Catching Up

Four days between posts...fraid so.  Busy with work and life Thursday and Friday, and yesterday I slept in a bit, gym, errands, chores, and work.  I decided to treat myself last night and -- to celebrate Medina Restaurant Week -- I went 111 Bistro.  Not on the square; off 18 but down by the Thirsty Cowboy.  It was pretty good; gravy was a bit salty and I think it would have worked better with the rosemary polenta separate from the pork shank, but...overall it was nice and good to get out of the house.  Not sure it was worth $60 with tax and tip, but...what is nowadays?

Today was beautiful at church (I missed Mass last week due to the Festival, sigh); sun coming in through the windows, just warm enough we don't need the heat, decent sermon and music...the way things ought to be, in the words of a famous American.

Someone gave me a couple of red cabbages and for a few days I was like what am I going to do with these?  Then I realized I could make a German-style red cabbage slaw.  I made one with one cabbage Thursday or so and I am making #2 now... the first one I put a bit more sugar in it than I should have so this one will be... tarter.  I mean, it is a recipe, but I can follow it as I want, I guess, and there is no accounting for taste, or at least my taste.

Another funny thing; I was engaged in a spot house cleaning a few days ago and moved all the stuff off the kitchen table to give it a good clean... well, the stuff has not found its way back.  The table looks cleaner, but the pile just migrated -- and I need to handle it, and soon.  Adulting is hard, but...

Democrats scramble to blunt Trump’s midterms crime offensive - POLITICO
I don't know; Democrats have always been soft on crime, so...  this is hardly man bites dog?  People like to be safe and it is NOT the GOPers who are running around giving soft sentences to criminals.  Of course, in the red areas, people have arms, and use them, and that has a certain effect on the criminal population...

WhyIsTheYieldCurveSteepening_081925.pdf
This was sobering and depressing all at once; eventually, all of that debt and interest will come back to hit us, and sadly, not even my party wants to handle it.  Oi.

With Fundraisers Being Canceled, Virginia AG Candidate Jay Jones Enters Total Crisis Mode
Between this and the debate -- which I watched, and was impressed by the performance of Winsome Sears -- I think the state could be in play for the GOP.  At the least, every Democrat no matter where needs to be tied to this as much as possible.  Or, we should, but we won't....

Tailwinds

Is it me, or is Donald Trump's play for the Nobel Peace Prize...alive and kicking?  To be sure, this is Hamas, and I would not trust them for anything, but if his peace plan does hold (again, a huge if)...well, it would be something.  I mean, he has solved a bunch of other mini-fires, but this would be a big deal.  Carter won one for getting Israel and Egypt to make peace (with a pile of money)...but Trump has handled this fairly well?  Threats and force, but letting our partners in the Arab World push them into a deal... at least the man did something for his Nobel Prize, unlike certain other Presidents...

Guess Who Just Admitted That Obamacare’s A Money Pit – PJ Media
Speaking of failed and broken promises... more seriously, what someone should do is file suit against them -- all -- and claim that this was a conspiracy to defraud Americans with traditional insurance plans.  Maybe I am watching too much Law and Order, but...if they all knew about it, and did it anyways, that is fraud, and as such these people persecution and prosecution, to say nothing of restitution.  I think most lawyers would look for easier money (my respect for lawyers goes only so far) but if one did...well, I would be impressed.

Jay Jones texting scandal breathes new life into GOP push in Virginia - POLITICO
I don't know; I don't think that VA is winnable for the GOP -- it is a bluish state -- but on the other hand, this is the gift that keeps on giving.  I mean, really, who in their right mind would want to kill someone else's kids?  Well, Democrats do, given their support for infanticide.  (A minor quibble.)  Really, this is the sort of thing that every GOPer should be asking of every Democrat (and their helpers).  Preferably with cameras running, of course?  I read an article that said that Dems are hanging up when asked this question... that should also be on air. I think at the end of the day people don't care (if they are Dems) but one should avoid an opportunity to shit on someone else's porch.

Mattie is bemused

I am better -- bit tired still, bit fatigued, but not fully having my dupa kicked.  Phew.  I hope tomorrow does the trick, though I suspect not.  Honestly, today was... dark and dreary?  Rainy?  I mean, we needed the rain, do not get me wrong, but it was sort of jarring to see.  After such a nice weekend (not that I saw much of it), it seemed...meh.  At least I was productive -- work, did some house cleaning, filled out some paperwork, rah.  I would not say that I am an overachiever, but... these little things are important to me (God, I sound like my parents).  I should have done some SVDP or food pantry business, but... tomorrow is another day.

Can the USCCB move from accidents to great ideas?
Dare I say that not honoring politicians might be the way around the problem?  As everyone points out, neither party reflects Catholic teachings very well, and any politician who does will probably not have a long career.  On the other hand, there are plenty of Catholics out there who have very little experience to politics, and I suspect we could fill the awards season out by honoring them?

Trading away Joe Flacco?  Boy, the Browns are giving up on the season early.  Well, earlier than usual.  I guess he is 40, and obviously not the long-term answer, so... you go to QB#2?  Gabriel didn't exactly shit the bed in London, which, for this team, is all you need (that and not jerking off on two dozen women, or other shenanigans).

I get a kick out of all of the GOPers calling the Dems opposed to the ICE raids and use of the National Guard neo-Confederates.  I realize that I am one of the 3% of people who get the joke, but comparing JB Pritzer to Orval Faubus and George Wallace is funny as hell, and I can only imagine some GOP operative putting together some awesome commercials splicing the two.  Mind you, they won't, but...

Recovery

Funny; last nite/this morning I woke up twice with charley horses -- the second one was above the left knee, and those are a zillion times worse than those in the lower leg -- you can walk those off, sort of.  The upper ones...well, you just endure, walk, get some water, etc.  That said...while I am beat to hell, I am far less beat than last year -- I was out for 3 or 4 days.  Today I was sore and tired, and a little bit of a mental fog (no gym), but I managed to sit in on a work meeting, read some intelligent stuff, etc.  I had a nice lunch at Panera with my sister -- continuing the tradition I had with Mom of eating healthy and giving her a Festival update -- and even did some paperwork.  Rah.

I also caught up on the entire week of J! episodes I had saved and watched tonight's live.  Yes, that is 3 hours of J!  I need to get back into the hobby of live-watching every night but life intervenes.  Anyways, I felt sort of smarter, but I am but 11 of 21 on FJ! this year.  Not good enough, especially when I am averaging about 41.5 correct a night (only twice have I been below 40, phew).  My mind is good at some things, but others... some of it is me -- I don't watch much TV or pop culture (my fault), and some is... the mind doesn't work as fast.  Oi,

Donald Trump Is Making a Mistake That Blew Up in Thomas Jefferson’s Face - POLITICO
I do love this story -- I should read up more about Burr and his life, even though he burned his notes and diaries.  He is certainly, at the very least, an anti-hero, though I also think he was...well, in it for himself.  On the other hand, as the author notes, Jefferson did himself no favors by meddling -- and neither does Trump, though one can argue his transparency (such as by doing it on Twitter) is less of a concern -- the man is not exactly subtle.

Mattie survives

So, I was on blog hiatus this weekend, as this was St. Stan's Polish Festival weekend... and there I was, as always, in the kitchen at the pierogi and potato pancake fryer.  And...it was a good and busy Festival.  Friday was a bit slow -- sort of a return to historical norms -- but Saturday and Sunday were very busy.  Not zoo busy, but steady for several hours.  I think we made some dough for the parish and the roof.  Beats the hell out of me, as always.. of course, I am up now.  To be sure, tonight, I went out for a bit with the younger sous chefs, came home, snarfed a bit of fruit and veggies (the food is a bit heavy, and not quite what I normally eat), took a nice bath, then started catching up on stuff.  Exciting.  And here we are...off tomorrow, and I can use a bit of a rest.  But...it is good to be back in the kitchen with a good crew, getting stuff out, and the people seemed to like it.  Phew!

In other news, I got to church a bit early to light a candle, and on the way in...I found a slightly beat up $50 bill on the sidewalk.  I guess I could have kept it, but... I turned it in to the collection plate.  This could be me, but... how do you lose a $50?  I am cheap, as we know, but... odd.

A small think tank's crusade against Obamacare is making some Republicans nervous - POLITICO

The Obamacare subsidy fight is already splitting congressional Republicans - POLITICO

As I so often say...one, people should be asking the Dems 1) Why they didn't make a program they could pay for and 2)  Where is the help for the people who took it in the pooper when the bill was passed...  I have the admit, the GOP has put itself in a box... let them expire and they lose Congress, but if not...well, how can you call yourself a Republican?  On the other hand, the Dems have pissed off the GOP by shutting down the government, in which case... will the GOP go through on its claim to really punish them?  I have my doubts, but if they do... so much the better.

Catching Up

Hard to believe it is October already; the weather is wonderful -- took a walk at lunch today -- and summer has just flown by.  So did today, sort of; work and then off to church to help prep for the Festival - cutting kielbasa and cleaning up.  Hard to believe I was there for four hours, but I was.  The crew was discussing that unless you work back there, you really don't know how much work it is, and how much work is needed beforehand to get everything done.  Funny, I missed the St. John Cantius festival (Saturday, had I remembered it would have been a tight fit) and theirs is one day with a limited menu.  Less work but you make less...whereas we use this to pay the heat bill and other things, and -- this year -- fundraising for the roof (hmmm).  Huge difference, and one has to spend money to make money.

Russell Vought Moves Quickly in Government Shutdown - WSJ
You know, I agree with this -- Dems don't have to have a shutdown, and certainly don't have to have it now, and they -- and their states and constituents -- should pay, and pay hard.  Hell, as I so often say, I have yet to see any of the savings from Obamacare (not that I expected to) but I was promised them... justice delayed is justice denied, as they say.  So let the pain and suffering come, and come hard.  As a side benefit, any reduction in government spending is hardly a bad thing...

Pope Leo speaks up on Dick Durbin’s behalf amid abortion rift - Live Updates - POLITICO
I was under the impression that the Pope -- especially the new one -- should be Catholic, and lo and behold... to be sure, the man is correct, we need to look at this through the entire prism, but at the end of the day, abortion is... sort of the third rail for the Catholic Church.  It is good to see that some bishops are taking a stand here.

I need to make room in my fridge for brownies, and I may need to make room in my freezer in case there are piles of leftovers.  I hope there are not for many reasons (just enough, if you will) but I am not sure where I will be putting everything should it happen.  I always joke about needing to buy a big old freezer -- as a bachelor it seems superfluous -- but there are times when I can see the utility.