This Is The Best We Can Do For Now, And That's Fine

So the US has made the knock-out stage (as it almost always does in the modern era, when it makes the tournament to start with) and will likely get beat by an objectively stronger Dutch squad.  Berhalter has done a fine job with a talented but limited squad.  (When hasn't a U.S. squad ever had trouble actually scoring goals?)

So kudos to the team.  You are at least one of the best 16 units in the world, more likely the 10th or 11th best.  (As good as England, let's say.)  (Edit: Better than Belgium, LOL.)

But can we please skip the ritual hara-kiri this year?  And throwing Berhalter out the window?

Soccer is one of the few sports in the world where the U.S. remains a medium fish in a very big pond.  If this ever changes, it will be cultural and social in nature.  And it will take multiple generations if it ever happens.

Why can't we just appreciate what we have?

pene-exclave!

A good friend visited me here in Bellingham for early-Thanksgiving dinner.  On Thursday itself I headed up to Canada to visit a place even my Dad never made it to -- the "pene-exclave" of Point Roberts, USA.

It's a truly weird place, geographically speaking.  You go into Canada on I-5, then towards Vancouver, but you make big left turn / fish-hook to get here instead.  And you actually have to go through Customs (albeit a much smaller operation) all over again.

There's not a whole lot to see.  You'd be crazy to start a business here with all the necessary red tape.  But strangely enough, it is part of Whatcom County and at the animal shelter we do occasionally get a call from here.  Basically, I tell them (politely!) that most of our officers don't have passports, and it would take almost a whole day of driving just to get to and from there from Bellingham proper.

There are some beautiful views though.  On the left of the horizon on the next picture you can see Mount Baker.

 

Welcome!

 

Meet Chingu (black and white) and Mandu (white and brown).  I'm currently fostering these two goofballs for the anima shelter, with the intent to adopt once they're old enough for their spay /neuter.  They're both wonderful, but Chingu is dealing with some intestinal issues that will hopefully go away once he gets bigger and stronger, and he eats enough of the special high-fiber diet he's been put on.

Anyhow, I love them both very much, scratches and all.

WTF?

In terms of upsets, this World Cup has been super weirdly abundant.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Meet Chingu and Mandu, my two new buddies from the shelter.

I'm thankful that I just adopted these two fluffly goofballs, and a college friend visited a few days before Thanksgiving itself.  Going up to Canada for a hike today.  Wherever life finds you, with or without or between family and friends, have a wonderful day.

Winter Is Here Already

Some sunset photos taken in Zuanich Park, Bellingham.  Damn, it's getting cold.  Woke up to (small amounts of) snow this morning.

I complain about B'ham a lot I guess, but there's something endlessly fascinating to me about this part of town.  And it's less crowded this time of year, which I also prefer.

Is It OK That Sad Stereolab Songs Still, Somehow, Make Me Happy?

Stereolab, "Fluorescences"

Fall has definitely arrived in Whatcom County.  I raked yesterday and put a very minor dent in what needs to be done.  In my defense, there's a few trees around the house that still haven't dumped their leaves yet.  For work I'm taking on online class on cat and dog first aid which is about as interesting as it sounds -- a lot of it is common sense, but there are some weird things to keep in mind.  (Dog and cat body temperature runs two to four degrees higher than a human's.  That's one to grow on.)

Speaking of work, I'm picking up some decent extra shifts because the full-time dispatcher / new guy is a musician.  I'm covering him tomorrow because he has a gig in Seattle.  The fact that he's my age (48) and still living the rock and roll dream?  Who am I to judge the greater PNW.

Also reading Harry Crews for the first time and enjoying it as much as you can enjoy the bleakness of poverty in America.

We might be getting snow next week.  Yikes.

Itaewon

154 dead in Itaewon Halloween "crush."

Horrible, sad news.

Itaewon is the former redlight district for US soldiers in Seoul.  Over the years is has somewhat gentrified into a more general "foreigner neighborhood" with cheap rents and various foreign food restaurants and very poorly made buildings that should have been torn down years ago.

My only thought right now is along the lines of, gentrify the fucking place and be done with it.

"in birdy-like precision"

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, "Tis Autumn"

Such a beautiful, silly song.  I've got raking to do.  I've got house improvement stuff to work on.  I'm backed up on some writing stuff as well -- the Diners of Whatcom County shall be finished!  A few places only serve Eggs Benny on weekends though, which is when I work at the animal shelter.

But it's beautiful out, in the cold, windy, Bellingham way.

And I'm rooting for the Phillies, but deep down it's pretty clear the Astros will win it.

"I wouldn't have it any other way"

Rock and Roll music wouldn't be what it is without plane crashes, ODs, and suicides.  But for my money, the entire saga of XTC might make for the saddest tale in popular music:

"Partridge [lead singer and guitarist], who addressed a rapt conference via video link, is proud of the fanbase, though confesses that the celebration badly triggers his OCD: he stayed firmly upstairs at home that weekend, and has previously hinted that he is autistic. Has he ever sought a formal diagnosis? 'I think I’m on the spectrum, yes, but it’s all helped me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.'

Partridge is rarely sighted in his hometown, keeping nocturnal hours and staying at home where he devours military history. His vast collection of toys – mostly soldiers, some he has made himself – cover almost every display surface. Partridge tried social media, but withdrew following allegations that he used antisemitic tropes in a discussion on Middle Eastern politics (something he won’t be drawn on today). He’s given up his chief hobby of arguing with strangers about politics on online forums, telling me he now spends his days 'waiting for my music mojo to return, in between researching UFO events'."

Would they still be one of my favorites bands if they'd gotten even a quarter of the recognition (and money) they truly deserved?  Probably.  The songs are so strong.

This Is Why You Should Always Adopt

After working at an animal shelter for a year I can say with confidence that the math is very simple -- there are too many animals chasing far too few permanent homes.  The problem with breeders and commercial dealers is, simply, they don't fucking care, and economic hardship also plays a role:

"Pet food costs have outpaced general inflation by 0.6%, and a single surprise veterinary bill can launch 42% of pet owners into debt, according to a recent Forbes study. As a result, shelters around the US are seeing an increase in owner surrenders and a steep decline in adoptions with no sign of improving.

'We’re packed right now. We’re putting animals in cages in the hallways,' explains Katy Hansen, director of marketing and communications at New York’s Animal Care Centers (ACC), a no-kill shelter that has seen a 25% uptick in surrenders this year over last. 'It’s really sad, people crying, it’s a part of their family. But if you’re choosing between feeding your family and feeding your pet, your choices are limited.'” 

It's impossible not to moralize here, but taking on a pet as a family member really is a life-time economic commitment.