Mattie Returns

As always, a delay in posting... last night I just tired and crappy, and about 10:30 I just said... time for bed.  Set the clock for 7, and went to bed.  I think I slept long -- only woke up at 5 and but briefly -- and while I am not exactly feeling better, I didn't feel worse.  Indeed, I think if I could do it a couple of more times...

Big news of the week, of course, is the peace deal (of a sort).  Bigly win for Trump in that the hostages were released.  Will there be peace?  Maybe.  I for one doubt it, given that these are the Palestinians, and cannot be trusted as far as they can be thrown.  I suspect the Arab partners in the region will have to give them a nudge.  Quite frankly, there is something to be said for letting the Palestinians not make peace, and then blowing them into oblivion (which would be too cool, even for Donald Trump).  

Second biggest news of the week:  JD Vance's tweet response to Elizabeth Warren (aka Pocahontas).  I almost peed my pants over that one, and on Columbus Day...priceless.  The man (or his social media team) is good.

Fun stuff at the food pantry... we have bought a new fridge and a new freezer.  Have to pay to get stuff off the roof so it can be replaced (we are not paying for that).  Have a repair/replacement option on one of our commercial freezers, and then a handyman is interested in getting our door frame to the old clothing room fixed.  Lots of bills at once!  On the other hand, as I often say... we are sort of like a business (albeit one that doesn't make any money) and thus we need to have a capital improvements plan, such as buying and replacing older stuff, fixing things.  We really don't -- I have a line item in the budget -- and this is fine, until stuff breaks.  The Board will probably approve it, Downtown will kvetch in a minor way, but... it will be ok.  

I have to admit, the Browns move deal surprised me... but maybe both sides agreed to settle it to settle it -- the Browns can move, they help pay to tear down the stadium, and we get valuable lakefront property, which the city will probably shit up, being Democrats and all.

'The devil is in the details' - The Catholic debate over conversion therapy
Interesting read.  I really don't think it works, but... there are some religious and First Amendment issues here, and given that the current composition of SCOTUS is very friendly to those arguments...