Linx

Another rough sleeping night and I am certainly feeling it today...trying to get to bed early (or earlier) tonight.  One of my friends suggested I drink less coffee to sleep better, and I was like "Gee, I never thought of that."  I mean, I know this, but I like the coffee during the day, it allows me to power through at night, and I don't eat that much crap, so the caffeine is my treat to myself.  But I think I should drink less...

‘They will pay a huge price for this’: Shutdown-ready Trump expects Democrats to blink - POLITICO
I don't think the Dems will pay as big a price for this, as the press will be on their side and they will blame the GOP incessantly.  Of course, no will ask the Dems (and this includes the GOP) as to why they passed a health care bill that they didn't pay for in the first place.  It will be interesting to see if the Voight approach works and they start culling more federal workers and programs.  Will they?  I wonder...

For US Cities, Cutting Public Transportation Has Hidden Costs - Bloomberg
Interesting.  Of course they should be cutting these programs, but they won't, given that cities have spent so much time and expense on these things, and of course no one wants to have people complaining that their transportation to be cut.  And, these are all cities run by Dems, so they don't care if they are throwing money away.

Illiteracy is a policy choice - by Kelsey Piper
This is pretty cool -- hard to believe that Mississippi of all places is leading the US in education reform, but there we are.  To be sure, there is no reason as to why other states aren't doing this (and some states are), but... of course, this would involve shitting on the local teachers' union, and in many states, that is simply not an option.

It was simply a beautiful day out there today, and I took a walk around the block at lunch.  It was quite nice -- good to stretch my legs, get some exercise in, clear my head -- and I think I will do the same tomorrow.  It is autumn, winter is not that far off, and there are not that many more opportunities for this...

Catching Up

Long time without posting... Thursday and Friday I just crashed -- doing stuff, trying to do stuff, and then I just crashed...  not really sleeping well the past few days, so when I did get tired... well, I was tired fast, and I just nodded off.  OI.  Funny, because no matter how often I start something... the responses and such come back.  I went through a lot of links and articles, but it seems like there are twice as many more.  Oi!

Yesterday was good.  OC duty in the AM; not too busy, but steady.  The early part of the month was a zoo, so the count was above average, though about 20% of people were those who came twice... not sure if they need the help or are being pains/forgetful.  Could be both; we had produce to give them so they got that.  I will have to place a large order tomorrow, like it or not.  Then I went to the Social Center to help prep for the PF... I helped make 1,000 stuffed cabbage and then some work with the fresh kielbasa.  We could have used more people, but I was there, and I think I was a help -- I even learned (with much repetition!) how to properly roll the cabbages.  Rah.  I had a burned one, and it was pretty good (we only had about 12 that were bad, phew).  Not exactly a huge fan, in general, but they are fairly tasty.

A brief side trip to my sister's to get the gift baskets she prepped and then home to dine/shower, and then off to the Cleveland Cinematheque to see "Faust," the Murnau silent classic from 1926.  It was... interesting.  They had a live musical accompaniment from a metal-type band (silents often had live music but not like this).  It was interesting but very loud.  I arrived late and thus was closer to the subwoofer.  Not quite blasting but...  big crowd (my sister didn't know I like silents and couldn't believe that I would want to go, nor that the place was full) so I had to park and hike.  This is fine, but in that part of the world... as for the film... Quite cool.  Murnau certainly took some liberties with the plot of Faust, if you get my drift but the cinematography and special effects -- for 1926 -- were quite first-rate.

Today was the usual -- church and gym, and then I went to St. Ignatius of Antioch for the West District's annual Mass and Communion breakfast.  Big church -- they properly have a campus -- and it is nice.  Not St. Stan's nice, of course, but nice enough.  (Votive candles were twice as ours, sigh.)  They had a post-Mass Commissioning ceremony for new/old members, which was nice, but...long.  I joked that people join the USMC with less ceremony.  Then off to breakfast/meeting.  Food was good (my spread is better and more extensive) and the meeting was fine, but...truncated.  We only had the gym til 2, so half of the agenda was left... unsaid.  Odd.  I did some networking and chatting.  The parishes there are more connected and have more a tradition of working with each other.  I am trying to get that in my area but... easier said than done.

Democrats sour further on Kamala Harris amid book tour - POLITICO
Long may this continue...  :)

The Worst Air Disaster You’ve Never Heard Of - The Atavist Magazine
Interesting; I had heard of this but wasn't aware of how...extensive the disaster was.

The US Abandoned Affordable Housing. We Can Create It Again.
Interesting though I think the main issue is that we do not build enough housing overall...

Reflections

I woke up this morning and when I put my pants on post-shower I noticed that they were much lighter...because my wallet wasn't in them.  This put me into full crisis-mode of search -- tore up the car, retraced my steps, made plans to do so from last night's trip... and when I went into my bedroom, there was my wallet, open at my desk, where I had had it open while getting some singles for the second collection.  Oi.  I have to admit I thought that God was punishing me for considering giving up food pantry duty.  Of course, He still might...

Good day today -- hit the gym, did some treadmill time, read some of my book, and even caught up on two episodes of J!.  I am 5 of 11 on Finals this season -- an abhorrent and embarrassing tally, even after Monday's easy one.  I hit only 39 on that episode -- poor categories for me -- but I have been averaging 42 for the new season.  Phew.  I still sense my mental decline, sort of like how I feel fat (I weighed in at 180 on the dot today, which did not fill me with joy).  Of course, a few more days of gym and healthy eating... it should help.  

Where to place blame for our poor elected leaders? On ourselves: Letter from the Editor - cleveland.com
I got a kick out of this, as all the PD does is endorse Democrats, so... what did they expect would happen?  I realize they are Democrats too, so it is highly possible they are too damn dumb to realize...  hell, they can't even elect a mayor in the PSRCH, so why on earth should we listen to them for anything else?

Powell's Mismanagement of the Fed Is Beyond the Pale | RealClearPolitics
This is a bit harsh but not terribly so... I am not sure as to whether or not Powell is motivated by a disdain for Trump's politics (probable but not provable, as I like to say) but he has done a poor job either way -- too deep of cuts in the early days of the pandemic, too high of rates, and then the refusal to cut rates.  I am not sure how his legacy will be affected, but it cannot be good.

Donald Trump made big gains with Black voters in 2024. Can Republicans hold them in the midterms? - POLITICO
Interesting...but I think it will come down to the economy in the end.  To be sure, candidates help, and I think the GOP is working on this here... let us hope that it continues.

Momentous Thoughts

Long day yesterday, so I didn't post.  I was fascinated by the idea of Kamala Harris speaking to Rachel Maddow about her new book, so I watched the show, which was...very interesting, especially after the string of articles like this:

Harris' score-settling, elbow-throwing, bridge-burning memoir - POLITICO

Do I think she will run again?  Yes.  Do I think she will win a nomination, especially after a book like this?  Not likely, but of course... not impossible.

Paprocki ‘shocked’ by Durbin’s Chicago award
Catholics being Catholic?  What will they think of next?  More seriously... Cupich can't find another politician in Illinois who can take Communion in his own diocese?  Oi.  I wonder what would happen if actual Catholics decided to sit on their checkbooks for a while...

How a Charlie Kirk Poster Reignited a Debate Over When Businesses Can Refuse Service - WSJ
This could be me, but to say you can't discriminate against people for some reasons, but not for others, is... a bit dumb (to say nothing of being inconsistent)?  I would think a business would want any customer's money, no matter their politics, race, religion, or sleeping arrangements, but that is me.  The libertarian in me, of course, thinks you should be able to serve -- or not serve -- anyone you want, and if you survive, so be it.  But our legislation and jurisprudence here is....odd.

I have been thinking lately, thinking about many things, and one thing I am considering is giving up my social justice/food pantry stuff.  There are many reasons, but the main one is that I am not sure I want to spend the rest of my life (I think the best years are past me) doing this... being nice and helping ungrateful and shiftless Hope and Changers?  Not really.  I have done it for 20 years, which is a long time, and it is high time that someone else take over.  I should probably give some advance notice, and generously volunteer my time to train any potential successors, but...let's just say that all of my family and friends would consider this to be long overdue.

Recap

Busy weekend (as they often are).  Friday night was home, as I was making a seven-layer jello for a family fest.  It came out fairly well -- I used a different pan than usual, not as deep but longer, and I had some overflow.  Odd.  I will not be using it for jello again, I guess, though it will be good for brownies.  Then yesterday morning I slept in a bit, made a principal-only payment to the mortgage (always a good thing), hit the gym, and had lunch at Pierogi House, the new lunch place in Parma Heights.  It was...good not great?  Pierogis were fine (and quite big).  It was the type of place Mom would have liked, honestly, and not that far... which is good.  

Saturday night was a family poker fest (hence the jello) and a BBQ chicken dinner for my cousin's volunteer fire department.  It was quite good -- $12 for a dinner is unheard of nowadays -- and while the games went a bit long, it was still fun.  Aside from my not winning, of course.  Weird; I had good luck for most of the first game, but then about 2/3 of the way it turned, and I ended up coming in 4th.  Odd.  Same poor luck continued in game two...so no winning.  Alas. 

Today was another flurry of a day...Mass was fast (even collected some men's clothes for the OC) and then off to help at a charity luncheon.  It was nice, but outdoors, and the insects were everywhere, including near me, on me, and several of the serving dishes.  Oi.  I am not a picnic guy and never will be... I guess.  that and pets.  Off to my sister's for a bit, home to shower, and then to Edgewater to take Holy Communion to my Polish friend.  Funny; we were talking and she told me that she had met Padre Pio (whose Feast Day is Tuesday).  I was like "you never told me this," which was a pretty cool story -- a few months before he died she had Mass with him, part of a small group.  It was...impressive.  Then it was home to pile through some emails and some bookmarked links.  No time to do more -- budget stuff will be tomorrow -- but it was good to be productive, at least in the Matt-way.

Giving people money helped less than I thought it would
Interesting?  Surprising?  I guess I would say that maybe it just made people less poor and not not poor, and that is an incredible difference.\

The Browns won... fascinating.  I think everyone expected a slaughter; I did, I know!  I was channel-surfing on my way to deliver Communion and heard the FG on the radio, and I was.... what??  I mean, a win is a win and it is a long season, but... kicker redeems himself?  Non-rapist RB keys important drives?  I am not sure if Stefanski was on the hot seat (probably was) but it is cooler now...

Jug Day

Yesterday was Jug Day -- my 24th LBJ -- and it was...good?  The weather was beautiful -- a bit warm, but not too bad (better than cold), and a slight breeze that was comforting.  Plenty of sun.  The event was fine; I will note that it was not very crowded, it seemed.  I don't know if it is ticket prices, the weather, the season, or you can watch and bet from home...  speaking of, it was harder to bet.  We say this every year, but... they pack one good horse (maybe two) in a race, then 4 or 5 fair horses, and... all of the money is on the favorite, so it is hard to make money that way -- either you are betting $20 to make $22 (possible but not fun, and if the favorite doesn't come in...) or you hunt for long shots to pair up.  Ugh.  They keep doing it, and I get it -- you spend all the money on a horse, you want to win -- but it is not quite compelling.  Anyways, it was good to get away for a day, spend some family time... only downside is that it is a long day, I don't eat or drink a lot (lithe thoughts as I like to say) though I could, and then when I got home I had stuff to catch up on...

'Dangerous as hell': Cruz blasts FCC's Jimmy Kimmel takedown - Live Updates - POLITICO
Ted Cruz is exactly right; I mean, there is a temptation to "do unto others as has been done unto you" but the problem is that in politics things do flip, and stuff escalates...  On the other hand, there is a theory that if you do not smack them down, they will keep doing it.. which is also sort of true, but then people get pissed and want to go to the mattresses.  I do not know how and when it will end...

‘Now it’s personal’: Young conservatives vow to continue Kirk’s work - POLITICO
On the other hand, this is the flip side (I saw several Charlie Kirk shirts at the Jug, maybe not surprising, considering the crowd and the county); the Right is really and truly pissed, and if they do use this... well, this isn't the worst thing, though I worry they make escalate.  But, a million Charlies, or even a few thousand... when we think about what happens post-Trump, this could be the answer.

One thing to do this weekend is food pantry paperwork and emails -- I am behind (work) but with some time, I can devout some resources to my unpaid volunteer job.  I can see why people do this but also why people do not...

Feeling It

Joy of joys, joy of joys.  More seriously...I got a kick out of DC today.  First, Pam Bondi went there on the First Amendment and proceeded to piss everyone off, both on the left and on the right.  Which is...the way it should be?  I mean, I am a First Amendment absolutist, but they do have a point about where the line is to be drawn.  Of course, the issue is that once you draw the line... you create a precedent for someone else to come and move it.  Then, Kash Patel of the FBI went on the Hill and was grilled -- and grilled back -- by Senate Dems.  I think they are... both playing to the base, and while I think this is mostly harmless, it is a mix of entertaining and annoying.  In the meantime, will Tyler Robinson actually get the death penalty?  I would say 50/50; if he did it, and was offered a plea for life imprisonment -- sparing the trial -- would he take it?  Would Utah offer it?

Why Charlie Kirk Had No Counterpart on the Left - POLITICO
I don't know... one, you have to be smart and know the issues, which rules out most Dems, if not all.  :)  And, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and debate and talk to the press, unlike, say, certain former Presidents...  Finally, do liberals really like this approach?  Going out and ripping on people?  Most of them are humorless scolds, for one, so... they wouldn't necessarily get the appeal, whereas most of us rather enjoy this sort of thing.

Archdiocese could have prevented Bishop Montgomery sports scandal - Los Angeles Times
One of my friends who just moved up here from CA has been following this story, and in turn pulled me in... I keep reminding him I went to public school, but... anyways, he is a liberal and secular, if you get my drift, so I finally reminded him today that the values espoused by Catholic education are mainly winning football games and collecting major bank, with the incidental virtue of looking at sweaty young men (for the staff).  These points he got, but, as I reminded him, my approach has the value of being both snarky and factually correct.

Made two more lucky guesses today on Learned League and got the (easy) Final J!, so...from the brain perspective, this is as good as it gets.  I have moved into first in my division on LL, mainly through lucky guesses and questions that were more in my wheelhouse.  I do not expect this to continue, but...

Much Done

Busy day yesterday... church, visit to my sister, and gym, and then -- my Polish friend was feeling under the weather, so no Communion visit.  I decided to take a road trip up to the Waterloo district and visited Jeff's Candy Shop -- I saw the article in the PD about the place and took a look.  Didn't realize it was the day after the Waterloo Arts Festival, so stocks were low, but I picked up some candied nuts (delicious) and sour candy (also delicious, albeit in a different way).  Interesting area -- had a pizza at a local shop (good), walked a bit... the neighborhood has a Village vibe, but in the day it was ok.  I would go back -- couple of places to try around there, and as it is just off 90, it is not that far/hard to get to.

I also went there because I had tickets at the Art Museum for a screening of the 1925 silent classic, "The Phantom of the Opera."  I got there a bit early, so I meandered through the European galleries (lots of religious art, appropriate for the Sunday) and then off to the film.  I realized that most of the $25 or so ticket fee was for the live orchestra -- silent films had live music -- and they went all out, including an organ.  It was quite good; I mean, it was made in 1925, and so you have those conventions, but... it is a good film!  

Then it was home to lay down 8 more bags of concrete in the driveway hole.  It looks much less now, and while I didn't drive on it today -- too busy at work, late shift and no gym -- I will see tomorrow how it goes.  I ended up doing some work last night -- I had a couple of emails and messages to check, and figured I would get them done -- and I ended up crashing.  Alas.  

I am 2-6 on FJ! in the new season.  This is not good, as I aim for 80% accuracy, and I have gotten more than 40 questions correct in every episode, but the Finals... oi.  I do not like this, and I am feeling much less intelligent than usual.  At least I made three intelligent and lucky guesses in Learned League.  Phew!

Features - How to Build a Medieval Castle - Archaeology Magazine - September/October 2025
This is awesome -- I sort of want to go and see it.  Hell, I sort of want to work at it!

Out and About

Mattie had a full day today... I slept in a bit (good and bad), went to the gym, and handled some banking.  Then home for a bit to shower, and it was off to Szalay's Farm Market.  

It probably says a lot about me that I had never been there in my 40-some years of life, but... and it was sort of a zoo (my sister was amused by how clueless I was about this).  Big crowd, so you had to park far (they don't have enough) and on the main road... hm.  The aisles are...well, think Marc's but half as wide (and our waistlines are expansive in size).  They do have a lot of stuff -- produce, prepared foods, etc. -- but it was hard to shop given the hustle and bustle.  The corn was in large supply, but they are...robust in not letting people shuck corn there (I agree with it, but not everyone does).  The prices are also robust, if you get my drift; I have no doubt some of their stuff is local farm fresh, but stuff like bananas and pineapple... anyways, I bought some tomatoes, some apples, watermelon, bakery in case I take Communion to my Polish friend tomorrow, and their famous corn.  It was $50...yowza.  They had food there, so I hauled dupa back to the Behemoth, deposited my stuff, and had a pork loin sandwich, corn on a stick (I asked for light butter, and I cannot imagine the arterial damage had I not), and a soft-serve Sunday.  It was good but... I am not sure it is that good.  I will make the corn and dice the watermelon tomorrow, so I will refer full judgment til then, but...

Anyways, then it was home where I changed and put 8 bags on concrete into the pit in my driveway.  Honestly, I need to buy 8 more tomorrow and fill it in some more (I went over it tonight and the bump was smoother, but I think another load should help).  I mean, I am not sure I am mixing it well, but... smooth(ish) is all we need.  Then I showered, chilled a bit, and then off to St. Barbara's... they were having a presentation about appearances of images of Christ after their Mass, so... it is a nice (and Polish) church; not St. Stan's nice, of course, but pretty enough.  The presentation was interesting but quite long -- some tightness would have been appreciated, IMHO.  Then it was off to help some people move the last of their stuff to the new apartment... not too bad but 1) I find it fascinating but not surprising that people assume if you have a truck, you are 24/7 ready to help them move and 2) they didn't exactly pack well...so it was a lot of work.  The move is done, and no matter how many entreaties I hear... I am not moving any more of them.

No big upsets in the non-conference schedule this week in CFB.  I mean, a lot of this is by design, but people do like them.  USF got pasted and OU hung on against tOSU for a while, but I think we know that 99 games out of 100 talent wins out and they pull ahead in the end.  And so they did...

A Sense of Closure

Didn't post yesterday -- long day, lots of work, bit of stress, wanted to crash.  Of course, I couldn't fall asleep; I ended up waking up at 2:20 AM and reading a bit.  I finished my previous book -- Fall of the Double Eagle (about the breakup of the Hapsburg Empire) and am reading a crime one -- recommended to me, interesting but more in the way that you want to know how it ends.  The Hapsburg was interesting -- about 85% of it was devoted to before the war and the early campaigns, where the Hapsburg army suffered grievous losses.  The author posited that this was why the empire collapsed... which is sort of true, but:

1) That could be said about every combatant nation in WWI and not all of them collapsed; and 
2) The author takes pains to note that the Empire's army, despite its multi-ethnic and multilingual nature, seemed to hold on throughout the war, not collapsing til the very end. 

So I am not fully convinced?  I would posit the weakness of the Empire in 1918 helped, as well as the Allies letting the place fall apart (note that, say, Germany was not broken, in a reversal of the 1871 unification).  I think only later (much!) did they realize this was a military mistake...

Tonight I took the night off and went to see the final Downton Abbey movie.  It was...good not great?  Maybe Julian Fellowes is concentrating on other things?  Ok, it was good -- resolved the story lines (happily), tied up loose points, sent the show off happily.  The lines were good not great (Maggie Smith was missed here) and while the story lines were interesting... it seemed like they were trying to do too much?  Anyways, I have to admit -- I saw it at Ridge Park -- for $14, it's a sweet deal.  You get a comfy seat -- adjustable, plenty of room, etc.   I was thinking about how much an airline ticket costs and how little space you get there (yes, I realize I am going somewhere)...

The Catholic history of praying for souls in purgatory
Interesting.  One thing I love about the Church is its message of universality -- the dead are dead but not truly gone, meriting our prayers and remembrances -- and continuity.  Here on earth or in heaven, all are united in Christ.  As with so many things, it is both cool and sobering... 

A Call For Action

The right-wing and Fox News have exploded over the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and... well, they should be.  Now, I am not exactly one of the "never let a crisis go to waste" school, but... it somehow seems appropriate that we should react, and...strongly?  I mean, does the left really want the GOP -- the party of guns and angry young men -- to go there?  Yes, we in the GOP have a long tradition of killing Democrats and traitors, and this would fall into that.  I am always reminded of the Mencken that even a civilized man will, at some point, hoist the black flag and start splitting throats.  No day but today, as they would say...

In the meantime, the new season of J! is off and I am 1 for 3 on FJ!; Tuesday's was completed missed and today's... well, I am surprised I missed it.  At least I am cracking the 40 boundary, if barely (today was a challenge with the categories).  I always say I watch to track my mental decline, and days like today only confirm it.  Alas.

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Riley Moore Requests Presidential Medal of Freedom for Pat Buchanan - The American Conservative
On a day like today, this seems...appropriate?  Funny in that he seems an unlikely candidate for redemption, and most of the ideas he advocated (on the social side) have not exactly been policy successes.  And, plenty of people have called out the left for their dishonesties about the economy, social order, etc... Then again, considering some of the people who have received Medals of Freedom...

Dedication

Late here...had a haircut in Lakewood and then met a couple of friends for dinner, which was fine, but it was 10 before I left.  Funny; I went to their house, and while trying to leave, they were trying to close the door and keep the dogs from escaping, and I ended up having the door closed on my forehead.  It was funny as hell then, funny now, but at the time... let's just say that my disdain for pets on practical concerns was... slightly evident.

I am getting a kick out of the Cleveland Heights mayoral recall; namely, these are the people who are marching against Donald Trump every week, but they can't even elect a non-moron and non-Klansman as mayor.  No one seems to be mentioning this to them, which I think is... well, interesting and telling.

U.S. Job Growth Revised Down by 911,000 Jobs in the Year Ended in March - WSJ
Dare I say that this proves the POTUS point about the economic statistics (and that the economy was not that good under Biden, not that that is much consolation, now)?  I mean, that is a large adjustment, and even if the reasons are legit (and I am sure they are), it is certainly a whipsaw.  That is something that should be addressed, one way or another.

American pope, American Lady: The story behind Our Lady of the Prairie
This is an awesome tale!  I sort of want to go out there and see it.  As far as I am concerned, the Church doesn't stress the Virgin Mother enough (in some cases) and it is good to see someone, somewhere, going out and bringing Her to the people...

A New Season

Funny; I tried to go to sleep early (ish) last night, and... I couldn't fall asleep for about an hour and woke up 30 minutes earlier than I set my clock this morning.  Oi.  So I will try again today...I have to admit I am feeling it a bit, so it is wise.  Also wise... me!  No, just a new season of J! tonight -- my summer of unscheduled nights is now past -- and it was good enough to get 44 and the (easy) final.  I will take it at my advanced age...  for all I joke about checking my mental decline... it is not gone yet.  For now.

In Search of Q: The Hypothetical Source for Matthew and Luke
Interesting; I have always had a fondness for stuff like this -- historical mysteries, a legacy of my disbelief/cynicism that I have kept, etc. -- and I think he did a good job explaining it.  I suspect Q is gone, but... one wonders what people have buried in all of the monasteries of Europe -- East and West, or the Vatican Library, etc.  Hell, even the Dead Sea Scrolls were not a person's lifespan away, so one wonders what else may be in the ground?

Divorce Plunged in Kentucky. Equal Custody for Fathers Is a Big Reason Why. - WSJ
Men -- and fathers -- have rights too.  I find it a little hard to believe that we need to amend state constitutions to beat this into the heads of judges, but...it is about damn time.  Of course, seeing the stories about the atrocity in Charlotte...well, methinks that this is not the worst thing libtard judges have done.  More will be done, of course, until these people are held legally responsible for the crap they pull.

U.K. Economy: Is Britain a Canary in the Coal Mine for a Heavily Indebted World? - WSJ
I don't think that any government -- for a hot minute -- will do something about this until they absolutely have to -- but this article indicates the damage caused by getting in the predicament in the first place.  Of course, everyone does it, but that does not help.  Looking at what we are trying to do here to cut spending... well, I do not exactly have much hope for the future, not that I had that much anyways.  Sigh.

Remakings

Not really a Browns fan, but a lot of my friends are, so I was phone-following today while catching up on some work... and it was impressive.  Two missed kicks, two INTs on deflections... yeah, it sounded like a Browns game to me.  And, after a day when tOSU really scheduled the hell out of it...well, Browns are used to this, some way, somehow.

I am ordering for the food pantry this month, and with all of the stuff to consider -- the budget, delivery or pickup, the paucity of menu items -- it is a bit of a challenge.  To be sure, most of it is... self-imposed?  I mean, we could not give out meat, but we want to, and I found some not-too-expensive ground chicken, so there we go.  The produce pickings were thin -- sweet potatoes instead of "real" ones, mainly veggies -- but I made a full order, and I was about $100 under budget.  We had a big crowd in week one -- 177! -- which explained while the shelves were a little bare today.  But, we should be ok.

Funny; I was catching up on some work today, and I was revamping some spreadsheets... they are mine now, in terms of responsibility, so on the one hand, I was doing them in the way I would do, such as pulling stuff from scattered spreadsheets into one (I am still tracking down dead links, but there are fewer of them, and tomorrow is another day).  On the other... well, it was sad, because I know the person who did the work of putting them together -- good work, mind, with about 80% or so kept.  But I felt I could improve the remainder, and there we were... I suspect there are some sheets out there I didn't find (or their source sheets) but I can move them tomorrow.  I hope.

Trump aides plan megabill marketing reboot for GOP lawmakers - POLITICO
Isn't this a bit late?

Covid’s Corporate Welfare Kings | Dan Albert
This could be me, but... isn't this a good thing, that people are going after these companies and trying to force them to pay real wages?  No one likes inflation but this might not be the worst thing, and if we can reduce government spending (and paying out more in wages means you might just get some more tax revenues)...that would offset the inflationary effects of higher wages (somewhat, in theory).  I guess this is something I like about the new and populist GOP...

Mattie Fests

No post yesterday as I took the night off, sort of... I treated myself to a concert and saw State Champs/Yellowcard/A Day to Remember at Blossom.  Big crowd -- I waited a bit before leaving.  Actually, it was funny...on the way there I realized that I had never been to Szalay's, which probably says a lot about me, given that I am...well, you get my drift.  Next weekend, I think!  Then, going to Blossom, I took the "back" way (down 303 to Riverview) and going home I took the Everett/Wheatley way... I have to admit, it is a bit out there, but you really have like 6 different ways to get home once you leave.  Not many people can figure this out (and yes, living here in Broadview puts me at an advantage) but it sure beats going downtown.

As for the show, it was...awesome?  State Champs was quite good, Yellowcard has "retired" so much that they have a new album (it beats real work, to be sure), and A Day to Remember was very good -- played a full set and then some.  I guess I would say there are like Rise Against...you listen and you are like "that's a good song" and then they have another...  Interesting crowd, as there were plenty of people who were my age and a bunch who were younger.  I couldn't help but notice that cocktails started at $15 -- a double was $25 -- and that seemed....excessive?

Today was...fine.  Got up early, gym, a bunch of errands, some stuff at home (I need to swiffer the floors), caught up on some work (sigh) and then went to the dinner at PLAV for the staff of the Red Chimney.  I heard they might not reopen til next year -- at least til February -- which seemed long?  Anyways, dinner was quite good...it was a nice break.  Then home to catch up on stuff and do some reading, and here we are... should be in bed, as always, but...

Don’t like joining in? Why it could be your superpower | Health & wellbeing | The Guardian
This article reminded me of...me?

The US Population Could Shrink in 2025, For the First Time Ever
I am not sure that this is a bad thing; fewer workers in the US should mean an increase in wages, especially for the traditionally low-wage jobs done by immigrants.  To be sure, they should go up, one because it was the mass hiring of immigrants that caused those wages to fall, and two... because most Americans won't (or can't) work them at those wages...yes, the increase in costs is a concern, but we need to get people into the labor market.

Speaking of which, the jobs report was... a mess.  I can't help but think that the Fed is more of a problem than the tariffs.  Too late is a more than appropriate title for Powell... I mean, the tariffs hurt, but the prolonged period of high interest rates are far more injurious -- on both the micro and the macro level -- and the only people talking about it are on our side, which is a concern.

Dragging

Long day and a bit tired... funny, I went to bed earlier yesterday but couldn't fall asleep, so at the end of the day it was sort of a wash.  I think I will try again tonight.  At least I finished the Gates book -- 36 -- and tried to finalize some weekend plans so I could try some other things... and that went about as well as expected.  Alas.  I mean, on the one hand I complain when my friends and I make plans to meet and hang, and then I complain when we can't make it work.  Yes, I am a horrible person, but we knew this.

Is it me, or was the shitshow with RFK Jr... exactly as expected?  I am no fan of the Kennedys, of course, and I think we saw why.  Does anyone think this was a good hire?  I mean, you could have found someone (anyone, I think) who could do the same MAHA stuff without, say, disavowing vaccines and getting rid of fluoride.  Yes, there would be fewer headlines, but it would be more effective.

Funny; I got invited to a family fest later in the month, and literally every day on the weekend has something going on; this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is not necessarily a good one, as even this past weekend was a lot busier than expected, and there are times when it is good to simply chill.  Mind you, I don't have food pantry duty this month, which would be a time commitment in and of itself -- just the food ordering, which is going to be fraught enough.

Reactions

Bit of an earlier post today -- trying to get to bed a tad earlier (in theory).  Just another long day, and I didn't feel like hitting the gym, so I instead had dinner (finished up the Romanian sausage from a few days ago -- good but a bit spicy) and took a long walk around the neighborhood.  It is still warm enough to do so, but the earlier dark is unsettling.  I am not saying I should do this more often -- gym is gym -- but I could do both once in a while.  In the meantime, I am entertaining notions of some culinary journeys this weekend.  Funny; this month I have a lot of things I could do and I will try to hit them...part of the summer of fun, at least the summer of Matt-fun.

‘Exmo’ Influencers Mount a TikTok War Against the Mormon Church - WSJ
Interesting.  You know, I should read the Book of Mormon.  Never have, and not that I have any sense of belief in it, as part of cultural literacy/intellectual curiosity it might be useful, or informative, or something like that.  In the meantime, as a Catholic, I sympathize with the defenders, somewhat.  

I am almost done with Henry Louis Gates' Stony the Road, which discusses the rise and role of Jim Crow in America.  It is interesting, and quite good, though I cannot help but note that 1) He seems not to mention that it was Democrats -- until quite recently, mind you -- who created and defended this system for a century-plus and 2) He seems to assign all of the opposition to Obama/the rise of Trump to racism.  I think the latter is far worse than the former, because 1) Principle, or a sense that someone is wrong about something is not racist, and 2) The flip side is that if everything is racism, people are going to decide that they may as well be racist.  I am not sure if anyone has ever asked Dr. Gates -- or any other Democrat in this country -- if they really believe this to be true, and if they realize what they are sowing.  Of course, they are Democrats, and if they do not realize that giving the drooling moron the nuclear codes is a bad idea...

Randoms

I just crashed yesterday -- not sure why, though the usual suspects apply.  Maybe I was a bit down in that I didn't do as much as I wanted to do this weekend -- Sunday I ended up helping some people move and I think that and the parish fest caused me more exhaustion than usual.  I ended up crashing on the living room floor, which is indicative of a problem in and of itself.  Alas.  

This morning I was washing dishes and my Scooby-Doo mug broke -- it has been cracked once and I patched it up, and this time the piece just came off.  I was tempted to repair it and then I realized I could probably order another one... so tomorrow I will do so.  Favorite Niece bought it for me, and I think we all know how surprisingly saccharine and maudlin I am about some things.

I gotta admit, the Trump presser today -- the one when Peter Doocy asked him about his death and he went on his zingers -- made me pee my pants.  Wrapped in all the truth -- that Biden was stage-managed at every step while the Donald is a free-ranger -- is something else... that for all of the complaints about policy, the man is certainly all there.

Democrats at the Crossroads in Virginia – HotAir
This ad is pretty good, actually -- bit long for TV but then again who watches TV anymore (at least in the traditional sense).  I don't know; I think VA is a reach state for us -- more blue than purple, all of the government workers like their iron rice bowls, Youngkin won because McAuliffe shit the bed in the debate -- but on the other hand Sears has picked up her game, the Dems are making some errors, and... why not?  I mean, this is the state where the Democratic governor (of course) was caught in blackface and there were...crickets.  So... I am not exactly full of hope.

Is it me or is UNC taking some well-deserved crap about the debut of Belichick?  I mean, it is one thing to lose, it is another to do so 48-14.  At least it was the anniversary of UM-Appalachian State yesterday, so the people in the Tarheel State can console themselves with that.