My wife encouraged me to investigate ‘orthopedic shoes’.
Gadzooks. The thought of buying or wearing anything labeled as ‘orthopedic’ made feel like dust was settling on my hunched, decrepit form. But I was also intrigued by what I read. After perusing multiple shoe reviews, I selected a pair of Keen WK400 shoes.
Keens attracted me because I have owned several pairs of Keens and enjoyed them. They always comforted my feet like they were vacationing in a five-star spa resort. And I like the Keen’s looks. My Keens always featured a ‘squared off toe box’, which frequently attracted others’ comments with their unique look.
Besides the toe box, these shoes have a rocker-shaped sole. It’s seriously curved. In photos, their appearance prompted my eyebrows to rise in leery doubt on their own volition. But I tried on a pair and started walking around.
Quite comfortable. The curved sole does not seem as pronounced in hand — or on foot — as they do in the photo. Walking was a real surprise. The curved sole permits a more natural movement to me.
So, yeah, I’m pleased with my purchase. Just don’t expect me to tell you about my orthopedic footwear. They’re just shoes.
Floofitorium(floofinition) – Hall, building, room, or space used for a gathering of animals. Origins: 1640, borrowed from the Flooftin, from floof “animal” + -tōrium, suffix of places.
In Use: “The way the cats and dogs took over the new house’s sun room, it was immediatly referred to as the floofitorium.”
In Use: “Although not the sunniest room, the spacious living room was carpeted and quiet, with several large houseplants, encouraging the household pets to treat it as their own floofitorium during late autumn and winter.”
In Use: “Her home office was a tiny place, but the animals all crowded in with Priscilla, leading her to laughingly tell others that she worked in a floofitorium.”
Winter left frosty white prints all over the valley this morning. Well, on the house’s western side. Out back, it’s green and almost springlike in appearance, until you step out and the 21 degrees F slaps your face.
This is Sunda, January 19, 2025. A freezing fog advisory is in effect but the crazy frog has vacated my area. Sunshine is instead smooching everything, causing stretches of vapor clouds to rise in the air as the frost hastens its escape with the sun’s urging. Gonna be 50 today, ‘they’ say. Well, yesterday didn’t see us get over 39 on my home’s system or my friend’s system. But today seems like it has more of a chance, if the scene outside of blue sky and sunshine doesn’t change when I look away.
News: TikTok is going dark today under the government’s orders. Three hostages were released in Gaza. Kansas City is advancing to the AFC championship game and a lot of fans seem displeased about it. The Washington Commanders shocked the NFC’s number one side, the Detroit Lions, with an almost flawless game. Another new wildfire was reported in southern California while the Palisades fire still burns, although the latter is 52 percent contained. WaPo is circulating rumors that the new administration wants to replace DeJoy as the nation’s Postmaster General. Just an aside to that, Democrats and many Republicans revile DeJoy for what he’s done to the USPS but he’s kissed the ring and threw lots of cash at Trump, so I’m surprised to hear it being discussed.
One news story that disgusted me is about Jefferson Griffin. The Republican ran for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat in 2024 and lost. Now he’s asking the state to throw out 5500 military absentee ballots. His reasoning is that they don’t provide a photo ID with their vote. Their vote in the mail. The same voting method that this character used in 2019 and 2020, BTW. Oh, and he’s only challenging these absentee ballots in heavily-leaning counties. This feels like it transcends hypocrisy. Feels like it’s absolutely venal in its naked desperation and hunger to win at any cost. If others’ rights get screwed in the process, well, that’s just too bad for them.
Musically, The Neurons have an Al Stewart song playing in the morning mental music stream. “On the Border” was released in 1977 and has a folk-rock flavor, which is flock in my vocabulary. (Folk rock, right? Flock.) There is some jazz flavoring to it as well. I have no specific reason for its inhabitance of the morning mental music stream. I was just tidying up in the kitchen some after feeding the beasts when I realized it was in my head. But these lines may have been the inspiration:
Late last night the rain was knocking on my window I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow I thought I saw down in the street the spirit of the century Telling us that we’re all standing on the border
And that is because many of us simply feel like the nation’s spirit underwent a significant change when PINO-elect Trump won in 2024. Particulars include a substantial number of Americans showing vast disinterest or apathy by not voting and enough supporting a convicted felon to give the U.S. a new low as a first: a convict POTUS. As billionaires and the less wealthy line up to get on his good side and laws are proposed or passed to erase decades to centuries of change, it feel likes we’re standing on the border of becoming somthing other than the founders’ original intentions. I’ve said all of this before. Now it feels like I’m just cryin’ in my coffee.
Coffee and I have brokered another treaty for the day and I have commenced sipping out of the mug. Here’s the tune. Hope you enjoy the melody and have a terrific Sunda. Cheers
Crooks & Liars offer a post that shows PINO-elect Trump’s approval ratings are underwater. Conventional wisdom will suggest that’s not good news for him.
“A NPR/PBS News/Marist College poll released Wednesday shows that just 44% of Americans view Trump favorably, while 49% view him unfavorably. That’s nearly identical to the 45% approval rating Trump has in Civiqs’ tracking poll.“
Sorry, but I shrug. After that last election, I just don’t trust polls any longer. But I did enjoy reading — sorry, can’t help myself — “Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, has just a 19% approval rating in the NPR/PBS News/Marist College survey. And the survey was conducted before Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, when Democratic senators laid bare the nominee’s abhorrent behavior of alleged sexual assault, womanizing, on-the-job drinking, and misogynistic remarks.”
It’s thought-provoking information, even if I’m no longer certain where polls fit.
My wife returned my library card to me, and delivered two books. As she was going to the library, she offered to pick up two books for me. I’d put them on hold and they’d come in.
“I want to read your books,” she announced.
I shrugged. “Go ahead.”
“No, I already have a train of books to read. I just — your books look interesting.”
The subjects of her book envy are The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang and The River We Remember: A Novel by William Kent Krueger.
Book envy. It must be the most benign of all envies.
Ashlandia is sportin’ a frosty crazy frog mornin’. Fog greets our vision in all directions. Frosts offers greetings from the low plants and unpaved ground. Sunshine mingles with fog to inspire bleak graylight. Warmth is an alien suggestion. It’s up to 28 F here, a long way from promises of mostly cloudy sky with sunshine and a high of 50 F. We never crept anywhere near the forecasted claims yesterday as fog declared, “Nope, not leaving.”
I read Paul Krugman’s piece, “Voodoo, MAGA Style”, last night. Krugman covered Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, and his magical thinking about how to change the economy.
Bessent is very much like Trump. Promises are made, details are vague. Dusting off the Wayback Machine, we can revisit Trump’s claim that he’ll build a wall, and that Mexico will pay for it. He’ll replace the ACA. Etc. I recommend you read Krugman’s post about Bessent’s declaration about how the economy will be changed. Because, like Trump’s vaporwords, there are no details, and the promises vanish, often with a defiant stance that goes, “I never said that. That’s a lie. Fake news.” No, I don’t expect Bessent to be different. Maybe, though, he’ll start selling Trump-branded gimmicks to improve the economy. That’s a Trump fave to make money. Natch, Trump will get a cut.
My wife’s exercise routines inspired The Neurons today. She sometimes plays “Head Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK. Now it’s caught on in the morning mental music stream. Those of you familiar with the bouncy 2020 song will understand. To the rest, I warn you: it is catchy. It is a repeat song choice.
Coffee and I had a morning tryst. Hope your day goes in a satisfying way. Here’s the music. And away we go. Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 