Boys will be boys

And boy, is this depressing. Source: Ezra Klein, NYT.

Joe Matos closing... sigh....

It's been some years since I last visited the Matos cheese factory in Santa Rosa... I'd been meaning to return, but it's too late now. It remains one of my favorite experiences in California. The last time I was there, Santa Rosa's sprawl was already encroaching on their farm. It's hard to begrudge people the desire to live in beautiful Sonoma County, notwithstanding some concerns about wildfires, and if the Matos family sells off the land, I hope they get a good price and enjoy a well deserved respite from the hard work of dairying and cheesemaking. They were damn good at both.

Sam Moore, RIP

Sam & Dave were awesome. They were best known for their funky up-tempo numbers like "Soul Man," but I like the ballads. Maybe this one is my favorite. It starts out with a weird little piece of "Chinese" music, and then ascends into soul heaven.

David Lodge, RIP

I have read a number of the well-known academic satires, including Lucky Jim, Moo, and Wonder Boys. Lodge's – especially his trilogy Changing Places, Small World, and Nice Work – probably gave me the most pleasure: funny, smart, well-written; biting, but ultimately humane. He couldn't help loving the characters he ridiculed.

Too much love... or greed... at Mavericks Beach...

With the king high tide comes the king low tide, and unusual access to the tidepools at Mavericks Beach near Half Moon Bay. The authorities seem to have decided that this is the place where everyone can forage the sea's bounty. Pity the urchin, octopus, or crab who sticks their neck out. Nobody seems to eat the gorgeous anemones, which is good for them, but many are trodden upon. The atmosphere is festive if a bit too acquisitive, multi-ethnic, tending toward Asian immigrants, eager for the taste of home. Mussels enough for everyone, if you can pry them from their holdfasts. Wonderful in its way, but a reminder of how small and vulnerable our beautiful planet is.

Today’s economy is historically strong

Josh Bivens. Not that the swing voters will necessarily believe it.

"... in the end, he is a selfish child."

So says Chris Christie, of our once and sadly maybe future president. I work at a university and live in the Bay Area bubble, so I simply don't have conversations with many Trump supporters, but I do often wonder what I would say about why I think he is so appalling. Proto-fascist, racist, rapist, grifter... not to mention very bad on most policy issues I care about. But Chris says all you need to know to want to avoid another four years of Trump rule. 

In refusing to endorse Harris, Christie is either a coward or an opportunist who has deluded himself into thinking he has a future in the GOP. Nevertheless, I have always had a soft spot for him. In some parallel universe he might not make the worst president. In our universe he would have some very tough competition for that title.

Kris Kristofferson, RIP

Terrible singer, but he sure wrote plenty of great songs that plenty of great singers wanted to sing. Apologies to Johnny, Janis, and the rest, but this is the best.