Random Thoughts: Winchester’s First Birthday

I never played the first one (I’ve always been a Nintendo and PC gamer and it never came out for PC), but Red Dead Redemption 2 might make my list of all time favorite games.
The open world gameplay was great, but I was really pulled in by the writing and acting. I was surprised that I didn’t recognize a single actor’s name; I guess there’s number of good voice work actors out there.
For some reason, RDR2 on PC got absolute creamed in the user score on Metacritic. It seems to be from launch day bugs. I didn’t run into a single problem with it (after I updated my graphics card drivers on launch day).
I happened to get a new laptop for work just in the time for RDR2 that had a RTX 2060 on it. Was able to run it on ultra settings at 60 fps at 1080p resolution. Beautiful game.
Too much to do to play a game that engrossing that often. I have the new Star Wars game just sitting there, but I think I’ll have to wait a couple months before I start to have any time for it.

People, I’m an officially licensed satirist. I had to take government certified courses to make sure that my satire doesn’t accidentally become fake news. Please leave the satire to professionals like me.

It’s alarming to hear people say they want socialism, but often you find out they just want a few more welfare programs. It’s a bit like people going around saying they want Nazism but then you find out they just mean they want military officers to wear snappier uniforms.

Did we ever get an explanation of why we’ve even heard of Great Thunberg?
“So, you wont listen to random scientists, but I bet you’ll listen to those same arguments from a privileged foreign girl!”
“Wha… why would you think that?”
“Isn’t she the greatest?”
“Are you high?”

Is there any evidence Greta Thunberg has convinced anyone who didn’t already agree with her?

I moved my Fun Day Clock 10 seconds closer to midnight. We’re all really close to having a super fun day!

I’m three episodes into the show Legion. Now there is a show you need to pay close attention to or you’ll be completely lost.
I used to surf the web while watching TV, but I also used to watch a lot of junky shows. I have time for maybe one show a week night and there is so much out there I stick now only to shows worth paying full attention to.
BTW, I picked Legion because it’s has the same showrunner as Fargo. I decided I need to pay more attention to showrunners. For instance, I really like Justified so I guess I should eventually check out Sneaky Pete.

What would be funny is if they tried to make the Doomsday Clock more accurate by making an Atomic Doomsday Clock and then it exploded and killed everyone.
“Oh no! We changed the results by trying to measure them!”

MY BRAIN: “Impoochment!”
ME: “Huh?”
MY BRAIN: “It’s like impeachment, but for a dog.”
ME: “Eh… that’s almost something. But who would be ‘impooched’?”
MY BRAIN: “The President’s dog.”
ME: “He doesn’t have one.”
MY BRAIN: “Impoochment!”
ME: “Leave me alone.”

Home ownership is the most accessible way for the average American to become a crony.

Warren’s loan forgiveness plan is an unserious proposal from an unserious person. If you’re not as angry at her as that one father, it’s because either
A. You’re willfully being an idiot
B. You don’t think she serious about it

I mean, the problem are skyrocketing college costs and her solution is to start forgiving loans and remove any incentive to worry about costs? That makes Trump wall seem like Founding Father level well-thought-out in comparison.
And don’t get me started on Bernie’s national rent control. I don’t know how anyone can pretend he’s a serious person after that. The average monkey has better economic sense than that.
Of course, we demonstrated the Republic can survive an unserious President. We just have to make sure things are set up so they’re impotent to enact their stupid stupid plans.

I see a lot of people angry at Kathleen Kennedy for what’s happened with the Obi Wan show, but did she get any credit for The Mandalorian? Or is that like Mr. Burns taking credit for Daryl Strawberry hitting a home run?
“I told him to do that!”

Are the far left saying Joe Rogan is more bigoted, hateful, and close-minded than they are? Because that sounds like hyperbole.

college costs skyrocket for years way past inflation and any other industry
“Know what’s the problem: We have to pay these big loans!”
The whole college debate makes me feel like I’m in crazytown.

This whole student loan thing is like people are getting hit over and over in the face with a bat and their main complaint is bandages cost so much.

Winchester is one years old now! Here’s a rare picture where his three siblings aren’t all over him. He is the sweetest little guy and a constant blessing.

The fact that he has Down Syndrome hasn’t seemed like too much of a factor his first year other than he’s a bit small and we have therapy visits (all that early development is very complicated when you try to break it down like that). We’re ready for the adventure ahead, though.
One of the things I’ve found from fatherhood is the constant fear of failing your kids. They all have their unique needs, and you want to be up to whatever challenge they can give you. Each day is a lot of praying. I’ve had to grow more than I could imagine.
But, man, four kids. It’s a nice big family. Each day I feel so wealthy.

I’ll never forget SarahK’s reaction when she was told Winchester has DS right after he was born.
“I have some news: We believe he has Down Syndrome.”
“Okay. Can I see him?”
“I want to make sure you heard me; I just dropped a bomb on you.”
“Yeah, I gotcha. Can I see him?”
With our 3rd child, the genetic test was positive for trisomy 13. With that, she most likely wouldn’t live a year. Would have loved a trisomy 21 diagnosis instead. That’s the worst thing in my life I dealt with. Nothing you can do but wait and pray and hope you’re strong enough.
It ended up being a false positive, though. So with our fourth, we didn’t get the genetic test. Better to just not stress about and what will be will be. And so while Win having DS was a surprise (no indications in ultrasound), it didn’t feel completely out of left field.
Anyway, we’ve had some scary time and some stressful times, but we don’t go forward alone and all these blessings are certainly worth that price.

Of all the people in the world to give welfare to, why are we settling on people with high-end college degrees?

The goal is to treat all human life as precious in and of itself. The worst ideas on the both the right and left have one thing in common: They treat certain lives as problems to be managed.

Is Jennifer Rubin doing a bit? That’s the only way I can comprehend her. I mean, I can understand the extreme right and the extreme left who have lost their minds, but whatever she is baffles me.

I don’t know much about Joe Rogan, but I haven’t seen anyone condemn him as a nazi or whatnot who didn’t come off as way more irrational and hateful.

I’m getting a headache just imagining watching Birds of Prey.
“This looks like complete and utter garb… Ooh. Ewan McGregor.”

We had Winchester’s birthday party on Saturday.

The theme was “Baby Shark” because you need a theme but he isn’t really into anything yet. SarahK got a bit stressed on what to get Win, but he’s also not very materialistic yet. He just likes attention.

We found out he does not like getting frosting on his fingers.

He also does not like having a mustache. Who knew?

By the end of the day, he was quite tuckered out. Here’s to many more years for him.

MY BRAIN: “Hitler Sonic Youth!”
ME: “Come on.”
MY BRAIN: “It’s a combination Hitler Youth and—“
ME: “I get it, but what am I supposed to do with that? And what’s it with you and Hitler?”
MY BRAIN: “Hitler is funny.”
ME: “He really isn’t.”

ME: “Do you even know who the Sonic Youth are?”
MY BRAIN: “I think they’re a band from the 90s.”
ME: “You’re so useless.”

I’m thinking of being a political grifter. Is there any complex issue you’d like to be made extra angry about? I’ll do so for a moderate fee.

I don’t get taxpayer funding for NPR. When Firefly got canceled, the government didn’t swoop in with funding. And nothing on NPR is as good as Firefly.

“I have one question about these mutant ninja turtles you’re pitching: How old are they?”

Rico will return… soon.

The new cover for Superego is by Allison Barrows and Romas Kukalis (http://midsizemedia.com). The cover for the sequel is currently being painted.

If I was president and got impeached, I’d be like, “You can’t impeach me! I quit!” but before I’d quit, I’d mess up the WH direct deposit so I still got paid.
That’s right, I’d still get paid to be president but not even have to do the work. Suckers!

The best pitch I’ve heard for Bernie Sanders is that he’s authentically as dumb as a post. Authenticity in politicians is so rare these days and I value it highly.

Man, I really don’t care who wins in 2020. I think the least interesting scenario would be Biden wins the primary and then loses the general since there aren’t a bunch of Biden stans that will have an entertaining breakdown.

My wife is a great cook, but I have to be careful with her. I once tried to give her some constructive criticism on the mashed potatoes she made, and she didn’t make me mashed potatoes again for ten years.

I found that CNN clip kind of endearing because they’re now like “No one is even watching us; we can do whatever.”

Without looking it up, my assumption is that flying in a helicopter is statistically safer than driving in a car.

Was reading the Old Testament to my kids and I came to a section that threw a bunch of names and places that meant absolutely nothing to me, and my thought was “This is almost as bad as The Silmarillion.”
The passage was Judges 4:11, BTW. It was cute, because while I was reading the chapter, my 4yo came over to look at the Bible because she wanted to see a picture of Deborah. Maybe she can obsess on her instead of Rey.
Rey is fine, though. We’re planning a Disney World trip later this year and will give the kids a choice on the things that cost extra. When asked to choose between a princess makeover or build a lightsaber, she didn’t even have to think about it. “I want a lightsaber like Rey!”

It doesn’t matter how bad Trump is if the other side makes it clear they despise half the country and wants bad things to happen to them.

If Hollywood types want to demonstrate how much they believe in saving the planet, they should do the entire Academy Awards show over Skype.

I learned not to make political predictions after the 2016 presidential election, but I’ll make one for 2020: If Trump wins reelection, regardless of what the margin is he’ll claim it’s the “biggest landslide ever.”

The risk with Bernie is he’ll be McGovern 2.0 and give Trump a Nixon-esque landslide victory… except that if it’s found out in Trump’s second term he covered up a burglary, we’d all kind of shrug and go “Sounds like Trump.”

I lived through a booming economy in the 80s in my early childhood and another in the 90s just before I entered the workforce. This is the first one during my adult life. It’s not bad.

My mom got me a weighted blanket for Christmas but I’m really really strong so it just feels like a normal blanket.

14 Comments

  1. Warren’s loan forgiveness plan is an unserious proposal from an unserious person. If you’re not as angry at her as that one father, it’s because either
    A. You’re willfully being an idiot
    B. You don’t think she serious about it

    I have a better solution, just make all colleges and universities “Tuition Free Zones”.Why should students be forced to pay in the first place?

  2. Of all the people in the world to give welfare to, why are we settling on people with high-end college degrees?

    When you are dependent upon the entitlement state you vote for those that provide the entitlements.

  3. I’m thinking of being a political grifter. Is there any complex issue you’d like to be made extra angry about? I’ll do so for a moderate fee.

    I think there is a union you have to join or something.

  4. I found that CNN clip kind of endearing because they’re now like “No one is even watching us; we can do whatever.” Plus we haven’t seen Don Lemon that happy since he spent that romantic weekend with Anderson Cooper.

  5. Is Jennifer Rubin doing a bit? That’s the only way I can comprehend her. I mean, I can understand the extreme right and the extreme left who have lost their minds, but whatever she is baffles me.

    In the primary & election, predicting Trump would ignore conservative priorities if elected was reasonable (which I assert mostly because that was my prediction).

    However, he’s turned out to be effective at advancing goals of the various conservative coalition groups. You can point out some where he hasn’t, but saying he’s been a net negative is more a matter of priorities — and anyone who wants to claim “small government” as a priority has to remember the Troubled Asset Relief Program & the Export-Import Bank.

    Unfortunately, professional opiners find admitting mistakes is bad for business. Thus, they needed a way to keep saying Trump was not just a bad candidate, but bad enough that it would have been worth voting against him. Had he conspired with Russia to run his campaign, that would fit the bill. Plus, at least some federal law enforcement said they were certain he did, and law enforcement is usually part of the conservative coalition.

    Granted, if you looked into why they were certain, all you saw was motivated and/or circular reasoning. Also, many cohorts in the coalition were very sceptical of law enforcement after Comey advised against prosecuting Clinton for a reason irrelevant to the law she broke. Still, the professionals could feel reasonable betting on law enforcement, if only because there are so many laws about campaigning & international business deals that surely Trump must have broken some of them.

    Then the first investigation failed to find anything bigger than process crimes… and the allegedly credible leader of the investigation turned out to — at best — know next to nothing about what his subordinates were doing… and the investigation into the investigation found so many irregularities that the prologue had to say, essentially, “The only reason I’m not saying they were biased is that my investigation had to focus strictly on whether procedures were followed, and not why any specific action was taken.”

    Also, in the meantime, there’s been a curious lack of ethnic cleansing or military adventures; even the trade deals aren’t radically different from what standard GOP types claim to want.

    So, if you’ve staked your career on Trump being bad enough to be worth opposing, you have to ignore negatives that could apply to any Republican (“Academics call him racist and boorish!” or “He’s doing nothing against entitlement spending!”) and hype up anything potentially transcendent. This leaves you with… well…

  6. We’re planning a Disney World trip later this year and will give the kids a choice on the things that cost extra. When asked to choose between a princess makeover or build a lightsaber, she didn’t even have to think about it. “I want a lightsaber like Rey!” 

    Good thing she didn’t ask for a Death Star. Think how much extra that would cost you!

  7. Pingback: IMAO: The Illustrated FrankJ: Consider the Source

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