Thoughts with Whiskey: 2025-09-27

It's almost October... the year has seemed to both flown by quickly and been a slow, meandering crawl.  I'm drinking Weller's Antique- let's pontificate!

How do they keep winning?

* As I'm typing, the Cleveland Guardians are tied 2-2 to the Rangers.  Assuming they win tonight, I believe they clinch a playoff spot; if they win and the Tigers lose, they win the AL Central.

I admit to being completely wrong about this team.  I thought they were blowing up the team that made the ALCS last year, that they didn't have the offense to be contenders, and that just a little bad luck would cause them to lose 90 games.

They didn't have a little bad luck- they had phenomenal bad luck, as they lost two pitchers for the entire season due to a gambling scandal, one of them (Emmanuel Clase) being their closer.  They still can't hit (they are dead last in the AL in runs per game), at one point they were 15 and a half games behind the Tigers...   and yet, they keep winning.  I am amazed and astounded by this team, and I cannot explain how they keep being successful.

* I've started writing again.  Just flash writing at either the writing club or on the Absolute Write forums.  But it's something.  I don't know if I should try to rewrite my attempted book or try something new, but for now I'm enjoying just writing at the moment.

* The final Pink Floyd music retrospective will be Monday.  It's been a fun exercise, and I've learned a lot about the group.  I suspect I'll pick another artist sometime in 2026, but right at this moment I have no idea who that will be.

* As always, looking for a new computer game.  I'm playing Grimdawn because there's enough variety to keep me interested, but I'd like something new.  My problem is that many 1st person games trigger my vertigo.  And I cannot play evil- which limits replaying some great games like Baldur's Gate 3.  Suggestions are always welcomed.

Stay safe, my friends.  

Thoughts without Whiskey- 2024-07-06

Too early in the morning to drink...

• Politics:  Biden needs to step aside, today.  He's 82, and he's already shown that he is not capable of being President today, let alone for four more years.  It's tragic- I actually don't think he's done a bad job, given the problems of the past four years- but for the good of the nation, he needs to announce he won't run for re-election

• Politics 2:  At this point, unless Kamala Harris steps aside (and why should she), she would be the natural replacement as the Democratic nominee.  I admit she hasn't impressed me as a politician; she's all right talking to people that already agree with her, but the President also needs to address people who either disagree with her or are unsure.  On that front, she's been terrible so far.  There are issues that work in her favor (abortion, crime) and issues that work against her (immigration, inflation).  But that applies to every politican.  We will find out if she is up to the task.  Harris and the party has four months to make the case- and the chances of her winning are much better than if Biden remains on the ticket.

• Politics 3 (last one):  If I'm a Democrat (I'm not), or I'm a person who hates the thought of Trump winning (I am), then I am furious at the Biden White House.  They've known he's been having problems for months.  People have seen several video clips of him forgetting, appearing lost, stumbling.  But rather than acknowledge this, they covered it up, did not give the press a chance to interview him, and blocked any primary challengers.  

It's now July, it's almost the convention, and the public only just now has discovered how far gone Biden is.  Worse, Biden has announced that he's staying in- and because he has the delegates, I don't think the Democratic Party can block him.  

Trump went through a Primary.  I don't like it, but the GOP has decided he's their standardbearer, and they had a fair chance to test him and replace him.  The Democrats didn't with Biden.  

If Trump wins in 2024, the people who covered for Biden deserve the blame.

 

• Sports:  The Cavaliers signed Donovan Mitchell.  Mitchell's an outstanding player, and he is showing that he wants to be the team leader (look at how he was encouraging his teammates during the playoffs games, even when he was injured).  The Cavs have a lot of talent, and hopefully the new coach Kenny Atkinson can elevate the team.  Given the moves by the rest of the Eastern contenders, they will need to step up.

• Writing:  My friend Don Mewha has written a book.  I'm jealous.  During COVID I tried to write a superhero story.  I did finish the story, sent it out to try and get published, got rejected soundly, and put it aside.  (Though if anyone wants to Beta read it, send me a message)

I've got a couple ideas germinating in my head, but I'm trying to figure out if I have the time and energy to try again.  It would be something different.  It's definitely a better way to spend my time that trying to beat Grimdawn on Hardcore mode.