Awake and Alive

Long week -- crazy earnings season, other projects, and of course I need to do some SVDP work.  Oi.  Wednesday we had our quarterly Presidents' meeting, and there is quite the to-do list -- stuff to follow up on, stuff to tell my parish leaders, and stuff I need to expound upon; people do have good ideas out there, just have to go and figure them out.  Today was the West District meeting, and I went... one to see how they do things out there, and two because I wanted to scout out who was there...

My AC kicked on today, which was surprising because it seemed so nice -- bit breezy, not too warm, plenty of sun.  It was a little odd, and of course I had to run around and close the windows and the doors.  It was not on long, and then back to fresh air.  Bit cool last night but rather worth it...

I still have an episode of J! to watch; guess I will do it this weekend.  On the one hand, I have more time in that I am not chained to the schedule and 7:30 (as much as I can).  On the other, I miss it -- the mental challenge, the rigor, the fight against my mental decline.   Not fun, but at the very least I can track my brainpower.  Here's to hoping I am smarter next season!

I forced myself to boil some eggs -- I bought them when they were on sale at Acme, and they are on sale at GE, if you buy three dozen. Yes they keep, and you can do many things with them, but I suspect I might have ennui with them if I buy them all.  I bought a $4.65 watermelon at Aldi a couple of days ago, and I was like... I miss it, as it is good, healthy for you, and fairly inexpensive in bulk.

The Daring Mission to Recover World War II POWs From the Bottom of the Ocean - WSJ
Interesting.  I can only imagine the nightmare of that site, but committing to saying that we do not leave a man on the battlefield... it is an impressive thing.  Also, we didn't avenge ourselves nearly enough on the Japanese for ALL of their crimes.  Not only against our POWs, but Chinese and other native peoples; I realize most of these guys died during the war, but not all of them, and that fact that any of them were breathing in 46 or 48....

Glitchy

Operation Internet with a Hotspot is proceeding...well enough?  I mean, people survived without the Internet decades ago, and I have plenty to do without it, be it read, clean my house, or get some SVDP stuff done.  Still, it is the usual annoyance when things do not work at the peak of efficiency. My new concern is that they will not be able to make the fix tomorrow, and that will be just more unpleasantness.  No one has ever accused me of undue enthusiasm, if you get my drift.

I rather like my doctor, but one flaw is that it rarely takes but one missive to get through... I asked for a follow up on the test, and something for this cough, and indeed off into the ether.  Tomorrow is another day, to be sure, but I would rather not, if you get my drift.

‘Cancer Doesn't Care What Party You Belong To’: Poisoned Water Is Turning This Rural State Bluer - POLITICO
This is a good article, and I agree with them, but if there is one thing I learned from my all-too-brief stint at Pebble Labs is that if you get rid of glyphosate...well, the alternatives are not so good, not so all-encompassing, and not nearly so cheap.  To be sure, part of the solution should be finding alternatives -- sort of like the people who want to ax property taxes here in OH.  I do not disagree with them, but if you are not providing a solution you are simply exacerbating the problem.

‘Not the slick choice’: Maine Dems sweat Troy Jackson despite dominant victory - POLITICO
Democrat set to replace Platner in Maine led state Senate with a temper - The Washington Post
I don't know; part of the appeal for Dems is that he is not as bad as Platner -- and let's face it, they certainly have a low bar.  Again, I feel this is a blue year, so it might not matter, but it does give me some comfort that our friends on the left are picking the candidates with the most baggage...

Spotty

 Another pause in blogging.  Thursday and Friday night were the usual; I went to bed semi-early, laid in bed a bit, coughing and not sleeping, then falling asleep somehow and waking up with low blood sugar.  Sigh.  I am feeling slightly better each day, and coughing slightly less.  Slightly, and not quickly enough.  Oi.

Saturday was OC day.  We had enough volunteers, and the crowd was 140, but we were all beat after service.  Not sure why -- the weather was fine, people mostly ok.  There was a shortage of strapping males so I spent 90% of my time in the garage bagging, which was more than fine; you really can do a lot more with 3 or 4 instead of 2 or 3 -- picking up boxes, restocking stuff, running the cart with full bags to the front, etc.  But dragging we were at the end.  Rah.  

Then it was off to the gym, and then my triumphal return to the St. Casimir Polish Festival (our sister parish).  It was... good not great?  First, they use those food tickets, and I just hate those, for many stated reasons.  The grub was ok; the chicken was good but cold, the beets were hot and out of a jar.  Better were the cabbage and noodles and the kremovskie dessert.  The church is nice; not St. Stan's nice, but pretty enough.  The clerestory windows are a bit high and a bit small; you need to really crane to see what they are.  The altar and apse are well-done, to be sure.  Not sure I would go back.

Today we had Mass for my grandparents on dad's side and my aunt, two cousins, and a cousin-in-law arrived.  I think I will move it up next year; a lot of my cousins do stuff on weekends, and switching the time with Mass for my other grandparent...well, might be worth of try.  Then breakfast, gym, and home for paperwork and some work.  Rah.

I am using my hot spot as my modem.  Yesterday -- literally when I got home -- I went to fire up the Wi-fi, but my neighbor was weedwhacking down by the telephone pole, and I suspect he nicked it, as I have not had a signal since then.  Oi.  The tech will come later in the week, and I will survive, despite it being a little choppy at times. 

Ted Williams, Satchel Paige and the fight to induct Negro Leaguers into baseball’s Hall of Fame | Baseball | The Guardian
Interesting article, and I think this is 100%, in that only Ted Williams could have pulled this off.  Now with the advances in historical statistical work, we can get a sense of how good Negro League players were, but back then....

Mattie Posts

Two days without a post, and I had been doing it regularly.  Alas.  I just crashed last nite -- I have a cold, sadly, and have been coughing up a storm, and when I got tired before 11, I figured if I could crash early, the extra sleep would help.  Now, I am sure it would, but I just started coughing, the fatigue passed me by, and while I eventually fell asleep... it was not a long and fitful sleep.  Alas.  Today I felt ok, just didn't hit the gym -- work was a bit stressful, and I am tired and hacking.  I of course emailed the MD this morning, and while I am sure they will eventually reply... well, there are days I think they just let it go into the ether.  Sigh.

Monday night I went to the Globe Iron to see Bloc Party -- never seen them live, love them, and it was an awesome set, so much so that I can almost forgive them for starting late.  The venue is pretty nice - West Bank of the Flats.  Google maps had me go down Canal (by East 9th) and come up that way; I hadn't been down that way in a few years, got slightly lost, but at least it was pretty cool; that area used to be desolate, and now there are like, people and houses and businesses.  Quite cool, and I have to admit if I was younger and not a property owner I would be interested.  Of course, now it is lovely, with nice weather and things to do and such; I am sure in December when the streets aren't plowed and the local Hope and Changers are trying to break into your car or house again...it is less nice.

Anyways, after the show there was some traffic, so I meandered to McCarthy's, had a late dinner, and figured that I would leave once it dissipated. I didn't realize that Louis Tomlinson was at Jacobs Pavilion, he had more fans and a later show, and I spent an extra half hour walking around while that jam broke up.  Oh well.  Also, everything there is cashless, so...I mean it is fine (I paid it today) but it is a bit odd.

What are the SEC’s breakaway choices? From going nuclear to the mild option - The Athletic
I realize they won't, but if they really wanted to play hardball and knock the SEC to its knees, the other conferences and the Powers That Be should say "fine, go away."  And, I mean, really force them succeed -- no games, nothing in the national championship race for ANY sport, no March Madness, anything.  I mean, the gesture would be a bit empty if they were shut out of the playoff race, and I bet the other schools would love to get a chance to make the playoffs, even we would now have 12 Big Ten teams in the playoff.  Of course, there is too much money involved so they will not, but...

Exhausted

Long and busy day.. Mass and then it was off to help set up for the alumni picnic.  I helped with some of the setup, some of the cooking and food prep, the grilling, the clean-up, etc.; in short, a little bit of all of the above.  And, dare I say, I am not sure I want to do it again; a lot of work, lots to do, and because many of the alums are a bit older and quite cannot do so much, so... Mattie had a few extra things to do.  And, I had to leave at 3:30 (ok, a bit later) as it was off to Edgewater to take Communion to my Polish friend.

That was nice -- it was her 92nd bday, so we had dinner and cake, and I was there a bit longer to chat and such.  I brought a couple of hamburgers for the pooches, and you would have thought they dogs had never eaten before.   Funny; someone brought a service dog and I fed that a hamburger patty and it loved me.  Indeed, I had some of the grill smell me, and the pooches were all over me.  Anyways, it was a nice time, but long, and I am very tired.  Not sleeping well the last few nights, and that doesn't help...  So bed soon. 

It was a bit stuffy inside tonight, and when I went to open the windows...well, now it is beautiful out.  A  nice breeze, a bit cooler, and now every window is open.  My hallway is getting a nice cross-ventilation, and it is almost perfect in here now.

The Last Time America Got It Right, According to MAGA’s Next Generation - POLITICO
Interesting.  It was the time I grew up in, and I think that would cloud my judgment.

Exclusive | Gavin Newsom affair partner Ruby Rippey-Gibney penning Vanity Fair story
Will this affect his run to POTUS?  I doubt it, given the overall tenor of things, but you never know.  And, they are Dems, so....well, it is hard to assail them for moral turpitude questions...

 Why Some Women in Maine Are Mourning the End of Graham Platner’s Campaign - The New York Times         
This is an interesting approach...

Mattie's Summer of Fun

The downside of these last nites is that my sleep schedule and biorhythms get messed up.  I woke up slightly later than usual and sort of dragged (not sure why).  I got the workout and errands done, and then it was off to my double event.  There was an open house at Grays Armory today, and I figured I should see that.  On the way there I remembered that the CBT had a day night doubleheader, so my approach in (I came in off 22nd) and parking plan was altered.  Still, I parked by CSU for  $3.35, which was cool. 

I am sure I went there as a kid, but it has been 30 years or more... anyways, it is a cool space - basically it is large stone house in the middle of downtown (I think they make more from parking than anything else).  It has that older feel, but it has a couple of large gathering areas, and there are plenty of military displays around.  A Civil War re-enactor was there -- I noted he was an artillery sergeant -- and he, I, and a couple of other guests had a lengthy discussion of their cannon, which is basically a hybrid piece the CSA made, we captured, and were like "off to the rear."  It was interesting to hear how this group survived as an adjunct to the National Guard and what it does now.  

Then it was off to the PACC for their Polish Picnic (I stopped at Philomena for some gluten-free treats; they are good, but different.  Still, gotta support a Village business!), which I had never been too.  I forgot they do those stupid food tickets (oi), and it was a little chaotic up front, as they just assumed people would buy tickets... I literally gave people some menus so they could figure out what they wanted and order (I told one woman I knew the cooks and thus the grub was good).  Very Polish.  Anyways, the food was good -- potato pancakes, goulash, gowumpki, halushki.  Bit heavy (which also explains my lethargy) but good.  I ate inside but meandered around the picnic area; never been there.  They have a series of plaques with key moments in Polish history (good and bad) and we all know I am a reader, so...despite the sun, I read them all.  

I talked with a friend who was there, and he was telling me stories of life under marital law (born in 80, came here in 87, so remembered some things) -- lots of cops, empty stores, waiting in line for little food, the surprise of coming to the US and hitting a supermarket.  He noted that stuff was pricier here but it was also... there, and in spades.  I told him he was like a World Cup video poster, and he said that is exactly what it was like, fascinating, and I told him to get this written or recorded.  (I should do the same.)

The 25 most influential works of American culture - Washington Post
Interesting.  I think Uncle Tom's Cabin has to be the TOP one in the decade they chose, and I can see why they chose a decade, but most of these are solid; hell, I spent a bit of time checking some of them out, not that I am exactly a culture guy...

Call Me a Vampire

Here I am, up late.  My big plans to do a pile of SVDP work were negativity affected by my falling asleep on the living room floor, though I did get through a pile of emails and links, which is close enough.  I have a full day planned tomorrow, so I should be in bed, but... alas.  

In some ways today was worse than yesterday; the air smelled more, there was less wind, and it was darker and thicker -- I had to put the lights on before the sun went down, which is a rare event.  I assume the rain tomorrow (and the wind) will clear out some of the miasma, or at least I hope so.  I walked across the parking lot at a strip mall to go the bank and I was like "ugh."  I can only imagine people with respiratory issues.  That said, the Canadians should be pleased we are poking around in Iran, otherwise POTUS would be declaring war.

How the U.S. Lost the World Cup—and Won Over the World - WSJ
This is exactly right, and while I would have rather us won the thing...this might be as close as we get.  And, for all of the shitting on Trump and his voters, it certainly appeared that a lot of these Europeans were traveling through red states and seemed to be enjoying it.

We Went to a Yacht Party for the Most Pro-Deportation People in DC - POLITICO
I sort of want to join, just for the shits and giggles.

Inside the tense final hours of Graham Platner’s campaign - POLITICO
This is a different form of shits and giggles, in that everyone loves a trainwreck, especially me, and this was one.  I would hope Susan Collins has a string of ads with all of the people who endorsed the guy, with a chyron of "How Can You Trust Them" or something. She is smart enough to win, and she might be able to do it again...

Inside the tense final hours of Graham Platner’s campaign - POLITICO
He is pretty funny, and while he might be too old for POTUS, I agree he is quite the road warrior for GOP campaigns.  I think we can use this -- humor -- especially as most Dems now come off as annoying scolds.  Ok, they always were,  but just moreso now...

Blame Canada

 Paul Pelosi’s Errant Driving Record Preceded His Latest Napa Valley Crash - The New York Times
Who does this guy think he is, Ted Kennedy?  Hell, he killed his own brother... again, I realize we are Republicans, but at the end of the day, this is the sort of stuff we should be going after them for, as it is not just a personal tragedy; it is a miracle that someone else hasn't been killed.

In other news, the truck is back -- a piece rusted off and was hitting another piece (of the body); no damage, just sound, and for a nominal fee they pulled it off.  Rah.  I will eventually have to replace the truck, but not now (the underbody and engine are fine), and that is a phew.  I do need to figure out what to do next, house-wise; I am tempted to get the plumber in and handle the slow-emptying sink, even if they blow those pipes.  

Anyways, to "celebrate" I hit the St. Paul's Greek fest.  It was good -- I went with the moussaka to change it up -- and then I got a chicken soulvaki outside (I know some of the grillers and made sure I said hi).  But, it is also a little pricey, and they were a bit pokey on the checkout, which was meh, especially as I was ravenous and thus was ready to chow.  There are some other interesting events this weekend that I will try to hit...again, I always talk about having a fun summer, and damn it, I am going to do it, as best as I can.  I also hit Aldi's for some apples (my jury-rigged freezer bags are keeping it cool enough in the soon-to-be-replaced fridge) and granola bars.  As I told my one friend, starvation rations are fine, but once the new fridge arrives, culinary normalcy will return.

It was slightly less warm today but with the smoke and haze you wouldn't have noticed.  Really felt heavy out there, and I just went to get the mail and to walk to the mechanic... I cannot imagine the pleasure of being out there all day.

Heat

 I had to cut the grass today, and it was...quite hot.  It was fine when I was cruising on the mower, but after, when I went to remove the sky-high dandelions from the pachysandra... well, that was a less than inspired choice.  As with most things, I should never let them get that way in the first place, and while I put an impressive pile of bio-debris in the compost pile, I could have done without. Indeed, I had planned to go do the weed-whacking, but I was rather spent, so... no.  

I watched "Glen or Glenda" today; it was playing at 3AM on TCM a few days ago, so I recorded it and had to watch.  I have seen it before (maybe twice), but this time... well, for all of the talk of the movie being so bad it is good, it's really just bad.  And, for all my notions of going off and watching all of the truly awful movies out there, sitting through an hour-plus of this clunker shows us what a poor idea that is.  At least I was able to get the OC budget out in all its glory.  We have not spent that much on food due to grants, which is good, as we have put out a LOT on roof replacement projects.  We benefit from those, and Downtown cannot raise polite objections to us having too much cash on hand (which I agree with, but as much of the Board does not...), but, of course, there is the issue that we really have but one more emergency to handle.

Tim Walz defends Minnesota pardon of sex offender deported to Laos | Fox News
Now, Democrats thought this person was qualified to be Vice President.  I realize they are Democrats, and that is a low bar to begin with, but...

Thrills and chills

Day two of homeward bound continued and it was...fine?  We are a little busy at work, so I just put some extra time in.  I will definitely cut the grass tomorrow, and hopefully there will be some Behemoth news.  Rah.  I went through a pile of the paperwork, and went through some SVDP stuff, always a good thing.  I also treated myself to watching "In Which We Serve," the Noel Coward film from the 40s about the Royal Navy, or, as I say, "Mrs. Miniver On a Boat."  There is something about it I find cheery, even if it is quite the period piece, if you get my drift.  It is also the straightest role he ever played, but, a war was going on, and he even soldiered on, if you get my drift.

Explained: Argentina’s anti-England chants and why players sing about the Falklands War - The Athletic

This is the stuff about soccer that makes it watchable, for God's sake!  Fan-trolling is where it is, and if you think about it, this is just as good as "Two World Wars and One World Cup."  I realize of course I think differently about things compared to most people, but if I was in charge of FIFA, I would encourage this.  

Speaking of soccer, I am still reading all the articles about how we don't have the youth soccer programs other countries do.  I don't think that is it... I think we just have so many other sports kids play.  Football is king, hoops and baseball, and then soccer?  Hell, LAX is hugely popular now, too, and I suspect a lot of kids who could play soccer play LAX, if you get my drift.  Soccer is also not football -- no cheerleaders, if you will -- so soccer has to compete with everyone else.  This is not a bad thing, but for all of the hand-wringing, I think it is just economics and choice.

‘This Was a Black Eye’: Progressives Face Reckoning Over Graham Platner - NOTUS — News of the United States
If this is what they consider a reckoning, I wish I would have similar such reckonings!  To be sure, they are Democrats, so it's not like they have any morals about this (or anything), so...

Homeward Bound

 So, I called the mechanic about the truck, and they cannot take it until Thursday, so I will be car-less til then.  Alas.  I mean, it's not the worst; save for fruit, I have plenty of food, plenty of things to do, etc.  I just hope the thing can be fixed and at moderate cost.  There is some work to do and SVDP stuff... of course, it is the whole forced thing that is the issue.  But I will survive.  Hell, the grass needs to be cut, so that is on the agenda for tomorrow night...  in the meantime, my jury-rigged fridge -- I refresh the freezer bags every night -- continues on.  I realize there are worse fates to befall me, but...

In the meantime, Lindsay Graham passed away. I was fascinated by the scurrilous rumors about the guy; I suspect THAT is why they released the audio from the 911 calls.  That said, he will be missed.  Not only for being the one to say he could murder Ted Cruz and be found innocent 99-0, but... he was a deal maker, a solid conservative, and a funny guy.  We rarely hit the trifecta in life.  The choice of his sister seems odd, unless we didn't want to put the thumb on the scale for the successor...

Ditching the Seventeenth - by Glenn Harlan Reynolds
Dare I say I rather agree?  I realize it will probably never happen, but... well, I think the corruption would be the same, but local, and it is easier to get rid of state reps than 200 lobbyists in DC.  

Things Fall Apart

 Last nite was the class reunion.  As with most things in my life, I didn't want to go, but went and had a good tine.  Attendance was a bit sparse -- I figured more would have attended -- but the ones who were there were nice and friendly, and it was good to see the ones who were there.  It was at the Wild Eagle -- nice place, should go there more -- and it was close to home.  Rah.  Earlier in the day I went to a silent movie at the Cleveland Public Library; they were doing the Lillian Gish 1926 "The Scarlet Letter." Charming film; I had not read the book since high school, so I forgot some of the plot twists, but other than that... fine.  They had a nice reception after -- live music (like the silents of the day) and while I am not quite the aesthete, I liked it.  The Library is quite nice; I should hang out there more often.  Lots of cheery spaces, reading areas, etc.  If you can find cheap street parking... 

Today I watched "Inception," the Nolan film from 2010 that is on the NFR.  I don't know, didn't really like it.  I mean, the action scenes were awesome, and the cast was first-rate, but the plot... I guess I am not the sci-fi type.  Oh well.  Bit long, too.  860, though.

Samuel Alito, a MAGA-Friendly Justice With a New Conservative Legal Vision - WSJ
It is more than fair to say that he has amply filled the mantle of Justice Thomas!

Last Skyway drive-in restaurant closes after 74 years in Fairlawn - cleveland.com
What???  I mean, I didn't go as often as I should have -- need to get to Fairlawn more, I guess -- but when I did, I always stopped.  Was just as good as Swenson's... alas.  I guess things happen, and people have a right to retire, but one hates to see these things come to an end.

In less happy news, the Behemoth is making loud noises, so I will have to call the mechanic and see when they can take it (hopefully soon).  As my father would have said, it sounds expensive, and of course, the timing is not quite the best.  To say nothing of the fact that this could be a big one, or the big one.  Ugh.  But we will figure it out,

In other news, I bought a fridge Saturday.  I went to Home Appliance in Brunswick (my sister recommended it) and while they didn't have one in stock, they can have one next week, and it was about what I figured I would pay.  I am a little short of fruit, but other than that... I think I can survive for a few days.  I am sure I will be pleased to do my part to stimulate the economy...

Mattie is alive

Long break, not that I was trying; Monday and Tuesday I crashed.  Wednesday I joined Team XI at PQ (we came in third, sigh) and then when I wanted to post, I couldn't log in.  And last night I was out -- haircut, dinner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and then a friend was/is in town, so I met him Downtown (he was staying at the Hyatt).  I thought about posting, but... discretion won out.

I have decided I need a new fridge and will be buying one tomorrow.  (Need to take some measurements.)  Mine is old -- a decade -- and not only was it making odd noises, but the fridge part is not very cold.  This is an issue, as I have insulin in there (I have some freezer bags in it for support).  It is pretty sparse in there now -- just pop, potatoes, and some apples.  Alas.  I hope it can be delivered sooner rather than later, but we will see.  I have been paying down the HELOC, and while I wanted to fund some home improvements...well, this is one as well.  And, one needs a fridge.  In the meantime, I am trying to do as much of the catching up as I can as stuff.  Oi!

Exclusive: Phil Mickelson’s Long History of Misconduct
Interesting...  Phil, we hardly knew ye?  And, once we did...

The Platner rape story: all in the timing - The New Neo
But this guy says "Hold my beer!"  I will remind you all that I called this -- sexual assault allegations, or at least worse -- even if I didn't exactly have hard evidence.  Now, for a while I thought he would not withdraw from the race, though he has agreed to do so (for now).  Quite frankly, every GOPer should be making ads with this guy -- and his endorsees/enablers -- front and center, followed by going around and asking Democrats what, if anything, were they thinking.  Now, as they are Democrats, they have plenty little with which to think, but...

Democrats have abandoned Graham Platner - POLITICO
One of my former coworkers -- an admitted and avowed Socialist -- told me that he didn't Platner to withdraw from the race.  I told him that I agreed, and I do not think he picked up my tone...

 Don’t Lock Young Americans Into Social Security | RealClearPolitics
This is an excellent idea, so of course it will never work.

Let’s admit it: The United States is never going to win a men’s World Cup - The Athletic
Monday I watched this game at a soccer party.  Quite dour, especially as it became obvious that we were not going to win.  I don't know... this could be me, and I do not watch much soccer, but it seems like we do soccer the same way everyone else does.  (Boringly.)  Hell, our best players go over to Europe.  Now, if we are not as good as the Europeans are, and we intend to do soccer in the same way that they do, we really won't ever win, will we?  I would think trying to win in our way would be best.  I wonder what a combo of aggressive soccer -- using our size and strength -- AND long-distance shots would work.  Or, considering how often we crammed everyone in front of the box and then we miffed anyway, I wonder if getting out a bit and kicking it in from afar (like our penalty kick goal) might help; we'd have to practice it, of course, and we would have to spread the field, but I think it could be tried.

U.S. soccer’s ‘pay-to-play’ problem: The lightning-rod issue explained in a World Cup context - The Athletic

Isn't this true for all our sports?  It is just that we compete with everyone else in soccer, and come out on the short side...

Still Independent

The end of a long weekend.  On the one hand, I didn't do enough of what I wanted to do, but on the other hand, I did a lot.  Cleaned out the laundry, did some cleaning, finished a book, went through a bunch of links and emails, finally caught up on J! episodes.  I mean, there is always more reading to do and movies to watch, and I need to start taking the time to do that.  Sigh.  Tomorrow is another day and all that jazz.  To be sure, with the concert and the Fourth... there was less time than expected.  Alas  

I wanted to do some culinary tourism but with the holiday I figured it would be problematic, so I instead went to the recipe list and made -- in honor of the day -- John Wayne's cowboy casserole.  It was quite good, but given the ingredients - buttermilk biscuits, cheese, sour cream -- let's just say that I have had some bathroom fireworks of my own.  I really do not eat such richer ingredients, and I can tell; rather looking forward to baked fish again in many ways.  And, I should get to some restaurants this month, especially if the weather is good and gas prices continue to slide down.

Inside Republicans’ Plan to Win the Midterms - NOTUS — News of the United States
Speaking of, I will believe it when I see it...

On the origin of continents - Works in Progress Magazine
Interesting.  Hard to believe it took so long to believe -- I mean, look at the map?  I did like how even after looking at the fossil record and such people still were skeptical.  I realize it is sort of a crazy idea -- continents are big and massive things -- but it's not like this is creation science (the real science of course!).

Tim Lincecum got his pitching start at Washington
Interesting; I forgot about him (sort of) and how good he was.  Was it overwork?  Delivery?  Just his time?  Trading for him was one of the best decisions I ever made in my fantasy baseball league, which seems so long ago....

Soaked

 So Thursday night I watched some TV and fell asleep on the floor.  Woke up at 3, which caused me to go back to bed, but I overslept my alarm (sleep schedule off) and it ruined my biorhythm feng shui; woke up a bit late and ended up doing some stuff in the AM, the getting up late bit caused me to drag.  Oi.  Anyways, a late start -- errands, groceries, etc. -- then home a bit (where I napped) and caught up on some J!.  Then it was off to Blossom; I had won free tix to the music festival (I was trying to get Strokes tix).  I hadn't planned on going...if you remember last year I went and it was fun but I was like meh.  And, of course, there was the weather.  But I thought there might be a chance -- "Spotty storms" -- and there I went.

Going there it was nice; a bit warm but once you are in the park there are those tree-lined roads and it was quite cool.  I have to admit, driving down I was like "if the storm hits and the branches come down, this will be a mess."  I snagged a paring spot on pavement (good) and hoofed (chair, backpack with drinks and insulin) to the lawn.  It was pretty full, but I found a spot in the back by a tree and parked.  The concert was fine, but... it got darker and then started to rain.  Hard.  I got fairly drenched, to put it mildly.  To be sure, it was warm, so it wasn't unpleasant, but after roasting in the heat, there was this.  OI.  The intermission was a little prolonged due to the rain, but then Act II started and it started to rain again.  Everyone assumed with the rain the fireworks were off, so we all started to hoof back....just when we were out of the amphitheater the fireworks started!  Oi.  I mean, it was fine, but it's not quite my type of music, you are far (yes, you don't need to see the orchestra), and if it rains...

The ride home was a bit perilous -- lots of people left early, so getting out was actually nonstop and fast.  But, the roads did have some debris -- branches and leaves -- and they blocked Steels Corners and diverted you to Riverview (water, I guess).  This was ok -- I know where THAT ends up -- but I was not displeased to finally get on Everett (also an adventure, with the hills, wind, rain, branches, etc.).  I got home, took off my wet clothes, had some dinner, and resolved not to do this again.   I still need to clean my house today, which I could have done last night (though I would not have).

Twilight of the boomer priests
Interesting, and I agree...I think we can say they were/are an artifact of their time, but...time have changed.  Thank God!

It Is Time To Revisit Kennedy v. Louisiana
This is exactly right, especially when we don't have that moron Anthony Kennedy around anymore...  hell, this is a Tenth Amendment violation if anything.

The decade when Duke basketball became a fearsome (and hated) machine - The Athletic
This is a bit hard to believe, sort of.  I mean, I realize people are gonna hate, but... in the meantime, I didn't realize Coach K was so involved in setting up the funding mechanism for success.  Hard to believe it now, with NIL and all, but...

The pickup games that made ‘Blue Chips’ the most authentic basketball movie ever - The Athletic
Great article.  I have to admit, I loved the movie -- not quite Hoosiers, but close -- and I think (even now), it holds up.  Hell, with NIL, it is still there, just in the open...  I forgot that they used actual college players and coaches in the game, and it is hilarious that people remember guys from the movie and not their college careers...

Survive and Advance

That World Cup game was...something?  I mean, I am glad we won, but...two goals taken off the board for offsides?  A Team USA player getting a red card for at best a very  modest contact foul?  Good Lord.  There are plenty of reasons for people to hate this stupid sport, but this seems to be even more than usual.  I realize my comparison to the J! TOC is apt -- survive and advance -- but still, you want the teams to play in a game NOT decided by the refs.

My aunt was in town for a couple of days -- staying with my sister -- so I went over there to visit and to do some research for my family history "project."  This is on my Mom's side, but I would like to know more about them as well.  I didn't realize I knew more about grandma's side of the family than grandpa's, and much of the evening was spent discussing that.  There are a lot more relatives on that side of the family -- my grandfather had many siblings -- and I guess there are plenty of distant cousins I could look up.  I still have some older relatives to ask, and that will be on the calendar for the weekend.  In theory; I would like to do some things, and I have piles of stuff to go through...

Inside the Egg Price-Fixing Scandal That Spiked American Grocery Bills - WSJ
Is it me, or is this not enough of a punishment?  Given all the talk about antitrust, affordability, etc., there should have been stronger actions; indeed, they should be breaking these companies up.  As I so often say now, one of the advantages of the death penalty is that you only have to do it once (in theory) before people get the message.  I know the Trump Administration is a bit more business-friendly than others, but...

InfantryDort on X: ""The century of progressivism did not go well. The European system that Wilson and the progressives scolded Americans for not adopting—which he called nearly perfect—led to the governments that caused the most awful century that the world has ever seen. Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini https://t.co/EqBQJUkI3t" / X
This is awesome!