In no particular order:

  • All my grades and paperwork are turned in
    • I’m done with teaching for 2023
    • I have some administrative hurdles to clear as to 2024
  • We have a budding dictator
    • Yes, we have to honor the threats being uttered by The Old Man
    • There is no way to be dictator for “one day only”
      • Shredding the constitution is shredding the constitution
      • Having absolute power like that is something that cannot be done temporarily
    • We’ve got Steve Bannon calling for a purge of people who aren’t Christian Nationlist types
    • The man already was involved in one attempt at a coup d’état so I think frankly he needs to be taken at face value rather than discounting these statements as merely attempts to gin up his political base
  • Weight loss efforts continue but are slow
  • I eventually need to get a new passport set
  • Christmas is apparently going to be celebrated at home in Ashtabula
  • We’re looking at staffing loss at The Star Beacon and I’m getting concerned that they’re below acceptable minimums to be able to continue to produce a newspaper
    • We need a study as to the news seeking behaviors of the local populace
    • The ridiculous part already observed in that regard was when I did the “Smart Streaming Television” presentation at Harbor-Topky Memorial Library
      • People were calling after the event complaining they knew nothing about it
      • It ran in The Star Beacon and The Gazette for over one month
      • It was highlighted on the library’s Facebook account
      • There was promotional material inside the library and handouts
      • What were people expecting? Canvassers?
  • The dating and relationships scene continues to be effectively dead
    • Ashtabula County is effectively equivalent to the outback
    • The selection pool is just not that big here
  • The push to relocate continues
    • I have to buckle down and write up pitches to those two medical schools
      • Art schools retain life models for their students to draw
      • Would such medical schools be willing to retain a relatively high functioning patient with A Rare Condition for students to poke, prod, and observe?
      • Family preferences are relocating to Toronto or Brisbane for…well…political reasons facing the USA at the moment
    • In terms of “continuity of care” the possible places I can go are very limited
    • The places where people are available that specialize in The Rare Condition are simply not that numerous
      • Cleveland, Ohio
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
      • Boston, Massachusetts
      • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
      • Southampton, England, United Kingdom
    • Unfortunately I am not blessed with being able to just ignore The Rare Condition
    • The next round of diagnostic surveillance tests picks up in April
  • I don’t like watching my country decide that democracy was a bad idea and shift towards authoritarian autocracy
  • This year is ending on an odd note, I guess