The Long, Lost Weekend

Something of a hiatus, for reasons, so...let's catch up.  Saturday was OC duty -- not too bad, not terribly busy, and for once the pain in the rear clients were early in the day.  We still had 519 clients for the month, which is...impressive.  Anyways, then it was home a bit and then back to the Village for the Nite at the Races -- one of our fundraisers for the new roof.  I was running the kitchen, though as we had food brought in, it was mainly keep warm, plate, and serve.  Dinner was in the Ironman Center of CCC (instead of the social center) and while it was a pain to move stuff there, it is newer and nicer.  I would say the event was a success -- 116 dinner tickets sold, about 100 overall, cash bar, several gift baskets, a wheelbarrow of hooch, etc.  Fr. did make the comment that the roof will cost $1.75M, our fundraisers net about $30K each, so... we have 58 events.  Oi!

Sunday was Mass and then I helped out at a Communion breakfast, which was fine, but for some odd reason -- probably heat and tiredness -- it kicked my ass, and I didn't do nearly as much as I wanted to do.  I did catch up on some reading/links/websites, which was fine, but...  my plans to hit the hay early were slightly modified when two friends -- one after the other -- came over to discuss the stuff of life and get my take on issues.  Yes, it was amusing, but I hope I was able to help.  Anyways, I went to bed at the normal time but then I couldn't sleep.  Alas!

Today was...long.  Lots of stuff to do, for reasons.  Also, we have had some layoffs, including on my own team, and now I will be having additional duties.  Some I think I can do, some not sure; some of those were involved today, as we were trying to find stuff on the drive to put in a report.  The person who maintained them is gone, and I am doing a Humpty Dumpty impression.  Much to do and learn, and not exactly a lot of time do it.  But... I am still employed, and I think I can handle it -- I just need to learn!  Anyways, it was a long day putting stuff together (J! is still on Tivo), and in consequence I just hung out here tonight.  Alas.

The Welfare Trap: How They Bought Your Obedience for $642 a Month
This is exactly correct -- I say it all the time myself -- and now when we in the GOP have a chance to try and change it... oi.  It is quite depressing and for those of you who believe that both political parties are actually the same one... this is more than enough evidence to do so.  I mean, look at the bribes we are pulling to get Murkowski on the board; you would think someone would say that if Alaska can't fix their SNAP system, it is their problem, and we in OH and elsewhere shouldn't have to pay for it, but...

Mattie Muses

Long week -- work, life, other things -- and there is the prospect of a busy weekend.  This is good in that I like to be active, but bad in that it would be nice if I could stay home, read, and do things.  I finished book 25 tonight -- a biography of Andrew Foote, one of the first naval heroes of the Civil War -- and it was interesting; the author took pains, I think, to stress the "conventional" message of the war -- Grant (and Foote) wanted to be aggressive, Halleck did not, and it was bad for the war effort.  I think it is largely correct, to be sure, but... on the other hand, the evidence is not totally there.  To be sure, for Foote, the naval issue was that you had to be careful with the ships; they could be damaged, and you could NOT let them get disabled, drift down the Mississippi, and be captured by the Rebs.  I think we tend to forget that -- they didn't want to do anything to alter that advantage they had on the water.  Anyways, one downside of this is that my reading and going through stuff meant that house cleaning will be delayed until tomorrow.  Alas.

Justices’ nerves fray in Supreme Court’s final stretch - POLITICO
Well, no one will be complaining about ACB anytime soon.  :)  OK, maybe not, but you get my drift.

Supreme Court OKs opt-out for LGBTQ+ materials in school - Live Updates - POLITICO
I don't know; this could be me, but I think the Marylanders went too far -- too young, too much -- in letting this content in, and that didn't help.  And, when you start talking about respecting tolerance and diversity, you then have to recognize the religious views of people who might not want their kids to be exposed to this.  Indeed, they already put out a release saying... the exact opposite.  One could argue that this is an extension of the "Trump is for you, Kamala is for they" argument, and I think they are correct.

Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy: The ‘Trump Doctrine’ Remains Elusive After Iran Strikes, Scuttled Trade Talks - WSJ
Much as if you have four fifth starters you have no fifth starter...does he have one?  Ok, I think that is a bit unfair.  While I am not sure that anyone will ever truly know what he is feeling and doing, the man -- when he does commit -- really commits, as the Iranians (or, today, the Canadians) found out to their detriment.

Relief

Well, it was slightly cooler today, though at times you could not tell.  I really do need to schedule the HVAC tech visit, as well as a half-dozen other things. There is also a holiday weekend coming up, so I do need to start squeezing stuff in.  Adulting is hard sometimes.

Listened to Amy Acton at the City Club today; let's just say it was a very favorable audience.  It was noted her negatives are low, though I would argue that is because no one has come after her yet.  To me, the funny thing was that for all of the talk about bringing us together, it was her actions (in some good part) that tore us apart -- literally and figuratively.  I am on record that I am not sure about Vivek, but if he can portray her as yet another insider, it might be an easier run for him.

Five Takes on Bombing Iran - by Glenn Harlan Reynolds
Dare I say that this is 110%?  I mean, after the years of Biden and his obvious mental decline, this is almost antiseptic in comparison; one quick strike, done with stealth and surprise, and so far something of a peace is holding?  Again, I think this is a best-case scenario that he has created, but... it is better to be lucky than good sometimes, like this one.

Interesting result from the NYC mayoral race...I think he can win, and probably will, and then what?  Will the city's Jewish residents move?  What about the Wall Street types who might be the ones paying the taxes?  What happens then?  If we had any brains in Ohio, we would working to attract some of these migrants, but of course, we all know what I say about that.  Sigh.

Catching Up

Long time since I posted, so... let's catch up.  Saturday night we had a family poker fest -- my jello came through -- and while we were playing, it was announced that we had bombed Iran.  My first thought, of course, was that I hope the man knows what he is doing.  And, so far... he has?  The Iranians reacted very minimally, a cease fire may be working, and maybe we destroyed the sites, or at least damaged them?  I think he walked a fine line here, but... if he pulls this off, he deserves the credit.

Sunday was Corpus Christi, and it was beautiful; the Mass was fine and the procession was wonderful.  Beautiful altars and the homilies were cut just short due to the weather.  It was quite hot (I joked I was going to die Saturday night) but it was just cool enough -- and enough of a breeze -- so that it was uncomfortable but not terribly so.  The only downside was that I got dragged into speaker duty, and of course no one liked how and where I put the thing, not that it worked all that well anyways.  Oi.  One of these days I will not do it and I will really enjoy the Feast!

Sunday night I went to a dinner at the Filipino-American Cultural Center; it was a buffet catered by a local Filipino restaurant, and we all know how I love to expand my culinary horizons.  It was quite good -- lots of interesting dishes and wonderful desserts -- so much so that I would go to the restaurant as well (my sister is less than thrilled).  I also bumped into a couple of former coworkers, which was good (always nice to see happy couples).  I probably ate too much, but... as I noted, it was a buffet, and I tried every dish, and the fact that I liked it...

Monday and Tuesday...well, it has been very hot.  The AC does work, but the thermostat does not, so I have been manually controlling it; I figure I will call a tech today or tomorrow (they are busy and I am surviving for now) and set something up.  I went out today at 9 to put stuff in the compost pile and get mail and you could see it was still unpleasant.  Should be better through the week, but now there are a threat of storms...

Last nite I went to see Brand New at Jacobs Pavillion.  Yes, I was in the pit (close) and so I stood and sweated for four hours.  They started late -- oi! -- but no opening act, and went for nearly two hours (at least 90 minutes).  No "Jude Law and a Semester Abroad" (bummer) but quite good; as with a lot of bands, they'd play something and you are like "Yeah, that is a good song."  Certainly there has been a lot of... controversy regarding his, um, allegations about his personal life.  (I know some people have strong opinions!)  But, the subject seemed not to come up...no one in the crowd mentioned it, at least, and that surprised me.

I was thinking two things... one, they are creating a neighborhood down there, with apartments, pot dispensaries, etc.  I have to admit it's pretty cool, especially if you can work from home.  There is certainly a lot of cool stuff to do around there.  This got me to thinking that there are plenty of fun things to do in the CLE and I should probably do them this summer.  June is almost done and... well, summer and life go quickly nowadays.

The Semi-Breaking Point

 You know how I was saying that I have been stressed out about things, and that I have a list of stuff that needs to be fixed or repaired?  Well, yesterday I had a couple of more!  While driving to the gym, the car alarm went off on the dash -- I now have a tire pressure sensor fault warning.  Oi.  To be sure, I know plenty of people who never get these things fixed, but I should probably get around to doing it.  As my father liked to say (and I do too), whatever it is, it sounds expensive.

We have a family fest this weekend, and that means seven-layer-jello, so last night was devoted to that purpose.  I am not sure what happened -- I think the milk layer didn't fully settle with the heat -- but when I put the second jello layer on, it literally smashed the milk layer, creating an unsightly mess.  Oi!  I decided that the solution was to let the milk layer sit longer AND to apply more of it, and the rest of the way... it looks beautiful (though I will need to put some ice bags around it for the drive).  That was a relief, at least.  So I am not a complete fuck up, but...

Was the Parish Made for Man—or Man for the Parish? - Crisis Magazine
My college roommate sent me this, and I told him that technically, I was in violation of this -- I didn't like the suburban parishes in my neck of the wood and decided to go to St. Stan's, our ancestral family parish, which is a lot nicer than the suburban monstrosities.  I think the USCCB carved out an exception for "ethnic" parishes -- bowing to the necessities of white flight -- so I am technically ok, but...  I think the reason why they have this requirement so that people do not go around and shop for parishes.  But...isn't that what you want?  Priests will have to raise their games (if you will) to keep people in the pews, and isn't that what we want?  

Can Pope Leo afford to wait on ‘Traditionis custodes’?
I honestly don't know what he is going to do here.  I can see continuing with the tradition of Francis (sigh) but there is something to be said for NOT stopping the practice that is actually getting people in pews.  As an American, Leo XIV should know this, right?  It is not an easy choice -- the new guy doesn't want to annoy the traditionalists or the radicals -- and I am curious to see how it plays out.

Juneteenth!

I have to admit:  I was not as productive as I would have liked today, but I was productive enough!  In terms of work, I was able to clear out a lot of little things -- always good -- got some things done, and am ready to do some more tomorrow, clearing out some smaller projects, etc.  I could have maybe pushed harder on some things, but I was doing some detail work, so... it happens.  I skipped the gym -- ugh -- as my blood sugar was a bit low in the PM, and it was raining somewhat hard.  

Last night I took out of the freezer some Lake Erie perch my sister gave me.  It was quite thawed today, so I baked it -- salt, pepper, some bread crumbs -- and it was quite good!  I have a couple more pieces for lunch/dinner, but I think I nailed it perfectly.  Funny; my sister really doesn't like it, but everyone else does... she was asking me if it was fishy and if my house smells, and I told her she was sounding like Mom, which she immensely appreciated.

With all this rain the basement is quite humid, or at least it feels moist -- moreso than when I was showering.  I think I have been down there three times a day the past few days to empty the dehumidifier, and I could probably do it four... to be sure, after tomorrow this will not be a problem, when it turns 90 in the shade.  I only hope that the thermostat adjustment works and that the AC does not require repair or service.  The kitchen sink is draining slowly, and I thinking I might need to call the plumber to snake it.  I will note that I had the bathroom pipe replaced but I suspect the kitchen sink is a different line and that also is a 70-year-old clay pipe... and I do not want to replace that now (I do want to get the windows done next!).  Homes really are money pits!

I cannot believe that anyone thinks going to war with Iran is a good idea.  Yes, taking out their reactor would be ideal, but the Iranians would retaliate, and that would just worsen the whole thing.  Quite frankly, I think we are better off letting the Israelis do our fighting for us.  I don't necessarily think they will be able to eliminate the threat, but eventually someone over there might decide to make peace.  It is our fight, but if someone else will handle it... all the better.

Social Security, Medicare finances worsen, bringing funding cliffs sooner - POLITICO
This is a major problem, but does anyone think that anyone will solve it?  Of course not!  As I told an older former coworker, I don't mind not retiring so they can live in luxury (which he almost appreciated).

A moth (or some flying critter) came in here when I was pitching the apple core outside, and my trying to kill it...well, it was a borderline Polish joke.  I felt a bit badly about it, but I also couldn't have this thing flying around Chateau Mattie, so...

Tautness

 Crashed again last night, and I had an 8 AM medical appointment, which, in the words of my mother and sister, were "modern medicine."  Long story short:  not sure what is wrong with me (I have mild anemia and my folic acid is low, but no knows why), he didn't think it was what the first MD said, and he referred me to the lab for bloodwork and a another specialist (weeks away).  I was amused, if $40 poorer.

In the meantime, a sort of long and stressful day at work -- lots of reasons, no one thing -- but there was some clearing at the end of the day.  I will be doing some catchup this long weekend (we are off Thursday and Friday) and while I am not sure I want to, I will have peace of mind if I clear up some incidental stuff and am ready and raring to go Monday AM.  I have plenty of other things to do this weekend; as I told one friend, I am glad I am off, as if I was not...

I guess I am stressing out about things I should not -- and today my AC ran for a couple of hours under the temp, so I am not sure if there is a thermostat issue or something else, but I will need to get than handled as well -- but I would prefer a spot of serenity and simplicity for a stretch, just so I can concentrate on real things.  I realize life is not like that, but...

"High Noon" was on TCM tonight, so of course I watched (despite the storm warnings; I think the worst passed us by here).  It is one of my favorite Westerns, even with the preachy prelude about how it is a metaphor for the Red Scare of the 50s (never mind that there were Communists around, and those in the 50s were treated much better then than those run in by the Dems in 1919, ahem).  I am not sure why, because let's face it... I, like most people, would be like the townspeople and find a way to get the hell out of danger, even knowing that worse was to come.  Anyways, Will Kane 1, Frank Miller et al 0, and I was pleased.

The Fed Waits Out the Tariff Economy - WSJ
Not surprised.  Bit disappointed.  I did appreciate how Powell sort of threw Trump under the bus on tariffs and the political uncertainty.  I guess I find it fascinating -- in a bad way -- that two adults in such public roles cannot get along.

This Virginia County Slashed Overdose Deaths in Half. The Secret to How Is Hiding in Plain Sight. - WSJ
This is a good story, and I am glad these people are getting sober, but 1) At the end of the day, you really shouldn't get addicted in the first place; 2) Most of the time these things don't work; and 3) Economically, even with all of these treatments.. well, the investment is immense, and while I am of the party that places a value on human life... so bills are hard to take.

A Sense of Mehness

So, last night I crashed instead of posting, and today I was...feeling sort of meh, so I figured I would go to bed early, and here we are.  At least I cleaned out some emails and some bookmarks, and while I am feeling sleepier, not enough to go to bed, so I may as well be more productive.  Alas.

Yesterday was sort of a meh day as well.  Mass was fine -- Trinity Sunday, we had a priest and First Communion, and my sister showed up (surprise), which was nice.  She bought me Red Chimney breakfast for Father's Day, and because I refused to pay the $2 egg surcharge, I had pancakes.  Couldn't remember the last time I had them (probably there) and I loaded up on butter, which was an error, as I had to make a pit stop at church due to... gastrointestinal distress.  Oi.  Truth be told, it knocked me askew all day; while I did some things, I also stayed in, cleaned out some movies on Tivo, took a walk, but... I could have done more.  Oi.

Today was also meh -- for many reasons -- and of course here I am now.  I mean, I was productive at work, cut the grass (no gym due to the stubborn sense of fatigue), and such, but... it was also quite humid today -- first time all year, I think, and you could feel it.  Wasn't even that warm!  But, I emptied the dehumidifier three times.  Mind you, it will only be worse as the week progresses.  It is summer, and I will not complain, but 90 on Sunday... more meh, for a different reason.  Alas.

Collections: Nitpicking Gladiator’s Iconic Opening Battle, Part I – A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry
This is pretty cool; as a military history, I should know more about this, but...

I am about halfway through my current book, The General's Waru, which is the story of the First Gulf War.  It is quite interesting -- we just started the war -- and it seemed like all of the names that were mentioned were also in the second.  More to the point -- in addition to the logistical difficulties of fighting a war 98% of people did not expect -- was the interesting fact that many people felt that unless you removed Saddam, you would have more trouble down the road.  Bush 41 certainly felt that way, as did many (but not all) of the civilian leadership.  It seemed some of the military guys felt the same (Colin Powell a notable exception) though I also got the sense that this was one fight they scrupulously avoided.  People squawked about how W and ilk wanted Saddam gone in 2004, no matter what, but then they forget that in 91 the removers were correct, but for reasons, it didn't happen, and I think history would be far different 

Labors

I should have posted last night -- my plans fell through and I ended up just at home, catching up on stuff... and now I am thinking that tonight's plans may go the same way.  This is sort of fine, if I let like get to ed early -- I have a large book to read, plenty of content on TIVO, etc. -- but there is some small part of me that says I should get out of the house for some entertainment.  We will see.  I should have gone to the Army parade; on the one hand, the 250th anniversary of the army should merit some celebration, but with President Awesome...well, the man does love a parade, and I will leave it at that.

OC duty today.  The count was 126 -- a big drop from last week's 185 (sorry I missed it).  The rain might have kept people away, though I suspect the Plexiglas principle was at work.  We would have thought that we would have fewer walkers, but it was not as many as we thought... a few people in the morning were pains in the rear, and they are repeat offenders in that regard... I guess I would prefer a tighter and more general application of the rules, but that is me...  anyways, most of the produce is gone (much of it was rancid and I had to pitch, oi) and the freezers were emptied.  Not enough volunteers for the clothing room, which you would have thought was a Geneva Convention violation...but we were mostly fine.  I guess I didn't have to be there, but there was a concern we were going to be short of volunteers, and we were, for the computer and front work, but it was fine.   

I made a comment to a friend that while I am more concerned about my mortgage, I should be more concerned about my HELOC -- it has a higher interest rate and paying it off doesn't give me interest for the taxes -- and he commented that (more than anyone he knows) I am just more debt-averse, because it represents a limit on my financial future...and he is 100% correct.  I guess I should be concerned with paying them off equally!  But I was amused.

Overreach

This could be me, but I am not exactly sure that the Israeli strikes against Iran are a good idea now.  I mean, it appears that they have been incredibly successful, but as they have yet to finish the war in Gaza, the continuing conflict against Hezbollah, strikes against Yemen, etc.... I know there is a question of timing, and they may never win the war in Gaza (save by some unpleasant -- but deserved -- methods), but I have always been a one task-at-a-time guy.

I got a kick out of the Padilla arrest video.  It is a big deal, but it is also not; I think it was clearly staged to get that the reaction, and it did, and I suspect that all it did was to stir up the emotions on both sides.  My sister told me that there is anti-Trump rally in Parma -- of all places -- and I can only hope that the patriotic citizens of Cleveland's newest Republican suburb give them an... enthusiastic reaction.

Tomorrow (today) I am off on birthday leave; I have never had this -- ever -- and so I am taking.  Now, I will be logging in in the afternoon to handle a couple of things and get a project out the door -- good and bad -- but on the whole I will be off.  Matt being Matt, there are literally six things on the agenda for tomorrow morning, and I would like to hit them all, just for peace of mind and then I can reserve Saturday for other things.

Remember how I squawked about I may have to return all the library books from ILL?  Well, today I clicked on auto-renew and lo and behold, they all went through, so I have until the next month to get them read.  Not sure I can get more, but at least the ones on my current pile can be kept, which, to my ordered view of things, is exactly what the MD ordered, if you get my drift.

First World Crises

I got the email I have been dreading today; namely, that the pile of books I ordered from Millennium (the OH version of Interlibrary Loan) are due at the library, and I do not think they can be renewed, so... I think I can finish the one I am working on, but the rest... alas.  Mind you, the service will be down til October, so it will greatly reduce my ability to get the more academic books I often read.  Hell, my plans to watch all of the films on the National Film Registry is also on hiatus (though I have been putting that off) as those films are often only available.  To be sure, it is my own damn fault -- I should be reading and watching more films -- but more to the point, it is awfully inconvenient.  This coming from the man who has been too busy to watch Jeopardy! live this week...

The Other Nasty Breakup Inside MAGA - WSJ
This could be me, but at the end of the day, these things -- especially for us Republicans -- need to be over quickly (and shouldn't happen in the first place).  Hell, Elon and Trump are having a moment now, and if they can...well, at the end of the day, these things -- especially personal items and not stuff of policy -- need to be curtailed.  In many ways we are a minority party, and we should act like this.

Went through the bookmark pile tonight -- might read a few more -- and I also plan to handle some OC emails as well.  Those, of course, will only cause more emails, so this is a temporary reduction in paperwork, but I feel better, and that is the main point at the end of the day.

I am fascinated by the increase in anti-trump rallies; this "No Kings" stuff is...interesting.  I mean, considering the many times Biden tried to sidestep Congress and the courts (see his student loan plan)...and let us not discuss the whole shadow Presidency, which seems rather imperial to me.  Something tells me that these issues will not be discussed by any journalist.  Then one reads that they need to distribute American flags to the protestors in LA and elsewhere...and one wonders if maybe, just maybe, these people might not have our best interests at heart.

Law and Order

Went to a wake today -- the mother of my cousin-in-law passed away -- and it put me in a slightly down mood... I mean, it was good to see the family again, but the occasion was of course sad.  Yes, we should see each other more, but life does happen.  I guess I can say that if you live a full life, have a wonderful family, and friends who care...well, it could be worse. 

I note that while the email inbox is slightly less full -- need to be better about that -- the bookmark pile is expanding.  I may handle that this weekend -- the schedule for now is empty -- but of course we all know what happens when I start making plans like that.  I have a pile of books to read, OC stuff to do, SVDP I should be doing, and there are plenty of things in the house I can do.  Hell, I note the garage clutter, and I could take an hour or so and sort those things.

Is it me or are the events in LA and elsewhere going just the way Trump wants them?  With the economy muddled (not all his fault, Fed), immigration is something he can run on and win, so... he is doing it?  Any GOPer should be running ads about Democrats saying how peaceful things are juxtaposed by burning cars, looted stores, etc.  Of course, we will not.

St. Francis Festival ends early after hundreds of youths cause chaotic, violent disturbances - cleveland.com
I posted on this on Facebook, but... these sorts of things happen every year (on the East Side, of course), and at the end of the day, it shouldn't.  Either you make the thing parishioner-only, or you flood the zone with cops and react with overwhelming force.  I realize that that side of town is full of Hope and Changers, but until you really smack them down, it will keep happening.  I mentioned that the solution would be to go and find out what churches these kids attend (being Hope and Changers, I doubt they have been within a mile of a church) and then have the afflicted parishioners tear shit up there... again, I realize they won't, but it would be funny as hell if they did.

A Man of Constant Motion

Long day today; four work meetings (all planned) and while they went fairly well, they were still longish and I had a bunch of things to do (most of which got done, including the important stuff).  Rah.  Then it was off to the OC for our quarterly Board meeting.  Both priests were there; Monsignor was there for his last meeting before he heads off to the West Side, and the new pastor of the parish -- the pastor of another SV parish -- was there as well.  As expected, it went well; our new boss, if you will, is pretty supportive of our efforts.  We gave him the tour, explained all of the stuff we do, how we do it, and... no changes (as I expected).  I think it was good for everyone else to see this.  Rah.  Then it was home to catch up on the J! I missed -- sadly, I didn't even get 40 (categories not the best) and blew both FJs, which was... most depressing.  I will put it down to the lateness of the hour, biorhythms, lack of sleep, but we all know the truth.

Yesterday was the Parish picnic, and that was a full day.  Actually, the day started with Mass, but for a while, we had no priest... some scheduling mixup or something and we had to get Fr. Steve to come down; he filled in admirably, but it was not an auspicious start to the day... anyways, we had all of four volunteers to staff the parish picnic, and I did much -- some grilling, food running, prep, cleanup, etc.  Attendance was a bit down -- all sorts of reasons, in theory -- but those who were there enjoyed it.  The new elevator was a kick, honestly.  Then it was off to take Communion to my Polish friend in Edgewater and home, where I caught up on some work.  Rah.  

I have to admit... on the one hand, watching Karen Bass sound like Orval Faubus and Gavin Newsom look like George Wallace (someone should be calling them out about this) is hilarious.  The optics are good for us -- people running around burning cars and waving flags other than Old Glory, and Dems and the media saying this is fine.  I also think you could say that Trump felt that too much happening in 2020 and he was NOT letting that happen this time.  But... I am not sure that rounding up illegals to meet a quota is a good thing, either.  I mean, raiding places and picking up criminals is fine, but I can see how some of this might come back to haunt us.

Milestone

So, yesterday -- and it was yesterday -- was my birthday.  47.  Honestly, there was a time in line when I never thought I would live this long.  And here I am!  Dare I say things are in flux now?  Work is ok, but the housing market and its issues are affecting everything.  My finances are ok -- I have some debts that I want to reduce, some home improvements to do, and the house is not yet paid for.  I do have some savings, a decent-sized 401, and I somewhat frugal, of course, so that is something else... I can always find more ways to reduce spending, if need be.  I am single and will remain so for the near future, but in my heart of hearts, I expected that.  I think we all know that I am not a birthday guy -- getting older is not that exciting at the end of the day -- and so I am not exactly celebrating.  Maybe I should.

I did have lunch at Kumo Buffet with my sister -- borderline spin the globe, but as my sister noted, plenty of good things to eat for her as well.  Hell, she even had and liked the green tea ice cream.  It was good --we caught up on some things (not that we don't talk every day as it is) and I pigged out on food, so much so that I just had a couple of peaches for dinner.  I took a long walk after lunch -- it was a totally beautiful day and I made sure to get some rays and outdoor time.  I should do it more often, or at least try to.

Friday night was the big (sort of) rectory fundraiser for the roof, and I was able to help out with that.  It was fine -- not that many people, I met Cleveland's Brandon Chrostowski, and then afterwards I BSed a bit with my parishioners.  Funny; on the way home Newburgh Heights PD -- with the highway patrol and all -- had a DUI checkpoint.  I was waved through -- I think they could tell I was sober -- but considering the hospitality at the fest, I wonder if anyone was caught.

I do not want to humblebrag, but I am doing fairly well in Learned League; I am 8th in my division (of 35), with a record of 11-5-3.  I am sort of figuring out the scoring -- you assign points to a question based on whether or not you think your opponent will know it -- and I guess I am looking at it more as a way to check my mental decline (as with everything else).  I think that if I can be in the top half going forward, that will be fine enough (mostly).

Mattie Makes Progress

Well, I don't think anyone had that on their bingo card, did they?  Elon and Trump going at it full-bore. This is not good, speaking as Captain Obvious, especially as the two of them -- their goals are not mutually exclusive, and while maybe they are not getting there today, they are a lot closer than they were before.  Dare I say that this, in the short term, is good for the GOP and the bill?  The Dems have been positioning Elon as they bogeyman of bogeymen, and his exit -- ungraceful as it may be -- neutralizes this, and the GOPers who feel he is poisoning the narrative...well, that is gone.  Will it help?  Probably not.  Will we get smart and take advantage?  Definitely not.

The J! Masters Tournament ended last night.  I was able to get at least 30 questions a night -- my rough average is about 42 -- and got most of the Finals, which is also good (even if a couple were late).  I was a little dissatisfied with the ending; Victoria was clearly the superior player during the Tournament, and for her to come in third the way she did... well, it is J!, and it happens, but I am not sure I liked it.  At least with the return of regular J! means I will feel smarter, even though I am obviously not.

I am at book 22 for the year -- slightly ahead of schedule, boosted by last weekend's intensive reading and a downshift to slightly thinner books.  Today's book -- Jenkins' Lost History of Christianity -- details the destruction of the historically Christian communities in Asia.  I think the reason why is undersold -- the Christians were seen as the tools of the Mongols who swept through, and when they left, the reclaiming Muslims decided to settle scores.  The author liked to point out the Christians were awful, but in the past thousand years... the arguments holds a little less water.

Tracing the genetic trails of Colombia's early hunter-gatherers who disappeared completely
Something tells me we will not be commemorating them on Indigenous Peoples' Day!

Keir Starmer is banking on Nigel Farage being toxic. What if he’s wrong? – POLITICO
I guess I would say -- as does the article -- that the Dems tried to do that to Trump, and it didn't exactly work.  Using the Dem strategy of 2016 -- running someone unpopular -- may work, given that the UK doesn't have an election for four years, but it also gives Farage time to become...well, popular enough.  I do feel badly that the Tories are going the way of the Dodo, but it is their own fault, isn't it?

A New Look

In what passes for excitement in my sad life...I got a neck wax today.  I was getting my haircut -- my stylist and I were discussing that we both have tickets to a concert in a couple of weeks, and we are both excited (though she is more excited than I am, not that that is a high bar), but another stylist should come in -- a client asked for one, and she had no idea how to do it... Sadly, I am quite hirsute, so my stylist began to demonstrate the basics.  I told her to keep going, and to practice on me... and there I was, 15 minutes later, getting hot wax rubbed on my neck.  It was...fine?  Bit uncomfortable, but I also thought of my smooth neck -- which is quite smooth.  I should get the full treatment, as I hate the hair, but if there is one thing I hate more...well, we all know how I feel about spending money.

I was channel surfing this morning and on one of the radio shows someone was saying that the recent violence in Colorado could encourage Trump to ramp up deportations, especially among Muslims.  I was like, "Ya think?"  I realize we are dealing with libtards here, but if you do something that encourages someone to do what they want to do... you really can't complain about it, can you?  The fact that the guy in question was a Biden overstay...well, the headlines write themselves.  Of course, I think more and more people -- especially among Jews -- will start carrying, and nothing could be more Republican than that. 

Can the ‘Abundance Agenda’ Save the Democrats? - WSJ
As I so often say, letting the ones who caused the problem in the first place solve it is...well, begging for trouble.

Watergate-Style Hearings for the Biden Coverup - WSJ
This cannot happen fast enough, but I think we know that it will not.  It should, of course, but... hell, we cannot even pass a budget, so investigating this challenge will prove to be too difficult a challenge for us.

Democrats and Men › American Greatness
A Church’s Campaign to Teach Lost Boys How to Be Men - WSJ
Dare I say these are two sides of the same coin?  I think this is not a bad thing; if more men go to church, aren't the women who also go to church going to be the ones who benefit more?  That is good for them, and bad for the harridans... 

The Odd Hours I Keep

So, I wasn't exactly feeling well -- a tremendous sense of fatigue came across me -- and I guess I just laid down on the floor a bit to rest.  That was what, about 9 or 9:15?  And here we are... awake for a bit, as I just woke up from a long nap.  I think I fell asleep in an odd position, as getting up was something of a chore.  Certainly not because I am showing my age and should not be lying on the floor!  Oi.  As always, I guess I needed the rest though I would have preferred to go to bed in the normal manner as I had things I had wanted to do.  

One thing I should have done a few weeks ago was to check the National Film Registry and start watching some films...with the interlibrary loan system off limits until October, the best source for movies and such is on the shelf, and as such... well, I need to get back into the habit of watching films again.  I watched a documentary I had saved on Tivo last night, and I was thinking that I could maybe empty the queue this week.  Of course, there are plenty of emails and such with films to watch as well.  This weekend, in theory, affords me that prospect, though I think we know 52 things will pop up, and we all know how I feel about that.

The Counterrevolution: An Excerpt From My New Book
Dare I say that this is 100% correct?  Say what you want about the guy, and plenty of people do, but the  man seems to thrive on this, driving him to do these things, and you have to give him props for that.

I got a kick out of Governor DeWine today, as he is concerned about online gambling... on-site gambling, of course, is completely fine, but people going on their phones... to be sure, I get his point -- if you have to go to the casino there is some of the immediacy that is gone, but at the end of the day, it seems a little...hypocritical, to put it mildly.