Bullitt

This was the first time I've seen the 1968 classic, and tbh I wouldn't rank it as highly as its reputation demands. It's a realistic police procedural, for sure, but that works against it, as you spend a fifth of the time wondering why everyone did everything so half-a**ed in '68- and I for one didn't need to spend a full thirty seconds watching an antique fax machine churn out a single document. "The Chase" though - my, oh my, "the chase" lives up to its billing.

Masterminds

 Pleasant and funny at times. - with Lisa

Whoo-hoo!

Smiley just beat Pokemon Moon!

My Apologies

A lot of people, myself included, have posted about how Debbie Reynolds died of a broken heart, unable to live without her daughter. Putting aside the fact that she was 84 and the stress of the week, not a "broken heart," killed her, I need to apologize to her son. 

He lost his sister and his Mom on back to back days.and in reply the internet basically says he was so irrelevant his life wasn't worth squat to his Mom. 

Well done interwebs, we done screwed up again.

Debbie Reynolds

Shocking news; she must really have loved her daughter. Carrie's death broke her heart. RIP

My Thoughts - Profanity

I don't mind obscenity and vulgarity, but I won't tolerate profanity. If that's confusing, put it this way: "F you" and "Oh s--t" are cool with me, taking the name of the Lord in vain, or even just saying "OMG," [the full version, not the abbreviation] is not.

Christmas Music

From Thanksgiving on I only listen to Christmas music on the radio, but I've grown dissatisfied with 95.7 and their repetitious secular classics. So I've switched to 93.3. Many of the same tunes, of course, but a fair number of classic carols too.

Criminal

This atrociously mistitled film is a great spy thriller with a sci-fi twist. Kevin Costner was excellent and I highly recommend it.

Szarlotka

I made szarlotka (Polish apple cake) from scratch tonight. It didn't turn out as pretty as the picture from the recipe I've posted here, but it was darn tasty.

Green Room

A touring band becomes locked in a Neo-Nazi club after witnessing a crime. Highly recommended.

Moana

On day four Lisa took Smiley and Junie to see this on the ship. Junie loved it, Smiley thought they introduced too many characters and lost focus.

Good Taste

In the last week Junie has had duck confit, leg of lamb, and mussels; Smiley had duck breast, crème brule and sushi; YaYa had one of my escargot; and I had lamb shank (I haven't had lamb in maybe thirty years). I'm glad the kids taste buds don't start and end with chicken nuggets.

A Great Pic from Our Cruise

 

We're Home!

 made it safely to mke.. there's a ton of snow!! - YaYa

Rogue One

Last night at 11 pm eastern time -- or, as Disney proudly told the crowd, "An hour before any other fan in the hemisphere!" --  Smiley and I saw Rogue One. Watching it on the ocean lent a VR quality to the movie, with each roll of the ship making you feel like you were in the action. As for the movie itself: Aside from being visually gorgeous, it has a strong, dark story, great characters, and very little of the schmaltz that burdens the series. Plus it has Peter Cushing. What else could you ask for? #DisneyCruise

 

 

 

While We Wait

We've taken up residence at the in-airport hotel while awaiting our flight. While the rest of the family napped, Junie and I hit the gym downstairs. It's the first time she's ever gone to the gym (she's prohibited by age at home).

Almost There!

On our way to the Dream!

Great game today, the Packers legitimately looked like a playoff caliber team. I don't know if you heard him say it, but Buck at one point said Russell Wilson's five interceptions in a single game was a "career high." Well, I should f'ing hope so.

Thank you Junie!

With 5-7" of snow on the ground I called upstairs and said any kid that was awake had to help me shovel. Shockingly, the previous mayhem abruptly stopped and all was silent. Ten minutes later tho my Honey Bunches of Oats Sweet Baby Doll - aka Junie- came out and did the whole front by herself and then helped me in back.

By the way, I know plow drivers are working hard. BUT I've been driving in snow for three decades, and in worse storms, and the roads are junk. Ab-so-lute junk.

The Semester is Done

The last final of the semester is now complete. It was brutal, despite the prior assurances from the Professor that it would be mild and comforting. Bah. I fall back on the old reliable: I'm never *the* dumbest person in the room, and The  Curve Shall Set Me Free.

Gym time

At the gym with Lulu. Tired? Stressed? Busy? Under the weather? Sore? Check X 5. But I've spent enough of my life sitting on my a##, thank you.

Hitler: Ascent 1889-1939 by Volker Ullrich

Meticulously researched, comprehensive in scope, scrupulously even handed, and imposing in length, this well written biography of Hitler from birth to the cusp of WWII is superb. I look forward to part two.

Junie's Ear and Adenoid Surgery

It's been a long, bad day. Junie spent five hours (!) at the surgery center today having her adenoids removed and yet more work done on her ears. Her left eardrum is now tissue paper thin and partially collapsed, which scared me, but the Doc acted like it was acceptable if not ideal.

Most of those five hours was just waiting for the surgery, but a good chunk was her bumpy recovery. She literally woke up swinging and had to be restrained.  Lisa and I were both desperately covering up a bad cold, which made the time uncomfortable for us too. Then a nap to try and shake this cold, a big argument with YaYa and now more Kleenexes and snot. Not the worst December 7th ever (duh) but ugh.

I just got word from the editor: the Journal-Sentinel will be running my Pearl Harbor piece tomorrow.

Happy St. Nick's!

 Happy St Nick's ya'll..... Enjoy your goodies 

Lisa

Didn't They Notice the Implication?

Re: The Toyota Corolla commercial that advertises lane assist features by showing independent women confidently singing "You Don't Own Me": you do realize what you're actually pushing is the idea that the women are inattentive drivers who would crash if not for the intervention of the car, thereby rendering their independence a lie?

Michael "Jim" Delligatti

 The creator of McDonald's iconic Big Mac has died at age 98. RIP. 

Bob Hope at Phu Cat

These are pictures of Bob Hope performing at Phu Cat Airbase in 1968. My Dad was in the audience, but these aren't his pictures; his Vietnam photo album is MIA in their apartment.

A Second YaYa?

I picked up YaYa early from school for an appointment. As per procedure, I called the school, spelled our name, verified my first name and gave my complete address to the woman. Ten minutes later a girl knocked on my car window. It was YaYa - just not MY YaYa. They sent out the wrong kid. When I went in to get it straightened out I wasn't angry (they aren't kindergartners after all) but I did get peeved when they excused it by saying Polish names all look the same. "Is that what you'd tell a Rodriguez when you send out a Gonzalez?" I said.

Some weird coincidences with the other YaYa tho: her Dad's name is Dan, she too goes by Gracie, and she lives on Arthur Ave, the same street I grew up on. "Maybe you ARE my Dad," she said.

Let It Go

Hillary has decided to join Jill Stein's Quixotic Wisconsin recount.

The Gym and Thanksgiving Results

Just back from the gym with Smiley. Today was the first time in his life he showered in a public setting, which was a big deal, so props to him. In other health news, I somehow lost 4 pounds Thanksgiving week, which obviously means I have a fatal tapeworm, bc it truly wasn't deserved. I'm nearing, but not at, my lowest weight of this century.

That's a No from Me

Congratulations on beating an equally inept team, falsely raising hopes for the year, and giving Mike McCarthy a chance to stick around and run us into the ground. But, you know, by all means celebrate all over Facebook.

Kudos to OSU

Excellent job by the Ohio State University Emergency Management Team (OSU_EMFP) in immediately notifying students & faculty via social media with the message: "Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College."

Kudos to OSU, in particular for including the word "fight" in their message. May the days of quietly waiting to die - or watching scores of others die - be gone. Run if you can, hide if you must, fight if given the opening.

Duh

Romney is obviously the better choice for Secretary of State than Ivanka Trump. This shouldn't even be a discussion.

A Nightmare

I had a horrific nightmare. We visited a cursed house dedicated to some demon but outwardly normal. A child was burned alive, we (my family) stood in a boxcar w/ many others watching The Hunger Games, and I snuck a for sale sign on the lawn but a lady was quick to tell buyers the contract included service to the demon. Apparently it was a selling point. And LuLu had her iPod stolen in the dream, which she knows is my trigger. Best part? At one point I was covered by hundreds of quarter sized puppies. But I broke the spell and realized they were hairy spiders. Why is that good? I'm not scared of spiders, but my friend Tre. Even in the midst of this terrible dream I was just enough of an as**ole to snap selfies with the spiders and text them to him. LOL

Lights Out

Surprisingly good. I even jumped once in my seat.

Pumpkin Carving with Junie

Back in mid-October I took Junie to a pumpkin carving event at a nearby park. You carve a jack-o-lantern, leave it behind for a few days as the park celebrates Halloween, and then pick it in time for the actual holiday. 

 I didn't want to go. I was salty as heck about the 2015 event, when some folks in the neighborhood took it upon themselves to decorate their homes with (literally) dozens of jack-o-lanterns they swiped from the park. 

I don't cotton thieves. 

But obviously I went. Someone's taking the pictures, right? Unlike prior years the pumpkins were precleaned, which robbed us of the seeds, which ticked me off even more And it was pitch dark, and we had to carve it under the light on my cell phone. Which also annoyed me. But Junie had a blast. 

She carved a face on one side, her initials on the other.

Some of her friends were there and they "dabbed" and showed off for the camera. 

A few days later we picked up the pumpkin, avoiding the pumpkin grabbers, and proudly displayed it on our porch!

40 Years of TV Greatness

This month is the 40th anniversary of Jack Horkheimer's StarGazers TV show. It's original, longtime name of Star Hustler was abandoned with the rise of the internet when school search engines blocked sites with "Hustler" in the address.

I used to routinely watch these short, informative shows just as PBS was signing off for the night. Each one, of course, focused on things you could see in the night sky in the upcoming weeks.  I don't think I ever got to *see* any of the wonders he promoted, as the lights of the city wiped out everything dimmer than Orion, but it was still fun to watch. 

If I won the lottery

Where I would spend my money if I had enough to give away: dental and psychiatric clinics for children in Milwaukee, food pantry's, Catholic radio, local public television, and the Bay View Community Center.

I'm down 2.7 pounds this week, the first crack in the plateau in over a month. If my hip would co-operate, and I could hit the gym as often as I like, maybe the losses could continue.

One last thing

This will be my last post on the election itself, I hope. In response to the "HRC won the popular vote by 1 million, proof we should dump the electoral college" argument: you are actually proving the opposite. Take away CA and NY and Trump wins the popular vote by 7 million. California and New York should not, MUST not, have the power to overrule 48 states. The Electoral College has proven it's worth.

He Really Would Have Loved It

Man I miss Fred Bryan. He would have adored Tuesday's outcome.

Stating the Obvious

If you want a Republic, respect the outcome of its Constitutional elections. To protest them is to argue on behalf of dictatorship.

I don't need a "safe place" because I'm, like, an adult.

A Public Service Announcement

Mein Gott, people are sharing way too much false information. Source people, source. If you're posting on social media, you by definition have access to the internet. Use it. And if you're proven wrong, correct and or delete it. I have. Don't respond by saying "I don't care, I hate him"; this ain't kindergarten.

My Thoughts on the Electoral College

My explanation of the electoral college: Your neighborhood is planning a block party, but you need to agree on one of two dates. You could take a survey of everyone in all 50 houses in the subdivision, but then the sister wives house with 30 kids is pretty much guaranteed to get their way. So instead you have every family decide what they want, and then collect the results from each house. The majority decision then stands.

While I'm at it, the candidates know the nature of the game and tailor their campaign to the electoral college. If the popular vote meant a win, they both would have distributed time and money in different ways, possibly changing the outcome in the popular vote and rendering your narrative moot.

And I love how people only find the electoral college archaic and wrong when their side loses, but it seems just peachy when they win. Odd that, dontchathink?

I Ain't Kidding

Ladies and gentlemen: Truman-Dewey ain't got nuthin' on last night. Wow.

Forward, not Back

A friend was happy Trump's election could result in a thorough investigation into the Clinton Foundation. I disagree. I think Trump would be wise to ixnay any further foray into Clinton's life. Not that there isn't shady activity to be found, but now is the time to lead the country forward, not bog it down in the past.

Chappie

Eh, it was alright, if you can forgive the haircuts.

If you're undecided . . .

If you are still an undecided voter, write in my name. If you can spell it correctly, it shows you've really studied up before the election, and it will count double.  Would I lie to you?

Johnson won!! Wow!!

Forget the Presidential race - I would have been ecstatic with just this win. Wow. Congrats to Ron Johnson!

My Thoughts

Ok, you know what? I'm sad for the kid.  But this is not news. Neither are stories about waitresses that get a rude table, a customer that gets bad customer service at a business, and all the other wobbly-spined fluff that is weakening our culture. Keep your petty grievances to yourself, thank you. Or at least restrict it to Yelp, like normal people.

My Day

Busy day. I had class in the morning, got a haircut, emptied the mower of gas and stored it and the patio furniture, grill, etc for the winter, prepped and started the snowblower, went grocery shopping, stopped at the library, picked YaYa up from school, visited my parents, and made dinner. All while looking marvelous.

R-E-L-A-X? Uh, no!

To date, I consider this fantasy football season a pitiful disaster. Oh, btw, -- I have as many wins as the Packers. So it's past time to "relax" and start breaking some boots off in some as#es up in Green Bay.

Janet Reno

RIP former AG Janet Reno. 

My Ballot for the 2016 Presidential Election

This election isn’t the first to win my attention. This blog started as a response to the ’04 Presidential contest, and twenty years before that, having been raised in a household of Democrats, I remember my Grandmother comforting me after Mondale’s defeat. I’ve followed every contest since that (then) bitter Reagan win, and been fascinated with the workings of Presidential elections, from the time of the Founders until today. There’s not much that I thought could surprise me.

Oopsie.

This election has turned into a circus, a free for all between a blowhard celebrity and a ruthless member of the political machine. It’s a farce, a down and dirty tussle in the mud; there is no line that cannot be crossed, no allegation a step too far, no behind the scenes machination that is ruled unethical. Unquestionably the worst ballot in my lifetime, it is a mess, a travesty, and nothing short of a schoolyard brawl.

I love it.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I believe everything I wrote in the last paragraph, and I think this is a near perfect example of what an election should NOT be. But, on principle, I enjoy the tussle of an election year: it is the one time when Americans discuss something more important than celebrity gossip and fad diets, when debates on the direction of our country take place in offices, homes, and online – even if discussions are shallow and revolve around memes and talking points.

You might hate to hear it, but the 2016 election is the American political experiment in action, and it is to be celebrated.

Alas, neither candidate is worth the hoopla.  

I dismissed Trump early, convinced that more experienced, thoughtful Republicans like Jeb Bush would carry the day. I misjudged the anger of the common man, and Trump barreled through the primaries. I thought he would moderate, if not his views, than his approach, once he had the nomination. Wrong again. I understand the gut appeal of a candidate that speaks his mind, that isn’t handcuffed by the rigid and empty scripts most politicians regurgitate. But a nice bit of Presidential decorum would have been nice to see.

And then Hillary. My word. She’s the unwelcome guest at dinner that just never leaves. For thirty years she’s been despised by the Right, barely tolerated by the Left, and repeatedly passed over by the center.  She’s on pace to become the first female American President, yet the resume of this “most experienced candidate ever” is an unimpressive carpetbagging stint in the Senate, a deeply flawed run as Secretary of State, and a marriage to a former President. She could barely knock out a 74 year old Socialist in the primaries (and then, only with a little help from the DNC), and has stumbled and bumbled her way into almost losing the general election to a much disliked television star.

My word, THIS is the best American female we had to offer? 

We really should be allowed a mulligan on this election.

So they’re both awful, awful candidates. But you have to vote for someone, and assuming you correctly believe voting 3^rd party is about as valuable as staying home and watching bread mold, whom do you choose?

(Disclaimer: Here in Wisconsin the state’s electoral votes will almost certainly go to Hillary, relieving me of any obligation to vote one way or the other. Alas, with a crucial Senate race at stake, I’ll be in the voting booth, but with a conscience free ability to vote 3^rd party if I desire)

I’ll give you another disclaimer at this point, and I won’t even hide it in parenthesis. There is one part of me, the part of me that is contrarian, the part of me that’s blunt by nature and appreciates it in kind, the part of me that recognizes the duplicity and ignorance of the media . . . well, that part of me would love to see a Trump victory just so I could collect and drink the tears of the Left. The very thought gives me shivers.

Alas, so does the prospect of a Trump win.

He wouldn’t be the worst President ever. You’ll never convince me that a man of his great and long lasting business success would somehow surpass Millard Filmore and Andrew Johnson on that score. I don’t care how many bad words he said, or how many millennials he triggered into running for their safe spaces, or how many people somehow equate protecting our border with racism. I don’t buy the propaganda, sorry.

But I think that Clinton would do a better job at managing the ship of state. I think she’d govern from the center, with occasional veers to the Left for show, ala her husband, and that overseas she’d continue in the vein of a closeted warhawk, just like Obama. I believe she’d do a decent job, with most of her egregious errors being unrecognizable in the short term, which is what a President needs to maintain a decent poll rating. No big snafus like invading Iraq only to come up empty on WMD’s – no, her mistakes will be subtler, like the Arab Spring she promoted. It led to ISIS, and Syria, and God knows what else, but at a comfortable enough distance that it’s rarely (but properly) laid at her feet except by the partisan opposition.

The problem is, she’s dishonest. Not dishonest in the vein of all politicians, or dishonest in a “I’ll lie in my campaign promises” way. She’s dishonest in a manner I’ve never come across in a politician, the consistent and pervasive lies of someone that’s skated on thin ice for decades but come out with nary a scratch, and assumes that streak will continue into the future. A crook properly caught and punished may change their ways; a crook that constantly avoids conviction is just emboldened. If she isn’t indicted for her perjury to Congress over her email snafu, then mark my words: at some point, probably just when the administration is going well, she’ll screw up anew, and the lies will catch up to her. We’ll watch another Clinton Presidency become bogged down in an impeachment, and unlike Bill (whose impeachment I thought was undue) she won’t come out a winner.

I don’t want to see the already much tarnished reputation of the Oval Office roughed up even more. I don’t want this nation, at a time of turmoil, when our traditional enemies are rising yet again, to be preoccupied with bulls**t and scandal.

I can’t, in good conscience, vote for her. I’ll acknowledge her as President if she wins.  I’ll root for her general success, as it is America’s success, when she’s in office. But I know what trouble awaits, and I can’t mortgage this nation voluntarily. I can’t.

You want an answer as to who to vote for? Who *I’m* voting for? Good luck, because the best I can give you is this: I won’t vote for Hillary.

To those who fret  and panic over this election; to those who label it “The Most Important Election of Our Lifetime,” (as opposed to the last “Most Important Election,” and the next), breathe easy.

This might be the least important election ever. The country is starkly but civilly divided, and whichever candidate takes office will face a determined and obstructionist foe in Congress. We’ll get bogged down by bureaucracy and the status quo. Critics will cite this as proof the system is broken, but critics are morons. The system is designed this way. It’s built to put a check on the President, to avoid a rubber stamp on Executive Power. It was designed to lumber along, and that’s what it will do.

The Republic will survive. Will it be the better for it after this fiasco? That’s not up to me. That’s up to the voters of the 2020 “Most Important Election Ever” to decide.

A Truce?

I've asked my husband for over a month to lay off politics on his fb, but he continues to post what I consider offensive material. Should be a fun couple of days. - Lisa

Alright, in the interest of staying married and keeping the optimum gift tax exclusion, a gift to all: until (and only until) returns come in Tuesday, I will . . . it's difficult to type these words . . .I will abstain from posting anything political, and will even avoid commenting on the posts of others. There is a pending post on Slapinions, scheduled to drop shortly after midnight, so that'll have to suffice for me. Sigh. Agreeable Lisa?

A Beef

 I can't put into words how annoyed I am that one of my classes insists on us briefing cases when they are, at best, merely illustrative of the black letter law. This isn't Constitutional Law, where there's eloquence and historical importance. Who gives a bleep what the tax court wrote, when it's all solidified into cut and dry regulations a page later? Quit wasting my time, I have Words with Friends to play.

Wisconsin Proud

 Wisconsin alum Melvin Gordon has 250 total yards today, and counting.

:)

 The sunrise over the lake was beautiful this morning.

A Buck

I walked outside at work and found myself about ten yards from a magnificent buck that stared me down. Put him a few counties North, and a hunter would brag about that trophy for the rest of his life.

Sob

I'm going to miss this election cycle. What a hoot. I'm misting up, I really am.

Smiley and Steven Universe

Smiley with the Steven Universe my supervisor made (at my request,).

LuLu got hurt at school

I checked my phone when class ended to find an awful and vague "Taking her to the ER" text from Lisa. Subsequent texts -- composed earlier but delayed by the network -- explained that Lulu had gotten hurt in gym class and possibly had a broken arm. New texts indicate it's "just" a bad sprain, but it's a bad start to the afternoon.

What's with this generation?

I'm "forcing" the kids to play outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. I'm wearing shorts on November 1st, and they'd rather sit and watch TV. F'ing ridiculous.

Parking at Marquette Sucks

Currently sitting in a parking spot four blocks from the law school debating if I want to make the hike on a hip that's acted up since Saturday. Thank you Marquette, for not only making a tiny parking garage that fills quickly, but for blocking off a heap of parking spots around the school so your window cleaners can entice even more birds to their bitter death.

The Trick or Treat Photobooth

There's a photobooth set up along the trick or treat route. If you stop at that house, the booth takes your picture and uploads it to a website. These are the pics we took. 

Smiley and Junie go roller skating 10-6-16

My two youngest went roller skating on the sixth. There's not much to write about it, but they had a blast and I'm always happy when my kids bond together over activities. 

Junie gets glasses! 10-21-16

Junie got some bad news at the optometrist this month. From perfect vision last year, to an entire point drop in one eye this time around, necessitating a pair of glasses. 

She was not amused. 

But, by the time they arrived, she seemed eager for them. I drove her to pick them up. 

And to help ease the transition, bought her this classy carrying case, and a cleaning cloth and liquid cleaner. 

Alas, she loved it so much she took the case everywhere, including to Grandma's, and during her time with her she left it behind at a KFC and it was stolen. 

Two days after I bought it. 

C'est la vie. I've already inquired about ordering another, but we'll see if she even continues to show interest. It's not really a necessity, and she's doing fine without it. 

A Unique Religious Icon

I saw this at my parent's apartment tonight.

Monsters

I just dropped off all three of my girls to see [YaYa's beau] Sam T perform in "Monsters" at MHSA.  Meanwhile Smiley is helping his Mom make fruit skewers for our Halloween party.

Grr

I helped YaYa with her AP History homework and was appalled at the content. Four questions on the Roman Empire, an equal number on China, but scads devoted to obscure nations whose influence spread no further than their contemporary borders. Plus loaded questions asking the student to point out the wrongs of the West, etc. 

It's fine to teach and know a little bit about everyone, but I would not presume that Polish history trump studying about the Mongol invasion, the Great Wall, Egypt, or Athens. 

Ladies and gentlemen, destruction from within.

Man With A Plan

Matt LeBlanc's new show. You might recall that I thought the Mr. Mom premise was archaic and played out. I still think that, BUT that's really not the anchor of the show. It's a family sitcom, and it works really well. I LOL'd a few times, and believe it or not they paired Matt with a wife that actually looks like a typical American woman in her '40's. Huh. Will wonders never cease? Watch it!

Our 20th Wedding Anniversary

Twenty years ago today- that's five days less than my wife had spent on the earth at the time - this happened. 

 Anyone that says their marriage has been free of conflict, and immune to periods of turmoil is either a liar or single.  For us, the good days have far, far exceeded the bad. In twenty years we've made four great kids, but even if God had chose not to bless us with them, I still married my best friend and a heck of a hottie; I think we would have been just fine. 

I had big plans for our 20th anniversary, but (typical Pisces) it didn't pan out. No matter. For the 25th, we go all out.

You heard it here first. 

Happy Anniversary Sinatra!