Version 2.149

We are stuck between a rock and a hard place. If there is any take away to be had from the first Presidential debate it is that Joe Biden is a terrible candidate. He is too old, lethargic, and his tongue gets tied in knots. Trump is a compulsive liar, but he has spent his whole life swindling people, so he's very good at it. 

Plus, the standard rules do not apply to Trump: he lies and contradicts himself like it's nobody's business. He goes from saying that the Spring shutdown was a necessity and saved a ton of people to affirming with great conviction what a big mistake shutdowns are. Biden can't even connect the dots and push back.

At another time, Trump prods Biden to admit that he's planning on packing the court, i.e., increasing the number of Justices in the SCOTUS--he cannot, only Congress has that power. Biden coyly tries to get out of it. Then when Trump is asked about the election ending up in the courts, he admits that he is packing the courts as much as he can, since Obama left a bunch of openings left to fill. And, yes, he is counting on SCOTUS to give him the election.

Perhaps Biden's funniest moment was when he called Trump a clown, after which he immediately apologized. He should have owned it. He should've said "You're a fucking clown and people are dying because of how incompetent you are!" There, go for the kill, surprise your audience and you adversary! Don't act like a little boy who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

I blame Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg for our little conundrum. One because he could've convinced Biden to not run; the other because he should've known Biden was not up to par. If this is skill in scouting talent, then how the heck have these two done so well? 

Anyway, the most interesting thing about this election is wether the SCOTUS will agree to decide on the election if it gets appealed. I don't think John Roberts wants to politicize the court even further.

Version 2.148

 I cannot fathom why anyone thinks that preventing domestic violence has to be done in the Civics class curriculum. It reminds me of how Texas decided to fight teen pregnancy via teaching sexual abstinence in schools. They ended up with one of the largest teen pregnancy rates in the country. Did anyone do any study showing that talking about domestic violence in school prevents it from happening?

Then there are the side effects for the children that come from families in which there is domestic violence. What is expected of them and how should they feel? It almost seems cruel that these kids have to live in problematic households and then they go to school, a space that should be a safe haven for kids, and they get to hear how unfit their parents are, as if they did not know that already.

Will the classmates who know that that child's parents hurt each other ridicule and humiliate them? And what if the child acts on what she learned at school and tries to intervene at home, how well is that going to go? Is there a chance that the child might put herself at risk?   

But there are other aspects to consider, like sexual preferences. Will the curriculum teach how to do sadomasochism in a safe manner? Or will it ignore it entirely? What a can of worms...

Version 2.147

From the looks of my taxes, it appears that I am a billionaire. Mr. Trump, billionaire extraordinaire, only paid $750 dollars in income taxes. I, on the other hand, have paid at least 35 times that, thus I must conclude that I make way more money than our billionaire-in-chief. Yes, the NYT has finally gotten their hands of Mr. Trumps taxes, but it does not seem like it will make much of a difference. People are not going to care.

My weekend was a bit blah, as I was not feeling it. I started several projects, but did not complete any, although some of them do require a bit of time to complete, but organizing a couple of kitchen cabinets could have been completed, were it not for the fact that I also started to dismantle the garden and organize the bathroom cabinets. But then as I browsed through my photos, I did realize that it took me well over three years to organize the house in Houston, so I still have time to break that record, plus this house is bigger.  

Luckily, my neighbor came by right after dinner and we chatted for a bit. I don't know how she can be so chipper all time.

Version 2.146

A couple of days ago, I saw a second Biden sign in the neighborhood: Veterans for Biden. I'm a bit curious to see which neighbors will put signs up. For a while now, a couple of other neighbors have signs: one with the text of the First Amendment to the Constitution; the other one with the names of victims of police violence, like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and the text "let justice roll like water." There is no doubt in my mind that these times are going to go down in history as a follow up to the Civil Rights Movement.

The election is in 38 days, but I will vote early. A lot of us will and, given how engaged everyone is, I think the voter turn out will be pretty good. Of course, so many people have moved because of the pandemic that it will be really hard to make predictions. 

When I opened Tumblr, this morning, I saw a poem by Carlos de Oliveira, so I went online and bought a book in AbeBooks of Uma Abelha na Chuva. Google also found a DVD of the film, so I bought it, too. It’s really hard to find Portuguese movies online. So that was almost $130 that I spent. Then I went on Etsy to see if they had Faraboult wool lap blankets in blue and found one which I bought. Not bad for not leaving the house. 

During the afternoon, Julian and I did a bit of shopping. He likes to go to Home Depot and TJ Maxx and we also stopped by Home Goods. I’m not sure what marked the occasion, but there sure were a ton of people out and about and the stores seemed to have refreshed their inventory.

Version 2.145

We said goodbye to Justice Ginsburg today. Gail Collins has a piece on The New York Times that RBG "knew something about the unreliability of happy endings." I think that this was a good ending for our Notorious RBG. The circumstances of her death almost garantee a new generation of engaged fighters.

Small children got to know about her and learn not only what she accomplished, but also what we need to strive for. Their parents took them to pay respect to Justice Ginsburg. This is the most reliable way that we can move forward and who knows what the world will be like 50 years from now because of what we went through over the past 10 days.

This week I spoke with a friend who is originally from another country and who was telling me how, before the election of Donald Trump, people would tell him how America had changed with the election of a black man, how the election of a woman would foment the change further. These were not American people, of course, but it seemed like they looked at the U.S. as a beacon, a role model. But now, he continued, it was like we had moved back decades.

One has to recognize that one of the accomplishments of the United States is that of inspiring people all over the world of the possibility of change and then there's the iconic happy ending, which is the norm in American film, but the theme of struggle is also as prevalent. Obama was not elected to succeed Bill Clinton; he was elected to succeed George W. Bush.

Version 2.144

It has been raining for two days and I do not recall September being this dreary in Memphis, but I am not that fond of this month anymore. Julian and I did manage to walk this morning as he would not let me work; luckily the rain had stopped momentarily. The evening walk was aborted. As soon as he realized it was raining, he refused to go out. It is always amazing how effectively we train animals to enjoy the finer things in life.

The most interesting event of the day was President Trump saying that, should he lose the election, he will refuse to step down because he believes the election is rigged against him. To this Mitch McConnell, who is the GOP majority leader in the Senate, and other GOP notables responded that a peaceful transition of power is the backbone of democracy. It's what makes America America, and not Belarus, as Mitt Romney put it.

Ever since the impeachment, my impression is that the GOP wants to get rid of Trump, but they need to do it in such a way as to not throw the baby with the bathwater. Their main strategy is to alienate Democrats as much as possible, so as to incentivize election participation. They will help Trump finish the term, but they will not help him win the election. The Democrats play their part in the game.

For example,a massive stimulus to help with the pandemic was passed ealy on in March, not only to prevent the economy from sliding too much, but also to give ample time for it to run out ahead of the election. Now some, including Fed Chair Powell, argue that more fiscal stimulus is needed, but Congress cannot reach an agreement: Democrats in the House of Representatives want well over two trillion dollars, which would add quite a bit to debt; Republicans in the Senate only allow less than a trillion dollars, so a skinny bill was voted on and it did not pass; the President would settle for something in between, as long as it included more checks to be sent out with his name on them to help him win the election.

The strategy is to not reach an agreement, blame the other party for being too resolute in their stance, while both parties swear that they want what is best for the country, but disagree on what is best for the country. It is all theatrics, especially now that they know the pandemic can be managed, as New York, which was the hardest hit state as had relative sucess after starting off witha a massive failure.

We are back to what is essentially America: the reason why you pay less in taxes here is that more of the burden of managing risk falls on the individual. At this point there is enough information for people to make informed decisions; if they ignore the information or make poor decisions, there is no one to blame but themselves.

Version 2.143

Well, if we can be sure of something is that Americans are preparing for the worst come election day. I keep getting messages on my cell phone asking me if I will vote Democrat in TX or if I'd like to donate to the party. Nobody cares about my vote in TN. I will not be donating any money this year, as I do not believe Joe Biden is a worthy candidate, but not voting or voting blank would clearly favor Trump. Thus I am under the same reasoning that made Álvaro Cunhal cover the candidate's face in the ballot while voting for Mário Soares.

I had a disagreement this week with a friend -- well, it's an ex-friend now, but that was not my decision --, whom I accused of not knowing mathematics. The issue at hand was Chega and André Ventura. My personal opinion is that people give André Ventura too much credit and he rejoices in being the center of attention. As they say in show business bad publicity is good publicity.

But, as I said, my point is pure mathematics: the importance of Chega is amplified by the size of the abstention and also by blank votes, thus it makes no sense for people who abhor André Ventura to not vote in another party, as that would dilute Chega's results. If you want a ratio to come down, you have three options: reduce the numerator, increase the denominator or both. Reducing the numerator is out of your hands, since there will always be people who will vote for him, thus you are left with increasing the denominator, i.e. voting for someone else.

That people choose to stay home and not make their voices heard when they supposedly view the country in eminent danger because of Ventura says a lot about how much faith they have in elections. Or maybe people are not that concerned about the threat of Chega. Or even still they actually want Chega to succeed, but don't have the stomach to vote for the party. Portuguese history teaches us that change is effected by a very small minority, so it is only a matter of time until that minority appears. (My phone keeps chiming tonight on account of riots in Kentucky over the Grand Jury decision to not prosecute anyone on the death of Breonna Taylor. Two police officers were shot. Now we know what that Second Amendment is for.)

Version 2.142

I am still wondering how I forgot to eat dinner this evening. I remember working until 5 PM, then Julian decided he would not let me work, so I took him on a walk. Upon our return, I went upstairs and worked some more. A couple of hours later, it hit me that I had not eaten. 

For the second day in a row, I have worked into the evening. I am trying to make progress toward a Monday deadline, but everything feels like it multiplies at the rate of mushrooms after a good rain. Tomorrow, I will try to slow down. I did eat a can of tuna and drank bone broth, not the most exciting food.

One of the friends that I visited during my vacation is coming to see me in October, which I am happy about. She and I have lots of stories together, like the one time when I went to pick her up at the airport and the radiator of my car broke at the door to the airport, in Houston, TX. I remember her walking so happy toward me, since this was her first outing after retirement, as I looked at her in disbelief, horrified with what had just happened. 

Since I have roadside assistance through my car insurance company, I called them to get a tow truck. I specifically said that I needed a flatbed truck because my car at the time required one, but they sent a different kind. I called again to rectify the issue to no avail. The airport security and the police were telling me I needed to vacate the premisses, but I could not get help to do so.

Finally, a police officer came over to talk to me and my friend. He was very shy, painstakingly so, and I was very riled up and ready to take on the world. I have no idea where these moods of mine come from, but they do. He gave me the business card of a man that had a flatbed tow truck, who I called and the man showed up. His name was David, my friend reminded me this weekend, and he was in his sixties.

David arrived and I went to the back of my car to get the hook to connect the front of the car to the cable. Then he told me that someone needed to steer the car and so I hoped in it and steered it into the flatbed as he pulled the car onto it. I got out of the car in my flip-flops, with a sense of accomplishment on my face, and this woman looks at me with her jaw dropped because I can steer a car into a flatbed truck in flip-flops. Then David commented how impressed he was with me.

My friend and I got into the cabin of the flatbed and sat next to David. Since I am short, I went in the middle, right next to him. It was a surreal conversation because he is a Trump supporter and this took place a few months right after Donald Trump got into office. The portion of the conversation that is still vivid in my mind is that David mentioned that he had a former boss who liked to take the employees to strip bars. 

Now, I have no problem with strippers or talking about strippers, but David was not attracted to strippers, which he felt the need to let me know. One thing that I dislike, though, is when men badmouth strippers, so I tend to defend them, which I did. My friend, who mostly stood quiet, tugged at my arm and tried to shut me up for fear that the Trump supporter would kick us out given my blatant disagreement with the man over strippers and other issues. 

The most tense part of the conversation happened when he asked me where I was born and, after I answered, he told me that Trump did not like foreigners and could try to kick me out of the country, so I'd better watch it. "I am American," I said, raising my voice. I ain't going anywhere and if anyone tries to kick me out, I'll raise hell, which I was doing come to think of it.

Our trip back to Bellaire from Bush International Airport took over an hour through dense traffic and there was never a dull moment, but the ebb and flow of the conversation landed us on what is the best place to get barbecue in Houston. David was very keen that I try his favorite restaurant, God knows why. 

We  finally arrived at my mechanic and David asked me if wanted to write my credit card number on a piece of paper that he would process the payment later.  I declined the offer and asked to speak to the administrative assistant over the phone to giver her the number. That I said no to the offer also seemed to impress him. 

Finally, we were done and ready to say goodbye. I was so ecstatic that, not only did I thank him profusely, I also gave him a hug, which left a puzzled look on his face, but I was on a roll. If it were today, he could sue me for sexual harassment over a hug. I locked my car and dropped off the keys in the mechanic's after-hours box and we called an Uber to take us home. 

Thinking about this adventure now is funny, but at the time it was a big hassle. I hope David has not died of Covid-19.

Version 2.141

I suppose it feels good to return to work and get a Skype message from one of my coworker saying that their glad I am back. For a Monday, today was not too bad. This is going to be a busy week, though. When I interviewed for this job, one of my future coworkers asked me if I would not be bored of doing the same thing over and over. 

One could say I do the same thing over and over, but I actually don’t, since market conditions are always moving, so I have to form a mental picture of how the system works and how it’s evolving, what information is available and when, what revisions of that information are likely, which sources are more reliable, how the different variable affect each other, etc. Some people find this boring; I find it exciting to try to model how the world works. I know that I am always wrong, but every mistake I make is a learning opportunity. 

My first day at home after my trip also felt good. I had organized the house before I left and the housekeepers came while I was gone, so the house was very inviting and relaxing. One of my American friends feels inspired when I post photos of my house and while I was visiting she and I brainstormed ideas on how to make her sunroom more inviting. 

I absolutely adore sunrooms and I have always wanted one, but have never been fortunate of living in a house that had one. This house is close enough; there are 14 windows on the ground floor and some of them almost occupy whole walls of rooms. The only non-glass exterior door is the one that goes to the garage.

Although I brought gifts for my neighbor, I have not gone to see her. On one hand, I was busy with work, but I also don’t want to talk to her because I’m afraid she might mention RBG. There are many horrible things about Trump, but the one that touches me more closely is the fact that I see first hand that some of the people that vote for him are good, decent people, who would help anyone in need, and yet they vote for a selfish man, who only helps himself and spares no effort to wreak havoc in the world. But it is not news that those who are more trusting are often the ones who more easily fall for con men.

Version 2.140

 I drove back to Memphis today. I had meant to leave mid-morning, but lingered too long chatting with a friend in Fayetteville and it was a bit after noon when I left. Perhaps because it was Sunday and traffic was not as bad between Little Rock and Memphis, I managed to cross the Mississippi River by 5:30 PM. I only stopped once to get gas. 

Julian was super-excited when I picked him up and would not stop snorting. I think the pet hotel staff may have gotten him riled up on the way out. He calmed down later and it was funny to see him lie around his favorite spots around the house. This is truly his house. 

Since I did not stop the mail, my mailbox was almost full. I was very happy to find my updated voter registration confirmation, since I had asked for my address to be updated. Early voting starts October 14 and runs until October 29, so I will try to vote as soon as possible, although I may skip the first couple of days just to escape the crowds. 

Both in Oklahoma and Arkansas, I saw tremendous support for Trump. I did not see a single Biden sign in Stillwater, OK, which is a college town, thus tends to be more liberal. Payne County went for Trump in the last election and I do not expect anything different this time. Even in Oklahoma City I saw no support for Biden. 

Fayetteville, AR, also a college town had lots of signs supporting Biden, but the surrounding towns are more conservative. The rest of Arkansas was full of Trump signs along the highway. It did make me feel rather hopeless, but I suppose the Senate election will be even more important now.

Version 2.139

 It is almost midnight and while I do not expect to turn into a pumpkin, I am very tired. I started my trip back home and stopped in Fayetteville, AR, to visit friends and to get some plants for the garden that a friend of mine had set aside for me. 

My girlfriends are still hurting over the loss of RBG and the generation older than me feels vulnerable, which I thought interesting. That generation has the least to lose, reproductive rights are not an issue, workforce equality is irrelevant for those that are retired, and yet they feel vulnerable, as one of my friends told me. 

I feel mostly sorry that we have to go through this, but I have not doubt that we can continue fighting for change to continue. And now some sleep...

Version 2.138

We have lost an icon: Ruth Bather Ginsburg has died. Without a doubt this election is about to get uglier and the next four months, at least, will be even more divisive for the country. However, it is necessary to go through this so that we may come out stronger in the end. The only unknown we face is how long we will have to continue this fight.

I have serious doubts that Joe Biden will beat Donald Trump in the election. The economy is flooded with money, many people are better off during the pandemic than when things are normal. The ones that are indeed in dire straits do not vote, so their discontentment will bear no weight on the outcome.

But things will not settle there. If the Democrats gain the Senate, they will impeach the President. In fact, I would not be surprised if several Republicans vote to impeach the President. Nixon survived the election, but he did not survive his second term.

Over the near future, we will be consumed by the attempt to fill RBG's seat in the SCOTUS. Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republican majority, has already announced that they will go ahead and try to vote on a nominee. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican from Alaska, has said that she will not vote, but who knows if she will follow through or if other Senators will follow suit. 

Version 2.137

 After my hometown in Portugal, Stillwater, OK, is the place where I have lived the longest. Coming here 25 years after I saw it first does feel a bit strange. There is so much space and, especially now that more people are working from home and school is less full, it feels really bare. The city has developed more toward the west side, so the east part of town feels aged and half-abandoned. 

In front of the Post Office downtown, the grass has not been maintained, so I wonder if the city has been cutting back on services to make up for lost tax revenue due to the pandemic. I have made quite a few purchases, so my ex-father-in-law says that for sure the economy will recover after my visit.

I drove to Oklahoma City this afternoon and, to be on the safe side, I turned on the GPS on my phone. I don't know what is wrong with OKC, but the Maps app on the iPhone was constantly changing routes and trying to send me to the strangest places: first it told me to go through I-35, then it told me to exit on Memorial, after which it tried to send me to I-35 again. I finally just gave up on it. 

One of the consequences of having lived in so many places is that you tend to forget directions over time. I even forgot how far everything was. OKC is 70 miles away and it is common to drive that far just for work or, like I did, to have dinner with a friend. Many people gripe at Facebook, but I have to say that it has allowed me to stay in touch with or even find many of my old friends, like today's dinner date, who I had not seen in over 20 years. 

Hurricane Sally finally made landfall. The hotel where I was supposed to stay had minimal damage, but the front door got knocked down by the strong winds. The pier that had been recently rebuilt and was to be inaugurated yesterday was severely damage, with half of it breaking off. Tropical storm Vicky has been named, so the next storm to form will be called Alpha. 

Version 2.136

 This morning, I went to the Balanced Coffee Co. downtown and had the most delicious vanilla latté with almond milk. I was surprised to find so many people inside, many of them without masks as they were eating or drinking. I just grabbed my drink, which was in a glass and sat outside. The doors were open and the space was rather open and large, so I am hoping that people were safe. 

My personal philosophy is that as long as we control the amount of time one spends in places with other people and keeps those encounters to a few short minutes, the risk of getting the virus is pretty small. Plus, I always have a mask on when around strangers, especially in enclosed environments. Once the temperature cools off, I will stop going to places like this; not that I go this much these days. 

Afterward, I stopped by the bookstore and found a few interesting things--I even bought a José Saramago novel, in English, of course. The bookstore was very quaint, and very pleasant to visit. Next door, there is an antique mall and I also stopped by. The strangest thing happened: while I was going around the different spaces, the store cat showed up and just threw herself at my feet. I confess that I am so used to having Julian do this that I forget other animals also do it.

For dinner, I visited with a friend and the more I talk to people, the more I am convinced that Mr. Trump will win gain. Nobody is enthused about Joe Biden, I have not even seen a single Biden sign, but on Perkins Road, there are a bunch of Trump make American Great signs. Needless to say that both my friend and I felt pretty bummed out that he may win again, but that seems to be the most likely scenario. He does not need that many votes, as he has the advantage of the geographic dispersion of the vote. 

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Version 2.135

 That hurricane Sally is a little beast. It has been parked on the Gulf for hours, movig at 2-3 miles per hour. If I had to guess, I'd say that Mobile, AL, will flood massively, but at least it has a much smaller population than Houston, TX. And to think that I was planning on being in that same area right now, but changed plans a day and a half before leaving. How many people in the past drove into hurricanes and lost their lives? I think of them,

My day was spent visiting Stillwater and it turns out that Garth Brook's old house was demolished, which made me sad. The city is almost an exercise of extremes, with very modern stuff sharing space with very old things and buildings. The Hideaway Pizza is still around and I really love their Mediterranean pizza, but I cannot have it because of the gluten. Hideaway has some of the best pizza in the world.

I also stopped by the Stillwater Mill and got some birdseed, a new feeder, and some phosphorus fertilizer for my hydrangea.Spent $147, but this kind of spending on birds only happens once a year, Tomorrow, I am planning on visiting a bookstore I found today, I an very psyched about it,