Kabob Grill N' Go (Phoenix Restaurant)

Kabob Grill N' Go got a glowing review in the local paper after being named as a best restaurant on a NYT list. The menu is limited and it has just a few tables, so better plan on doing take-out. It doesn't open until noon but you can call at 11:30 for pick-up at 12:20. The wraps are huge which is good, but they tend to fall  apart when you slice them into manageable portions which is not so good. Adding rice to a wrap cost only 56 cents which is good, but makes the wraps even more prone to falling apart which is not good. The food might be better than Khyber Halal, but Khyber Halal's wraps don't fall apart, they also are big, they have plenty of tables, and they open at 11 (so you can do a to-go order and still have lunch at a decent hour).

[EOP]

Fixing a Chirping Smoke Detector

At any time, but typically in the middle of some night, a smoke detector might start chirping intermittently. First, make sure no one in the house is smoking. Second, even though the detector is hard-wired, it has a back-up battery (typically, a 9-volt battery). Replacing that battery will usually stop the chirping.

[EOP]

Tip on Changing a Refrigerator Lightbulb

Always unplug the refrigerator before changing the light-bulb. Be sure you understand how to remove the light bulb cover before pushing or pulling on it. Some covers are actually kept in place with a screw.  Others slide in and out. Wear a glove when unscrewing the old bulb and screwing in the new one ... and be sure it  is snugly screwed in but not too tight.

[EOP]

Stopping a Runaway Sprinkler System

It is not uncommon for a sprinkler system to start a cycle but refuse to stop. If nothing you do at the control box stops the sprinkling, the easiest thing to do is find the valve that controls the water to the sprinkler system and turn it off. Then call someone who knows something about sprinkler systems to do a real fix.

[EOP]

Airline Memberships

Perhaps inspired by the Amazon Prime and Costco models, many airlines have adopted membership programs that give various benefits to members. The membership fees and benefits vary by airline, and might include: lower fares; waving of baggage fees; kids-fly-free; lounge access; and other discounts and perks. Anyone who flies frequently on a particular airline should give its membership a serious look. But depending on the airline's particular membership cost and benefits, it also might be of benefit to join even if one is an infrequent flyer. Indeed, one flight might make membership the smart economic choice.

[EOP]

Why Judge Reached 61

We don't like to take credit for stuff. Our reward enough is accomplishment. Taking credit is for amateurs. But, it is meet, right, and our bounden duty to note that our post yesterday  that Judge's walk percentage had risen from under 20% to nearly 50% was brought to MLB's attention, and they listened: Last night Judge's walk percentage was down to 25%.

[EOP]

LIV Golf Update

Rory McIlroy has been the most stalwart defender of the PGA Tour and the most ardent critic of LIV Golf and those who joined it. And when Rory speaks, he obviously is speaking with the approval of the PGA Tour. To all you out there who keep predicting the demise of LIV Golf, when in the context of the "problem" and "integrity" of an OWR system that concededly excludes many top-20 golfers, Rory says it's time or just about time for the two leagues to talk, do you think he sees a quick demise of LIV Golf?

[EOP]

Pixel 6 Problems and Fixes

There are  loyal readers who have the Pixel 6 and rave about it. We would consider a Pixel phone for sure if it had wireless charging, but alas it doesn't. Let's hope the Pixel 7 does. In the meantime, here  is a good article that gives an overview of various  known issues with the Pixel 6 line and fixes.

[EOP]

Wedding Season (2022 TV Series on Hulu)

Wedding Season has gotten some good reviews. And maybe they are deserved for what comes after the first 15 minutes of Episode 1. But if that sample holds, it's one of the most miserable shows ever put on anywhere.

[EOP]

LIV Golf Update

I know loyal readers keep scoffing at the prospects for LIV Golf. The word on the street is that LIV Golf is on the verge of getting a TV contract with Fox. I'm practicing my last laugh.

[EOP] 

Why Is Aaron Judge Stuck at 60?

Many commentators, who never played any professional sport or excelled at anything, have no shortage of bloviation as to why Judge is stuck at 60 home runs. Take if from someone who has been there: If your walk percentage is 15% for the season but soars to nearly 40% when you are on the verge of non-asterisk home run immortality, that might be a factor.

[EOP] 

Car Alarms

Not that you might ever want to create a noise that would be disturbing to a neighbor. But if it turns out that the master bedroom of a short-term-rental is say 20 feet from your driveway, you want to take especial care that you do not accidentally or otherwise push the button on your car's remote that sets off the car's alarm. Remember, it's not the renter who created the problem ... it's the  owner of the house. But, where the owner seems to  turn a blind ear or a deaf eye to the issue, a review saying, "Don't expect to get a good night's sleep with a car alarm going off every morning at 3 am and again at 4 am and again at 5 am," might get their attention. Not suggesting or promoting or advocating anything. Just saying.

[EOP]

How to Make the World's Best Scrambled Eggs

The nice thing about scrambled eggs is you can add all sorts of ingredients to enhance their taste. But in adding stuff like onions or peppers, everyone can see what you've added. In sharp contrast, if you add a splash of  lemon juice, a dab of mayonnaise, and a spritz of mozzarella pieces before whisking the living daylights out of the eggs so all the egg white disappears, no one will know what you've done, but everyone will say, "Those are the best f-ing scrambled eggs I've ever eaten," especially if they, as all gourmets do, like scrambled eggs served soft which is the best way, but even if, having been raised by wolves, they insist on them behind hard.

[EOP] 

Houses of Worship and the Pandemic

The CDC has lifted mask mandates for essentially everywhere. The CDC has NOT, however, precluded the wearing of masks or prohibited any entity from requiring masks. Most medical provider offices continue to require masking of both staff and patients. One might guess they do so because of they have the concern that the cost and hassle of wearing a mask is outweighed by the cost and burden of contracting Covid. In that context, I continue to fail to understand why, given their pronouncements of supposed concern to do good works on earth and help and protect those who are vulnerable or otherwise in need, houses of worship do not insist on masks. Whatever words such houses of worship utter, their actions speak louder: When it comes right down to it, they don't care if they are spreading an illness that still kills 400 people each day in this country. It would cost nothing to require attendees for an  hour service to wear a mask, while doing so would send a message that protecting the vulnerable truly is as matter of fact, conduct, and example taken seriously as a core part of the mission of the house of worship. Of course, requiring that attendees be vaccinated would be even better, but let's not make the perfect the enemy of the good. And let's not ask any house of worship what possible benefit they see in not requiring that masks be worn.

PS: Lest anyone think I share the cynical view voiced by some that some houses of worship that depend on raising revenues by the passing of a donation plate during services do not require vaccinations or masking for fear that it will lower attendance and hence reduce the amount of revenue collected, it is meet, right, and our bounden duty to note that I do not espouse any such view in this post. Rather, I just fail to understand why houses of worship have joined the chorus of those who believe the pandemic is over instead of taking the lead in protecting their congregants by letting their congregants know the truth: It is not over.

[EDC] 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022 TV Series on Netflix)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo is different than anything you likely have ever seen. It was highly recommended by a loyal reader, but not the loyal reader who claims credit for recommending anything that's good even when we discovered it first. It's the story of a brilliant autistic lawyer with an amazing memory and an equally amazing analytic ability. If you speak Japanese, you'll like it even better, but it's close captioned for those of you who don't. If you enjoy courtroom and legal stuff, it just might grab you. And if you like something off-beat, you just might really like it.

[EOP]

Sins of Our Mother (2022 Series on Netflix)

Sins of Our Mother. It's horrible and unwatchable. No mas.  

[EOP]

Cheaper and Faster Way to Ship Than UPS/FedEx

Let's say you need to get someone's birth certificate to them as fast as possible, where the certificate is in Phoenix and they are in Eugene, Oregon. If you ship it by UPS or FedEx, it won't get there until the next day and you can expect to pay at least $80 for end-of-day delivery or $120 for earlier-in-the-day delivery. If you put someone on an airplane to do it, it will cost you a $1,000 or more. If you want a courier service to do it, it will cost you up to $3,000. But if you send it by American Airlines (or whatever airline flies non-stop) package delivery, you drop it off at the counter in Phoenix and the recipient picks it up a couple of hours later when the flight lands in Eugene, and it costs just $61 (although, not that, if the recipient doesn't have a car or bike and needs to do a ride-share to the airport and back, that will add a bit to the total cost). Makes you think.

[EOP]

How to Handwash Cashmere Sweaters and Similar Garbs

I've spent a fortune over the years on dry cleaning my cashmere sweaters before learning I can do them just as well and safely at home for pennies on the dollar. Here's how to do it. I'm getting to the point where I'm going to start taking in and doing such laundry for others, because it's a nice way to buttress one's income and the more I do it, the better I get at it and the more fun I have.

[EOP]

Wordlebot

I don't play Wordle and, frankly, don't understand why anyone plays any word games. Words are serious things and making games out them is one of the reasons our democracy and our planet are in such peril. That said, Wordlebot is a tool that will take your completed Wordle and analyze it for you. It will give you overall scores for luck and skill on a scale from 0 to 99 and tell you at each turn what, if anything, you could have done differently — if solving Wordles in as few steps as possible is your goal. If it's not your goal, try pickleball instead.

[EOP]

Unstoppable (2010 Movie on Amazon Prime and AMC+)

If you like the original Pelham 123 or the remake of Pelham 123 (which, btw, starred Denzel Washington), you will  quickly conclude that Unstoppable (which, btw, starred Denzel Washington) falls far short. While some tension is created, the outcome (spoiler alert) never is in doubt. It's mostly effects and some of the continuity is simply sacrificed. In short, it's actually boring. It's hard to believe it was made as an actual theatre movie. It's lacking even for a made-for-TV movie.

[EOP]

Gorilla Tape

If you have a bbq cover, it undoubtedly has a rip in it. If you use packing tape or electrical tape, it just won't do the job. But, if you use Gorilla Tape, schzam, the rip will stay covered over just like it never happened. So, if you need to tape over a rip in anything, it's far less expensive and easier to do so using Gorilla Tape than to buy a new thing or any other tape.

[EOP]

Natural Wine: What Is It and Is It Better for You?

Natural wine is all the craze, especially among health-nuts. Given all the buzz about it, I was surprised to learn some people have never even heard of it or even imbibed. Here is a good article that tells you everything you need to know.

[EOP]

Cardinals' Idiocy in Calling 4th Down Plays: Why Successes Are Bad Teachers

Any rational owner of the Cardinals would fire the head coach. With over 10 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, and down by just 1 touchdown, with 4th and inches to go on their own 20 yard line, the Cardinals went for the first down. They made it, so you likely will hear little about that. But past is prologue and and successes are one's worst teachers. Late in the 4th quarter but with plenty of time to stop the Rams and get the ball back to score a touchdown, down by 11  points (which is a field goal and a touchdown with a 2-point conversion), with 4th and 5 to go within easy field goal range, the Cardinals go for it instead of kicking a field goal, and come up short. That sealed their fate. Professional football players clearly are great athletes and superior in strength, skills, and speed than their predecessors. The only thing holding them back is that their coaching has apparently not kept up, and perhaps is worse than it used to be.

[EOP] 

Jared Kushner Gets Bopped in the Nose

As widely reported, a property management company owned by the family of former president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has agreed to pay a $3,250,000 civil penalty along with restitution to settle a 2019 lawsuit brought by Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D), who alleged the firm charged tenants illegal fees and housed them in apartments with leaking roofs, excessive mold, rodent infestations[,] and other issues. While the failing NYT reports the story just fine, the WAPO reporting is even better: My favorite part: "Asked about that [the company not conceding how rotten their business is] at the news conference, Frosh smiled. 'You don’t pay $3,250,000 bucks if you’re not liable, the administrative law judge found that they were liable,' he said. 'So they may not have formally signed a piece of paper saying, ‘We did it, but they did.'”

[EOP]

Top Choice for Culinary

While many people think that it's the quality and freshness of the ingredients I use (e.g., I grow my own vegetables, raise my own fowl, and run my own fish ponds) that makes the meals I prepare so yummy. Those are necessary elements of a great meal, but not sufficient ones. The easiest way to fall short is by using inferior culinary. This is why I use only Hestan Culinary. Yes, it's a bit more expensive than what one might find at Target. But, there is no substitution for quality when it comes to meal preparation and no short-cuts to getting (honest) rave reviews from dinner guests.

[EOP] 

Catherine Called Birdy (2022 Movie on Amazon Prime--Available October 7)

It's taken decades of nagging the studios to do it, but finally, Catherine Called Birdy has made it to the big screen. It is a coming-of-age story of a 14 year old girl in medieval England navigating through life and avoiding potential suitors her father has in mind. Most loyal readers should remember reading it to their children or having it read to them by their parents. It's gotten some very good reviews (we had other commitments that prevented us from attending the private screening the studios always offer us so we hope they are correct but cannot give any guarantees).

[EOP]

Detecting Fake Reviews--Fakespot

Fakespot is a free add-on extension for Chrome that is designed to identify fake product reviews. Just as with positive reviews, negative reviews can be fake, so it’s not safe to assume that a review is genuine just because it’s critical. Fakespot is a useful tool to suss out what may be a fake review. Unfortunately, sometimes otherwise-reputable companies buy fake reviews, which is one of the reasons a bad grade on Fakespot doesn’t necessarily mean the product itself is terrible. Alternatively, sometimes companies prompt customers to write reviews through an app or for a promotion, and a high volume of reviews with similar language can be enough to trigger a bad grade from Fakespot. Just take a bad grade on Fakespot as an indication to proceed with caution.

[EOP]

What Would Make Watching Pro Football Less Annoying

The pro football game has clearly evolved to where the players' athleticism, strength, and speed are at a higher level than they ever have been. Receivers, who are making the unbelievable catch the routine, have replaced running backs as the key to a powerful offense, and while there still is a might war between offensive and defensive lines, the war between the receivers and the backs covering them might be the most exciting part of the game. But what would make the game more enjoyable to watch is if these amazing athletes did not feel the compulsion to do a victory dance or supposedly cute move on every play. As the saying goes, "don't celebrate a touchdown like you never made one before." Now, the saying should be updated to say, "don't celebrate every advance of the ball with pointing down the field and every tackle as if a goal-line stand were just accomplished, and, yeah, cut out all the multi-player choreographed touchdown dances." You might like or hate Tiger Woods, but he knew when and how to frame a celebratory pose. The how certainly matters, but timing is everything.

[EOP]

Some Perks Being Offered by Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines has announced new perks for some temporary period. As explained here, customers can change their boarding group for an added fee, either online or via the Southwest app, within 24 hours of departure. The prices start at $30 per segment. Previously, this feature was only be for passengers in business class, but was extended to the less expensive tiers "Anytime," "Wanna Get Away," and "Wanna Get Away Plus.” Southwest also introduced an EarlyBird Check-In option that will automatically check you in 24 hours before departure, for $15 per flight. In general, the airline has been trying to make the customer experience a little better, and now has introduced a new promotion that frequent fliers are going to love. Specifically, Southwest has announced that its Rapid Rewards Members will have an opportunity to quickly achieve A-List or A-List Preferred tier status. And the nice thing is, people in the program don’t have to do anything. Southwest will count reward flight segments from the start of this year through September 19, 2022, and will apply them toward tier status segment requirements. Qualifying reward flight segments were automatically added to Members' tier progress on September 13, and they can be viewed in the "My Account" section on Southwest.com.

[EOP]

The History and Possible Future of Omicron and a Two Words on the End of the Pandemic

History and Possible Future of Omicron: This NYT article presents a calm, quiet, overview which addresses the question of why Omicron might stick around. In brief, Omicron, the 13th named variant of the coronavirus, seems to have a remarkable capacity to evolve new tricks.

Two Words on the End of the Pandemic: A large chunk of the population, by their actions, declared the pandemic over long ago. Once the CDC dropped mask mandates in virtually all circumstances, any caution of the CDC to continue mitigation efforts such as masking were ignored. Most recently, we have President Biden, and various supposed scientists, arguing that the pandemic is over. I have two words to say: (i) Facts: The tussle over whether the pandemic is over, which essentially is a fact question, confirms that the inability to reject alternative facts in favor of facts is not confined to Trumpers; and (ii) Relevance: Whether or not the pandemic is over is not the question--the question is whether mitigation efforts such as masking should be undertaken not so much to protect the person wearing the mask, but to do what one can to protect others, namely, the vulnerable, who are still dying at the rate of 400 per day in this country.

[EOP] 

Flu Shots

This WSJ article has an excellent overview on the coming flu season, on when to get this year's flu shot, and other related issues such as whether one might get the flu shot and bivalent booster at the same time.

[EOP]

The Untold Story of Aaron Judge's Home Run Feats: Elimination of the Asterisk

The laudatory commentary about Aaron Judge's march to a 60+ homerun season correctly omits inclusion of the cheaters--Bonds, McGwire,  and Sosa. But it often fails to mention that he reached 60 in 147 team games whereas Ruth took 154 team games to get to that level, and Maris needed 159. Hence, the big story is that Judge has eliminated the asterisk for setting a season homerun record that should be put on Maris's record because of the lengthening of the season from 154 to 162 team games.

PS: What's not missed by the commentary is that Judge now is leading in homeruns, rbi's, and batting average, which is the triple crown of baseball. If he does get the triple crown, it is fair to say Judge would have had the greatest single season in baseball history. The irony would be if he had the triple crown numbers at the 154th Yankee team game, but fell short in one of the categories when the 162 game season ended.

[EOP]

LIV Golf: XFL or AFL? Depends on OWGR

There is a debate among observers as to whether LIV Golf should be likened to the XFL that had little impact on the NFL or the AFL which led to the merger and a Super Bowl. Given that the majors cannot maintain their status without allowing LIV Golfers to play, it looks like the determining factor might be how Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) will be done. If LIV Golf events don't count for OWGR, then in a relatively short time, LIV Golfers (except past major champions) will not qualify for the majors. Whether the majors can survive that is an open question. If LIV Golf events do count for OWGR, then the majors will become the only significant draw for golf audiences, and whether the PGA Tour can survive that is an open question. As Carl Quintanilla once said about the impact of a particular exogenous event on the stock market the next day, "It is certainly going to make for a big market move tomorrow--but it's not clear which way it will move it." So, it goes, the future of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf just might hinge on OWGR, but it's not clear what change in OWGR will be made or how any change or non-change will affect the two tours.

[EOP]  

Jonathan Swift on Laws When It Comes to Trump, But There's Hope

As Swift put it: "Laws are like Cobwebs which may catch small Flies, but let Wasps and Hornets break through." But, wait. There's hope. If Judge Dreary follows through down the path he seems to be going on (which is, btw, what I suggested to my aunt was the proper way for him to go, and my aunt knows him personally (just saying)), which is to say he doesn't have to review or look at the substance or content of any document beyond its title to give DOJ access to the documents unless Trump provides a basis for him to declare that Trump owned the document, he just might go down in  history as the Judge Sirica and Sam Ervin of our time.

[EOP]

Three Tips on Possibly Getting Cheaper Airline Tickets

1. Departures during mid-week generally are less expensive than on other days.

2. Booking two one-way tickets, instead of a round-trip, often will save money.

3. Budget airlines usually are less expensive than legacy carriers and sometimes quite a bit so.

[EOP] 

Dead Cats Bounce in Football as Well

There is a saying in the stock market that, when a stock rebounds after taking a steep hit to its price, the rebound is not a rally, it's a dead cat bounce. Well, if you watched the Arizona Cardinals' miraculous comeback against the Las Vegas Raiders, where they needed two touchdowns and 2-point conversions  to tie the game with time expiring and send it into overtime (which they won picking up a Raider fumble and running it over 50 yards for a touchdown), you saw football's version of a dead cat bounce. Yes, those two conversions were unbelievable, one an impossible catch (shown below) and the other which can only be described as backyard football (shown below). But this is a team that's hurting. Actually, no one cares, because the only team that matters is the Eagles.

The Backyard Play

The Impossible Reception    

[EOP]

Five Reflections on CNN's Presentation of the January 6 Insurrection

First, the January 6 Committee deserves enormous credit for the facts they assembled through the testimony and documents they plowed through. CNN's presentation was based on their work, and due credit was given to the January 6 Committee as it should have been.

Second, the CNN presentation confirms the view that telling a story with visuals digestible by an audience in one 2-hour sitting has a power over other ways to present the same facts.

Third, by telling the story in chronological  order, where the attack on the capital is the culmination of what Trump and his co-conspirators started setting in motion months before and pounded away at up until 4:17 pm on January 6, CNN presented a story that is a far more  understandable and compelling than other formats.

Fourth, while the January 6 Committee was not a prosecutorial body, it had certain constraints once it settled on a format of multiple  hearings that CNN did not have, such as, the ability to have commentators explain points as the story unfolded. As such, it is a shame the January 6 Committee decided to lock itself into the hearing format it did.

Fifth, the January 6 Committee says it will be issuing a report, and assuredly it will be powerful. But, it would be its last chance to break with tradition, and, in addition to what undoubtedly will be a written tome, it would be wonderful if the January 6 Committee produced its own 2-hour drama/documentary.

[EOP]

Sunday NYT Games

The best games on Sunday are not football on TV (especially if the Eagles are not on). They are the word games in the NYT. There is the daily online Spelling Bee. There is the Sunday magazine Spelling Bee. There is the Sunday magazine crossword. And there is  the ever-changing middle game in the Sunday magazine. But, the best of all, and it shows up only now and then, is what they call Split Decisions. It's a challenge but it's always doable, and it is very satisfying to solve. Here it is:

[EOP]
 

How to Clean a Dishwasher of Mold and Other Suspicious Stains

Seeing slimy gray streaks, black spots, or other weird growths in your dishwasher? A lot of people think that’s mold, but it may actually be a type of black yeast. It’s probably not harmful for most folks, but babies, older adults, and people who are immunocompromised may be at greater risk for health complications. Either way, it looks unsightly. If you’re generally noticing your dishwasher isn’t working as efficiently as it used to, here is our advice on how to tune up your dishwasher by cleaning out the filter and getting rid of internal buildup, as well as how to get rid of mold.

[EOP]

Elvis (2022 Movie on HBO Max)

Elvis tells the story of the life of an American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Colonel Parker is played by Tom Hanks and it is not easy to keep watching him, and he is truly horrible as a person. Austin Butler (whom you likely remember from Hannah Montana) plays Elvis, and while he's easier to look at than Tom Hanks, there is a something about his eyes. In all events, it's an entertaining movie and the music is quite good, not just Elvis's songs, but from Little Richard, BB King, Big Momma Thornton, Mahalia Jackson, and others. It does drag on a bit at the end., but it really is good. Those who grew up with Elvis will enjoy the fan/crowd scenes, with fond memories of your being there and acting just like they did.

[EOP]

Pricing of Stock Trades Varies Widely Among Popular Brokers

This WSJ article reports that a recent academic study found wide disparities in the prices that investors get when buying and selling stocks through a half dozen popular brokerages. TD Ameritrade delivered the best prices, the study found, followed by Fidelity Investments, E*Trade and Robinhood Markets Inc. 

[EOP]

Resource Furniture

Resource Furniture specializes in space-saving wall beds, tables, seating, and storage. Their stuff is stylish and practical, although it's not cheap.

[EOP]

The January 6 Committee in a 2-Hour Television Presentation This Sunday Night

While the January 6 Committee has done a better job than I had thought they would, and  they deserve a lot of credit, as even the most casual reader of this blog knows, I begged them (directly and through intermediaries) to package their presentation as a 2-hour docudrama. Alas, my overtures fell on deaf ears, and I wonder now, no matter how powerful any of their televised hearings were, how much any viewer remembers at this point. That said, we have great news: CNN, which follows this blog like a hawk, did listen: On this coming Sunday, September 18, at 9 pm EDT, with Jake Tapper reporting, CNN  will broadcast a 2-hour special entitled American Coup: The January 6th Investigation. It addresses the following question: "Did a former U.S. President lead a multi-level plan designed to hold onto power and overturn American democracy?" I was invited to New York to preview it, but declined the invitation, so I don't know how good it will be.

[EOP]

Tip re Bottom-Fitted Sheets

It often is difficult to figure out, except by trial and error, which way a bottom-fitted sheet goes. Here is a simple way never to have to endure the frustration of engaging in trial and error: Put a colored dot in the lower left-hand or right-hand corner of the sheet, and then all you have to do is remember that that corner with the dot goes at the foot of the bed. I have applied for a patent on this idea.

[EOP] 

Playing Pickleball at Home

What little I knew about pickleball sounded appealing: It’s considered a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, it requires no natural athleticism, and it’s best played with a cocktail on the sidelines.Despite pickleball’s skyrocketing popularity, I had resisted it until now because of the over-crowdedness of pickleball courts near me. Then, one day, a Venux Portable Pickleball Net Set showed up at my front door, and now pickleball is the focus of hours of fun and exercise in my driveway. It's not expensive, and the set includes everything you need including the net and frame, paddles, and balls (although I have now bought fiberglass paddles which I prefer over the wooden ones that came with the set). Having been gifted the Venux, I have not looked at other sets, but understand there are competitors.

[EOP]

Greg Norman on the PGA Tour

Greg Norman has a piece in the WSJ entitled "Competition Comes for the PGA Tour," where he, having read and learned from this blog, correctly points out the various ways that, to meet the challenge posed by LIV Golf, the PGA Tour has adopted the LIV Golf model. At the same time, he points out a telling fact, namely, "the age of the average TV viewer for a PGA Tour event was 64 in 2017 and has likely grown older since." While it's not clear if "age of the average TV viewer" is the same thing as "the average age of the PGA Tour TV viewer," but the point is well taken that the PGA Tour has a problem with its fan base demographics. But then, Norman goes on to say, "According to our research, [the age of] the average TV viewer for an LIV event is 45." Given that LIV Golf has no TV outlet in the United States, Canada, or Europe, Norman might be comparing apples with who knows what.

[EOP]

Sarver and the Lying NBA Commissioner

Sarver's outrageous statements and conduct, and the pitiful punishment meted out by the NBA are well documented. The Commissioner says the NBA has no power to get rid of an owner. Liar, liar pants on fire. The fine was about half of what the fine could be. And suspension for 1 year is nothing, when the NBA could have suspended Sarver for life. That is what the NBA has done in the past, and it is what it should have done here. And, while they're  at it, get a real commissioner.

[EOP]

Proper Way to Stow Luggage in Overhead Bins

The boarding process on airplanes is made unduly cumbersome by passengers who are ignorant of the proper way to stow luggage in the overhead bin. As this WSJ article explains, do not lay the bags on their wide flat bottoms or tops, slide them in as if they were a taco standing up on the plate. 

[EOP]

Upbeat Reporting on the Bivalent Booster

This NYT article has a very upbeat report on the new bivalent booster. In short, "Not only will a booster with the new vaccines decrease the likelihood of infection and severe illness, and help reduce transmission of the virus, it could also decrease the likelihood of developing long Covid."

[EOP]

Succession (3 Season TV Series on HBO Max)

Succession is an award-winning series about totally despicable people. It also has a lot of awful language. Audiences rave about it. Some viewers cannot abide it. One of the most unusual things about it is the cinematography.  It is said that the cinematography of Succession is full of flaws. Yes, one of the most popular and critically acclaimed TV dramas of the moment seems to get away with imprecise framing, characters who block other characters and awkward focus pulls — all the things that in the normal world of TV styling, and especially with the kind of budget HBO puts behind a prestige show like this, would have the camera operators fired. Of course, the flaws aren’t flaws, but carefully designed into the visual grammar of the show. The show is consciously shot as though a real camera were in the room, often at the expense of ideal compositions, and a big part of why that is has to do with how the show treats its camera like it’s a character. This link gives a fuller explanation of the camera stuff.

[EOP]

Bad Sisters (2022 TV Series on Apple TV+)

There's a loyal reader out there who might try to take credit for recommending Bad Sisters, but you just have to remember that even a blind pig can find an acorn. In any event, albeit based on just the first episode, it's refreshingly weird and quite entertaining. The acting and the writing are quite good, and if you liked Sharon Horgan in Catastrophe, you'll like her again here, not to mention her writing and developing the series.

[EOP]

The Rotting Fish Head Atop the PGA Tour

If you have had your fill with the faux piety of the PGA Tour defenders, take a look at this WSJ article, which gives a biting look at its hypocrisy. The article leaves no doubt what a corrosively two-faced organization and management the PGA Tour really are. If Rory and Tiger really wanted to save the PGA Tour, they should start by calling for the Commissioner's head to be served on a platter.

[EOP]

Revisiting Aaron Judd's Possibility as AL MVP

Until now, we thought Ohtani's not being named AL MVP would be a disgrace. But Judd has the possibility of winning the triple crown and, if does that, he deserves to be MVP. It is also meet to note that he is 20 home runs ahead of the next highest home run hitter. You might ask, when was the last time that happened. It was 1927. You might ask what team did the home run leader play for. It was the New York Yankees. You might ask who the player was. I'll let you guess.

[EOP]

Vacation Home Pitfalls

As this WSJ article discusses,  as mortgage rates rise and the housing market cools, financial advisers say it is critical for buyers to weigh the unexpected costs and pitfalls that come with that vacation home, which they expect to pay for itself by being rented out. 

[EOP]

Dream Trip for the Rest of Us

There are dream trips many of us cannot afford. Finally, there is a dream trip for us. Here it is: 24 days for  75 people on a Boeing 757 configured to carry just 80 people all in business class seats; stays at Four Season or comparable lodgings in 10 fabulous cities around the world; and hosted by a team of world-class experts. You might think you'd have to spend $100,000 per person for this. But here's the great news. You don't. So, pack your bags and welcome aboard. This link has all the details.

[EOP]

Two Great Alternatives to Your Current ISP: T-Mobile and Verizon

If you've had it with your current ISP (e.g., Cox, Comcast, Century Link), you might try T-Mobile or Verizon, both of which are available all over the place, and you might even save money (especially if you are or become a T-Mobile or Verizon cellphone customer). Both of them rank above all ISPs in a customer satisfaction survey. This cnet article tells you everything you need to know about T-Mobile's offering and this cnet article tells you everything you need to know about Verizon's offering.

[EOP]

Bicyclist Captured Perfectly

When God created humans, the original intent was that they would walk upon the earth. Not bicycle, walk. Either the Devil put bicyclists on the earth or it was God's retribution for the original sin. In either event, they are righteously hated by walkers. Here is a good depiction of the loathsome bicyclists:

[EOP]

Covid Is Over But

As this WSJ article explains, someone forgot to tell The Covid that the pandemic is over and there is no need for any caution any more: "Covid-19 is still killing hundreds of Americans daily and ... is on pace to remain the third-leading cause of death, with older and sicker people among most vulnerable."

[EOP]

NYT Change in Billing re Premium Crosswords and Games

It used to be that the NYT charged separately for yearly online access to its premium crosswords and games, i.e., it was not included with a print subscription. At some point that changed, but they might have kept billing you each year for the crosswords/games. You can see whether or not that has happened in your billing history on your NYT account page. If so, you can call or chat and should get a refund/credit for those charges. They might first tell you it's a mistake on the billing history page, but check your credit card and if the charges are there, explain such to the rep and you should get a refund/credit.

[EOP]

iOS 16 Is Kind of a Big Deal

I couldn't care less, but iOS 16 is now available for download for iPhones back to the iPhone 8. It has a bunch of new features and options. It also has some annoyances, fixes for which are discussed at this link.

[EOP]

Home Field Advantage in Pro Football

From what I can tell, it is now mandatory that the fans of a pro football game start screaming and yelling and banging on rails and such from the first kickoff until the game is over (whether by clock or if the mercy rule applied by score). As such, unless the home team's adrenaline is pumped by the constant din, as opposed to focused cheering when there's an important play, I don't understand how the mindless noise-making helps the home team. I've studied the numbers and it would seem my point is well taken. In all events, especially when Tony Romo or one of the few other commentators is doing the telecast, it would be nice for the television audience if the producers would put them in box that blocked out the unbearable crowd noise.

[EOP] 

Solar Panels Can Boost Home Value If Owned

Solar panels have many benefits for individuals that have them and for the planet. They also can increase the value of one's home when time comes to sell, but as this WSJ article explains, the benefits can be significantly different where the panels are owned and not leased.

[EOP]

Apple's Medical Tools

My views on Apple products are well known. A lesser person wouldn't acknowledge when Apple has come out with a good thing, but I'm not and it has. As this WSJ article sets out, iOS 16 has some great medical tools, including not just a way to keep track of medications, but also to give a warning of possible undesirable interactions.

[EOP]

Avoid Caffeinated Drinks Before Going Shopping

Why anyone goes shopping is beyond me. But if you insist on going shopping, do not have any caffeinated drinks before you go. As this study confirms, getting jacked up on caffeine tends  to increase the amount of money one will spend shopping.

[EOP]

Outlaws (Season 2 on Amazon Prime)

Season 2 is different than Season 1. It traded humor for tension, and in doing so, made a really good and inventive show even better and more inventive. The acting is outstanding, the writing is tight, and the story lines keep one on the edge of one's sofa--as it just keeps twisting and twisting. It's also very informative on how to pull off certain things if you don't mind which side of the law you are on or you just find the other side of the law fascinating.

[EOP]

Downsizing in Retirement

This NYT article has an excellent overview of various issues when it comes to selling one's house in a post-retirement phase.

[EOP]

What Dentists Do to Keep Teeth Healthy

Dentists make more money the worse their patients' dental hygiene is. But, when it comes to dental hygiene dentists know what  to do for themselves. Here is what they have shared with me that they do for their own dental health even if they don't press the lessons upon their patients:

1.  They brush, floss and rinse after every meal.

2.  They avoid sticky, gooey, sugary foods and drinks.

3.  They don’t snack between meals.

4.  They protect their teeth when they sleep by wearing night guards.

[EOP]

Why and How to Save Your Covid Vaccination History

There are two good reasons to have an accessible record of your Covid vaccination history: (i) In case you forget whether or when you got any vaccination; and (ii) in case you have to provide proof of vaccination. Here are four different ways of saving it, and it makes sense to do all of  them:

1. Put your vaccination card(s) in a plastic cover and store them someplace safe. Do not laminate them because that will prevent additions to be made.

2. Copy your vaccination card(s) and have the copies laminated, and keep them in your wallet.

3. Photocopy your vaccination card(s) and store on your phone and tablet (preferably in Keep Notes as explained in a post yesterday).

4. Photocopy the QR code which you can find at MyIR which has a record of all your vaccinations including Covid vaccinations and store on your phone and tablet (preferably in Keep Notes as explained in a post yesterday).

PS re Keep Notes: As best I can tell, another advantage of Keep Notes is that the stuff (including photos) kept on there is not actually on the device but instead is in the cloud, so there's no impact on the device's memory.

[EOP]

Maricopa County Attorney Debate

You can watch the recent Maricopa County Attorney debate ... just slide the button to about the 4 minute mark to get to the beginning. What might be the most fascinating aspect of this debate is that it appears the Republicans are as afraid of the abortion issue as the Democrats are energized by it. It will be interesting to see how it actually plays out when the voting is done. In all events, if you want to watch one articulate and terrific debater, with total command of the facts, watch this.

[EOP]

What Hobbs Should Do re "Debating" Lake

The Citizen’s Clean Election Commission voted to reject Hobbs’ offer to “meet” Lake in a “dueling town hall” format where each would appear separately for a half hour in front of the same town hall audience and with the same moderator. Hobbs has a week to accept what has been the standard format or the debate will be called off. I no longer write letters to the Republic given their change in policy of publishing letters just once a week so I have no forum to make a suggestion to her. But here is the gist of what I would write by way of a suggestion letter: Let’s take as a given that Hobbs has valid reasons to decline to participate a “dueling match” with Lake where the debate would assuredly become mindless mudslinging. But Hobbs does not need the blessing or participation of the Commission to participate in a townhall format such as she proposes and to invite Lake to appear as well under the guidelines she says she would be willing to proceed under, i..e, 30 minutes each before the same audience with the same moderator but separately. Whether Lake rejects or accepts that proposal, it would take a lot of sting out of and go a long way to putting the cowardice charge behind Hobbs, which is being leveled daily both by Lake and various writers, including liberal ones, in the Arizona Republic. In all events, if Hobbs was not going to debate, I wish she had just said on Day 1, I’m not debating Lake because I’m not giving Lake the opportunity to hurl her slime in what should be a dignified forum. Then, it would have been a 1-3 day story. But, by dithering for a long time and then asking the Committee to change the rules it has been following for 20 years, Hobbs turned it into a story that just keeps going and going with no end in sight.

[EOP]

Zac Gallen Is Pushing Our Tolerance

Except when he faces the Phillies, we have become strong supporters of Zac Gallen (Diamondback's pitcher), and not just because of his relationship with the niece of a loyal reader or because of what a great season he's having or because of his reputed to be such a nice guy. But, as today's Arizona Republic reports, he has voiced criticism of the new pitch clock with a bunch of mumbo jumbo that lay fans are not going to understand or buy. If the pitch clock speeds up the game, and it has proven to do so in its minor league trials, we say to Mr. Gallen: Get over it. If MLB does not shorten games, it will continue to lose its draw. That said, I am pleased to post the plea of the loyal reader aunt: "Can you tell people they should frigging pay attention to the fact that we have some great pitchers on the DBacks? Then people will comment on [my spouse's] Zac shirt & he can die happy."

[EOP]

Wisdom of Henry Ford and John Hershey

Henry Ford: "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again. This time more intelligently."

John Hershey (as inscribed and credited to him on the entrance wall of the Hershey Museum): "Man does not live by bread alone."

[EOP]

Highest Recommended Leaf Blower

The new Ryobi 625 CM 40V Leaf Blower is in a class by itself. While there is not a leaf that can withstand its tornado force power, the truly mind-blowing feature of this thing is that  it's no louder than the hum of a refrigerator. Not kidding. I not only have bought this for myself, right now it holds the number one spot on my Xmas gift list for family and friends.

[EOP]

Easiest Way to Store Critical Stuff on All Your Devices: Keep Notes

Evernote is fine but it's gotten a bit clunky and it will only sync 2 devices for free. Keep Notes is free and a snap to use (in terms of adding stuff, labeling it, and organizing it)and will sync across all your devices. Put on it what you want (notes, lists, photos), but here is what I have on mine: passport; driver's license; medical insurance cards; vaccination record; and prescriptions. On my last trip to Sant Pol de Mar, I would  have been SOL in completing the rental car transaction without my passport when the car that was delivered to a nearby parking, and I had not brought it with me (having locked it in the rental house's safe) because I didn't realize it would have to be shown to get the car.

[EOP]

MLB Changes for 2023

MLB has approved 3 significant rule changes starting in the 2023 season: a pitch clock; larger bases; and limitations on the lift. Enlarging the basis from 15" to 18" is not difficult to understand, i.e., the bases will be bigger by 3" on each side. The shift rules are a little more complex and the pitch clock rules are even more so, but the link explains both quite well. The bottom line though, based on my careful analysis and study of them as they were applied in the minor leagues, is that these are VERY GOOD changes. The pitch clock should speed up the games; the enlarged bases should make for more steals (getting from base to base is now a shorter distance); and the shift changes will add singles and raise batting averages by  8 points.

[EOP]

Tactics Behind Online Dating Scams

Online dating services have one fabulous advantage: You don't have to spend any money at a bar and you don't have to drive home drunk alone at closing time when the evening wasn't as successful as it might have been hoped to be. But, as with everything internet, there are online dating scams one needs to be careful about. This WSJ article explains what to watch out for when you are reaching out on an online dating service.

[EOP]

Plug-in Smart Outlets

While I prefer a "system" for controlling devices such as my Vera, because I can program and remotely control everything with it from my thermostat, to my lights including ceiling lights, to my electric blanket (so the bed is warm before I get there), to my television (having it on is the best deterrent to home break-ins), to my front-door deadbolt (so you never have to worry about losing, not having, or hiding a key), I understand not everyone is of the same view. For those who aren't, plug-in smart outlets are an inexpensive and easy way to do not all, but much of the same, and this Wirecutter article has excellent recommendations on that front.

[EOP]

When to Use a VPN and When It Does No Good

This WSJ article gives an excellent and in-depth overview on VPNs (what they do and what they don't do) and suggests alternatives to VPNs. 

[EOP]

Cox Voice Mail Might Be Fixed or Might Not Be

Cox might have fixed its voice mail messaging problem. But you won't know it unless you reboot your telephone modem. Try rebooting and see. But even if rebooting seems to have fixed the problem in that a couple of test calls work, the next day, you might find it's not working again. As far as I can tell, voice mail will work for a bit every time the telephone modem is rebooted, but then stops working. So, be sure to ask each month for a $24 credit.

[EOP]

A Candle in the Wind

 Twenty-five Years Ago

The Griffin Case

In the Griffin case, the judge ordered a New Mexico county commissioner barred for life from holding federal or state public office under the 14th amendment's provision that so provides for any person who took an oath to support the constitution and then "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the constitution. It is a cutting edge decision among many pending cases seeking the same result, and great credit is due the lawyer who prosecuted the case. 

In the judge's view, "insurrection" includes an assemblage that uses force or intimidation to "prevent the execution of one or more federal laws." Griffin was acquitted of disorderly conduct but convicted of entering and remaining on restricted grounds on January 6, and, in the judge's view, the disqualification provision covers anyone who's "leagued" with insurrectionists, including those who  engaged in "non-violent overt acts or words in furtherance of the insurrection." There can be little, if any, doubt, that if Trump had been the defendant in the case--and his conduct was certainly as and indeed far more egregious than Griffin's, the judge would have barred him from holding office. 

One must wonder what the Supreme Court will do with this case should it get there. At a minimum, it is fair to say even the liberals on the Court might be troubled by the scope of the decision. There are daily protests whose intent and actions are to block access to federal facilities, such as immigration facilities to prevent deportations. There might be no realistic chance to bar Trump or the other major January 6 insurrectionist on the 14th amendment prohibition, but starting with the broadest definition of "insurrection" or being "in league" with those who engaged in "non-violent overt acts" might be seen as presenting some problems. Perhaps, as a loyal reader has noted, some thorny first amendment issues are raised by the Griffin decision.

[EOP]

Pardon the Interruption

PTI definitely dragged during the so-called pandemic, in large part because everyone was in their attic or in some other remote location, and they had a dearth of "5 good minutes" guests. Great news, Steve Young is back baby, and he's fabulous, so start setting your DVRs again to record the show.

[EOP]

What DOJ Should Do in the Special Master Ruling

The pundits are split on whether or not DOJ should appeal the outrageous and unfounded decision halting DOJ's investigated until a special master has reviewed all the documents for executive privilege. An appeal should not be on the table for obvious reasons (the delay it will cause and the last thing to do is have the issue presented to the 11th Circuit or the Supreme Court). But that does not mean DOJ is without an option beyond simply proceeding under the special master order. What DOJ should do is file a motion f for clarification as to what the special master is supposed to determine on their executive privilege review and do as a result of finding an executive privilege, i.e., a  motion to define executive privilege and its supposed consequences. In essence, the motion should be directed at the plaintiff (Trump) to define the executive privilege being asserted--i.e., parties asserting a privilege have the burden of establishing the privilege. There are various outcomes of such a motion for clarification, but, if there is any inkling to appeal the order, any of those outcomes would be a better starting point to appeal from.

PS: After writing this, the NYT wrote an article about some kind of motion for reconsideration DOJ filed today. As described, the motion is too convoluted for my simple mind. I had thought of a motion for reconsideration, but concluded putting the issue to Trump's lawyer would make it easier for the judge to revise her order than trying to change her mind.

[EOP]

New Chevy EV Equinox

The upcoming Chevy EV Equinox has one big thing going for it: It could be priced as low as $30,000 and that's before any government tax credits. The bad thing is you'll have to wait until 2024 and, for reasons we've railed about before, it's more like an suv than a car.

[EOP]

Chef's Table: Pizza (2022 Series on Netflix)

Chef's Table: Pizza on Netflix zooms in on the best pizza in the world ... which is at Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix. It's had various locations both uptown and downtown, and while the owner and chief chef, Chris Bianco, is not my favorite person, I will say his pizza is the best in the world and everything else he prepares is truly excellent. My issue with Chef dates back to 1982, when I was dining at the original location. His bread is fantastic, but he refuses to serve it with butter, oil being the only condiment. Right next door is a Trader Joe's, and so before going into the restaurant to eat, I got a few wrapped pats of butter from TJ's. It never occurred to me that this would be offensive to Chef, but when I was ushered out of the restaurant, I realized it was. Fortunately, his memory is not as long as mine, so after a suitable grace period, I was able to get back in. My other problem with Chef was that, during that pandemic everyone used to talk about, he made essentially no accommodation for people concerned with mitigation (e.g., they did not do delivery or drop in the trunk pick-ups).

[EOP]

PS re Katie Hobbs' Refusal to Debate

At least among loyal readers, it is fair to say that they split about evenly on whether or not Katie Hobbs is making the correct decision in refusing to debate Kari Lake. My prediction (although it's tempered by the fact that Lake seems to have only one mode) is that Lake's media advertising is going to hammer away at the notion that "Arizona cannot have a coward like Hobbs running the state ... and, while I approve this ad, I'm not the one calling her a coward, here is what even liberals at the Arizona Republic says: _____________"

PS: In the previous post on Hobbs' campaign, I referenced "licking envelopes" as an entry point to becoming a ranking campaign advisor, just by showing up for a a few days. I know "licking envelopes" is not what is done any more. I was employing what some would call a literary device to make a point.  

[EOP]

Arizona Republic Subscription

If you're on a so-called promotional rate of $17-25/month for paper delivery of the Arizona Republic, at some point, when you least expect it, the promotional discount will disappear and you'll be billed $47. When you call customer service, they might try to throw you a measly bone for a couple of months. One thing to try, and it's known to work, is to just broken record that you are a senior citizen and subscriber for nearly 50 years and you don't want to cancel but you really are not willing to pay $47/month. Magically, they can't take you any more, and they just might find an acceptable new promotional rate for you, and it might not be time limited, but rather, your new permanent rate.  

[EOP]

Contrary View on Arizona's Governor's Race

A loyal reader who knows far more than I ever will about Arizona politics and campaign strategy and tactics has really given me the business about my stated view on Hobbs', the Democrat candidate, refusal to debate: "Totally disagree with you re debate for governor’s race. Kari Lake is a dumpster fire and will suck all the oxygen out of any candidate debate.  The GOP debate is proof.  Such a debate serves no interest to any opposition candidate. And there isn’t a moderator anywhere that can control her. If I were a Hobbs advisor I would have her in a car all day every day all over this state meeting with small groups and filming it.  The film would get put out in ads on TV, social media, etc. And I would make it clear Hobbs brings order and reasoning and won’t be involved in the chaos and insanity of the MAGA candidate. People don’t care about debates in general- they are looking for a fight and that serves no one.  And no one should follow a “typical” playbook with this MAGA crap. That’s not to say I think Hobbs is a great candidate but she’s all there is at this point and she shouldn’t roll around in mud with the pig." All I ask of this loyal reader is: (i) to blast away at Laurie Roberts, who unlike me has an audience, for her published view that: "Katie Hobbs doesn't want to go one-on-one in a debate with Kari Lake? Terrible move. OPINION: If Katie Hobbs refuses to go go one-on-one in a debate with Kari Lake she'll be playing right into Lake's hands"; and (ii) change the "if I were a Hobbs advisor" to "I am now a Hobbs advisor" by joining the campaign team (as I explained, you volunteer, lick some envelopes for a few days, after which all the other volunteers will have quit, and you'll be asked to take on a major role, and likely will be made campaign manager within a week or two).

[EOP]  

Insanity of the Florida Judge's Ruling on a Special Master re Executive Privilege

The judge expressly said that she was not saying that Trump has any executive privilege nor did her order give any guideline as to how a special master is supposed to decide if any document is subject to executive privilege or what it would mean if it were. But, let's assume every document is covered by an executive privilege, that would not give Trump any right to take those documents to his residence or insulate him in any way from charges of mishandling top secret documents, violating the Espionage Act, or obstructing justice. Put another way, if upon being indicted and prosecuted, Trump has a basis to exclude any document from being used at trial based on executive privilege or any other grounds, he can make that objection then. The judge's order, to use a legal term, is not Scottish, it's crap.

[EOP]

Arizona's Governor Race

Katie Hobbs (Democrat) should be a shoo-in to win over Kari Lake (Extreme Right-Wing Stop-the-Steal Trump Nut Job). But Hobbs seems hell-bent on doing whatever she can to lose. She doesn't meet with the press, and now she has refused to participate in a debate, a long-standing tradition in Arizona gubernatorial elections, hosted by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and Arizona PBS. The stated condition for  Hobbs' agreeing to show up was that each candidate would appear separately for 30 minutes to answer questions, but not be on the stage together. There is something seriously wrong with Katie Hobbs. No matter how badly she might do in a debate, she would lose not a single supporter vote nor a single anti-Trump vote nor a single sane person's vote nor a single vote cast by an anti-Dobbs voter or gun-safety voter. But, by not showing up, she just might lose votes at the margins. Thank goodness Kelly is willing to debate Masters in the senate race. Let's hope Kelly has sufficient coattails that will bring Hobbs along on election day.

[EOP]

Trump's Best Friends: Government Officials

Trump's aggrieved wailing about the government's persecuting him is ironic idiocy. His ascendency to the highest office in the land and his avoidance of prison is due in large part to three government officials. First, the Director of the FBI during the 2016 election, Comey, broke with all precedent in his announcing an investigation of Clinton with a couple of weeks to go which likely was the catalyst that gave Trump the presidency. Second, the Special Counsel investigating Trump's campaign and related conduct, Mueller, found sufficient evidence to support an indictment of Trump for obstruction but just wouldn't say it either in his report or in correction of Barr's false representation of what Mueller had found. And now, third, a federal judge, who says she doesn't even know if Trump has any executive privilege, has ordered a special master review on executive privilege grounds and called a halt to the investigation because of "media buzz and leaks" all of which were created by Trump, because some personal items were taken during the search all of which have been returned, and because of the supposed heightened need to uphold Trump's special reputation as a former president. In short, when it comes to Trump, rather than persecuting or prosecuting Trump, Trump is blessed with Keystone Kops and incompetents or worse who have elevated and protected him at every turn. Trump and his followers are not so much stealing our democracy. Government officials are handing it to them.

[EOP] 

Mona Lisa Smile (2003 Movie on HBO and HBO Max)

Mona Lisa Smile is the story of a free-thinking art professor who teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley students to question their traditional social roles. If you had the good fortune not to live through the culture of the 1950s, you might take a look to see what your parents and grandparents overcame. Unfortunately, from an artistic perspective, the portrayals are a bit heavy-handed, and some audience members might get bored and not see it through to the end, and they are assured they really didn't miss anything. In all events, it has quite the cast, with Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Juliet Stevenson, Dominic West, and John Slattery. 

[EOP]

A Simple-Minded Observation re the Supreme Court's View of Originalism/Textualism

Originalism (with textualism overlaying it), which now dominates the Supreme Court's so-called thinking, holds that, in deciding constitutional questions, the Court is constricted by the text of the constitution, and all statements in the constitution must be interpreted based on the original understanding of the framers "at the time it was adopted." To hold that view, it must be believed that the framers intended that their understanding of every word in the constitution would remain unchanged and would be controlling for all time. The two answers to that view are: (i) Yeah, that's the way brilliant politicians and philosophers see things and draft governing documents to make for a more perfect the union; and (ii) even the justices who claim to espouse originalism and textualism don't follow it--if they did, "arms" in the second amendment were understood by the framers "at the time the constitution was adopted" to be muskets.

Permit me three other difficulties I have with the stated philosophic underpinnings of the Court's view of originalism/textualism. First, as to consistency: In an apparent effort to tamp down what the Dobbs decision might portend for other supposed court-created rights such as same-sex marriage, Alito declares in the Dobbs decision that "Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion"; but in Obergefell (the case upholding the right to same-sex marriage), Alito dissented on the ground that same-sex marriage was "contrary to long established tradition"--which gives some pause in that the anchoring logic of his Dobbs decision is that rights not stipulated in the constitution pass muster only if they have long been part of the nation's tradition. Second, as to deferring to the understanding of the founding fathers at the time: In Citizens United, where the Court held that a corporation's right to free speech was violated by limitations on their campaign donations, the first corporation did not even exist in the United States until 1813 (the Boston Manufacturing Company), i.e., until after the constitution was drafted and ratified. Third, as to meeting the key issues head-on: The central question facing the Court in Dobbs was, assuming that life begins at the moment of conception, what right does a pregnant woman have when her life is threatened by the pregnancy itself. If I drive recklessly and injure an innocent pedestrian who then needs a kidney to survive, whatever consequence I might face as a result of my negligence, I will have no obligation to donate my kidney, much less my life, to the pedestrian. 

[EOP]

A Simple-Minded Approach to Climate Change

There are two kinds of dangers to ships: Those that are above the water line and those that are below. Those above the water line tend not to be fatal. Those below the water line tend to sink even the unsinkable, like the Titanic. I have no clue if what we are experiencing in terms of hurricanes, flooding, heat, tornadoes, melting of the ice caps, destruction of the Amazon, and on and on are or are not the result of human-caused climate change. Nor do I have any clue if it is, can we do anything now or if it is already too late. But, what does occur to me is this: If climate change is a below the water line peril to the planet, it is immoral, obscene, and insane not to try to do something. And if it isn't a below the water line peril to the planet, and we did something that turns out to have been unnecessary, let the flat earthers crow. I can say with much experience, humiliation is not that bad.

[EOP]  

New Bivalent Covid-19 Booster

One can now schedule the new bivalent Covid-19 booster at least CVS and Walgreen pharmacies. According to CVS's Covid information vaccine hot-line line and a pharmacist at a CVS pharmacy, the only booster CVS is now giving is the new bivalent one targeted to include the Omicron variants. That information is not clear on their website and it can take 20 minutes on hold to get through on the hot-line to confirm that fact, but only 3 minutes to confirm it with an actual pharmacist. I don't know whether the boosters given at Walgreen's and other dispensers are likewise now strictly the new bivalent one. Fry's does not appear to have the new booster available yet.

[EOP]

When to Decant Wine

I was shocked beyond words when, at a dinner hosted by friends, that, while they served an excellent wine, it was a wine that should have been served decanted. Being the gracious dinner guest that I am, I didn't say anything. but by deftly steering the conversation in certain ways, I came to the realization that the host was simply ignorant when it came to decanting. So, for them, and anyone else who enjoys drinking wine or serving wine to others, I commend this article which reviews the basics of the benefits of introducing oxygen to certain wines by decanting.

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Tip re How to Navigate This Blog

Although we have quadrupled our IT Department along with undergoing a massive upgrade of our servers and diagnostic tools, certain matters are beyond our control once we designate a post to be published and sent my email. While we have been quite pleased with our email delivery service (which has raised our delivery costs by a staggering amount), sometimes things go amiss. For example, a recent post on proper dental hygiene had a broken link in the daily email so that clicking on it did not take one reader to the cited document. In such a circumstances, or others like it, we plead with our loyal readers, including those who profess to have been educated in a gifted class program and have post-graduate degrees and claim to be smart, rather than inundate us with messages such as "bad link to the toothbrushing article," just go to the post on the blog site itself which will open the document correctly. We don't want to suspend any reader's subscription, but we have  only so much  time and patience.

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College Football Finally Wakes Up

[Prefatory Not: This will be my first  and last post on college football. I don't care about college football. I'm not impressed, indeed I'm horrified, that in terms of sports money generated and spent, only the NFL is "bigger." Not MLB, not the NBA, not the NFL, not the PGA. Only the NFL. College football is purely a business and has nothing to do with colleges or academics. It's Trumpian]

The College Football Playoff's Board of Managers have voted to expand the playoff field to 12 teams with an aim to implement the larger format as soon as possible. It certainly took them a long time to realize what MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and college basketball have understood for years: Show me the playoffs! It's the playoffs baby! And with this expansion, which calls for 6 conference champions and 6  independent picks, a  life-line has been thrown to every college conference not named the SEC. Finally, it puts a stake in the  heart of the bowl games, which are beyond stupid anyhow.

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The Shameless Hypocrisy of the PGA Tour Players

The PGA Tour players, particularly the wealthiest and most successful ones, are not short on condemning the so-called "defectors" for "selling their souls for Saudi blood money" (in addition to other tripe about dishonoring the integrity and blaspheming the glorious game of golf and its traditions). Not one of them has seemed to reflect or paused in the slightest or done anything but celebrate the PGA Tour's reaction to LIV Golf which is guaranteed to make those holier-than-thou blowhards even richer as a direct consequence of the emergence of LIV Golf. Because many PGA Tour players read this blog but are challenged on the intelligence front, let me put it this way: LIV Golf is the best thing that happened to you--just say it. Phil Mickleson did, and while this might be the first time I ever agreed much  less commended him, he's right.

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US Tennis Open Last Night

If you missed last night's doubles match of the Williams sisters versus the other team, you missed great tennis and unbelievable athleticism. You also missed what make Serenas special, in that in was not in her interest to play 3 sets given what she is facing the next day, but she gave it her all to do so. The post-match interview of the winners was wonderful given their deference to Serena and how bad and also  proud they felt in beating her. But best of all, one didn't have to see Spike Lee or Tiger Woods' enormous arms in the Williams family box, but alas Anna Wintour was there. This might be the last women's doubles tennis match that preempts and postpones by several hours Nadal's featured match being shown in prime time. I can say based on personal experience I know how Rafa feels.

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Simple Tricks to Boosting a Weak Cellphone Signal

When you have a problem with a weak cellphone signal and hence connectivity, here are some easy and quick things to try that have actually helped: (i) remove the cellphone's case; (ii) if you're inside, move outside, and if you're near some big thing, move away from it; (iii) toggle Airplane mode on and off; (iv) restart the phone; (v) remove and reinstall the SIM card; and (vi) refresh the phone's network settings.

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Good and Great News on Decent Size Televisions

Tired of squinting at my kitchen countertop 75" TV, I bit the bullet and got a 98" Samsung (TCL also makes a 98" set). They are much less expensive than you would dream, but especially for watching movies, the experience makes every penny they cost worth it. Okay, so much for the  good news, here's the great news: TCL has been getting great reviews, and you can get its 85" 4K QLED Smart Roku TV at Best Buy for under $2,300; and you can step down a bit in quality and get an 85" Samsung for under $1,300. 

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VPN for Phones and Tablets

I feel safer knowing that someone out there is listening to and watching me and that I'm not alone. Others cherish their privacy when it comes to using their cellphones and tablets. This cnet article has an excellent overview as to why to use a VPN network, how easy it is to install, and which VPN networks to consider.

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Pros and Cons for the Mercy Rule in MLB

The mercy rule applies in many baseball and softball leagues, but not in the majors (or what I affectionately call "the bigs"). There are good reasons it should be: avoiding needless injuries and wasting time and, particularly for night games, letting people get to bed earlier. There also are good reasons it should not be: depriving batters of getting the same chances batters have gotten since the inception of MLB (e.g., suppose the mercy rule prevented someone from extending their hitting streak and challenging Ted Williams' record) and depriving fans of the thrill of watching non-pitchers pitch. Suffice it to say that, with all of MLB's problems, this one is not on the radar screen, which is why this post is bringing it to their attention (and not just because it is the wish of one loyal reader whose niece is the live-in partner of a rising MLB star pitcher whose team was on the losing side of game where the Phillies scored 18 runs and their opponent's scored 2 runs).

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Caution re Rinsing Your Mouth With Water After Brushing Your Teeth

[Prefatory Note: Hard as this might be to believe, I know less about dental hygiene than I know about medical and financial stuff, so I have no view on the substance of this post]

This cnet article explains why rinsing out your mouth with water after brushing your teeth might not be the best practice for maintaining optimal dental hygiene.

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The Hypocricy of the PGA Tour and The Golf Channel

The PGA Tour and The Golf Channel (especially the odious Brandel Chamblee but also the not as odious Mark Rolfing and others, including Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods) trash LIV Golf for conducting no-cut events and slobber over themselves praising the the PGA Tour arguing that cut events are the keystone to the meritocracy the PGA Tour supposedly has created. Well, guess what: At least some, if not all, of the so-called "elevated events"--the cornerstone of the PGA Tour's strategy to counter LIV Golf--will be no-cut events. Whether LIV Golf survives or not or prevails or not over the PGA Tour, I don't know. But what is clear is that the PGA Tour, with a self-congratulatory tone of sanctimony in how innovative it is, has conceded that LIV Golf's model is now the PGA Tour's model.

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The Good and the Bad from the Featured US Tennis Open Match Last Night

Serena Williams is a compelling person and athlete to be sure. And watching her compete in this US Open is a thrill. But the crowd and the camerawork are a disgrace. It certainly is understandable that the crowd, indeed everyone, is pulling for Serena. But there is something amiss where every point Serena wins, no matter the quality of the point, gets thunderous applause--e.g., even a double fault by her opponent, and every point her opponent wins is met with silence or groans no matter how outstanding her play was in winning the point. To Serena's credit, unlike the crowd, she would make a signal acknowledgement when her opponent's play deserved it. The crowd would have done well to follow Serena's cue. Finally, if anyone thinks Tiger Woods doesn't just move the needle, but is the needle wherever he shows up, other than the two competitors, he got more camera time just by sitting in the Williams' box than anything or anyone else. You had to feel bad for Anna Wintour, also sitting in that box whom you just saw glimpses of, and one also has to wonder why Spike Lee gets the camera's focus so often.

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