I Never Do This!

I did something today that I never do.. I ordered something based on a first viewing of a testimonial advertisement.  The product is called swoveralls.  I stumbled across it in a social media feed, and the guy hawking the product is someone I casually follow.  The guy is a fellow GenXer, and historically speaking, he doesn't make a habit of plugging products.  The concept of overalls made out of sweatpants material intrigued me, so I checked it out further.

First things first:  I have to admit that I choked a bit when I saw the $100 price tag.  Holy crap, I don't spend that much for much of anything, much less a glorified pair of sweats.  Furthermore, I haven't worn overalls since I was a kid, but man, they looked stylish and comfortable.  After reading the reviews, I figured I'd give them a whirl.  The worst that happens is I don't like 'em, and if that's the case, I can return them, give them to a friend or family member, or donate them to charity.

I've got admit, this whole thing has me a little excited.  I'm very comfortable with my personal taste in clothing, so this is a new adventure for me.  I don't do the whole impulse buying thing, so that's a bit out of my comfort zone.  Oh... the manufacturer gives 20% off to military, veterans and first responders, dropping the price down to a still high but more manageable $80.  If I remember, I'll let you know the verdict after I've tried 'em out.

Jay-Z Doing the Superbowl

Once again my fellow old white guys are having a conniption over the announced halftime show.  They had a cow over Bad Bunny headlining last time around, and they're doing it again over Jay-Z.  Damn, these guys need to get a grip!

I'm going to say up front that I'm not a Jay-Z fan.  My musical taste is firmly in the rock genre.  At the same time, I know that I'm not the NFL's core demographic.  Yeah, I may have the money to purchase tickets and subscriptions to the NFL sports channels, but realistically speaking, at this stage in my life, the NFL has either hooked me or they haven't.  Who plays the halftime show will have little to no impact on whether or not I watch the game, and it certainly won't change how frequently I watch NFL football for the next twenty to thirty years.

The halftime show is certainly designed to keep people from channel surfing during the mid game break, but it's more than that.  It's designed to get new people to watch the game, with the ultimate goal of expanding their fan base.  Note that the operative word in that sentence is "new."  To use an analogy, football is the drug, and the NFL is trying to get people addicted.  This means they need to actively pursue the youth market.  Anyone complaining about Jay-Z performing doesn't understand this reality, and they certainly fail to realize that the NFL just doesn't care.

I Couldn't Help Myself

I'm a bit of a documentary junkie.  I can't help myself.  I enjoy history and like hearing the stories of those who came before us.  I had a bit of time on my hands yesterday and watched a couple of documentaries.  I tried to watch one on the Knights Templar, but that one really didn't do anything for me, because the story was incoherent, and the story was dry.  For the first time in ages, I didn't finish a documentary.  As I browsed through other possibilities, I saw that Tiger King was listed under documentaries.  That's not a documentary; it's reality TV, which is a television genre I don't enjoy.  I didn't watch the show while it was running, and I'm not gonna start now, thank you very much.

I stumbled across one called Bad Faith and decided to give it a watch.  The story discusses the rise of Christian Nationalism in America, touching on the KKK, but really focuses on how the Moral Majority has shaped our current political climate.  I think it's worth your time, and didn't see anything that was patently incorrect or false.  In fact, a lot of what was discussed falls in line with my education and my experiences growing up.

The one thing I will say is that the story left me feeling a little... hopeless.  I tend to work with the expectation that people are rational beings.  This fundamental assumption has bitten me in the @$$ more than I'd care to admit, but I continue to hold out hope.  Unfortunately, this story drove home the point that Christian Nationalists are operating from a belief system rooted in religion, and the belief system is ingrained in such a way that they don't want to negotiate with people whose viewpoint is different from their own.

In all honesty, I've kind of been quietly carrying this understanding for quite a while, but have generally chosen to overlook the reality, again, because I keep holding out the hope that I might be able to win a heart here or a mind there.  But it really hit me hard when a pastor essentially said that Christian Nationalists would rather burn it all down than compromise.  I get that Christian Nationalists are not a majority of America... heck, I doubt they're even a majority of Christians, but I could be wrong there.  Regardless, if even a quarter of Americans identify themselves as Christian Nationalist, and if they genuinely hold the mentality that they'd rather break our country and destroy our republic than compromise, then we're in serious trouble.

So yeah, the show was educational; I learned something.  But I did not feel better after the lesson ended.  Unfortunately, it was a documentary, and I couldn't help myself.  Oh, by the way, I still recommend it.

One other thing... I had forgotten that Ronald Reagan said Make America Great Again, way back in 1980. 

AI Meets a Narcissist

I'm sure by now you've heard that our illustrious commander in chief has decided that AI is now "Super Intelligence," or "SI."  He then doubled down on his decree, saying that anyone who doesn't use his preferred term is "the enemy."

Let me start by saying I had planned to keep my yap shut about this one.  I honestly believe that our POTUS is nothing more than an attention whore, and all he cares about is clicks and eyeballs.  He doesn't care if it's positive or negative, as long as all eyes are on him.  Part of me hopes that if I don't feed his addiction, maybe he'll just go away and die.  Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who are willing to feed the beast that is his ego.  Besides, it's a slow news day and it's been a bit since my post, and this is what I have to work with.  So let's dig in...

Let's tackle the obvious reference to George Orwell's book, 1984. Trump is quoted as saying that anyone who doesn't use his terminology is the enemy.  This is a play right out of the autocrat's handbook, and it loosely combines two concepts from 1984: 1) Thoughtcrime is the offense of holding politically unacceptable thoughts.  2) Newspeak is the concept of controlled language, designed to enforce party ideology and limit free thought.  Realistically, "Gulf of America" and "Lake America" have the same purpose, by "stealing" the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, claiming them for "ourselves," and "owning" Trump's so-called adversaries.

Now, let's talk about the timing.  Am I the only one who finds the timing of his rename a little suspect?  His administration is facing rising fuel costs, a war with Iran where he doesn't get to dictate the terms of the conflict, much less the resolution, and an increasing possibility of losing the House and/or Senate to the Democrats in the November election.  Trump has a well-established pattern of behavior that when things aren't going his way, he creates a distraction.  It's come to the point where even some of his most ardent supporters are seeing through the smokescreen.  Wag the dog much?

In closing, this is me doubling down.  AI.  Artificial Intelligence.  It's not Super, and it's not SI.  Bite me, because I'm the enemy!  I'm not going to toe the party line just because someone tells me that doing otherwise makes me the enemy.  I support free thought and expression, and abhor their suppression, to the point that I will quite possibly rage against the machine even if I agree, because screw you and your need to control me.

Another RenFest

I did the Iowa Renaissance Festival in Amana, IA today.  This event is quite toned down when compared to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, but that makes a lot of sense.  The Minnesota RenFest has been in the same place for 50+ years, it runs every weekend from approximately Memorial Day to the end of September, and it's in one of the top 20 metro areas by population.  By way of comparison, the Iowa Renaissance Festival has been around for about 30 years, doesn't occur every weekend, and travels around the state, going to the people.  As a result the vibe is unique to each place.

The Minnesota Renfest has some awesome artisans.  Over the years, I purchased my boots, jerkin, hat, and a leather mug at the Minnesota Renfest.  I paid a premium, but the work was done by highly skilled experts in their crafts.  With these items alone, my constantly-evolving costume would retail today for well over $750.  Fun story about the leather mug... I bought it over 20 years ago.  When I went back the next year, a vendor -- yes, a VENDOR -- asked me where I got the mug.  When I told him that I'd bought it from a vendor at the MN RenFest, he asked me the purchase price, and when I told him, he offered double on the spot.  I politely declined.  He then said I need to hold on to the mug, because the original artisan had passed away, and the mugs were quickly skyrocketing in price.  He stamped each mug with a serial number, so you knew it was him.  To put this in perspective, leather mugs ran over $100 this year.  Mine is less ornate but superior quality.  But I'm digressing...

The Iowa Renfest has local artisans, and it's a bit more eclectic.  It caters a bit less to stereotypical tourist crowd, and more toward your average nerd.  Some of the vendors obviously purchase stuff online and sell at a markup, but there are others who are up-and-coming craftsmen, or who make crafts just for the love of it.  My favorite vendor today had a huge selection of cloaks and capes that were hand made and upcycled from remnant fabric such as curtains or old blankets.  At past Iowa Renfest events, I purchased my leather belt and a mug belt holder.  I also purchased a dice rolling tower.

Both events have mandatory things, such as bawdy comedy shows, smoked turkey legs, live jousting and sword fighting, and mead, which is one of my favorite indulgences.  I'm learning to make mead with my best friend James, so it's almost my duty to sample professional mead when the opportunity arises.  Today I tasted an apple pie mead, which was phenomenal.  It cost $25 for an 8 oz bottle, but I happily absorbed that cost in the name of professional research.

Oh, I should mention that I wore peace tied weapons.  I have a dagger, which is technically my oldest renfest attire item.  I purchased it when I visited Medieval Times in Buena Park, CA sometime in the late 80's or early 90's.  It's a cheap cast dagger, but it's fun to carry.  My other weapon is my official USMC issue NCO sword, which is technically a saber.  Some people may cringe at the fact that I use my USMC NCO sword as part of my renfest costume, but I would rather bring it out and play with it than let it simply sit on my wall, collect dust, and tarnish over time.

I took my dog Lainie with me, just like I did for the Minnesota Renfest.  Per usual, she was a hit.  She enjoys the outings, and loves the attention.  For my part, I enjoy watching people interact with her.  It makes them happy; it makes her happy; and that brings me happiness.

While shopping today, I was on the lookout for four possible purchases for my ever-evolving costume: 1)  I was looking for a better frog for my USMC NCO Sword.  The frog I have is too big.  I didn't find what I was looking for, so when I got home I bit the bullet and purchased a dagger holster from Amazon, because it's the perfect size.  2) I'm looking for a leather cavalier hat with an ostrich feather.  My lovely bride got one this year, and when I tried it on, I thought Oh, I need this for my costume! 3) I'm looking for a wool cloak with a hood.  But it was really hot today, and I didn't want to buy a cloak while it's crazy hot outside.  I need to find the right item at the right time.  4) I want to upgrade my bracers.  I saw a couple of possibilities, but none of them were dark brown, which I need to match my existing costume.  I have bracers, but they're thin leather.  I want something that's a little less ornamental, and a little thicker.  The fun thing about this is the hunt.  I've been doing this for a long time, so I can afford to go slow and find exactly what I'm looking for.

The only downside to today is that I had planned to go with my wife and another couple.  The other couple is dogsitting a puppy that kept them up all night, so they flaked, and my ride-or-die wife has a chest cold, making her feel more like "die" than "ride."  On the good side, this is the first time I've done a renfest totally solo, which allowed me the freedom to come and go completely on my timeline.  Additionally, I had purchased wifey's ticket in advance, so I made some random lady's day by giving her the extra ticket at no charge. 

They Tied the Knot

In my previous entry, I mentioned that wifey and I were going to a wedding.  Mission accomplished.  Oh, before I continue... in that post, I said I couldn't remember attending a wedding since younger daughter got hitched.  I forgot about my brother-in-law's wedding last summer, and it's a shame I forgot, even temporarily.  I like my brother-in-law, and I feel he chose a great woman to be his wife.  The wedding itself was a ton of fun, including the groom singing musical songs before the bride walked down the aisle.

The wedding last weekend was a young woman whom I'd consider a surrogate daughter, and I'm delighted that she found the right man.  They're a great couple and I am confident they'll have a lifetime of happiness and companionship.  The wedding itself was short and sweet, and I really liked the layout of the venue.  It was three separate rooms on the second floor of a building in downtown Omaha.  This allowed the wedding to proceed seamlessly, followed by a quick walk to another room where beverages and snacks were waiting while the bride bustled her train and relax for a few minutes before the meal.  When we sat for the meal, the caterers quickly set up shop for the buffet, and the venue employees converted the wedding hall into a dance hall while we ate.  It was logistically the most seamless wedding I've attended.

The bride and groom had a block of rooms right around the corner from the wedding hall, but I was too slow to make my reservations, so wifey and I had to get a hotel a mile or so away.  The drive from hotel to wedding was weird.  Downtown Omaha's streets are undergoing massive construction to install streetcars and for extensive utility work while they're at it.  Every single street was one lane, one way.  Oddly enough, there was no traffic though, so this was a minor inconvenience.  It was weird to jump from lane to lane multiple times within a couple of blocks though.  It felt like I was driving an obstacle course.

The drive to and from was easy.  I don't frequently do road trips anymore, and this one was pretty easy.  I kind of enjoyed just cruising down the road, listening to the radio, enjoying the scenery and quietly holding my wife's hand.  She's the best travel partner I could ask for.

With that much going on, the weekend felt quite short, but it was also cool to do something out of the ordinary. 

Ups and Downs

Up: I am heading to a wedding tomorrow.  I love weddings and I haven't been to one for several years.  I think the last wedding I attended was when I walked my younger daughter down the aisle about five years ago.  For this wedding, my wonderful bride and I will be heading to Omaha, NE, where a former coworker of mine will tie the knot with the man who won her heart.  I'm happy beyond words for.  She's kind of like a surrogate daughter to me.  We haven't worked together for over five years, but we still call or text each other a few times a year.  I also expect to see a few other former coworkers at the event, which will be fun.

Down: My best friend has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  On the good side, it was caught very early and he will likely just undergo a lumpectomy, meaning he may not have to go on thyroid medication for the rest of his life.  Also, thyroid cancer is considered one of the most treatable forms of cancer, so his prognosis is very good.

Up: One of my close friends is one step closer to moving into a new home with his wife.  I'm very happy for him.

Down: He moved to Georgia a couple of years ago, meaning it's quite likely I will never see him.  Regardless, he's living his best life and I'm very happy for him.

Up: I purchased tickets to the 2026 Marine Corps Ball.  This will be the first time in a very long time that I've attended a Marine Corps Ball for active duty Marines, and I'm very much looking forward to it.  I plan to wear my Dress Blues, which will be a first.  I didn't have blues when I was active duty, so it will be the first time I've worn blues to an active duty ball.  Furthermore, I will be with my local recruiters.  I'm gonna stop here, partially because I like ending on a positive note, and partially because I can't think of another down.  I guess that means life is good in the House of Evan.