Another exciting day here in WV, as it election day, so I dutifully went to the polls and voted for a bunch of people who will NEVER EVER EVER get elected here because I vote in the Democratic primaries, so that was eventful. Afterwards I had to drive to Morgantown because in my infinite wisdom while in Arizona in December I scheduled a bunch of appointments today, not knowing that it was election day and every place would be packed.
Regardless, it was a nice drive, made better by the fact that I spent the whole drive down and back listening to a fabulous podcast by none other than a Balloon Juice commenter (I honestly forget her handle) Rose Judson. It’s called “Books of All Time,” and it is described as “Books of All Time tackles classic literature in chronological order. Each month, host Rose Judson summarizes a classic work of literature in one episode and then dives into the story behind it in the second episode.”
It’s REALLY good. The stories are fun and informative, the background episodes are equally fun, and what I like most about it is that it is SOOO ACCESSIBLE. It’s not super inside baseball- someone with only a passing knowledge of some of the texts will be on the same footing as an expert or someone who has never heard about them. Plus, Rose has a delightful voice and the time just passes by.
I was just chatting with her the other day and she mentioned her podcast, and I am glad she did! I’ve also asked her if she would like to do a zoom book club with us at some point, and she said yes and seemed excited about it, so we are going to try to schedule something in July/August. That way all of you should have plenty of time to listen to the podcasts if you are so inclined.
You can find it on Spotify here, Apple here, and you can search your other podcast delivery places on your own. I give it two thumbs up.
The first appointment was with a dermatologist to check two tiny rough patches on my back to see if they were something I should be concerned about, and they are in fact basically aging spots that everyone gets, but while I was there I had them remove some skin tags that had grown on my back. My doctor was super nice and she had a nice young PA who was only on her second day, and I told them that it would be perfectly fine with me if the PA did them to help her learn, and they were very excited. I lay down on my stomach and I didn’t feel a thing and it was over in a jiffy, and I was told that I “did a great job,” to which I responded that I am very good at lying down in fact I was a natural and practiced as often as I could.
Next up was the eye doctor, and that was kind of irritating because they did the whole numbing drops and dilated my pupils. I hate that. At any rate, everything was ok and I am developing cataracts, albeit very very minor ones, but I should keep an eye on them to which I said “ehh what’s another torpedo in a sinking ship,” which seemed to upset her a little as she winced. She’s young. She’ll understand one of these days.
Back to WV politics. By the Way of Joe My God, I learned this about my Governor, Jim Justice, who may one day be my Senator:
The son of a coal magnate, Mr. Justice took over the family business in 1993 and expanded its interests beyond coal, with acquisitions in agriculture and high-end hospitality. Like many sprawling enterprises, the Justice companies have taken on prodigious debts. But they have also taken on a reputation for not paying them — and that may be catching up to them.
A bank in neighboring Virginia that has served the Justice family for decades has begun the process of collecting on more than $300 million in defaulted loans. Some of the family business’s prized assets, chief among them the 246-year-old Greenbrier resort, are in the bank’s sights, and collections on the governor’s personal bank accounts and even his house are now a possibility. Efforts have already been underway in Virginia to seize properties belonging to Mr. Justice’s son, James C. Justice III, the president of the family companies.
In West Virginia, the tax authorities have placed liens on Greenbrier properties for millions in unpaid taxes, only months after auctioning off tax-delinquent properties owned by the governor elsewhere in the state.
Collecting on such substantial debt has pitted creditors against one another, at times to the Justices’ benefit. One bank sued Mr. Justice along with a number of banks last month after discovering that the collateral for one of its loans, some land near the Greenbrier, had also been pledged to a host of other lenders.
I’m officially over right wing fake billionaires running the world, I really am.
That’s it for me. Battlestar Galactica is streaming for free on Amazon Prime, so I am off to rewatch Caprica first before starting that. Take care.
Another Scott
Speaking of historic facilities with problematic ownership… CommercialObserver.com:
[ womp, womp ]
Fingers crossed that WV is starting to get ready to approach the idea of turning the corner. Gotta start somewhere…
Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
Geminid
Polls in Maryland just closed, except for anyone in line. The Democratic primary race between Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has gotten a lot of attention.
There are also primaries for 3 open Congressional seats, One is in Trone’s western Maryland 6th CD, another is in John Sarbanes’ 3rd CD between DC and Baltimore. That’s where former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn is running.
TaMara
Love the podcast recommendation. And does WV not have computer dilation? Where they take a photo of your eyes and it tells you everything. Diabetes? Nope. Cataracts? Nope. Macular degeneration? Nope. Thining from old age. Unfortunately, yup.
It is sooo much better than dilation which usually gives me a migraine.
sab
Son of a coal magnate seems problematic. I knew some of their wives in law school. Nice girls, but they were wary of spouses. Not that spouses were bad. Some people keep thir heads down because of what they do for a living.
Scout211
Wow. That is very interesting about the Justice family finances.
Why do all of these banks allow these fake billionaires to put up encumbered collateral? Trump and his family have done it for years but I guess it must be common in the fake billionaire world.
Good thing the Republicans had their retreat at Greenbrier before the place was sold out from under them.
I’m so old I remember debt like this kept people out of politics.
Manyakitty
And Washington Post just sent out an alert that Justice won the GOP primary. Away we go…
Math Guy
Ophthalmologists can look at your retina without having to dilate your pupils; they have a camera that can snap a detailed image. Every time I go in for an examination they offer me that option for an additional $35. It irritates me that insurance does not cover the cost, but I pay the difference anyway to avoid having to get my pupils dilated.
I like your torpedo reference. Yeah, sometimes I feel like a slowly sinking ship.
CaseyL
@Scout211: I assume it has as much, or more, to do with currying favor than “sound investing.”
There’s also the old aphorism that if you owe a bank $1,000, they own you; but if you owe the bank $100,000,000 you own them. They’re desperate to keep debt-saddled billionaires from actually defaulting, because they’d have to reflect that on their balance sheets, and their own bottom line would… bottom out.
Marleedog
I am on the Eastern Shore of MD, CD1, aka North Alabama, R+14, represented by the odious back bench teabagger Andy Harris. I do not think that we can elect a Democrat in otherwise blue Maryland.
But the Senate is another story and I am glad to see Cardin gone.
We have been spammed by a deluge of David Trone flyers in the mail for the past 3 months. Alsobrooks, not so much, but her yard signs were better. I will be glad when that is over.
I early-voted for Alsobrooks, and I think, hope, she will win tonight. The last thing we need is yet another pasty white scion of wealth when an equally if not more competent, and younger woman of color is a much better choice to represent the people of Maryland.
Jay
https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2024/05/wilhoits-law-and-campus-protests
Free WAPO gift link at LGM.
Geminid
@Manyakitty: Network TV producers are gonna love Jim Justice and his drawl. He makes Joe Manchin sound like David Niven.
Manyakitty
@Geminid: don’t forget about his dog. (Babydog?)
Geminid
@Manyakitty: That would be “Babydawg.”
Spanky
RJud doesn’t comment around here any more as often as maybe we would like.
Ruviana
John, at least in my experience cataract surgery was a piece of cake. So you’ve got that going for you when the time comes.
Manyakitty
@Geminid: fair enough. Not terrible for a vague, unresearched memory 😁
zhena gogolia
JL Cauvin: “Michael Cohen is a lying sleazeball! That’s why I hired him!”
eclare
@Geminid:
I have to admit, it is a cute dog.
Spanky
@Marleedog:
I could have written this, except you were more eloquent. Don’t need another aging white guy in the Senate.
I’m pretty sure the race won’t be decided until the early and mailed in ballots are counted, so no need to wait up late tonight.
ETA the obligatory Fuck Larry Hogan.
bbleh
I have registered in PA since I’m moving there next month, so I was happy not to have to waste time casting a vote in WV. Justice will be better than Mooney — he may be corrupt, but he’s not a nitwit MAGAt. And as for the local races, it just wasn’t worth the time to sort out the merely reactionary and revanchist from the truly lunatic. Into the lifeboat, and leave them to their fate.
West of the Rockies
Open Thread?
I cannot stand the Otezla commercial with Ned and his plaque psoriasis!!
Swing your arms when you walk. Don’t cringe and lean away from everyone else. Don’t look at your blind date with obvious surprise that she is normal and pretty. Don’t just shrug and hug her goodbye when you part in front of the theater.
Rant over. Thank you for listening.