Clutchy McGritterson

So, my advice: if there's distance, find a way to bridge it that you can handle. It might not be the same as before, though. Be open to that!

The relationship might be a lot different, but you'll probably be happier if you can at least get to a point where there's a relationship at all.

All that said, I'm really happy I did it. It would be tough to take this right now if things between us had ended up in the same place they were 5 years ago.

You can't let toxic people wreck your life. You can't let an alcoholic's problems wreck your life. You have to get some distance, for your own sake.

But... I dropped the fucking resentment. I was able to re-engage, albeit on different terms. Surface-level, but genuine, on both sides.

He was *never* there emotionally, because he was incapable of it. He was a horrible person to live with. I left home at 15 largely because of it.

And when I figured out many years later that his arrested development in that sense had to do with his childhood, I got over some of my resentment.

With my dad, it took a long time to come to terms that some of the things I held against him weren't his fault, or at least they were in no way intentional. He cared, he had no desire to hurt me. He was always there when I needed him, and that's how you knew he loved people.

Everyone always says cheesy stuff like "go hug your loved ones" or whatever, and it's fine advice, but I won't bother.

What I will say is: if there's shit between you and people you still care about, see if you can find a way to work things out that won't cause you further harm.

My dad and I haven't always had a very good relationship. There have been several months-long spans (one, a couple years long) over the last 33 years where we haven't been on speaking terms. So I'm glad the last 4 years or so we've been on pretty good terms.

Mostly, though, it's something that happens to people in their mid-70s and I've been prepared for it (as much as you can be, before it actually happens) for a few years now... since the last time a flu/pneumonia deal nearly killed him. So, it's a little sad, but it's OK. Not tragic.

So once he started having some problems that would leave some long-term damage, I'd been more worried about the fact that he wasn't going to be able to live at home again. He would be *intensely* unhappy. To the point where I was going to swipe the handgun he owns before it happened.

He doesn't tolerate having to be "taken care of" very well, and I cannot imagine him surviving in a nursing home very long - he nearly went insane the 4 weeks in the physical therapy/rehab nursing facility thing earlier this year. He doesn't like being around people when he doesn't feel well, etc.

My dad's kidneys are failing, which is likely the beginning of the end of the thing. I'm OK with it. He would not want to be around in a diminished capacity. It's unfortunate that it's happening now, he was still in good enough health headed into this year that he was able to live on his own...

I'm probably not in a good enough place today to be sitting near this computer and/or web site.

The cool thing about invented, non-existent crises is that they can go on for as long as you like.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Launches Under- cover Operations to Infil- trate and Uproot Leftist Terror Cells in Texas After Increased Political Violence

Law enforcement historically loves announcing their undercover operations ahead of time

I'm contractually required to fix 2026 pricing on a few million pounds of aluminum by the end of the year. Some of it, by the end of this month. This is fine. I'm sure it won't cause any uncertainty.

I thought we were through with the "new tariffs every other day" part of the program.

The last time I got in legit hot water with HR (other than my little strike earlier this summer) was when I actually told like 15 people from four different departments to send adults to represent their departments next time, hung up, and disconnected everyone 10 minutes into a hour-long call.

I say "but who are we doing it versus?" every time I am in a meeting with multiple departments arguing over how to do something that there's only one way to do, because they want to blame someone else for not having better options or an easier job.

It's probably my favorite joke from Always Sunny, and it's because it is a perfect summary of American thought. Maybe of human nature, generally.

Re: my comment the other day that people seem to have the impression that elected officials have a lot more control over law enforcement than they actually do:

But that means Batman and Wonder Woman and Superman will have to retire, they have to have bad guys to fight.

Scoop: Ohio groups demand return of Statehouse access They want leadership to reverse a lobby ban and restore 24-hour legislation notice.

Already did that at the statehouse a while back.

(I am terrified of this 20-year "mandatory minimum" sentence for "assaulting" a "first responder" law. They're eventually going to be able to give you 20 years for hurting a Republican's feelings.)

No, because dems usually put their paddles down on the table, pulled out their phones, and started sending fundraising e-mail before the ball even came over the net. We're just gonna get pinged to death from one side. No pongs.

And sure, this one incident at San Francisco University probably won’t move the needle. But what if there are more? What if someone records you with smart glasses without your knowledge, and it’s your face that ends up on some douchebag’s TikTok account? As much as I want to believe that people can use smart glasses responsibly, I think we all know where this is headed, and while the vast majority of people probably won’t abuse the ability to record their surroundings discreetly, an unfortunate and overrepresented subset just might.

I'm sure the Ohio Legislature will cook up an "it's illegal to wear smart glasses around an elected official or law enforcement officer" law before the year is out.

Let's find a way to make it go faster, hit harder.

That's why I think it's likely already happening and/or is inevitable. Everybody wins, right?

I don't know why this chyron made me laugh, but it did:

"Oracle shares fall on report the company is struggling to make money renting out Nvidia chips"

A million years ago, I knew someone who had the necessary knowledge/background and (probably illegally?) rehabbed a couple injured bobcats. Got them healed up and sent them on their way.

They didn't exactly seem friendly, but the way they acted was surprisingly house-cat like.

Based on "we will discuss" I think the impact will be (4278+(23*L))/SS where L is the length of Trump's necktie and SS is the annual steel production of the Sheffield, UK metro.

I'm sure some management moron is going to pick this up and ask me to forecast what the impact of the discussion will be on our 2026 costs, by quarter.

Just tell me the next 9 months will be as hellish for me at work as the last 9 have been, skip the jargon. All of this is so fucking stupid.