Singles and Doubles Vol 13
Don’t Worry Triskaidekaphobics, It’ll Be Okay
1st INNING
The incompetent, unqualified boob (Pete Hegseth) hired to run the Department of Defense has turned out to be a complete fuckup. He texted secret war plans to a journalist in an unsecured group chat. A screenshot of the chat showed that the incompetent, unqualified boob (Pete Hegseth) posted information including:
The launch times of F-18 aircraft, MQ-9 drones and Tomahawk missiles, as well as the time when the F-18 aircraft would reach their targets, and the time when the bombs would land. (credit: Wikipedia)
Then, surprise, surprise, the incompetent, unqualified boob (Pete Hegseth) allegedly lied afterwards, saying no classified information was shared. I am certainly no military expert. But that information seems pretty sensitive to be talking about on an unsecured group chat. Maybe that’s just me.
A couple of weeks later, a story leaked that the incompetent, unqualified boob (Pete Hegseth) shared detailed military plans in a second chat that included his wife and brother. Christ, how can someone in that position be so stupid and keep his job? (For now, anyway.)
Of course the incompetent, unqualified boob (Pete Hegseth) was a disaster waiting to happen. Can’t place total blame on him, though. The incompetent, unqualified boob Senators (Republicans) who rubber-stamped him, bear some responsibility, as well. And, let us not forget the incompetent, unqualified boob (Criminal-in-Chief) who nominated him in the first place.
Given the preponderance of incompetent, unqualified boobs hired to be in the Criminal’s Cabinet, we won’t be surprised when this type of thing happens again.
2nd INNING
It has come to my attention that there are people out there who think it is okay to praise Adolf Hitler for having a few good qualities.
Well, it’s not okay.
I don’t want to hear about any of Hitler’s good qualities. I don’t want to hear that he was a charismatic speechmaker. I don’t want to hear that he made the trains run on time. I don’t want to hear he had good penmanship. I don’t want to hear that he never left dirty dishes in the sink, or that he always put the toilet seat down, or that he liked dogs. I don’t want to hear it.
Some of you might be saying, “But, Norm, what about free speech? Aren’t we free to say even what may be unpleasant or unpopular?” My answer to that is, “Sure, you are free to praise Hitler if you feel the need to do so. And, I am free to identify you as an ignorant asshole for doing it.”
This should not have to be said, but don’t be praising Hitler for any reason. Ever.
3rd INNING
Our desert tortoise, Lily, has emerged from her winter brumation period. It’s such a happy day when we finally see her after so many months. It is mesmerizing to watch her navigate around the yard. Most people would not believe a tortoise could be so charismatic, however, there’s something about her that makes you want to watch her every move.
Sometimes Lily will come to our sliding glass door and clunk her shell against it, like she is looking for a way to come inside. So we slide open the door, and she’ll scramble over the threshold in that cute tortoise way of hers. After a period of wandering around the house, she’ll find a dark place to settle in for the rest of the day and through the night. In the morning we’ll put her outside again.
It’s always a special day when Lily comes in for a visit.
4th INNING
Time for some updates:
Price of eggs: Still high. The Lying Liar currently in office said he would bring grocery prices down on “Day One”. He didn’t. Prices have gone up on his watch. It’s important that he is held accountable for his lies.
War in Ukraine: Still raging. The Lying Liar said he would end the war on “Day One” if not before. He didn’t. His influence over his buddy, Vlad, is apparently zero. He is pathetic.
The stock market: Crashing. In August 2024 the Lying Liar said, “When I win the election, we will immediately begin a brand new economic boom.”
Not even close.
Now he’s been talking about how the economy has to take its “medicine” and it might take a couple of years before it gets better. Is this what his misguided voters voted for?
I know this all this sounds repetitive, but I don’t care. I will continue to remind everyone of the Lying Liar’s lies at every opportunity.
It’s going to be a long four years.
5th INNING
I don’t subscribe to many other Substacks. I know I’m missing out on reading some fantastic writing out there. I have always been afraid of being unduly influenced by someone else’s opinion and style, and I have wanted The Storm. By Norm to be all me, and me alone, for better or worse.
By the way, I have read that some Substacks are being written by Artificial Intelligence. Rest assured, this one will never be written by AI. As I’ve commented on Notes, I don’t even know any guys named Al.
Would I have more subscribers if I subscribed to other Substackers, as in: you subscribe to my thing and I’ll subscribe to yours? Maybe. But, I don’t know, I guess I’m not comfortable with that kind of transactional relationship. Like, if I had lots of subscribers, would it be because I subscribed to a bunch of others and they returned the favor? And not because of my brilliance, wit, charm, and my excellent use of commas and beautiful sentence construction and outstanding storytelling?
And, shouldn’t I subscribe to someone’s Substack only if I am actually going to read it?
Am I overthinking this? Am I making this more difficult than it needs to be? Gee, that doesn’t sound like me . . .
6th INNING
So, my favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been showing interest in signing one of my least favorite athletes, the famous anti-vaxxer quarterback and raging narcissistic jerkface, Aaron Rodgers. For crying out loud, Steelers, are you guys that desperate? Okay, he’s been a great quarterback for many years. But he is now past 40. His best days are obviously behind him. Is he better than the QBs they currently have? Maybe. Maybe not.
I don’t want him on my team because of his assholery off the field. He seems like one of those stupid people who believes he’s a know-everything genius. He has a way overinflated sense of his own intelligence. And, the way he has strung the Steelers along during this process, shows what he’s all about. He’s all about Aaron Rodgers. As my late uncle might have said, “He thinks the sun sets on his ass.”
If he signs with them, will I cheer for him if he helps the Steelers win? Well, I’ll be glad if the Steelers do well, but cheer for Aaron Rodgers specifically?
No.
I’ll be counting the days to when he’s not on the team anymore. I can’t stand the guy.
7th INNING
Song of the Week: Feelin’ Stronger Every Day, by Chicago, written by Peter Cetera and James Pankow, for the 1973 album Chicago VI.
This song was about the break up of Cetera’s marriage. He’d had a rough time, but was starting to get over it. He was feeling stronger every day, you might say.
I like this song very much. The horns are great, as usual, giving the song that unique Chicago sound.
You know, it pisses me off when someone calls Chicago “yacht rock”. I actually don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean, but it doesn’t sound complimentary. Yacht rock conjures up a vision of a bunch of rich, white country club boomers on a big boat, sipping champagne from long-stemmed glasses, gently swaying to the sweet melodies of The Captain and Tennille and Christopher Cross.
Granted, in the ‘80s, Chicago may have strayed from their original mission of being a “rock band with horns” with all those soft-sounding ballads, but they have plenty of songs in their catalog that rock.
If Chicago’s sound doesn’t do it for you, that’s fine by me. We all have our own tastes in music.
But, cut it out with that yacht rock shit.
8th INNING
I found 92¢ the other day. Three quarters, one dime, one nickel, and two pennies, just lying there next to the sidewalk. It was the coppery glint of sunlight reflecting off of the pennies that caught my eye.
I know a lot of folks wouldn’t bother, but I’m the guy who will bend over to pick up a single penny if I see one on the ground. So, to find 92¢, well, that seemed like quite the windfall.
During my days as a regular walker on the mean streets of my town, I have found lots of coins. Most often, I find a penny or two. Maybe a penny here or there is not worth the trouble of stooping over to pick up, but it is to me.
Scooping up the coins I find on my walks is not keeping me out of the poorhouse. And, they won’t go very far towards paying the bills or putting food on the table. However, those coins represent something of value that I cannot pass up.
Sometimes I think I inherited the childhood experiences of my mother and father, who grew up in the latter stages of the Great Depression. As a young child, I remember wondering if we were poor. We always had food and shelter, so we probably weren’t, although it seemed like we didn’t have much in those early days. We learned how to “make do” and to not be wasteful. As time went on, things got better. Even now, though, I still have a few frugal habits I learned back then. Picking up loose coins on the street is one of them.
9th INNING
I saw this while perusing Substack Notes. I’m sorry I can’t remember who posted it, but whoever it was, invited everyone to share if they agreed with the caption.
Well, I agree, so I’m sharing.
To my home run hitting subscribers, thank you for your support.
And, don’t be afraid to scroll to the bottom and hit that Like button! (But, only if you really mean it.)
Something to say about Singles and Doubles Vol 13? Well, then . . .
Hi Norm
The title of your post is great. I happen to know that Triskaidekaphobics are people who are afraid of the number 13. I was born on the 13th day of the month, so I can't be superstitious about that number. I consider it lucky.
Hegseth is a dumpster fire. Anyone with two brain cells could see the Signal scandal happening. The thing that tipped me off that he was a problem waiting to happen was when he promised in his confirmation hearing to stop drinking if he was confirmed. Then fast forward to his trip overseas with a drink in his hand during a speech in front of cameras and the world. I heard that Walz, the guy who added the Atlantic newspaper editor to the chat, has been removed from his position, but he is now a UN representative. All while Hegseth is removing every reference to minorities in the military and government websites because they are "DEI" which he says makes them unqualified for the military. I would prefer a DEI hire over a DUI hire any day of the week. The sheer incompetence of these people is breathtaking. The fact that they think because they are white that they are part of a merit system is laughable.
As you know, I wrote a post about Hitler a month or so ago. You and I are in complete agreement. Nobody should be holding this fascist up as worthy of praise. He is a monster who was responsible for the deaths of millions of people.
On a happier note, I love that you have a indoor/outdoor turtle. I once had a pet turtle Charlie. He was great. It's so nice that she sees your house as a safe place. That says she really trusts you.
As for the economy, we are royally screwed right now. I have heard that the port in Seattle is a ghost town. That grocery shelves will be going bare in the next 2 to 3 weeks if the tariffs aren't lifted. I still have someone in my Facebook group who is in denial that Trump is terrible for the economy. I told him the tariffs will hurt all of us. He said, "Time will tell." He's obviously not paying attention to real news or he would see what you and I are seeing. Trump is destroying our economy. I guess reality will set in when he goes to the grocery store in the next couple of weeks and see that there's hardly any produce or canned goods on the shelves.
I laughed when I read about the yacht rock story. I actually have a local radio station that advertises yacht rock. I think it's hilarious. Sorry to hear one of the your favorite groups has been lumped in to this category. And you description of the imagery is dead on. They want us to think that rich people listen to this music while sipping champagne on their boats.
Hope you have a great week. Take care.
Enjoyed all of the innings except the horrible picture at the end. As we say in these parts: Cucui!
Been a Steelers fan for decades because Dad was a fan. Frugal because that's how we were raised (Dad-1933, Mom-1936) and because Dad taught school. Mom called us the genteel poor. Thanks to libraries and lots of books in the house, we were rich in other ways.
That tortoise is a gift--thanks so very much for letting us know and see the reality of utter trust.
Best everything to you and yours