I didn't watch the first season of that inane swill they called The White Lotus. Nor do I have any intention of ever watching that inane swill, but as a courtesy to my loyal readers and others who apparently have no aversion to immersion in inane swill, I am informing you that Season 2 of The White Lotus has now begun. I am told that even the always-endearing Michael Imperioli cannot save this inane swill.
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We have a robot vacuum and have long touted them as wonderful, time-saving devices. As it turns out, and while it's late coming to the party, Wirecutter agrees with that assessment and sets out its recommendations as to the best makes and models.
The Death of Stalin was not recommended by the semi-loyal reader who takes credit for every good recommendation we make here. We discovered it on our own. It's created, written, and produced by the same guy who brought you Veep, Avenue 5, and In the Loop, all of which are fast-past dialogue fantastic shows. The Death of Stalin is a crack-up with a great cast. It's worth the $3.99 Amazon will charge you, but if you have digital credit, it will count toward that rental fee.
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If you get no hits on any letters in your first Wordle guess, the Wordle guru will say you were "unlucky." In fact, that's not correct. Although counterintuitive especially for people of small minds, where one's first word consisted of common letters and vowels, it can be seen as instructive or even more instructive toward solving the Wordle as having gotten some letters. Indeed, one Wordle player reports scoring 3s on the last four occasions they got no hits on the first guess, which is a higher percentage of 3s than when they a letter or even two were revealed on the first guess.
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Great caviar is far less expensive than one might think and goes well with sour cream as a dip for vegetables, dolloped on pizza, with a jumble of gravy and cheese fries, topping scrambled eggs, and dotted on a bagel and cream cheese. Some good inexpensive caviar or faux caviar (i.e., from trout not sturgeon) can be had at CaliforniaCaviar.com, Cavi-Air.com, FultonFishMarket.com, and TheCaviarFarm.com. Bon Appetite!
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Q: When was the last World Series where what's not happened in this year's World Series happened?
A: 1950.
Q: What was it that happened in 1950 and not since until this World Series?
A: That there was no Black player on either team.
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As this WSJ article sets out, the U.S. flu season is off to a fast and early start, with hospitalization rates the highest for this time of year in more than a decade. CDC estimates showed that there have been at least 880,000 cases of flu this season, some 6,900 hospitalizations and 360 deaths, including one pediatric death. Flu season in the U.S. tends to run from fall to spring, with activity peaking between December and February. Right now, the CDC said, the Southwest and the south-central U.S. are experiencing the most activity.
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As Kathleen Parker lays out in this Washington Post piece, "Maybe nothing’s out there. Maybe everything is. But I’ll tell you what’s everywhere — covid-19, and it smells your fear. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, and don’t deceive yourself into thinking we’re all done with it. We’re not by a long shot. Despite our best efforts to thwart the virus that leads to covid — and despite my own adherence to best practices — it got me again. That’s two vaccinations, two boosters, and now, two covids — appropriate for a Libra, I suppose."
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There is a Grenache blend French Rose from Provence, under the Vrac label, which is sold in a box and is sweeping the wine world. It is delicious and inexpensive ($11 for 750ml; $30 for 3L). And because it is in a box with a spigot, we do what the French do: Leave it in the refrigerator and draw a glass whenever the urge hits us, including for lunch or dinner or just while taking a reading break as well as to offer to any guests who pop in.
An earlier post, acknowledging that it was recommended by a loyal reader who would wail if we did not give them that credit, recommended Avenue 5 (on HBO Max). It is a hoot that gets better with each episode. If you need any further impetus to watch it, it is meet to note that the creator, writer, and producer of Avenue 5 is Armando Iannucci, who also was the creator, writer, and producer of Veep and In the Loop, along with The Death of Stalin which I haven’t seen yet but just added to my Prime list even thought it will cost 74 cents to rent.
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If you had any doubt that the press is dishonest and biased and hates the greatest sports town in the world, all you had to do was pick up any newspaper or click on any internet supposed news source, including for example the WSJ, to read something like this: "When Philadelphia baseball teams do well, in a pattern that has held for a century, financial markets tend to strike out. It started with the old Philadelphia Athletics (before they left town). Their 1929 championship preceded the stock crash and Great Depression. In 1980, the Phillies won their first World Series, and a recession raged right through 1983, when the team again got to the final round and lost. The Phils won the World Series a second time in 2008, and boom: a home-run financial crisis. Now, the scrappy Phils will be back on the big stage against the favored Houston Astros, and it is as if this struggling economy already knew it was going to be in trouble. “The Astros must save America’s economy,” tweeted one follower of the finance-focused Morning Brew newsletter, which commented on the historical phenomenon in September, even before the Phillies had made the playoffs. Another lamented the Phillies’ victory on Sunday over the San Diego Padres, which vaulted them into the World Series: “PADRES COULD HAVE STOPPED THE INCOMING RECESSION.” Putting aside the statistical ignorance of the press given the paucity of data points involved (as we have discussed in terms of their inability to understand what margins of error mean in political polling), the big point is this: If the Phillies winning the World Series were to cause a world-wide depression spanning decades, it would be worth it.
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This world series could be (and I for one hope it is) the last world series with balls and strikes being called by so-called humans instead of by machines. Whatever the inaccuracy of the machines, at least they will not be subject to the biases (physical and psychological) that humans cannot eliminate. That said, click on this link and you will get to test your ability to call balls and strikes compared to how umpires and machines call them. You likely will do better than the umpires. You cannot do better than me, but you can tie me, and that would be quite an accomplishment. It's a hoot.
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If your phone is using more battery than you like, here's something to try: While background apps may not use your phone's resources on their own, Android phones and iPhones will refresh background apps periodically by default. This uses your phone's battery. By stopping background apps from refreshing, you can conserve your battery, making closing background apps unnecessary. This link will explain how to stop your background apps from refreshing, helping your battery last longer.
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If your computer doesn't boot up in 16 seconds or less, you have three choices: (i) get a new computer; (ii) live with it; or (iii) stop or delay unnecessary programs from loading on start-up. To see what's loading on start-up, right click on the task bar at the bottom of the screen and open Task Manager, and then click on the Startup tab. By right-clicking on any of the programs seen there that you do not want to load on start-up and clicking on Disabled, they will not load on start-up. Alternatively, you can you install a free program such as Glary Utilities which will allow you to delay the loading of any program and load instead after the computer has booted to the desktop.
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Although described as "steak knives," Cold Steel Kitchen Classic Steak Knives are by far the best knives for any purpose (except for things needing a bigger knife like slicing Noble Bread's Country loaves). I'm not kidding, once you use one for anything, you'll never go back to any other knife (including any fancy schmancy expensive knife you own), and they never lose their sharpness and don't need sharpening. And you can't beat their price (about $50 for a set of 6 from Amazon and many other places). One further tip: If one disappears, and you cannot find it no matter how hard you look, check the oven because it might have glommed onto something you placed in the oven.
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Of the 100 most watched shows last year, across all genre from sports to reality tv to drama to sitcoms etc., 75 of the most watched shows were NFL games, 5 were NCAA football games, and 0 were NHL games, NBA games, MLB games, PGA tournaments, and tennis tournaments. Think about that. Not sure what the other 20 shows were.
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There is a house in the neighborhood for sale for over $1.1M (which in no way is a comp for my house given the difference in square footage, location, architect, lot size, garage, xeriscaping, and cachet). After two price reductions of $24K each, the seller/realtor dropped the price again, this time for $2K (not a misprint, for $2K). I couldn't figure it out, but here's what my realtor explained to me: "It's a cheesy way to get the listing to recirculate to the top of buyers emails who have saved the home or the home checks their search criteria. It shows up at the top of their search again with price reduced."
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Suppose the NYT issues you a refund back to the original card their overcharge was placed on, and you cancelled that card years ago. If you have the card number, you can quickly get a phone rep on the line, and easily get that refund moved to one of your active cards if issued by the same bank (e.g. they are both Chase Visa cards) or a check issued if not.
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It could be my imagination, but there seem to be many more used Tesla 3s in Tesla's inventory. The Edmunds website seems to also have quite a few. While they look to be as much as a new Tesla 3, looks can be deceiving. Virtually all the cars are the higher “trims” which would be $57K if new … you can get the bottom trim 3 now delivered by December at the latest for about $40K, or the higher trims used for just under $50K.
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Air Fryers are not expensive to buy, and they will pay off big-time because they are much less costly to run on a per-minute basis than electric ovens--indeed, halving the cost, and the savings compound from there because, unlike ovens, air fryers prepare foods faster than ovens and do not need any pre-heating. On top of all that, some foods taste much better having been done in an air fryer rather than in an oven. This excellent article explains it all.
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It turns out, according to a study published Oct. 21 in a JAMA Network Open research letter. , systemic side effects after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine jab, such as nausea, fever and fatigue, are correlated with higher antibodies.
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I'm not sure why I watched The Unforgivable to the end, but if you're into this kind of noir/crime/tense/drama, you might really like it. It's the story about a woman who is released from prison after serving a sentence for murder and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past. Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind. The cast and acting are fantastic--especially Sandra Bullock like you've never seen her before. But who doesn't love Viola Davis and Vincent D'Onofrio although they are not on camera as much as we might wish. Finally, it is not based on a true story but it is based on the 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven written by Sally Wainwright.
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It takes a big person to admit a mistake, especially when he is so unaccustomed to making them. That said, as a loyal reader pointed out, contrary to yesterday's post: JT Snow didn't homer, he was on second and David Bell was on first; Kenny Lofton hit a ball off the wall in right field, and when JT was coming around to score, with David Bell right behind him (and the throw coming in from right field), he scooped up Darrin Baker who was at the plate to retrieve Lofton's bat. That said, there is still no excuse for this loyal reader's expressed intention to root for the Astros, and it highlights why we don't do either sports or politics here.
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In Arizona (and likely elsewhere), all the pollsters and punsters are saying that the governor, senate, attorney general, and secretary of state races in Arizona have tightened and are extremely close (the word "toss-up" is being tossed around) because they each show races with the respective candidates being within 2% of each other. In the referenced poll they are all talking about and relying on the margin of error is 4.4%. Putting aside the persistent and seemingly increasing difficulties of sampling (as discussed in this WSJ article), i.e., that the sampling will match the actual turnout, with a 4.4% margin of error the actual spread between candidates could be substantial in each of those races, i.e., one candidate could actually be leading by 5% or close to 9% over their opponent. As one loyal reader explained, let's say candidate A polls at 48% and B at 46%, with the rest undecided: With a 4.4% margin of error, that means that, instead of leading by 2%, it is equally probable that A is leading B 52.4% to 43.6%; and likewise, B could be leading A, with A at 45.6% and B at 50.4%. All this does not mean that we should not be terrified about what might happen when the votes are counted. But it does mean that we might do well to stop listening to what everyone is saying based on the polls.
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The Ignominy: After pulling off one of the great turn-around stories of MLB, and then beating the odious Cardinals and the odious Braves, the Phillies had the great disappointment of not having to beat the Dodgers for the NLC, beating instead the odious Padres. To throw salt in the wounds and add insult to injury, that the Yankees couldn't beat the odious Astros means now the Phillies will not have a win for the ages in the World Series, and will not be able to start their own tradition like no other. But we can be assured when Jim Nantz sums it up, as a loyal reader has suggested, we will have a win for all eternity.
The Greed: There is no reason the Phillies or their fans (or anyone else although no one cares about anyone else) should have to wait for Friday for the World Series to start. There's no conflict in any stadium or otherwise to prevent the series from starting Tuesday and going Wednesday, with an off-day for travel on Friday and on to the weekend which is slated already. Doing so makes sense for a million reasons, including weather and fewer games subject to the end of DST, and not to do so makes sense for only one reason--greed (more weekend games mean more television revenues).
Sentimental Nod: Twenty years ago, in the world series, Dusty Baker's son was 3 years old and an honorary batboy. Here's what happened when JT Snow homered and the lad went to get the bat. Yes, that's the same Dusty Baker who now manages the odious Astros.
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As has been said, love means never having to say you're sorry. But as this WSJ article explains, you might do well to stop saying sorry so much ... remember, that it's not your responsibility to apologize for things out of your control.
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This NYT piece has some excellent tips from a renowned brain expert who sets out the few simple things we can do to prevent memory decline as we age.
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There are two reasons to get the bivalent booster. One is to protect yourself, which no one might care about beside yourself. Another reason is to protect others you come into contact with. So, while getting the latest booster to protect yourself might matter very little to anyone, getting it to protect others should matter to all of us. In all events, while virtually everyone (with support from the CDC in dropping mask mandates even for health facilities while its director, Dr. Walensky, is reported to now be Covid-infected) acts as if the pandemic is over, it just might be the case, as this NYT article sets out, no one has told the latest Covid variants and subvariants.
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The so-called rally towels seem to have emerged in various MLB parks for post-season games. I have no clue if they help the home team in any way. They certainly don't enhance the viewing experience on television. But what's kind of annoying, to any literate person or anyone interested in avoiding non-sense, is when whoever controls the messaging board puts up, "Wave Your Rally Towels" when the home team is in the field and the crowd is cheering to get a batter out. Sheesh! Let's call them what they are, if anything, "support towels." And while TV coverage of baseball has become fantastic (given the technology advances and replays and the commentary analysis of John Schmoltz), the excessive showing of mindless fans, including kids, screaming and making faces and wearing stupid stuff is a bit wearisome. We also can do without the interviews during the game of players and managers ... the questions are insipid and the answers meet the questions. Micing up a player during the regular season is cool and informative. These interviews are not.
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Recommended by that hit-and-miss semi-loyal reader, Avenue 5 is a comedy in a sci-fi setting, but the setting is really irrelevant other than adding to the wonderful weirdness of it. The dialogue is everything. It's a hoot. It's not for everybody and you have to pay attention because the lines come at you fast and furious, often droll, but really funny. Indeed, it's a countless series of satirical japes wrapped around a ship of fools. It stars Hugh Laurie and he's as good in it as he was in House and The Night Manager and a lot of other stuff. The other leading and supporting characters and the extras are all good as well. It's a low-risk try-out because the episodes are under a half-hour each.
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This WSJ article gives an excellent overview of various issues involving EVs, and explains why it might make sense to defer one's decision to buy an EV.
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The question I get more than any other from loyal readers and occasional readers is: Given how you clearly know everything, how is it you tolerate people who are not as informed? The short answer is, "It's not easy." The longer answer is, "People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
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Putting aside the repeated lying, unbridled greed and graft, and debasing of the presidency, and the acts for which Trump should have been convicted on impeachment, twice, in terms of public crimes against our democracy, Trump's conduct in Georgia, Trump's taking and handling of top secret documents in Mara Largo, and Trump's orchestration of the January 6 attempt to stop the transfer of power, no private citizen or public persona has ever done anything that comes even close in terms of seriousness and threats to the Republic. If Trump is not prosecuted just because he was once the president (which status actually should be seen as an additional impetus for prosecution), then the Justice Department and this country do not stand for what they say they stand for, and any obligation much less any oath to uphold the Constitution will be rendered just words. Finally, as far as public sentiment goes, not prosecuting Trump will only harden and serve to legitimize his support and all the lies his support and supporters depend on; and at the same time, not prosecuting Trump will send the worst message imaginable to those who would like to keep America a supposed shining city on a hill, much less a beacon of hope for the world.
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Abbott Elementary is a sitcom series about a group of teachers brought together in one of the worst public schools in the country, which is in Philadelphia. It's refreshingly different albeit it's impossible to tell who might like it and who might not. But given that episodes are just 20 minutes (on Hulu), it's easy to find out which camp you're in. The one thing I can promise is that you won't say, "I've seen this same show so many times I've lost count."
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If you're flying anywhere JSX Airlines flies (and that now includes non-stop Phoenix to San Diego), it is clearly the best flying choice. It flies from private terminals so you drive up, valet your car and board the plane with no hassle and no contact, the planes have just 30 seats and business class leg room, 2 bags check for free, and the prices are amazing (e.g., Phoenix/San Diego round-trip for $360). The website is very easy and very user friendly in showing you where they fly and in explaining the benefits of flying JSX.
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Access to the NYT crosswords and puzzles and other games used to require a separate subscription price over one's subscription to the newspaper. A few years ago, that changed, and a subscription to the paper included access to the puzzles/games. They might not have told you and you might have kept renewing annually the puzzle/game charge of about $20/year. If you bring that to their attention (by chat or phone), they will issue you a refund to your credit card (not to your paper charges) and might do so in 3 separate payments (for some inexplicable reason) and 1 of those payments might not process. Rather than struggle with them repeatedly by chat and phone to get the last payment, and incur the aggravation of them telling you the payment was made when it was not, just dispute the charge with the credit card company. It works.
PS: When the puzzle/game charge was separate, one could not gift a puzzle/game subscription. Now, one can. It will cost about $40/year.
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If you had a problem with your Cox Communications service, even if they gave you two $25 credits on your past two bills, they might do a follow-up call to be sure everything is working. There's a good reason to answer the call and be polite and patient. At the end, they just might give you a $25 gift card for use anywhere.
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On Tuesday night, the Phillies whooped the Padres in a 1-hitter. But the highlight of the night was Kyle Schwarber's massive home run (488 into the upper deck at 120 mph). You can see it by clicking here. But, in case you missed it, here is a freeze-frame of Bryce Harper's expression watching it:
Katie Hobbs appeared on PBS/Horizon to answer questions for a half-hour. Her answers to just the first two questions, which she had to know were coming, perhaps provide an insight as to why she has refused to be on a debate stage or many interviews at all.
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The WordleBot supposedly helps you with strategy by analyzing your moves. In the 10/19 (Wednesday) Wordle, it claimed that my starting word of MEANT was "unlucky" because it did not have any letters in the Word. Actually, eliminating those 5 letters was very helpful in getting to a word in 3 moves that had rarely used letters (Q, K, and Y) and had none of those often used letters.
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There's a lot of buzz about Visible, a cellphone carrier owned by Verizon and which uses the Verizon network. Its two plans are substantially cheaper than Verizon's. Here is a review of the pluses and minuses of Visible vs. Verizon.
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There is a big problem if you use the text editing feature of iOS 16: The recipient of the text can easily pull up and see all the edits you made. So, you might choose to turn off the text editing feature. Or get an Android phone.
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A semi-loyal, often distracted reader recommended The Empress. Except for an apparent fondness of undue violence and repetitive "thrillers" involving subterfuges in the Middle-East, we have found their recommendations pretty reliable. We have no clue what happened this time, as the droning on of the first episode drove everyone in the audience to leave the home theatre. Two young people meet. A fateful encounter - the proverbial love at first sight. He is Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary, she is Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, Princess of Bavaria and the sister of the woman Franz is to marry. And who cares! It is possible that the recommendation was made as a misguided joke.
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In going to best-of-3 wildcard games, MLB took a small step toward emulating what the NFL, NBA, and NHL have known for a while, and the NCAA also sees: The big money is in the playoffs. While the network executives are likely a bit chagrined that not to see their dream world series matchups of the Dodgers/Yankees or the Mets/Yankees, we have long suggested a major restructuring of MLB. It will never happen because of the fuddy-duddies and slaves to decades of statistics. But here is how MLB could: increase fan interest; make more money for everyone involved while lowering payroll and transportation and lodging costs; extend careers; reduce injuries; avoid games (especially early season and post-season games) having to deal with frigid temperatures; have better pitchers appearing in more games with fewer starters needed; playoffs and a championship that need not compete with football; and pack more stadiums for more games and dramatically increase television audiences:
1. Instead of a 162-game schedule over 7+ months, go to a 48-game schedule over 16 weeks (with the regular season starting in late April and ending in early August).
2. Instead of playing games 6 or 7 games per week, play just 3 games per week ... on Friday, Saturday night, and Sunday or Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night.
3. Expand the number of teams that make the playoffs, with all series being best of 5 games except the world series being best of 7 games, starting in early August and ending by early September.
PS: At the end of Jason Gay's piece in the WSJ are overtones of the above-suggested metamorphosis that MLB should undergo. The piece is also worth reading if you're upset by what some see as upsets in the MLB post-season.
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If you can wait until next year to buy an EV, here's a good reason to wait: Rolls-Royce will be rolling out its EV, and contrary to what many feared, it will be priced well under $500,000, and only about $100,000 more than Cadillac's newly-announced EV.
In Arizona, you can check this Early Voting Ballot Status Website to be sure your ballot was received and your signature was verified. Other states seem to have similar portals. You can also sign up there to get text and email alerts. Contrary to the rumors that are circulating, registered Phillies and Eagles fans' votes are counted just like everyone else's, and are not, as they should be, counted triple.
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This NYT article has some helpful observations and suggestions as to how to enjoy family holiday gatherings in a sane way. I expect no one will follow them.
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I am so tired of people throwing away extra bread or, worse, schlepping it to the park to feed the ducks (bread is not good for them--buy duck food). What really frosts my keister is how easy it is to make delicious bread pudding with it. Here's my recipe:
Re Phillies: We were happy to play the St. Louis Cardinals although we would have preferred to beat the Mets. Having beaten the Braves, we are disappointed that our next opponent is not the Dodgers. It's not fair we are not given the opportunity to beat the teams that are said to be the best in MLB this year. The idea that we might have to play the so-called Guardians instead of the Yankees is too horrible a thought to contemplate.
Re Eagles: Their call to go for a 2-point conversion late in the game from the 1-yard line was inexplicable. And the play they called to do it was even more inexplicable since they never were stopped on a 1-yard run/push by the QB. Still, we won, and Dallas (which everyone hates for good reason) clearly is not a slouch team. Fly Eagles Fly
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There's a loyal reader out there whom I am certain will continue to defend Kingsbury's repeated decisions to always go for a 1st down on 4th down instead of kicking a field goal, no matter how many times that ploy fails. I gave up counting in their loss to Seattle, and will note that the Cardinals scored not one offensive touchdown in this latest loss. All that said, if the Cardinals did have to face the scrutiny of Philadelphia fans and press, Kingsbury would be out of a job and Kyler Murray, who is not a quality NFL quarterback, if he could not be traded to get rid of having to pay him the ridiculous amount they agreed to pay him, would be relegated to returning kick-offs and punts, at which he would be excellent.
PS: Can field goals win a game? I refer to John Schmolz's comment during the last Phillies/Braves game when the Braves hit 3 solo home runs: "You can't win a game on solo home runs ... um ... unless I guess if you hit enough of them."
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The Luckiest Girl Alive is not a rom-com, or a comedy, or a feel-good movie. It is dark as it has to do with dealing with a substantial trauma. The problem is that it sort of jumps all over the place which detracts from its coherence, and might lead some to not sit through to the end. Those who do sit through to the end might feel it was not worth it. The subject certainly deserves full and honest treatment, but that's not to say this movie did the best job that could be done theatrically speaking. Note: Connor's girlfriend/fiance (from Succession) shows up.
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Whenever you are in the market for new travel luggage, be sure to check our Rimowa. Their luggage is sleek, durable, and hardy.
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If you missed any but the second game of the Phillies/Braves series, you missed some wonderful baseball. The key to game three, and perhaps the key event of the series, was Atlanta walking Schwerber with a runner on second, and then Hoskins hitting a 3-run homer with an inspiring demonstrative touch. The key to game four was Realmuto's (a catcher) inside the park homerun thanks to the Brave's right fielder falling asleep on the play (and had other lapses as the game went on).
Hoskins home run Realmuto's inside the park homerun
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As this WSJ article reports, new offshoots of the Omicron Covid-19 variant that virus experts say appear to spread easily are on the rise in the U.S., underscoring how the virus is mutating and presenting new risks as it proliferates. Two of the Omicron subvariants, both related to the BA.5 version that drove the most recent U.S. surge, are called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. They were estimated to represent a combined 11.4% of U.S. Covid-19 cases by mid-October, according to estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Friday. Of course, there is no reason to unduly worry because, as President Biden told us, and as the CDC foreshadowed in allowing even healthcare facilities to drop their masking requirements, and judging from the conduct of most people, the pandemic is over.
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For decades, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission has been responsible for conducting election debates in Arizona. They have certain rules. In the governor's race, after dithering, turning a 1-day story into a 3-week story, Katie Hobbs refused to participate in a debate with Kari Lake. Under the rules set by the Commission and agreed to by PBS and ASU who would have conducted the debate, Lake was afforded the opportunity to appear alone, which she agreed to do. Under the rules, having opted out of the debate, PBS and ASU had agreed that Hobbs would not be afforded the opportunity to appear alone. And then, without explanation, and in violation of its agreement to abide the rules, PBS and ASU announced that Hobbs would be afforded the opportunity to appear alone. Lake immediately objected based on the clear rules violation and said she would not appear in what she characterized (and not without reason) as a biased and partisan decision by PBS and ASU. The story now remains alive and at the forefront. It is not good for the state or for the country or the reputation of PBS (I'm not sure what ASU's reputation is), but PBS and ASU, along with Hobbs herself, might have just handed Lake victory in the election.
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Surge protectors are not unduly expensive, and at any price, are a bargain in saving critical electronic equipment from the harm that can be caused by power surges. This Wirecutter article gives the NYT recommendations. There are a slew of options on The Amazon.
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My friends and neighbors are stunned by my jack-o'-lantern lasting longer than theirs or anyone else's they know. I've decided to share my secret. Almost everyone starts by cutting their jack-o’-lantern’s hole (through which you scoop out the inside) in the wrong place. The stem is crucial to preserve for structural reasons. It’s almost like the top of an umbrella holding the pumpkin together. If you cut through the top, after a day or two, that lid tends to fall right through the hole you’ve made. Then it’s only a matter of time before the pumpkin is completely gone. So when you’re ready to turn your pumpkin into a jack-o’-lantern, begin by either cutting a hole in the bottom, or on the back side of your creation. And either way, save that piece so you can put it back in place like a stopper when you’re done.
When it comes to small and large appliances, functionality, efficiency, and efficacy are important, but style perhaps matters most. And when it comes to style, Smeg is umatched for all kinds of products, both in terms of retro design and unique colors. Below are their coffee makers, but the website will show so much more. I'm proud to say I live in a Smeg house.
The January 6 Committee was meticulous in giving foundational details for the various documents and film footage they showed during their hearings. At the last hearing, they showed never before scene film of Speaker Pelosi in a safe room while the rioting was taking place, calmly taking charge and trying to mobilize forces to stop the rioters and even vowing to "punch" (her word) Trump if he didn't do something. While it was clear that the shots were with a real camera and not a cellphone, the Committee gave no explanation of how that filming came to be. As Pod Save America found out and revealed the next day, the footage was shot by Pelosi's daughter, who is a documentary film-maker. The NYT confirms it. Just saying.
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As Laurie Roberts lays out in this opinion piece, Katie Hobbs has made a disastrous decision in refusing to debate Kari Lake. If not being willing to square off with her opponent for a one-off, that would be bad enough. But she seems unwilling to face any tough questioning even from reporters. Apparently, most of her live television appearances are on MSNBC which are sure to do her no good. Many of her supporters, and certainly all her detractors, are coming to one conclusion: There is something wrong with Hobbs. If she loses the election, which would be a disaster for the state, there will a consensus in the post-mortems: The fault was not in our stars, but in Katie Hobbs.
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If you think residents in a retirement community aren't the party animals you would like to spend your golden years with, you need to read this WSJ article.
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[Prefatory Note: The Committee has compiled an overwhelming and impressive case, which has irrefutably established the Trump was the central figure in setting the weaponry through the studied promulgation of the Big Lie and then lighting the fuse that became an armed insurrection to overthrow the Constitution and our democracy. Nothing that follows should be taken to detract from that. That said, it is fair to object to what follows as being nitpicking quibbles from a disgruntled viewer who has an unholy obsession with understanding one's audience and the quality and persuasiveness of one's presentation to that audience. But the media and its supporting bloviators who hate Trump might be seen by many as not credible when they breathlessly headline their remarks with the supposed new "blockbuster revelations and evidence"]
1. I might be the only person who watched this latest hearing from beginning to end. I have no doubt, when the TV ratings come in, the number of viewers, if graphed, will be a steep diagonal line starting in the upper left and ending in the lower right of the page.
2. It would be fascinating to hear whom the Committee members think their audience is. It surely is not people who have not made up their minds and whom they are trying to convince. It must be people for whom they wish to give information to confirm what they have thought all along--Trump is a bad dude.
3. The idea that the presentation is made up of teleprompter lectures by each Committee member leads to one conclusion: These politicians care more to be on camera than they care how to make the best presentation. It is undeniable that carving the hearing up so that each Committee member gets to present (read) their case (however duplicative) was the priority of the Committee.
4. At least 95% of what was presented was pure repetition--repeating both what had been presented before and repeating what was again presented at this hearing. As to the supposed new stuff, it actually did not seem to tie-in or close-off anything new.
5. One problem with teleprompters is that the speaker speaks every word which was written out as a speech. As a result, the presentations become filled with irrelevant detail that would not be included if one were doing an actual opening statement or closing argument or just telling a story. The other problem is that where, as often was the case, the teleprompter is off to the side, the Committee member appears to be speaking to someone else but not the TV audience.
6. A story needs some coherence. Often using chronological order is a way to give a story coherence. Here, virtually every Committee member jumped back and forth in time and back and forth in time again again and again, adding to the needless repetition and disjointedness.
7. It's nice that they finally got around to subpoena-ing Trump. I don't know if they ever even asked him to testify. What I do understand is that the subpoena expires at the end of this term of Congress. With Bannon being the only person adjudicated for criminal contempt for not complying with a Committee subpoena, and several remain to be adjudicated, the obvious question is: What took the Committee so long to issue the subpoenas it did. They all could have been issued nearly a year ago.
8. It also is clear that this Committee, much like DOJ, seems to have no sense of time. They say they will issue a report that will detail all that they've found, including additional "big deal" stuff referred to in today's hearing but not presented.
9. Finally, I don't know what to say about the video of the Republicans on January 6 and after condemning Trump and what happened on January 6. What I do know is they didn't vote to convict on impeachment, and they kissed his ass down at Mara-Lago and continue to do so to this day.
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There are just a few rules for Wordle, all of which but one are obvious. The one that is often overlooked or forgotten is that answers are never plurals. So, don't put an S in the last square.
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Last week, the CDC apparently dropped its requirement that health care settings require masking. So, that last refuge of sanity you thought existed might not be there any longer. Just as a personal observation, while the CDC might not require masks: it does not preclude healthcare settings from requiring masks; nor does it require health care settings, as one such facility did, to take down a sign saying “masks recommended”; nor does it require health care settings to allow unmasked/unvaccinated non-patients in the facility. I’ll leave for another day my wish that all of us, but especially health care providers and houses of worship, would opt to do what might be best for the health and safety of others even where they and we are not required to do so, other than to say: I wonder what happened to the maxim, "First, do no harm."
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While there is no need for faxing any more, sometimes there is no choice (e.g., some medical providers will fax you stuff but will not email it). There is no shortage of free online fax services for sending faxes. Receiving faxes for free is a little trickier. While there are some free receiving services, each one seems to have a little twist, such as you have to receive 5 faxes per month (and who gets 5 faxes per month any more?). FaxBurner is a free app that will enable you to receive faxes for free on your phone, tablet, or computer. The only twist is the phone number you get to receive the fax expires in 24 hours, so you have to keep getting a new number, and the number of pages you can send (5) or receive (25) each month is limited. That the phone number expires in 24 hours should not be an issue, because you can get a new number, when you need to receive a fax, within 30 seconds, or so they say. And the page limitations should be of no concern given the dinosaur status of faxing.
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The Phillies extended the current Philadelphia win streak to 8 games with a thrilling victory over Atlanta in Atlanta (where, btw, the odious fans still do that chop thing). It's not clear if anyone is not watching given that Nielson is reporting an audience share of 99% and over 120 million viewers (more than for the last episode of Mash or any Super Bowl). What is clear is that the Phillies and Eagles are the most exciting teams in the history of the world. And they each display great spirit without engaging in faux celebrations of minor events along the way that this blog has railed against. In short, being the champions they, they act like they've done it before because they have don't it before. And most soothing of all, they have coaches that understand their respective games and do not do stupid things on 4th down or go for 2-point conversions when they shouldn't.
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It is not infrequent that one of your frequently visited websites (e.g., banking, portfolio, games, insurance, etc.) fails to display some information correctly. When you resort to customer/web support, and they say the needed correction has been made, keep them on the line until you see the that it has in fact been made. Sometimes, it will take time (anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to overnight or even longer) for the correction to show up, so, before letting the rep off the phone, be sure to get a time estimate for the correction to be done. Otherwise, you won't know when you will need to call back to prompt them again.
Costco Citi Visa Credit Cards: Each family member has a different Costco credit card because of the photo, and each card will have its own number. Any alerts (balance, transactions, etc.) set on the primary member's card will apply to all the other family cards which are considered "authorized users." Authorized users do not have the ability online or otherwise to put on, take off, or change the alerts ... only the primary member can do so, but the alerts can be directed to any family member. Yeah, that's a little confusing, but if you talk to a Citi Costco Visa rep, it will be clear.
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Reminiscent of Chinese zheng shui dan, Japanese chawanmushi and Korean gyeran jjim, this streamlined recipe, which is one of my favorites passed down from my great grandmother, cooks entirely in the microwave and is a snap to make. The key to that perfect, soft-set wibble-wobble texture (think silken tofu) is using your microwave at around 500 watts — or half its power on a 1,000-watt machine. This lower heat lets the eggs and broth steam together gently until they cohere into something ethereal, existing somewhere between liquid and solid. More slurpable than chewable, it tastes fantastic as a light starter or breakfast on its own, or for lunch or dinner alongside steamed rice and other dishes to complete the spread.
Step 1: In a medium, microwave-safe shallow cereal bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, dashi and salt until very well combined, at least 30 seconds. Skim off any bubbles with a spoon or pop them by blowing on them.
Step 2: Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate and microwave at 500 watts (on 50 percent power or power level 5 on a 1,000-watt microwave) until the eggs have just set and are no longer liquid in the middle, 5 to 7 minutes. (Every machine differs, so check for doneness at 5 minutes, then in 30-second intervals after that if needed.)
Step 3: Let sit in the microwave to cool slightly, then carefully remove, uncover and drizzle with soy sauce and maple syrup, and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.
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In the Wordle settings, there is an option to use the "Hard Mode." As explained there, this requires that "Any revealed hints must be used in subsequent guesses." For some time now, I had no idea what that meant. And then it hit me: Although I had not opted to be in Hard Mode, in fact, I always do use the revealed letters in subsequent guesses. Maybe that makes it more difficult to solve the puzzle, but in my way of thinking, the biggest help to the solution faster is knowing in which squares the revealed hints belong. In terms of upping the probability of not striking out, I can see where it's better to have one's second guess use none of the revealed hints. The problem with that approach is you'll never solve the puzzle in 2 guesses, which is what I strive to do.
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There is a God: Philadelphia 3 ... Cardinals 0 .... a complete sweep ... Hallelujah!
Ten minutes might not be giving a movie a fair shot, but if those ten minutes are marked by over-acting, ridiculous/unreal characters, inane dialogue, and predictability, and on top of that you are bored, it could be a wonderful movie, but you might give Set It Up as much thought as the fish that got away. Apparently, here is the plot: Two young assistants in New York City realize they can make their lives easier by setting up their workaholic bosses to date. While trying to perpetuate this romantic ruse between their nightmare bosses, the assistants realize they might be right for each other. I can't guess how the movie ends or the twists and turns in getting there. But I don't care.
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Starting in November, the Arizona Republic Sunday print edition will not include Parade Magazine. It will continue to be available online.
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Herschel Walker might win the senate seat in Georgia, or he might not. It's likely to be a close election. If the election were to turn on competence or character or anything of substance, or whether the candidate is a hypocrite or a liar, the race would not be close, and in any reasonable world Walker would not be on the ballot (even putting aside the seeming difficulty he has with reproductive rights and the truth). But in the world we live in now, voting has shifted from reflecting a decision on what one thinks of a candidate's character or competence or their positions or on anything that should matter, to reflecting which tribe the voter wants to hold the reins of power. It's sad, and potentially extremely dangerous for the viability of a democracy. But it's not complicated.
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In what might be one of the most obfuscating articles ever written, this WSJ piece "explains" the bundling that's perhaps here but certainly coming for streaming services. We all hated the bundling done by cable services, so now get ready to hate the streaming services. In a crowded marketplace, Amazon, HBO Max and other streamers are exploring discounted packages and partnerships with rivals. The industry’s major players are finding it harder to grow in such a crowded market and are realizing they need to package their offerings in new ways. That means less a la carte ordering and a new era of bundles.
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If your disposal starts making a clanging noise, there are some diy things to try before calling a handyperson or a plumber. First, unplug it so it doesn't accidently turn on. Then, try the following: reach in to feel if there's anything obvious to pull out; use a magnet tool which might pick up the culprit; because it might be quite small, use your fingers to check under the twirly things by moving them; and, if those efforts fail, fill the sink with water and then empty it by running the disposal which might force the thing out. Two notes of caution: when trying the sink-fill option, don't walk away while the sink is filling; and do not accuse anyone else who might be living in the house of having put a fork into the disposal.
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A post yesterday noted the presence of some inexplicable numbers shown next to the team names on televised MLB play-off games. As it turns out, there is only one person in the world who seems to know what those numbers designate and how they are derived and they are a loyal reader. Those numbers are the seedings of each team. Hence, the odious Cardinals which have a 3 next to them are seeded 3 and the glorious (albeit break your heart) Phillies which have a 6 next to them are seeded 6.
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If you missed the opening Phillies post-season playoff game, you missed a gem. Down 2-0 going into the top of the 9th, they scored 6 runs. In the bottom of the 9th, the opposing team (in whose stadium all these playoff games will be played for some reason I don't understand) brought the tying run to the plate. With the Phillies' so-called bullpen, this will get the old ticker going. Alas, America's team prevailed.
PS: Here is a photo of the upper left hand corner of what is shown on the TV screen during today’s Phillies game. There’s a “6” next to the PHI and a “3” next to the STL. I see on other games there are also such but different numbers. What are they? What do they mean? No one seems to know.
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It might happen that you are left a voice mail message but, when you hit *298 to retrieve it, nothing happens. An easy fix (and much easier than calling tech support who has no clue what to do) is dial your phone number and it should go straight into voice mail, and all might then be cured.
[EOP]
If a STR appears near you, there might be little you can do beyond reporting them to the police for excessive noise or to city officials for violating zoning restrictions. But here's one thing to try: If they have (as most airbnb and vrbo listings do) the right to cancel with a 100% refund if the cancellation is 30+ days out, reserve the place from now until the end of time in 3-day or weekly tranches and then just cancel at the 31-day point. It's not a total solution, but it could dramatically cut down on the number of occasions rental guests show up.
[EOP]
A typical NFL football game lasts 3 hours. Of that, there is about 11 minutes of action and besides time-outs and commercials, most of what you see is players spending 40 seconds preparing for the next play. As George Will put it, "Football combines the two worst things about America: It is violence punctuated by committee meetings." Rather than watching live, a better way is to tape or delay the broadcast with one's DVR which allows you to fast forward at varying speeds through the periods of inaction. But the BEST way is to watch the 9-minute to 15-minute videos the NFL puts together and posts the important plays on YouTube within a half-hour after each game concludes. Just enter "NFL highlights week [number]" (without the quotes) or "NFL highlights [team]" (without the quotes) and each game will appear separately. And it's free. Now, here is where it gets really cool. If you have a smart tv or a Firestick or Roku stick, YouTube is on your TV and you can set NFL highlights as a subscription to access it with 2 clicks of your remote or by voice. Is this a great country, or what? Finally, if you don't watch NFL football but are appalled by the undue time anyone else in your household spends watching football, you might share this post with them.
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As this WSJ article sets out, rental car agencies have become trickier in adding or slipping charges onto your rental car bill. In particular, it is sage to be vigilant when it comes to fuel charges, toll charges, and cancellation fees which, as the article notes, can "stump even the travel pros."
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A League of Their Own is a comedy series about the WWII All-American women's professional baseball league as was the movie. It is critically acclaimed and one can see why given that it hits all the cultural notes one might expect a good snapshot of the era should. The problem is, based on the first two episodes, is that the characters themselves are not particularly interesting as such, so it is possible that a viewer will be bored with the show, or even experience ennui, despite the plot and story lines.
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The latest Pixels (the 7 Series) are now out and getting great reviews, especially for the camera enhancements. Even more important to some, the Pixel 7 has wireless charging. As it turns out, so do the earlier Pixel models after the Pixel 3.
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Sometimes an email is received where the font size is unduly small or large. This happens, but it usually is not because the sender used an unduly small or large font size. Rather, the font size can change after it was sent but before it was received because of quirks, which no one understands, where the email is sent from Outlook and received in Gmail or sent in HTML but received in Plain Text mode or some other such thing. We are working to figure out a fix for this. In the meantime, please do not blame or cast aspersion on the sender if the font size you are reading is unpleasing to your eye.
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It is being reported that improvements are being made to the Treasury Direct website (the website where one can buy I-Bonds that are now paying over 9%). I'm not sure what those improvements are. It also is reported that telephone support has improved in that it now takes only about an hour to get through to a rep where it used to take 2+ hours. Whether the efficiency of the support once one gets through is as good as it has been reported to be (by a loyal reader no less) is unknown. As we get further information on these matters, we will pass it on.
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If a windstorm rips through your patio/pool area and shreds your umbrella covers, or if sun and time take their toll on them, you need not buy new umbrellas. For $20, you can get a cover replacement delivered the next day from The Amazon which is easy to install. Just be sure they are for the same height and same number of ribs of your current umbrella.
[EOP]
If your an SRP electric customer, be sure to set an alert for outages and other matters (such as high usage). That way, when your electricity goes out, you'll know immediately (by email or text or both) if it is a problem with you residence or a wider SRP issue, and will get an estimate of when power will be restored. The alerts can be set online at the SRP website or through the SRP app.
[EOP]
By way of a hypothetical, the NYT improperly bills you $53 for gaming subscriptions that actually was included with your paper subscription. They agree a refund was in order and refund you with three payments of $20, $12, and $21 (why three instead of one payments is never explained). Although the $12 and $21 payments process within 24 hours, the $20 payment does not. After repeated requests, you are told to wait 14 days for the payment to process, which it never does. Upon calling them back, you are told the payment will be made but you have to wait 10 days for it to process. You then ask to talk to a supervisor who tells you, upon reviewing the account, that the rep actually refunded the full $58, meaning you would get $33 more than you deserve assuming the hassle you were put through and would have to continue going through to straighten out what the rep did is not deserving of any compensation. In resolving this quandary, and without disclosing what choice was made, suffice it to say the individual involved did the correct thing.
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If you have more cash than you need in some account that's earning very little if any interest, consider very short term (2-3 month) FDIC-insured CDs which are paying over 3%. Here are the benchmark treasury yields as of October 3--the CDs' interest rate will be close to these yields:
The good thing about Wordle is that it takes a minute or less to play. The bad thing is how much luck is involved. If you like to have luck be a big part of the games you play, play golf. But if you prefer to have skill be the touchstone of your efforts, if you like Wordle, you will LOVE Split Decisions. It appears ever 6 weeks or so in the NYT Sunday Magazine, but if you've never played it, there are countless grids in the archives online. The bottom-line is that Split Decisions takes the same analytic skill and presents the same challenge as Wordle, but there's absolutely no luck involved. It might look impossible at first, but if it really isn't. Here is the most recent one:
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[Text of Email after below photos appeared in the Arizona Republic. No response received as of yet]
Dear Rabbi Segal …
I was stunned to see the pictures (copies attached) in the Arizona Republic this morning of your congregants (most seemingly elderly) celebrating indoors without masks. It is true that the CDC has lifted mask mandates for essentially everywhere. It is also true that the CDC has not precluded the wearing of masks or prohibited any entity from requiring masks or suggested that masking not be done or retracted in any way the benefits of masking. Most medical provider offices continue to require masking of both staff and patients. One might guess they do so because they see the cost and hassle of wearing a mask as outweighed by the cost and burden of contracting Covid. In that context, I 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 of all denominations, but especially synagogues, 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 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 I understand the notion of not making the perfect the enemy of the good. In all events, I would be most interested in hearing what benefit you see in not requiring that masks be worn. And why a synagogue, especially during the High Holy Days, would hold itself out in such a public display of what all the medical experts say is not how we should be flouting Covid.
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We are coming down to the wire in the 2022 elections in Arizona for governor, senator, attorney general, and secretary of state. The Republicans for each of these offices are right-wing nut job stop-the-stealers and, if elected, will ensure that no Democrat could win a presidential race (and perhaps other races) in Arizona as well as make Arizona the most anti-democratic and ridiculed state in the country. Is Sinema doing anything to help any of the Democrats win? Not that I can tell or that anyone can tell. Instead, she's off hugging Senator McConnel and praising him for upholding the traditions of the senate ... yeah, right, did she pay any attention to what McConnel did both as a defensive blocker and offensive guard when it came to Supreme Court nominees? I for one cannot wait to vote to primary her in 2024 when Reuben Gallegos runs against her. And either can most progressive Democrat voters. Sinema just might lose. Or maybe she'll run as a Republican.
[EOP]
Here's what the NYT says about The Notebook: "[T]his 2004 sleeper hit the right combination of elements: committed direction by Nick Cassavetes, a first-rate supporting cast[,] and, most of all, the leading actors Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The Notebook is schmaltz, but schmaltz is rarely rendered with this much skill."
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yearandday is about the best tableware ever. Their stuff has great distinctive colors and shapes, very practical, stunning designs, and stylish. If you are tired of your dinner guests not complimenting you on your tableware, this is the place to get new stuff. In all events, if you feel you deserve quality and panache, this stuff is for you.
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Last week, we did a scathing post that took apart, with surgical precision and irrefutable analysis, the Cardinals' crazy calls to go for it on 4th down. A loyal reader, even conceding they didn't see the game, challenged our position. Well, we have to wonder if they continue to bask in their ignorance. In this week's game, while the Cardinals have yet to score a point in the first quarter in any of their first three games, on 4th a few yards at the opponent's 18 yard line early in the first quarter, having gotten the ball essentially on a turnover at the opponent's 40, eschewed the field goal and came up short going for the first down. Then, in the second quarter, with the ball on their own 40 and down by just a touchdown, they went for it again on 4th down, and again came up short. Only a fumble prevented the opponents from scoring. The final score in the game is irrelevant to the point being made, as is said: The outcome is the last refuge of the scoundrel, and, as noted in the headline of the earlier post, our successes are our worst teachers.
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If your cellphone's sound stops working on all apps (music won't play; sound notifications don't work; phone doesn't ring), there are a bunch of easy fixes to try that are set out in this article (which happens to address the Galaxy S10e but has general applicability). While rebooting is always a recommded fix, an even easier likely fix is to turn off bluetooth because it could be your phone connected to some bluetooth device (perhaps even you television or your ear buds) so all the sound was going to that device.
[EOP]
To meet her Democratic opponent's stated position of not bringing criminal prosecutions under Arizona's abortion laws, Rachel Mitchell, Republican candidate for Maricopa County Attorney, has stated she will not prosecute women who get abortions. She does not state whether or not she will prosecute abortion providers. Although there are now two conflicting abortion laws in Arizona (revival of an 1864 law codified as ARS 13-3603 and a law passed by the current legislature that went into effect last month), it appears that, generally speaking, only providers are criminally liable for performing abortions, women are not. Obviously, it does not make any difference in terms of availability of abortions, but it certainly leads one to either tip one's hat to Ms. Mitchell for her shrewdness or give her the sneer/business for her sleight-of-hand.
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My 68-year musical journey began the first time I sat down at my cousin’s piano. My parents were able to foster this newfound passion by picking up a cheap, upright acoustic piano for me to practice on, but due to its age it had issues that made playing challenging. This is why I recommend a good, affordable digital piano for beginners. If you’re looking to begin your (or your child’s) journey with music, the Casio CDP-S150 is an excellent choice because it suitably replicates the feel of an acoustic piano but costs less and requires less space. You can see more details about this piano and some less expensive ones in this article.
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Keith Olbermann and Krysten Sinema used to date. No longer. Keith now explains his thinking on the matter: “When we dated, in 2010-11, Kyrsten was a legit progressive, far to my left. Now she has embraced the Political Industry™️ where there is only process, not policy, and never people.”
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