Democrat Sunday

I have had quite the time... last night I was moving some kitchen stuff and -- I was being lazy in not checking -- I didn't realize it wasn't stable, and a pile of trays landed on my right foot.  It stung a little but I thought it was fine (it was about 11 PM when I did this, don't ask) but about 2:30 I woke up in immense pain... I prevaricated a bit and decided that with all of this pain, it had to be broken, so I drove to the ER.  Long story short:  it is not broken (they think) but a glorified bone bruise.  (If it still hurts in 4 days, come back.)  Not much they can do -- I am wearing the special shoe to keep the foot stable, suggested Motrin, and RICE.  I will admit, while things didn't exactly move rapidly, all were kind and helpful (no one was there when I arrived) and I guess it was better I went.

Anyways, my sister was planning on doing AM shopping, so I texted her (at 7 AM) about my escapade.  She bought the Motrin, cautioned me to rest, and left.  I popped a Motrin, and -- am I not making this up -- I passed out in the chair (yes, the foot was elevated) til 1 PM.  I had been up for 20-some hours so I think I needed it.  But I missed Mass -- first time in a long time -- and that is not good.  Hence the Democrat Sunday.  I nodded off a couple of more times this afternoon, though from 4 on I have been alert and alive.  I had planned on some laundry, some bathroom cleaning, and other chores, but instead all I have done was sit here, do some contract work, and catch up on the bookmarks.  I have elevated the foot quite a bit and did get it iced, and there is less pain.  We will see how tomorrow goes, of course... but mainly I feel like an idiot for doing this in the first place.  Alas.

OC duty Saturday -- steady busy again (144) but again, the number of pain in the rear clients was counted on one hand.  We got rid of all of the produce and bread, plenty of clothes, and did some cleaning.  Phew.  Next week is our last week (off for Turkey Day) so I will reduce the produce order.  If we have another crowd like last week this week, it will be a record... oi.

An idea whose time has come - by Tom Knighton
I will believe this when I see it, but this is exactly correct, and let's hope the new DOGE people start here.

Clashes, confusion and secrecy consume the Harris campaign's finances
I get a kick out of this, as they spent a billion dollars to get beaten.  I realize there is Democrat financial logic, to be sure, but more to the point... I don't ever want to hear any libtard telling me we can't afford to cut some program and haircut some government program.  Every GOPer should be calling them out on this until they (the Dems) hang themselves to avoid it.

Making Up For Lost Time

 Two days without a post...very old-school in neglect.  Wednesday I was just tired (imagine that) and went to bed somewhat early, while yesterday I just crashed.  Yesterday was a good day, in some ways.  After work I went out to Gates Mills where they are putting together an SVDP Conference at St. Francis of Assisi.  I think it will happen -- people seem enthused and have the spirit -- and this is good.  I drove by the old office -- sort of sad, sort of happy -- and then went to the gym out there, which was busy not terribly so, so I got a good workout in and did some thinking.  Namely, I am not the rah-rah recruitment guy, but I am better at -- once stuff happens -- in running, organizing, smoothing over, keeping tabs on things.  Both traits are useful, but the former I do not have, while the latter is good for my nerdy, detail-oriented approach.  Anyways, I came home, watched the archived J! episodes, did some paperwork, and eventually petered out.  I am feeling it today -- bit tired, bit cold -- so ideally I will be early to bed.

The Cabinet choices...oh, how could I not comment on that.  The Noem jokes make themselves, and...well, I never thought I would see the day a GOPer would want a Kennedy to do anything save for driving off a bridge with as many relatives as possible.  Funny; while I think he is nuts, he does have a point; we are unhealthy -- 3/4 are overweight or obese -- and if he can fix that, it would be a success.  Now, aside from food taxes or the bully pulpit, I am not sure how he can do it, but...

Then, of course, there is Matt Gaetz.  Funny; even before I saw a few articles about this, I figured it was a ploy to completely sideline him.  Basically, he resigns, the Senate (only 53 GOPers, and some are leery) says no, and then the report about his "extracurricular activities" comes out (I think it gets leaked no matter what), and it is so reprehensible that not even Newsmax will hire him.  I don't think the Donald thinks that way, but I am sure there are plenty of GOPers who do, and the fact of the matter is that this move is somewhat...provocative.  Then, of course, one sees this:
Why Matt Gaetz Might Actually Become Attorney General - POLITICO
Which does not exactly fill me with joy.

On the other hand... this does bring a smile to my face:
DOJ staffers in full-blown freakout over Gaetz pick for attorney general - POLITICO

Incoming Trump admin is eyeing new immigrant detention centers near major U.S. cities
This could be me, but putting migrants in the blue and sanctuary cities was a genius move by Governor Abbott, and if Trump decides to double down on it... so much the better.

I finished book 41 a couple of days ago:  Influenza, which was somewhat ironic, as it was written to discuss the flu on the 100th anniversary of the flu pandemic... and before COVID.  So, there are some things that are...unfortunately ironic.  On the other hand, there are plenty of things that were spot on -- not being prepared for a pandemic, not sure how to treat a viral infection (which really doesn't react well to modern medicine), and that we are not doing enough science to fix these things.  Of course, the Trump Administration is going to fix that.

 Scott Jennings Gives Masterclass In Shutting Down Lib Outrage Over Trump's Defense Sec. Pick – PJ Media
This is awesome, and unless he doesn't want it, Jennings has to be in this administration; sparring with the press every week would be awesome TV, and browbeating them...well, they deserve it.

Losses and Gains

 Well, that was a disaster.  Ok, a Duke loss is hardly a national crisis, and it will probably not have any effect on March Madness, save for a seed line, but...for a game that Duke was leading for most of, and outplayed UK for much of... well, it was a bit much.  Also a bit much Cooper Flagg at the end -- two costly TOs and a craptastic defensive play to seal the L.  For all of the ballyhoo...it was deservedly humbling.  And, some of this is on the coach; there are other talented players on the roster, and if everyone thinx that Flagg is the target...one of them might be open.  Alas.  In some ways I wished teams like Duke played more of these big matchups, as you can see what a player is made of (or not) and you learn more from doubling up the Little Sisters of the Poor.

In other news, today was our District Meeting, and it was... well, quite successful, and I do not say so.  I have to admit, it is a lot of work (ok, not that much), getting food, setting an agenda, trying to get people to come (or RSVP), finding a host... but half of the Conferences were there, as was our new Executive Director.  It was good... we discussed two of the main issues...one being that the parishes in my area are older/mostly poorer/have fewer Catholics and thus need help -- twinning, other parishes, etc.  Two, if we want to add Conferences -- both organically and into the fold -- we have to offer something tangible; like client management software, help from Downtown, etc.  To be sure, we have said this many times, but new leadership has not (until today) and I think they are inclined to agree.  To be sure, that was today, and tomorrow may be different.  But if we want to grow, we cannot do the same stuff...

How Barron Trump Connected His Father to the Manosphere - WSJ
Interesting, and I think you can say it paid off.  To be sure, the bro types can certainly be said to lean Trump, but he had to get them to the polls, and I think you can say he did...

Democrats face a reckoning and a long rebuilding. There is no quick fix.
I guess I am a little skeptical, and modern history is the guide.  The GOP retook the House in 2010 -- fueled by Obamacare, and while they lost in 2012, they won the White House in 2016...and the Dems took the House in 2018.  One can argue that this election was an anti-D one than a pro-R one, and I can see us losing in 2026 if we do not deliver.

That said, it is impressive... the speed and depth of the Trump pics.  Rubio at State?  Awesome.  Holman?  Doubly so.  Noem is an interesting choice, but if she attacks our enemies like someone else's pets...the Hesgeth pick is the most surprising, given that he would seem to have not nearly enough experience... not that I do not like Fox News (far from it) but it seems there are other and better candidates out there.  Dare I say that I think some on the right are correct that raiding the House might not be the best bet?  If we do win -- and I think so -- the margin will be close, and I am not sure it is worth risking it for some offices...

Activity

As always, a busy weekend.  Food pantry duty Saturday.  It was a little odd; we only got 1/2 of the produce I ordered -- which really pissed me off -- but we did get the chicken I ordered, and had blankets, so we muddled through.  At least we completely cleaned the place out -- all of the bread and produce we had, the adult diapers, most of the socks and care items, etc.  In turn we were able to again spray down and clean, which was good.  The order for produce tomorrow will be extensive, and if we get dicked again, a snide email will be sent out...  Operationally, it was fine.  The client count was 144 (I got crap for being short of my "goal" of 150) and we had plenty of volunteers.  It was a bit nippy, but the clients were mostly good (one person left some garbage about; she has mental issues, but my tolerance for this shit is below zero, so...) and it went quite smoothly.  Bunch of people came late, and we sent them away, as it was past 12, and all we had for them was canned goods.  We need to be better at leaving AT 12, and not dawdling... 

Then home for a bit where I put down some more concrete; I didn't flatten it, but I think the divot is a bit lower.  I should have my sister or someone with a less rugged vehicle drive over it and report back.  I think I will buy some more concrete this week and put down another layer.  Rah.  Then it was off to a fundraiser dinner, which was mostly fine, save for the fact that it was an hour late, which...well, you know I feel about being on time.

Today was the big Raise the Roof fundraiser at church -- we need a new one, and had a luncheon for people willing to buy tickets.  I, of course, was in the kitchen, helping with meal (kielbasa sandwich, pierogi, salad, dessert); I guess it is my curse to be stuck there, prepping, cooking, food running, and then cleanup.  It was good -- we had about 135 people, so little food left, and I think we had plenty of money, also nice.  That said, when I got home, I was tired.  I showered, had dinner, drank some coffee, and I am better, but still off to bed soon.  At least I was able to get through stuff -- finally -- and I think that helped too.  But I still did much less than I had planned to do tonight.

Republicans' Recurring Family Policy Fight - American Compass
Interesting, and I hope we can do half of the stuff we intend to do in the next legislative section!

A Brief History of the Most Famous Swear Word in the World ‹ Literary Hub
Hilarious and interesting!  Side note -- my foul tongue was discussed during dinner today, much to my bemusement.  They are correct; a Matt swear jar would be an excellent fundraiser and certainly go a long way in paying for the roof...

How Kamala Harris plowed through $1 billion - Washington Examiner
I don't think this has been stressed enough; not that they lost, but all of the stuff you could have done with the billion they pissed away to get shellacked.  I think every GOPer should -- til Doomsday, if need be -- remind everyone about they could have used this money on -- poverty, hunger, etc. -- and how we are doing a better ob.  Not saying it will work, but it would be amusing.

Progress of a Sort

Surprisingly busy day (and week) of work, and we ended discussing the election and how the UM consumer confidence index came out (before the election it was taken) and it was surprisingly positive.  I said that each side was confident of victory, so the next one... more seriously, I am not sure that is what we should be watching, nor the stock market.  If anything, retail sales -- especially of big-ticket items -- might be a better indicator.  If people are spending, and more, that tells me more than anything.  The Fed cut rates by a quarter, and I think there will be a few more.  I did get a kick out of the whole asking Powell if Trump can fire him, which he answered "No."  And, of course, it is exactly that.  I realize we are dealing with reporters here, but even for them, it was... none too bright.  

Due to an unanticipated need to return a library book, I rushed through one (The Restless Kings, about the English kings of the Angevin empire) today, bringing me to 40 for the year.  This is good -- I need to read more -- but I was struck by two things.  One, many of the things they created still last today; a series of regional courts, the exchequer/treasurer position, the need to delegate and regionalize the King's authority; hell, the Magna Carta was created to explain the limits of power by each side.  Two... these guys really couldn't help themselves in going to war, not only with France, but with each other.  One wonders if the Holy Land could have been retaken, or if the English kings could have taken France, if they had concentrated on just the one goal.

Bought four more bags of quikrete today -- Lowe's is a couple of bucks cheaper than Home Depot, which I found odd -- and it was most amusing.  Not the purchase, but I am wearing some old and slightly beat up gym pants.  I put my change in the back pocket, and I had immense difficulty getting the zipper open.  Next, on the way to the truck, I trapped my keys in the torn zipper, and had to literally run my key ring down the zipper to untrap it.  At that point I decided that 1) I should probably throw these things away; 2) I have other pairs, so maybe this is not a big deal, and 3) I can afford to buy a replacement pair, or two, even if I do not get any for Xmas (I always ask for track pants with zippers), so...I guess some days I am a bit ridiculous.

Pelosi says Biden should have dropped out earlier so there could be a primary: 'It would have been different' | Fox News
Is it me, or is this too cute by half?  It's somewhat disingenuous across the board, and while I do not mind it, I guess I am a bit surprised that no one is calling her BS on this.  But not that surprised!

Recriminations

I still do not need the blue pills, rhetorically speaking; I did drink more coffee today, but there is still quite a bit of euphoria, thank God.  Again, I think this vote was an anti Biden/Harris/economy vote than a pro-Trump one, but on the other hand, if we can deliver on what we promised -- and with us, of course, you can never underestimate the stupid (not in the Dems way, but the foot-shooting way) -- I can see this new Trump coalition sticking around post-Trump.  Indeed, one positive about securing the bro vote -- and I think we did it this time -- is that you can create a lifetime voter.  If we can move into Latino and Black men...well, I like a diverse party!  More seriously, what I think a lot of the people on the left missed is that these people know what Trump meant when he talked about "black jobs;" namely, a lot of working class jobs are in danger of being taken over by illegal immigrants who work for low wages.  Trump's plan to send these people away/prevent more from coming means they can live (or try to) middle-class lives, and while it is hateful to some, it is...economically rational to others.

How Donald Trump gained with Black and Latino men - POLITICO
Hey, I just said this!  :)

Team Biden vs. Team Harris: Who Lost 2024? - POLITICO
Who doesn't love a circular firing squad?  More seriously though, we did this in 2012, unveiled a plan to win over minorities and such...and ran Trump, who won.  Now he wins again...winning over minorities.  I guess I would that it is also the candidate and the message which matters, and people tend to forget these things.  Timing, too; but at the end of the day, you need a candidate who can articulate a message.  Old Biden could, sort of; Trump did, twice.  Obama did.  Harris?  Not so much.  Indeed, I think the genius of Trump and Vance going on Rogan for three hours is that they articulated that they were....normal?  Could speak about a lot of things?  Can you see Harris doing that?  Of course not.  Not saying it is why she lost, but... you wonder what would have happened if she went on.

In other news, I scheduled a District meeting for SVDP, and replies are coming in.  I need to come up with an agenda and some sort of speaking plan (I have one, don't get me wrong), and I also want our teams to meet the new leadership and say what is on their minds.  Also have to bring food!  This is what the job entails, though; hell, people even say nice things about me.

Last week or so (it was so long ago I don't remember :P) I won tickets to see a show with the lead singer off the Revivalists in February.  This is cool (assuming I live that long), but... I had no idea who they were.  Thus, today I listened to the entire discography, and... they are pretty good.  Interesting vibe; not quite folk, but not pop, either.  Slightly different, which I like.  I guess my fondness for free crap has some benefits...

Mattie Does Not Need the Blue Pills

Well, that was... unexpected.  And pleasantly so!  For all of the worry, the stress, the fear... well, it wasn't that close.  To be sure, no one felt it would be such a margin of victory, or even a victory, even with the economic indicators being what they are.  But, as the night went on, fear and worry was replaced by anticipation -- could they call tonight?  Would they?  Indeed they did; I went to bed at 3 -- a second Victory Christian gin and tonic in me -- and when I woke up at 7, I didn't feel tired, and indeed, I felt good all morning...

I hate to rain on the parade, but I cannot help but think that this is more an anti-Biden/Harris vote than a pro-Trump vote.  OK, lots of people voted for Trump because they liked him, but I suspect many people voted for him in spite of the man; people are just fed up with the high prices and everything, and that was that.  Not that I am complaining, but voters are fickle, and if we do not deliver...

In the meantime, Sherrod Brown is gone, which was the first Victory Christian gin and tonic.  I never thought I would see the day, but it was glorious, though... Trump won Ohio by +13, and Bernie won by +4, so...I am glad he won, but that is somewhat troubling to me, that despite everything, barely half of Ohioans want to be rid of wifebeater populist with five homes and lives in a gated community.

You know... we almost pulled out Senate wins in WI and MI.  For all we spent on Montana and Ohio, maybe, just maybe, some of the dough we spent on those races could have been re-directed elsewhere.  To be sure, no one expected the red wave (after the blue wave of 2022), and everyone felt that even PA was a reach.  But... to have had 54 seats would have been awesome, especially in the next cycle, when more blue states are at play.  I guess I will just have to console myself with liberal tears.  Really.  No one ever offered me anything when they doubled my health care, sent my grocery bills through the roof, killed children in my name and with my tax dollars...GOPers really should be going around and just mocking these people into seppuku just for giggles n' shits.

Trump Humiliated His Foes and Proved He's A Force of History - POLITICO
Dare I say the man is...awesome?  Who doesn't want to do this?

Revenge of the Silent Male Voter
Isn't this fair?  Men have suffered under Biden, and we are constantly blamed for everything, even when it is the fault of idiot liberals.  Why should we not band together -- like the bros we are! -- and come together for the USA, the Donald, and...well, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?  I wonder if this can be kept up, but if it can be...it would be wonderful.