October 31, 2026 - Week in Review

Another week is in the books.

First, I need to scold my audience. On Sunday, I asked for help talking me off the ledge for a bit of retail therapy (buying another guitar that I really don't need). Instead of that intervention, you all were encouraging me to abuse my AmEx card (I do pay it off every month, relax).

I need an intervention (again)

I need to schedule an intervention, the temptation to buy a new guitar is overwhelming…

Sweaty's CornerGeoff Anderson

With that out of the way, let's move on to the serioud bits...

Monday, October 26: We finally get to the third act of the Performance book of the Reagan era, the Presidency, and it starts with a trojan horse. Reagan promised to fix stagflation, and to spur growth by adopting trickle down economics. Sure, the economy got better, but that was mostly due to Fed Chair Paul Volker's egregious medicine (people today whine about 7% mortgages, in 1981 my parents has an 18% interest rate loan).

Huge tax cuts, but then multiple tax increases and tripling the national debt. That is something the Reagan fluffers try to gloss over...

The Trojan Horse

In December 1982, unemployment hit 10.8%, the worst since the Depression, sixteen months after Reagan took office. The tax cut came first. The pain came after.

Sweaty's CornerGeoff Anderson

Wednesday, October 28: One event at the start of the first Reagan term is particularly worth diving in on, the PATCO strike and Reagan's strike-breaking. This really was the permission slip for the capital class to start destroying organized labor.

The Letter and the Ultimatum

PATCO endorsed Reagan, got a letter promising cooperation, and was decertified by October 1981. The law was the stated reason. The message to private employers was the point.

Sweaty's CornerGeoff Anderson

Thursday, October 29: Sweaty is still trying to avoid all the hopium in the week before the election, and he is really worried that starting next Wednesday there will be a wave of copium when Democrats fall far short of all these inflated expectations, so he is overloading on music. Today, he brings you Robyn Adele Anderson (not related) who brilliantly covers songs without using any AI.

Music: Robyn Adele Anderson

Definitely not AI slop, Robyn brings a fun flair to classics

Sweaty's CornerGeoff Anderson

Friday, October 30: After that musical interlude, we go back to the Reagan posts. This time, we see how close we got to a world without MAD, and the ability to sterilize every square inch of the land. And it was derailed by Reagan's infatuation with the Star Wars system that really was welfare for defense contractors.

The Word "Laboratory"

Reagan called the Soviets the focus of evil, then nearly gave away every nuclear weapon in sight. His own cabinet said whoa, whoa, not like that.

Sweaty's CornerGeoff Anderson

Saturday, October 31: More music. As I try to avoid all the overconfidence (I just watched the Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson in the weekly podcast talk about how many of these esoteric races he expects to fall to Democrats - sorry buddy, I think you are high on your own supply) I turn to music to soothe my fraying nerves.

Music: A two-fer, Gamazda and Angel Vivaldi

Still avoiding the electioneering and punditry overdosing on hopium, here are two songs I think you will enjoy…

Sweaty's CornerGeoff Anderson

From the Shitposting Dude, it was a busy week. Lots to poke fun at.

First up is the Participation Trophy aesthetic that Trump brought to the Republican party:

Man, Everybody Gets a Trophy

The President didn't win the Nobel Peace Prize. An Iowa congressional candidate found a workaround at what looks like Michaels.

The Dude ShitpostsJeffery Lebowski

That was going to be what I shared, then Lil' Marco helped welcome the poor political refugee Flavio Bolsonaro, the loser in Brazil's election, and thus facing prosecution for his money laundering and fraud-lite:

Man, That’s a Hell of a Humanitarian Case

Apparently the border remains an existential emergency right up until the right guy shows up on a private jet.

The Dude ShitpostsJeffery Lebowski

And finally, down-ballot Republicans who have basically taken their seats as a birthright, and who have often had run unopposed are beginning to realize that they are devoid of the basic political skills. The Republicans have essentially been able to place potted plants in office:

Now the Parsley Has a Campaign Office

Safe seats, the Glengarry leads, and a political establishment that may be working exactly as intended.

The Dude ShitpostsJeffery Lebowski

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