwich and bagel order had been originally mixed up, so I had a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel on a cinnamon-cranberry bagel with cream cheese.  Not a fan of the mix, so I had to scrape it off.  By then it was...good but not that good.  Indeed, I thought they suffered from "too much;" too much cream cheese, too much cheese, too much in one bagel.  I guess I had expected more and amidst the ballyhoo...it was just ok.  Alas.

It's also sitting somewhere in my digestive tract now; I realize I don't always eat like that, but...oh well.  It happens.

I am amused by the whole Browns moving to Brookpark thing.  I hate to say this, but I think the PD/cleveland.com has it right:  I will believe it when I see it.  No plans to move, no property, no funding lined up...and I think Mayor Bibb has done a good job on this.  If anything, he should call their bluff and start taking bids for the re-development of the Stadium site; nothing like telling the Haslams that they have to find a site by 2028 or else they will be playing in the remnants of the Muni lot.  Quite frankly, I don't think they will do a good job of lakefront development, but nothing like putting a twist in the knife out the door...  I think of course they want the Browns to stay downtown, but...I guess my sense of vengeance is something to behold.

Rest and Respite

 I hit the gym and did some grocery shopping/errands after work.  I hit Aldi (fruit, milk but they were out), Drug Mart (I will be home so I wanted their 3 for $5 snax, even though I weighed in at 181, so I should have skipped, but...), Walgreen's (prescription), and Acme (pop).  My first thought was that Drug Mart -- while a bit more pricey than most other stores -- really is a marvel, as they do have everything, and this was before Wal-Mart and the superstore concept.  But, our whole grocery store concept is what makes America so frickin' awesome -- in addition to the guns, the trucks, the free refills, the all-you-can-eat-buffet, the GOP.  You really can get everything in one stop.  If you shop around you can economize.  I realize my Euro-loving friends will tell me of the wonders of that shopping experience, and that is fine, but... this really cannot be beat.

Tony Bennett -- UVa coach -- retired today, and I of course immediately wondered if there was some scandal brewing.  So far, there is not, but there is the thing that has caused many other coaches to retire -- the new NIL concept.  I get that, to a point, but as I mentioned on Facebook -- if they are going to have a system for the players, you need to have one for the coaches, who have -- for decades -- been making millions, going from job to job, getting fired with generous payouts, etc.  This is a scandal in and of itself, and at the end of the day, part of the issue is that the "student-athletes" see this and are justifiably miffed.

My neighbor cut the grass today -- it was nice enough, and long enough, but not I have to cut mine.  Oi.  I guess I do not have to but it would drain out the rest of the gas in the mower, and it might look a bit nicer, so...I guess I was just surprised.

As we can see, my plan to go out tonight was cruelly dashed, which is fine; I read some stuff, answered some emails, went through some links, and did some moderately productive stuff from the comfort of my chair.  I think I am sleeping in tomorrow, but may do a lunch voyage, or something...

Catching up

Feeling very meh; not sure why.  Should go to bed soon -- right after this post, actually -- but it is probably for the best.  Work was busy but good and tomorrow will be the same.  I wanted to go the gym but then a friend asked me if I could meet him to play Pub Quiz at Saucy Brew Works... I had never been and said I would, even though I hate that area -- not really any parking.  And, of course, tonight, there was even less.  More humorously, my friend also didn't realize there was no Pub Quiz (I told him there are plenty of places to play closer to home with, like, parking, ahem).  He said not to eat there -- it was crap -- so instead we walked to the Harp.  It was quite good, and I am glad we went, and it was nice just to catch up and talk.  Funny; after dinner I sat in my car (the walk to and from the place was good for me) and caught up on some texts... then it was home.  I didn't realize how late it was, which is probably the sign of a good evening.

Kamala Harris is warning Polish Americans not to vote for Donald Trump. Many will. – POLITICO
Catholic voters favor Trump in most battleground states, according to new NCR poll | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)
Does Kamala Harris Have a Catholic Problem in PA? – HotAir
I get a kick out of articles like this.  On the one hand, the idea that any actual Catholic would vote for a Democrat blows my mind, but... ok, the Church is not an arm of any party.  As for the Poles...well, we are good, honest, moral people, so of course we are Republicans.  More seriously, I think these articles get it exactly right; the economy is #1, and Biden-Harris has not exactly done well there.  I still think the polls are not as close as they seem, but... again, if we had a more disciplined candidate, this thing would be over.

I was thinking of going out tomorrow -- maybe a bit of restaurant tourism -- but I am not sure.  One, I went out tonight.  Two, I still feel meh and a night of work/paperwork/catching up on bookmarks and links/early to bed might be ideal.  Three, I have a rare Saturday of nothing on the calendar -- and I am keeping it that way -- so there is the prospect of sleeping in then, hitting the gym, catching up on some work, and relaxing.  Inertia will probably win out, but something tells me it might be a good thing to treat myself before the busy season is on me again...

Train wrecks

After the delays of the weekend, I am posting early tonight, as I can go to bed early.  I note that I am feeling mostly fine -- not the hit by a train of last week -- but I think I can feel much better if I get some rest and live better.  I skipped the gym to finish up some work projects (and my blood sugar was low) -- bad for me -- but I did have a nice healthy dinner of salmon.  All of the Polish Festival food is gone so the diet is much more regular...I weighed in at 185 pounds -- exactly -- yesterday, and that was good enough, honestly, the way things are going.

I did watch the Harris-Baier interview on Fox.  Honestly, the Donald should be booking one on there tomorrow -- and do it for the full hour.  I get what she is trying to do, but it is bit...cloying how she goes on and on and doesn't answer the question.  Not that Trump is much better -- he does ramble -- but he could go on there and present a coherent alternative.  At the very least, he could give direct, 30-second answers -- while pointing out that she doesn't exactly answer anything.  Just saying, the Donald could make some points here, and if we really believe the election is that close (and I am skeptical), it could help.  Hell, just the sound bytes would be impressive!  Another good set of clips would be of her saying that Joe Biden never exhibited any mental decline...with clips of him showing mental decline.  These things do write themselves sometimes!

The Science of Why Your Body Takes Longer to Bounce Back After 40 - WSJ
Well, this is timely... but sadly real.  Yes the alternative is worse, but on the other hand...well, one would think medical science would figure out a way to arrest this or offset this somehow.  Not that we have solved the common cold...

City on Fire - The Atavist Magazine
Interesting -- I almost forgot about this!  They really should have hung more of these conspirators; I can see why they didn't, given the whole spirit of reconciliation, but, as I so often believe, we would have had fewer problems if we had simply lined more of them up against a wall...

Is Emhoff Disrupting the Democrat’s ‘Year of the Woman’? (substack.com)
This reminds of the Sherrod Brown wife-beating story; it was very damaging to the Dems and of course there was the full-court press to save him by burying the story.  Here, of course, we have the Second Gentleman accused -- and not denying -- hitting a woman, and...crickets.  Bret Baier should have asker her about that.

The return

 Five days without a post...ok, I was busy this weekend -- two weddings and a family party Saturday, which was... good.  Actually, I was "off" Saturday morning, so I did some errands -- bought shoes (new steel toes, tennis shoes, and work shoes), did some banking, did some grocery shopping, that sort of thing.  It was really quite nice.  So too was the wedding Sunday -- it was good to see long-term friends get hitched, but... it was an outdoor wedding at a site in Chesterland.  It rained during the ceremony, and I think my health was affected.  Namely, the cold/symptoms from the PF -- which disappeared Friday -- seemed to come back.  Anyways, last night I just crashed (or tried to), but I did have some sleeplessness.  And, dare I say -- it's cold out!  The house is cold, and the rain...well, it didn't seem to help with the general feeling of doom and gloom, either.  

Today I had a busy day of work (but a good performance review) and then I had a meeting on the East Side to possibly form another SVDP Conference... this would be good if it goes through.  They seem to have the drive and spirit, and are not exactly newbies at helping people, so... more seriously, it would be ideal if we (especially me) could get a few more parishes around them to get a good nexus of groups.  I have been neglecting my duties while crashing every night, and it is high time I get back in the game.  Sort of like my blogging...

Cocaine: a cultural history, from medical wonder to illicit drug | Aeon Essays
Interesting; I have always been amused that people turn to worse drugs (though not seem at the time) to solve such things as lack of energy, pain, etc... I guess in this way we are better; we test drugs for forever and drag up costs, but we try not to cause worse problems along the way...

Age of Invention: The Coal Conquest
Also interesting -- I love this sort of thing, that trees were less useful when crops were more valuable, and that was what caused people to look for alternatives, like coal...or, as Mom would say, this is why I am single...

Unchanged

I am not exactly feeling better, but not exactly feeling worse; I got enough sleep last night, and will be going to bed once I post here.  I had a decent day of work, cleaned out some emails and bookmarks, and -- because I am crazy -- decided to make a jello for a family fest this weekend.  I shouldn't be going, IMHO, but it is family, and well, they like, so... anyways, I decided just to make five layers today; I can apply the last two (the white and the surface purple) tomorrow.  Just have to freshen up the white and thus give them enough time to cool.  We will see how that works. 

Ohio expands SNAP eligibility and payout rules to ease ‘benefits cliff’ - cleveland.com
Dare I say this is a good idea -- certainly something I have heard about from my SVDP stuff, and it does keep people from working -- but it is half gesture until we get more people into the workforce.  Maybe this will help, but until you start taking benefits from people... 

Funny; not only do I have a busy weekend, but I have multiple requests for meetings and such next week, and the week after.  This is not a bad thing, but I have to schedule things as best as I can, and if I am not exactly feeling better... I will be in this state til Doomsday, and that is less than good, to put it mildly.

I have to admit there is some element of sadness and defeatism in that I turned on the furnace tonight -- even made sure I bought a new furnace filter when I got the jello supplies tonight.  On the other hand, a low of 40 is not fun, especially when I am feeling craptastic.  Winter is coming, and like it or now, this is the new reality.  Sigh.

Back in Action

So, no blogging lately...not sure why, but Monday night, I felt...like absolute dogshit.  I guess the Polish Festival really kicked my dupa more than usual, as I have had stabbing pains -- that I normally get when I do not have enough sleep, but MUCH worse -- ever since.  This, in turn, affected my sleep.  So much so that I was really dragging and asked my MD for some advice on what to take.  He suggested melatonin, so I went out and bought some and... well, between that and the pain pills... let's just say I went to bed before 10 and woke up (Sleeping through my alarm) at 8.  Oi.  That said, I guess I needed the sleep, as I have felt better -- maybe not good -- today.  Anyways, I intend -- once I finish this post -- to pop some more melatonin and hit the hay.  Tomorrow I hope I am better as I have much to do, as I have not really caught fully up with the stuff I didn't do this weekend, to say nothing of, say, watching the backlog of J! episodes.  Anyways, it is good to feel human again.

Yesterday I had some handymen over and the fixed the attic steps (I tested them twice) and installed new ones in the garage.  Bit pricey but I think it is worth it -- I can't do the stuff even when healthy, it's done, no mess, no fuss, and I may use them for the next mini-project of fixing the kitchen light... I still need to call the bathroom contractor, though as I joke, falling interest rates and delays are my friends here.

My sister is retiring tomorrow -- I am having trouble wrapping my head around that concept -- and they had a fest for her tonight at the casino in Northfield.  I went -- wasn't sure about it -- but I am glad I did, as it was fun (save for the casino part) and while I didn't feel great, I was able to plow through.  The food was just ok, oddly; the wings were good -- I couldn't recall the last time I had them -- but the nachos and chips were not spicy enough/too spicy.  I did gamble and lose $5, which was quite enough.  They seem to have a lot more of the digital slots... lots of noise, lots of graphics, and they cost more to play.  Not that people cared.  And, I will note, many of them were certainly of the retired set, so I don't ever want to hear about seniors and fixed incomes again!

After 2016, Michigan Democrats worry that Kamala Harris is ill-defined | AP News
Could be me, but not doing interviews and having opinions all over the place might be part of the problem?  I still think MI is hers to lose, but...I do like that the Donald is re-creating his 2016 campaign -- going where no one else has gone before.  It might just get the 5 or 10K extra voters in each spot that will put him over the top, and I think he will need those votes.

Inside Trump’s push to win over the ‘bro’ vote - POLITICO
Ditto!  Or, if you are losing women, you may as well try to run up the score with men, and if you can get men who normally don't vote to the polls...  again, I am not sure it is the best idea, but re-creating 2016 -- when I think he got the uninterested voter to the polls -- isn't the worst concept, especially if you think (and I have my doubts) that this will be close.

Mattie Survives

 It was Polish Festival weekend, and I was in the kitchen all three days.  It was not as exhausting as usual -- our Parish caterer and crew were there and things do move smoothly with them.  I was at the pierogi and potato pancake section -- as always -- and I can say that it was a very good Festival.  Busy all three days, ran out of nearly all of the big items -- some ham hocks (golonka) were left, as well as some pierogi and potato pancakes (which we can sell subsequently).  This is good.  As for me, I am tired but not terribly so, have plenty of leftovers, and am slowly going through all the stuff I missed this weekend -- the mail pile, the email pile, the link and bookmark pile, etc.  I also have several J! episodes to watch, which I will start tonight, hopefully.  The laundry is done and while I should wash the brownie pans...tomorrow is another day.

Bad Climate Socialism - by Hamilton Nolan - How Things Work
Interesting and I largely agree, but I also think that politically, it will never fly.  If you think about it, we usually do something like this -- think of the ACA -- where everyone subsidizes everyone else, like it or not.  But we should not be footing the bill for a million dollar second home...

Exclusive | Americans Are More Reliant Than Ever on Government Aid - WSJ
As a Republican, this is...appalling.  Even accounting for the fact that a lot of these former Dems who are now GOPers are swelling the ranks... this is still completely unsustainable, to say nothing of being embarrassing.  I do not think the Trump administration will attend to this, nor would the Harris one, so... buckle your seatbelts.

Interesting weekend of CFB; Bama, UT, UMich, and, sadly, Duke went down.  Crazy -- and awesome -- scene in Nashville, which was pretty cool, and the playing of the Saban clip about how there is no crowd noise at Vandy...well, the troll game was high, and awesome.

Labors

 Short post Tuesday, none yesterday... mainly because I was tired and busy, sort of like today.  Yesterday I helped make czarnina -- duck's blood soup -- for the Festival.  Mainly I helped move the heavier pots for the Polish ladies and kept everything washed, but I did learn some of the basics -- broth, pureeing the blood, adding the breast meat and the raisins and plums.  Not that I would attempt it on my own.  I would say that it is an acquired taste, and as the women told me, it is a southern Polish dish, not a northern one.  I just nodded.  Actually, most of the time it was all I could do, as most of the ladies did not speak English, so there was a lot of pointing, but...  

Today was brownie making day -- five pans today, five tomorrow.  I make the brownies first, then the topping while they were drying; not sure if it is the best way, but I was able to start the coating and topping when the first pan was completely ready, so that did save time.  I have to admit, I didn't make dinner after I was done...it was 8:30 or so, so I went to Marc's to buy pop (I deserve it after this weekend) and picked up Chinese takeout (not that I deserve it, but I thought of my father, and didn't want to cook again).  Actually, it was good -- saved some for lunch -- and it was nice to just rest a bit.

State law says you can’t drink at bars and carry a gun. An Ohio Supreme Court case could strike it down - cleveland.com
They were all over this on the Today in Ohio podcast, and my thought was...shouldn't this be the choice of the bar owner?  I mean, I think most would not want this, but some might.  Given that you could, or should, lose your liquor license over this... it will be an easy decision for most.  But, people should have the right to protect themselves, right?  Also, considering how they trumpeted Issue 1... killing babies is perfectly fine, but letting people bring a gun to a bar?  Heavens to Betsy!

Debate

Is it me, or was that an awesome debate?  Maybe the best I have ever watched?  Reasoned, no yelling, not much rancor, just two politicians making points (or trying to).  We rarely see this often -- for reasons -- but it was a change and a joy to behold.  Dare I say I think the pundits were right?  Vance won the first half -- stressing the economy, hitting Harris -- but Walz (aided by more favorable questions) won the second.  He didn't look as crisp or as focused as JD, so a narrow win for Vance?  I would think the GOP would be more pleased -- stopping the bleeding, if you will -- and it certainly showed why Trump picked him.  But I also do not think it moved that many voters at the end of the day.

What Democrats Don’t Understand About J. D. Vance (msn.com)
Dare I say this is also largely correct?  

Got my haircut today -- not quire ready for it but I do wanted a clean look for the upcoming fests.  My stylist not only swept up the hairs, but blew them off with a hair dryer.  I don't recall her doing that before, but as I was wearing sandals, I could not help but think this was probably a wise idea...