Not-So-Lazy-Friday

Finally, Labor Day weekend.  I had planned to go out tonight, but as we can see, that didn't happen, and maybe that is ok.  It was a long week -- and a long day -- and some home time, reading, catching up on stuff, doing the paperwork...might be ok.  

There are a LOT of things to do this weekend -- plenty of ethnic fests, other stuff -- and I intend to hit a couple of them.  Funny; I have some stuff to do -- work, house stuff, OC stuff -- but I think I will do as many of them as I can tomorrow, just to free up the rest of the weekend.  In theory, of course.  I need to plan a Fall Meeting for SVDP.  I asked people for dates, no one responded.  Sigh.  I know we are busy, but...it would be nice if some people would get back to me.  Alas, alack.

The Social Security benefit cliff is here. Washington is struggling to wake up. - POLITICO
Has any President tried to solve this?  W, and he was creamed for it.  Boehner tried as speaker, and Obama turned him down.  Quite frankly, as the Dems have no idea or credible plan to do this, they should be held responsible, but I think we all know what will happen, so... I mean, I realize none of the options are good, but they only worsen as this goes on.

After the heat and the constant AC running yesterday...today was pleasant?  To be sure, the early storms were a bit rough, but the windows are open now, and the home is filled with cool and gentle breezes, which reminded me once again why the expense of getting the windows done was so worth it...  I have been delaying the next project -- I like having less debt than usual -- but there are some things I would like done before winter, and there is no reason why I should not do them...

Mattie Cooks...Frugally

New month, still hard to believe.  Yesterday was good -- productive, lots of work, but a bit stressful.  Oi.  This morning I woke up at the buttcrack of dawn and went to Acme in Fairlawn -- pop and other stuff was on sale; I spent a lot but I also got all of the stuff I needed for a Polish Festival basket that uses the $2 chip clips I won (my sense of economics is often faulty).  I saw pasta and sauce was on sale, so I bought one of each -- it has been years since I made it, and I wanted to buy ground meat, like Mom did... it is quite pricey, so much so I didn't.  Rather, I thawed some frozen shrimp and veggies, cut them both up, and made a pasta primavera with shrimp.  My Mom, were she alive, would have accused me of cooking that way on purpose, and I will neither confirm nor deny that.  I have three more servings of pasta, and half a jar of sauce; I think I have another box of pasta somewhere, so we will be eating that for a while.

Funny, because last week (ok, Sunday) I pulled some chicken thighs out of my freezer, thawed them, added some sliced veggies, and baked them for a couple of hours in the oven.  It was quite delicious -- I should have added more veggies -- and I ended up getting six servings out of it.  I bought it at 28 cents a pound as a manager special, so... methinks I need to shop at the GE more.

I thought the Vance speech was quite awesome, and if we can make some inroads into the Jewish vote... it seems a more natural constituency for us.  Less good -- the war in Iran continues, gas prices are high, and Trump is sitting on his cash.  In a blue wave it will probably not matter, but... I suspect this whole thing has been poorly managed, and we -- and the country -- will suffer for it.

UCLA has a seat on the Big Ten gravy train, so why are its finances such a mess? - The Athletic
Interesting?  Odd?  It does seem that not owning the stadium is a bigger issue than expected...

Penn State to open Paterno Family Football Experience Room inside Beaver Stadium - The Athletic
I can't wait for the ostrich exhibit to open, too!

Not crashing

Good Lord, it is already September!  Summer is pretty much over (tonight's heat wave not withstanding; the AC ran almost all day), and the Labor Day weekend is... well, I will appreciate having an extra off day.  I am already planning for the things I want to do, and the inevitable disappointment when I do not do it all.  To be sure, I would like to do some fun things... 

The last two nights I crashed on the floor, and while I should know better and NOT lay on the floor (as I am now), there is something to be said for laying out and relaxing.  Even if it causes me to get sleepy.  Of course, if I slept more...  but, there is just too much to do!

General Dynamics Failed to Build Artillery Shells for the Army — ProPublica
This could be me, but isn't this as much -- if not more -- the fault of the Biden Administration as it is the Trump one?  To be sure, we should be shutting this down now, but it was their idiocy that caused this in the first place.

A Father Named Marcus Coleman Just Took Congressional Democrats to the Woodshed – HotAir
Impressive stuff, and quite frankly, every Democrat on the committee should have been called to the carpet by the chair.  Of course, we don't do that, but....sigh.

Relief

This could be me, but too much and not enough was made of UNC's win at TCU.  Too much, of course, because one game is one game, but I also think the idea of underestimating Bill Belicheck is... unwise?  Especially in this NIL era, when he could recruit some players of his own, put in his own schemes tailored to them, etc.  To be sure, it is one game, but I would like to think the man could win one game if he needed to...and with the vultures starting to circle...

Last night I had a haircut in Lakewood and with a couple of hours to kill, I decided to go to Sarita -- never been there, heard it was good, and there I was.  Of course, the parking was a hot mess, and I could not help but note -- given the Acton signs -- that I was in enemy territory.  As for the grub, it was pretty good -- I had a peach burrata appetizer that was desserty, a chicken francaise (bit salty) with mushroom risotto (quite good), and bread pudding (I skipped lunch).  I think Rood is better, but it was good on its own.  Then off to Mahall's for Emo Night, which was glorious, as always.  

OC duty today -- 106 the count, but with five Saturdays, we expected it -- about 30%, I would say, had been there already and either forgot or were scamming.  Alas.  More seriously, all the produce is gone, the tables were wiped off, and we cleaned/consolidated the freezers; we are closed next week for Labor Day, and we can't have stuff lying around.  My month is over, and I can... not worry about crap.

Glenville football players accused of stealing $4,500 from Dick’s Sporting Goods - cleveland.com
This story amuses the hell out of me; for one, these kids should know better.  Two, we aren't going to hear from Teddy Ginn -- all about the kids, you know -- about this.  If we had real reporters, of course, they would be asking him about this.  But, we do not... 

Mattie is back

Long week.  Sigh.  And, one of my coworkers -- our Research Associate -- was let go today.  I feel badly for her -- a lot was on her plate, and she was trying to do that and learn the business of building products.  I mean, I understand, and the housing market is not good, but...  

Couple of days ago I dummied into a Creationism podcast on Youtube, and of course I had to listen.  It was...interesting.  Like, there is a lack of funding for Creation Science, a bunch of these guys want to go to Alaska to see if there is any DNA in the bones there, and that all the coprolites are evidence for Young Earth Creationism (the only kind!).  OK...But then it took an interesting turn; they discussed the Curse of Ham and how some groups -- especially on the right -- are using it to spread hate and racism.  I really paid attention here, because one so rarely hears this sort of thing, but they were quite animated about it; the Curse of Ham is NOT a racist trope -- and nor should real Christians partake.  Rather, the Curse is about those who turn from God.  Honestly, I had not heard such a strident denunciation of this -- and from a right-leaning site, if you will -- that I almost want to listen to another.

The moon disappeared!  I have been going out intermittently to check the eclipse, and it was one thing to see it in part, but it is completely different to not see the moon at all (even with the clouds).  Reminded me of the Totality during the solar eclipse, even if it was not quite so jarring...but still cool.

Getting Ahead Has Never Been Easy - A Wealth of Common Sense
I have seen the site referenced a couple of places, and there is something to be said -- that was once rare is now commonplace, and what was once a luxury, even poor people can enjoy - I always get a kick out of the large TVs you see when doing home visits (prolly rented at exorbitant rates, too).  Nothing like a bit of financial education couldn't cure...

What’s Cool in High School? Personal Finance - WSJ
Ask and you shall receive!  More seriously, this is good, even if for some people, it may as well be Greek...

Trump changed Republican economics. Now the GOP has to figure out how to sell it. - POLITICO
Dare I say that the combo of tariffs and the Iran War makes this...impossible?  I mean, the man would have a compelling case without both, and with one you can make an argument, but now...

Polynesian Wayfinding: How these sailors navigated the open Pacific with no compass or GPS
This is awesome, and if I had the stones, I would do the same...

‘There’s no real rules’ for NIL agents. And some like it that way - The Athletic
The whole time I was reading this article, I was like... isn't that the point?  I mean, there should be some rules, but it is not like the college coaches (ahem, Lane Kiffin) seem to operate with any, so why shouldn't everyone else do the same?

Matttie wakes

The Browns make me laugh.  I mean, I really don't care, since I seldom pay attention, but everyone loves a train wreck, and they are... and, to be sure, I think we all knew that Watson would be the QB.  It does seem that he really doesn't nave the arm/shoulder strength anymore to make long/deep throws, and he doesn't look good out there, so... why not?  Unless the plan is to play him a few games, he craps out, gets benched, and that's that (so there is no chance of grievance), but...it seems there is a simpler way to do this.  Of course, that would enrage the fan base less, but these people still root for the Browns, so what else will you do?  (I blame them more than anything, but people vote for Democrats, too.)

More or less funny; I thought I had my blood sugar just right, and here I am, awake because it is low.  To be sure, low is better than high, but between the extremes and the concerns about weight...well, it is a bit annoying.  But we will survive.

CABINET / Ingestion / Tempting the Temperate
Interesting.  I mean, I cannot remember the last time I went to a buffet -- didn't hit one when I was in Vegas -- but now I am thinking I should.  (OK, I think I went to Kumo last year.)  I mean, it is the principle of the thing, that a little gluttony is a good thing once a while.  Sort of.

Why House GOP hopes of cracking down on fraud could flame out - POLITICO
This could be me, but this seems to me to be a no-brainer, and if you think the Dems are going to control Congress...well, no day but today.  I realize we are GOPers, but sometimes we just do not act very intelligently.

Refugees among thousands of North Dakotans losing SNAP benefits amid federal changes • North Dakota Monitor
I get a kick out of these articles, because 1) We are $40 trillion in the hole, and that will have to be paid; 2) We have plenty of jobs available; and 3) Maybe we should be spending (and putting people to work) on US citizens?  Quite frankly, I believe that half of our clients at the food bank could -- and should -- join the work force, but, again, read my prior comment...

Catching Up

Good day today.  First, the lawn mower was fixed; the tech came and disconnected a tube.  He suspects a valve in the engine is leaking, pushing extra air and gas into the engine, causing stalling.  So, disconnecting the tube...well, it runs about one speed slower than usual, but it cuts, and that is all that matters.  The mower is more than 30 years old, but in mostly good shape, but I might have to consider a replacement.  At least the lawn is cut and I can weed-whack tomorrow.  

Then off to the OC, as we had duty.  The count was 106 -- a bit low, we all wonder why -- and it was very smooth.  All of the produce went, all the tables were cleaned, clothes were given away, etc.  Cannot complain.  Then off to the gym, a couple of stores (the salmon burgers on sale at Giant Eagle are quite good, will get some more tomorrow), the library, and then home to catch up on some work and get stuff done.  Rah.  Funny; I had made plans with friends to hang out Friday night and Saturday night, and in both cases, they called it off.  It does happen, and it is cool, bit then when people get at me for not having the time for them... oi.

Reliably red Ohio suddenly a red-hot mess for GOP
I completely agree, of course.  I mean, this is a red state, but a blue year, and the candidates are flawed.  Vivek has ads but is seldom seem, Husted is playing catch up, and Max Miller is still around.  Oi.  We should be burying these people, but of course, we are not. Sigh.

Why is Akron football letting season ticket holders call plays on offense? - The Athletic

Interesting.  Funny; one would think UA has made some progress and could make it to a bowl this year.  On the one hand, this is a gimmick, but on the other hand, if it gets them the cash they need to get transfers/boost the weight room/keep the talent they have... I suspect this is the sort of thing that only a MAC school could do, as the Power conferences do not need to and the others have pretensions of joining the big leagues...

SNAP enrollment dropping faster than expected. Here’s why
Funny; when they first announced SNAP cuts, everyone was shitting their pants about seeing an influx of people needing food...and it really hasn't happened.  I mean, for all my snarky comments about the GOP prosperity explaining this at the OC... well, as most of our clients are Hope and Changers, I do not think they are going out and getting jobs.  But they are not crashing food pantries.