I don’t always agree with Bill Maher in his New Rules segment. Sometimes I feel like shouting Amen, but not after his latest offering.

He was riffing on the recent generic question posed by various candidates about being better off today or four years ago, and reminded viewers that four years ago we were just starting the long journey through Covid-19. But he quickly pivoted to griping about how America overreacted to Covid and that some of the less mainstream or popular ideas at the time actually turned out to have some merit.

It’s easy, with the benefit of hindsight, to hold such an opinion, but in the middle of it we were dealing with something no one had ever experienced before. It quickly became a matter of whose advice and opinions we trusted, and the problem became the damaging fact that there were multiple opinions, all sorts of theories and voices. A serious health threat quickly became politicized.

I tried to listen to what the CDC was saying, but then there were the competing takes—led by Trump himself—who wanted to, basically, ignore reality, who said the virus would peter out by April of 2020 and things would be back to normal. Basically, he and the rest of the libertarian, contrary right were questioning the CDC and its “oppressive” guidelines because what it was saying didn’t fit with Trump’s plans to win the 2020 election and his need to downplay what to the rest of the world was an actual pandemic, killing people left and right and taxing healthcare systems and their employees everywhere.

Sure, from his vantage point here in 2024, Maher can posit in his snarky tone that the remote learning for so long actually did hurt our children, but, again, we were all navigating new territory at the time, and being fed multiple opinions about best practices. The kids probably could have been ok, but the other facet of that was that the kids are taught by adults, who, I guess, were supposed to be ready to lay down their lives for their country, take one for the team, unconcerned with nebulous plans and guidelines for teaching during a pandemic, or their own susceptibility to infection.

It’s just too easy to be cocksure and brave and to take pot shots after the fact.

Kinda sore this morning, after getting the latest Covid vaccine yesterday. Made it through most of the day without any effects, but started feeling them last night. And this morning, I’m sore all over, a bit warm, my scalp hurts a little, and I’m probably experiencing the consequences of getting the shot. It’s my sixth one, I noticed, since March of 2021. I figure a few more antibodies can’t hurt, even if opinions are all over the map regarding the need for so many sticks in the arm.

“Whatever it takes to win.”

Since when is deceit part of the game? Oh, it makes for some good storytelling about “legendary” and “quirky” plays and players and coaches. But unless we’re talking about actual war, “whatever it takes….” doesn’t work. It’s out of bounds. And even war-making supposedly has rules and guidelines.

Baseball, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, golf, horse shoes, swimming, figure skating, even football— the beautiful game or whatever product it is that the NFL puts on the field– aren’t warfare, as much as players and advertisers and league officials might want us to think otherwise. No doubt, competition is fierce, and there’s a lot on the line the deeper a team goes into a season and the playoffs, but, again—it’s a game we’re talking about here. There’s a line that can’t be crossed in competition. Cheating is degrading behavior embraced by adults and taught to children. It might be raised to an art form, but it’s always wrong. And always disappointing.

A competitive edge is some holy grail worthy of pursuit only to a point, as an individual or team practices hard, trains hard, strategizes and gets in the right mindset. Steroids aren’t part of this, sign stealing isn’t part of this, nail files and Vaseline aren’t parts of this. Foot wedges, deflated footballs or wagering aren’t included in this.

It might have been Casey Stengel who said that he’d do whatever it took to win, or “…it’s not cheating if you don’t get caught.” Really? This win at all costs mentality has no place in sports. There’s a difference between being competitive and being deceitful. That’s not winning, that’s just cheating, a sign that you’ve gone too far. A fear issue, a control issue.

The hidden ball trick is one thing. Steroids and sign stealing and loading up a ball and point shaving are something else entirely. The latter have no place in sports at any level, and are simply indications of someone taking things way too seriously. Succumbing to such unfair advantages, such crutches, feeling the need to go there, says more about a person’s confidence level and character than anything else. The desired outcome ends up being weakness, not strength.

And if “everybody’s doing it,” then it’s all one big deception. Fraud passed off as athletic prowess, as achievement.

Presidential campaigns are time-consuming, outrageously and inexcusably expensive, and exhausting for everybody. And they seem to drag on forever, especially this time around.

One could say, with little exaggeration, that we have been in campaign mode since the last Presidential election in 2020. This is largely because of Donald Trump, of course—he never got over his 7-million vote trouncing at the hands of Joe Biden and decided the results were not to his liking. He had the gall to go around saying the election was stolen from him, and in that process hasn’t allowed us a chance to catch our breath.

When November 5 finally arrives, I can foresee many of us just being glad it’s over, even though we all know it won’t be– regardless of outcome.

Lots of follow-up commentary after people found out Kate Middleton is being treated for cancer. Colbert took time on Monday to offer not exactly an apology but at least an acknowledgement that he went a bit too far with his jokes a couple weeks ago.

No one wants to make light of someone’s cancer diagnosis, but at the time Colbert and others didn’t know of the diagnosis. All they knew was that there was yet another big kerfuffle, this time over a lack of Kate sightings and a doctored photograph, so they may have chalked it up to the usual royal drama and ridiculousness.

They were operating on the normal footing of assuming much ado about nothing and making light of the breathless craziness which often accompanies any news of what’s going on in Windsor Castle and wherever William and Kate live.

There’s a price to be paid for being in the royal family. One might wonder if they’d part with the headaches if it weren’t for all the country estates and other perks, which must make it a bit easier to live in a fish bowl in the 21^st century.

A massive container ship rams a support pillar and the whole Key Bridge drops into the Patapsco River, a 1.6-mile span rendered unusable for the foreseeable future.

There were people on the bridge. Six are suspected lost.

It’s the third time—recently!—that something like this has happened somewhere in the world. It may be a tragic accident, but I hope there will be a thorough investigation.

A gift from the gods, or does Trump actually honor the gag order placed on him in the hush money case?

Aw hell—it won’t matter if he says something inflammatory. He’ll get away with it, because that’s just where we’re at. It’s extremely difficult to envision any scenario where Trump suffers consequences for anything.

Are people actually afraid of him?

He’s facing multiple civil and criminal court cases, he’s hemorrhaging money for settlements and attorney fees, yet somehow, he’s still standing– no matter how often the Lincoln Project goes for his jugular or Michael Cohen attacks his character, no matter the frequency with which pundits and anchors and former DAs claim that he’s a bad apple in big trouble. He’ll just continue giving the middle finger to all his detractors, and he’ll continue prevailing. I don’t see one reason for his luck to change anytime soon.

Even after he loses in November, we’ll be suffering this brain-drained ass pimple until the sun runs out of hydrogen.

What’s so hard about live and let live? Why can’t Israel and the Palestinians work something out? What’s missing from the thought processes that would allow for peace talks and planning? Is it always going to be animosity?

Israel has every right to be hesitant, but people need a home. Israel needed a home and they got one, even as it remains a contested parcel. And now the Palestinians need a home.

There are concessions to be made on both sides—Israel needs to come to grips with having neighbors, and the Palestinians need to banish any vestiges of animosity toward Israel, though this may be difficult in light of what’s been unfolding in Gaza and the West Bank. Netanyahu’s fixation with squashing Hamas is only going to create a whole new generation of hardcore fighters who won’t forget the seemingly wanton destruction and interminable losses.

In any event, everyone has a right to existence and pursuit of a life unmarked by fear and always feeling the need to look over one’s shoulder. This unending distrust and hatred are way beyond old, and it must be exhausting. Everyone has to try harder, be open to mediation.

They have to actually trust their God and pray to him for peace in the land, if their God allows such a thing.

Does Netanyahu feel, in his heart, that there is no distinction to be made between members of Hamas and the general population of Gaza? Does he believe that all Palestinians have it out for Israel, whether or not they fight for Hamas, guilty by association?

How else can he continue to pursue his scorched earth policy if not by denying the humanity of the civilians in Gaza who are huddled in tents, taking shelter in bombed out schools, fearing their own death, maybe wishing it would come?

Looming starvation, a dreadful, miserable life where most everything familiar has been taken from them. A shell-shocked populace, damaged in mind and spirit, perhaps sustained by a kernel of faith, the remnants of family, or a distilled hatred that has now been hardwired by Israel’s response to October 7.

Of course, Hamas has no qualms with setting up shop amidst civilians, apparently figuring any fighting force with actual scruples would think twice about attacking innocent women and children. They’ve apparently figured wrongly.

What a mess.

Got the bookcase project we’ve been working on completed to the point that the two main units could be moved into the house. They fit, but just barely. I measured the height but forgot to figure in the thickness of the cap piece, which added ¾” and was just enough to bend the curtain rod end a bit.

Numbers are important. The only time they lie is when you don’t calculate properly. Then it can become an embarrassment. Or a disaster, if you’re trying to calculate the numbers needed for proper re-entry into earth’s atmosphere.

Anyway, as long as I take this into consideration in future projects, I will benefit from the experience and hopefully avoid the same mistake.

Woodworking is an enjoyable pursuit, but it is an exacting pursuit- if you want to do it right. Small miscalculations can be covered by a piece of trim, or sanded into compliance, but the point is to refine the craft, to get better at it, to pay attention to details and minimize– maybe on occasion eradicate– the mistakes.