Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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@Sleeping Dog: And to you. And seconded to the whole OTB community. May we see an acceptable end to the war in Ukraine, minimal nuisance from the Republicans in the House, and an absence of destructive hurricanes, wild fires, drought, or bomb cyclones.
While I join you in your wishes for the best, I can’t help but wonder what you’re smoking, and more importantly, did you bring enough to share with everyone? Especially with regards to rational actors in the House.
ETA, in the betting pool, I have Putin suing for peace in the Ukraine ahead of the GQP in the house acting rationally. But I really prefer your hopes for the new year over mine.
It seems I have a cycle. Like a locust. From 1989 through 2001 I worked my ass off. North of 100 (mostly short) books in about 12 years. Then, I quit, and went off to do other things. Worked with a guy on a couple documentaries, made political ads for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, enjoyed many long tasting menus and did the whole father thing, and took quiet pleasure in no longer being wanted by police. No writing. For about 5 years.
In 2006, I cranked the machine up again, and wrote two dozen (much longer) books over the course of about 12 years. Then I quit again. Since 2019-ish I’ve been fucking off. Trying to sell a TV show, teaching myself a bit of screenwriting, helping my wife write a fantasy trilogy, banging out interstitial bits for the site we’re building. Working but not not really working. Not the kind of working that has a specific, do-or-die goal. I have fucked off for about 4 years, less time than my first retirement, but I’m starting to get the urge to do actual work work.
12 years on, 4-5 years off, rinse and repeat. Complications: I’m 68, so another 12 year work cycle takes me to 80 by which time, if there’s any fairness in the world, I’ll be dead. Also: I’m not broke. Broke and/or behind on taxes (which is just another approach to being broke) has always been my motivation.
In any case, my New Years resolutions:
1) Get back to work, you lazy fuck.
2) Um. . . excercise?
@CSK: No. Most of us have nothing to add to a day that should be limited to happy, constructive thinking. Tomorrow I’ll get back to commenting on the article that Luddite sent me about homeless kids being expelled from school 3 times more often than other students, and Caitlin Dickerson’s article about how separate the kids from their parents at the border became the clusterfuck that it is (and that, last I heard, Dark Brandon’s administration is slow-walking to a conclusion–I’d really like to be wrong about this part, BTW. 🙁 )
@CSK: We’ve gotten about 18 inches of snow in the last 48 hours. I got nothin, pretty slow around here. Had to drive around in a ground blizzard trying to FIND the cows to feed them this morning. 😛
But hey, it’s in the high 20’s, so we got that going for us!
@Kathy:..day off…
According to the United States Postal Service website Sat. Dec. 24, Mon. Dec. 26, Sat. Dec. 30 and Mon. Jan. 2 are all Post Office holidays.
Also the website for my bank shows this message: Regions Bank locations will be closed Saturday, December 31 through Monday, January 2 in observance of the new year and will return to normal business hours Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
I saw a similar message on the bank website right before Christmas.
Happy New Year Illinois drivers!
The increase in the Illinois Gas Tax that was delayed for 6 months on July 1, 2022 is now in effect. Most news items that I have read state that the increase is 3.2¢/gal.
I have checked a few stations in town. The two that I can see out the window of MickeyD’s show an increase of 10¢/gal from yesterday. ($3.199 to $3.299). The two other stations that I have seen today have not gone up. Both show $3.o99/gal as they did yesterday.
We get some of that here with government offices, even for other holidays.
When the 24th and 31st of December fall on Friday, at the office we arrange for half the department not to work the 24th and the other half the 31st. With the big caveat: WORK PERMITTING.
Guess who has to show up both days because we have contract awards pending those days, and the email with the ruling plus price and technical info has to be sent to post-sales, accounting, IT, purchasing, logistics, management, etc.
On the matter of giving and receiving presents, I’m in the middle of a podcast ep of Cautionary Tales related to it. The Company That Cancelled Christmas.
I’ve some minutes of it to go yet, but I’m already curious about a mention of Joel Waldfogel, an economist who’s researched holiday gifts. I’ve already added his book about it, Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays. to my Scribd pile.
@CSK:
Having grown up in a family of sots and other lowlifes, I largely gave up being a sot many years ago, although I certainly enjoy a glass (or occasionally two).
@Kathy:..show up both days
My last job in the landline telephone industry required me to be on 24 hour/7 day call out every other week. Our work week started and ended at 7am Monday. That meant that for Monday Holidays I was either on call the Saturday and Sunday before the Monday Holiday or I was on call on the Monday Holiday. Never had a three day weekend off. I did get a nickel or two extra Holiday pay but it wasn’t much. It’s a good thing that I liked the work most of the time.
Happy New Year all.
@Sleeping Dog: And to you. And seconded to the whole OTB community. May we see an acceptable end to the war in Ukraine, minimal nuisance from the Republicans in the House, and an absence of destructive hurricanes, wild fires, drought, or bomb cyclones.
@gVOR08:
While I join you in your wishes for the best, I can’t help but wonder what you’re smoking, and more importantly, did you bring enough to share with everyone? Especially with regards to rational actors in the House.
ETA, in the betting pool, I have Putin suing for peace in the Ukraine ahead of the GQP in the house acting rationally. But I really prefer your hopes for the new year over mine.
It seems I have a cycle. Like a locust. From 1989 through 2001 I worked my ass off. North of 100 (mostly short) books in about 12 years. Then, I quit, and went off to do other things. Worked with a guy on a couple documentaries, made political ads for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, enjoyed many long tasting menus and did the whole father thing, and took quiet pleasure in no longer being wanted by police. No writing. For about 5 years.
In 2006, I cranked the machine up again, and wrote two dozen (much longer) books over the course of about 12 years. Then I quit again. Since 2019-ish I’ve been fucking off. Trying to sell a TV show, teaching myself a bit of screenwriting, helping my wife write a fantasy trilogy, banging out interstitial bits for the site we’re building. Working but not not really working. Not the kind of working that has a specific, do-or-die goal. I have fucked off for about 4 years, less time than my first retirement, but I’m starting to get the urge to do actual work work.
12 years on, 4-5 years off, rinse and repeat. Complications: I’m 68, so another 12 year work cycle takes me to 80 by which time, if there’s any fairness in the world, I’ll be dead. Also: I’m not broke. Broke and/or behind on taxes (which is just another approach to being broke) has always been my motivation.
In any case, my New Years resolutions:
1) Get back to work, you lazy fuck.
2) Um. . . excercise?
@Michael Reynolds: Build a boat. (Or some similar useless, self-absorbing project)
@Sleeping Dog: @gVOR08: @Flat Earth Luddite: @Michael Reynolds: @JohnMc:
Are we the only non-hungover people capable of posting comments?
@CSK:..Are we the only non-hungover people capable of posting comments?
I gave up the swill years ago.
Plant a tree in 2023!
Happy New Year!
@CSK: No. Most of us have nothing to add to a day that should be limited to happy, constructive thinking. Tomorrow I’ll get back to commenting on the article that Luddite sent me about homeless kids being expelled from school 3 times more often than other students, and Caitlin Dickerson’s article about how separate the kids from their parents at the border became the clusterfuck that it is (and that, last I heard, Dark Brandon’s administration is slow-walking to a conclusion–I’d really like to be wrong about this part, BTW. 🙁 )
@Just nutha ignint cracker: And, yes, somehow I fell behind reading magazines to a significant degree and have a lot to catch up on.
@CSK: I was up at 3 am and doing things.
@CSK: We’ve gotten about 18 inches of snow in the last 48 hours. I got nothin, pretty slow around here. Had to drive around in a ground blizzard trying to FIND the cows to feed them this morning. 😛
But hey, it’s in the high 20’s, so we got that going for us!
Modest proposal: When December 25th and January 1st fall on a weekend, the next Monday should be a day off.
@Kathy:..day off…
According to the United States Postal Service website Sat. Dec. 24, Mon. Dec. 26, Sat. Dec. 30 and Mon. Jan. 2 are all Post Office holidays.
Also the website for my bank shows this message:
Regions Bank locations will be closed Saturday, December 31 through Monday, January 2 in observance of the new year and will return to normal business hours Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
I saw a similar message on the bank website right before Christmas.
You know what is wrong with America? They did not play the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day! Where is the outrage!
Happy New Year Illinois drivers!
The increase in the Illinois Gas Tax that was delayed for 6 months on July 1, 2022 is now in effect. Most news items that I have read state that the increase is 3.2¢/gal.
I have checked a few stations in town. The two that I can see out the window of MickeyD’s show an increase of 10¢/gal from yesterday. ($3.199 to $3.299). The two other stations that I have seen today have not gone up. Both show $3.o99/gal as they did yesterday.
@Mister Bluster:..Sat. Dec. 30…
Should read: Sat. Dec. 31
@Mister Bluster:
We get some of that here with government offices, even for other holidays.
When the 24th and 31st of December fall on Friday, at the office we arrange for half the department not to work the 24th and the other half the 31st. With the big caveat: WORK PERMITTING.
Guess who has to show up both days because we have contract awards pending those days, and the email with the ruling plus price and technical info has to be sent to post-sales, accounting, IT, purchasing, logistics, management, etc.
On the matter of giving and receiving presents, I’m in the middle of a podcast ep of Cautionary Tales related to it. The Company That Cancelled Christmas.
I’ve some minutes of it to go yet, but I’m already curious about a mention of Joel Waldfogel, an economist who’s researched holiday gifts. I’ve already added his book about it, Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays. to my Scribd pile.
@CSK:
Having grown up in a family of sots and other lowlifes, I largely gave up being a sot many years ago, although I certainly enjoy a glass (or occasionally two).
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
uh, yeah, I’m still pondering that one too.
@Kathy:..show up both days
My last job in the landline telephone industry required me to be on 24 hour/7 day call out every other week. Our work week started and ended at 7am Monday. That meant that for Monday Holidays I was either on call the Saturday and Sunday before the Monday Holiday or I was on call on the Monday Holiday. Never had a three day weekend off. I did get a nickel or two extra Holiday pay but it wasn’t much. It’s a good thing that I liked the work most of the time.
It’s…..still fucking snowing. I refuse to say the W word anymore, lest I jinx myself, but the “air movement” is not helping.
There are not enough laser lights to keep all these cats and the dogs entertained. 😛 😛