Roll this

Well, Monday has arrived and I don't have to go into work today.  That doesn't mean I'm not going to be doing anything.  Yard work is planned.  In the dining room, I have to pull the table front, replace the quarter round, and get that section of trim painted; as well as hang the tapestry and the mirror at the foot of the staircase.  Oh, and I want to see if I can get an 18 mile ride in... hopefully.
Yesterday I had the displeasure of selling some cheap indoor / outdoor carpet to a woman who refused to listen to what I said.  Initially she had picked up a pre-cut roll (6' x 8').  However, she saw "a better quality of carpet" on the 6 foot rolls we cut.  I told her that it was the same carpet, but not everybody wants 8 feet.  And she said, "no, the carpet on the rolls is better.  You can almost see through the pre-cut carpet."  It's the same thing, more like Felt then carpet.  Oh, and it's more expensive when we have to cut it.  She totally refused to understand, and so I cut her a section that was...(are you ready for this?) 6' x 8'.  After it was cut, she lifted the corner up and said, "oh, you can almost see through this."  And I said, "yes, it's the same carpet."  I have no problem when stupid people end up paying more money they they need to because they're... well... stupid.
And evidently Dense Pence is speaking at the annual NRA gathering in Dallas on Friday and there will be no firearms allowed in the arena.  The NRA has no problem with this.  Can you smell the hypocrisy in the air?  Supposedly some gun enthusiasts smell it too, but most will have no problem surrendering their weapons.  They will all be sitting targets in that arena, and none of them will care.  These people are phony as hell.  One of the things which make the above article so... amusing, is a comment by some Idiot Jerk supporter about Hilary still not being in jail....  Which is the kind of thing I'd expect to hear from the woman who bought rolled indoor / outdoor carpet because she thought I didn't know what I was talking about.  Wait... no, that's not right.  That's giving the supporter way too much credit.  That woman is an embarrassment to America.  She proves stupidity has no bounds... especially if you're a conservative.

Sprouting nuts

Well, it's Sunday and some of you are sleeping in - that seems to be what a lot of people usually do on Sundays.  Oh, sure, some will get up and go to Church, but attendance seems to be on the decline.  Me?  I did free weights.  An hour's worth.  My free weights are all done with dumbbells and focus on the upper body.  Cycling keeps the legs in shape.
Evidently there was some sort of media event last evening and Sarah Huckabee Sanders got roasted... and some Republicans are fuming.  This is the same party that for 8 years shrieked about Obama's citizenship.  If they can't take the heat they need to stay out of the kitchen.  Am I right?  And, of course, the Idiot Jerk was farting into a microphone out in Michigan totally ignoring his teleprompter.  Maybe if someone told him his fortune depended upon staying on message he might listen... Nope.  I suspect that only happens when he sees someone waving his Golden Shower video.
Anyway, I saw in the NYT how much of a numb nuts he is, especially in regard to the mid-term elections.  Why would he listen.  In his mind, addled as it is, his 2016 victory means he can do what ever he wants.  The polls were wrong then.  He believes they'll be wrong again.  Oh, and I'm sure he's also counting on his Russian friends to intervene should it look like he's losing the house.  If you think you've seen the worst of him already, just wait until the day after the mid-terms.  Don't be surprised if the shit explosion will be so terrible the walls of the White House will be leveled, which will mean a long decontamination period until we're able to rebuild.
On the bright side, tomorrow is always another day.  The temperature is supposed to be a little warmer.  Spring might finally be arriving... or maybe summer's going to smile his friendly face a bit early.  That's what happened last year.
All of the trees around the house have burst into bloom.  Tomorrow, I'll walk out to where I planted my walnuts to see if they've sprouted.  If they have I'll have to write an entry about how wonderful it is when your nuts sprout.

I'll be looking for this

Gargantuan

So, here it is Saturday.  We're supposed to be getting heavy thunderstorms this afternoon, complete with hail.  Yippee!
I rode a bit over 10 miles this AM - a new route - Fallonica, where ever that is.  Instead of changing gears to make the climbs easier, I made myself work on the climbs.  Boy did I sweat, almost as bad as Trey Gowdy caught wearing only a towel in the Continental Baths.  I actually had to wipe down the bike since I don't want sweat ruining that nice, oxblood finish.
And I guess there's a bit of a religious upheaval happening down in DC.  Ryan did what the Evangelicals wanted and fired the Catholic Chaplain for the House of Representatives.  Some are saying he was ousted for political reasons, that he was too Liberal.  Me?  I think it was because he was a Catholic.  For those who don't know, Evangelicals really despise Catholics.  I work with an Evangelical who says Catholics are "false Christians."  He sees them as really bad people.  Phonies.  And it seems as though the Evangelicals are calling the shots when it comes to the House of Representatives.  Having a "false Christian" as Chaplain would really be a splinter under their fingernails.  Instead of being honest, they're using the Liberal gambit.  I doubt if it will work.  By now most people are beginning to realize that Evangelicals are really nothing more than hypocrites from Hell.
Which leads me to this picture of the Milky Way.  When I saw this I thought "that is freaking amazing!"

Are galaxy is really large... no, the galaxy is bigger than big... no, that's still not right.  The Milky Way is Gargantuan.  The Sol System is somewhere near the edge.  I find it rather pathetic that the same minds which want to evict the Catholic Chaplain from the House will probably never look at this picture.  Those that do will shrug and quickly move on.  For these people nothing really exists beyond the edge of our stratosphere.  The 'stars in the heavens" will never be anything more than pinpoints of light.  To be anything more than that might lead to unpopular questions.  They are much happier to simply suck on the opiate of the people.  These people will always choose stupidity because it makes them feel safe.  Unfortunately for us, they want everybody to suck on this drug.  Like the dinosaurs, they will die off.  The galaxy awaits.

Big Seig helps paint

Okay, so it's Friday and I get to go to work.  I get to work 3 days and then I'm off for 1, work for 1 day and then off for a day.  Screwy, ain't it?  Oh, and it's raining again.  This is the first April in quite some time that we've actually had April showers in... April.  For the past couple of years they've shown up in May.  I'm surprised that the Idiot Jerk in the White House hasn't claimed credit.
Yesterday I worked on painting more of the trim in the dining room.  And Big Seig helped... somewhat.

I also got a little over 10 miles in on the bike averaging 3.5 minutes a mile.  Speed and endurance are important for this ride since the total ride is over 27 miles.
And Scotty Pruitt testified yesterday.  From what I've been reading, a lot of people realize he's a gift to the Democrats.
Oh, and it Idiot Jerk did a phone interview with his favorite, fictional TV show yesterday, Fox and Friends.  Of course, I didn't listen, but it must have been one hooting story time.  He admitted publicly that he'd known about Cohen's payments to Stormy, which conflicted with what he'd previously said.  There was also a little bit about how Cohen had actually done "very little" personal work for him...   I understand that sent the Justice Department scrambling since now, according to our Faux President, there should be very little attorney / client privileged information.  They guy can't stop lying, especially when the media spot light is shining on him.  What an Idiot Jerk.

Dr. Ronnie crashes into the Real World

So, it's Thursday and I'm off work today.  Then I get to work for 3 days before I have another day off.  My schedule next week is for having split days off - which is something I don't like.  Back to back days off is what I prefer.
I also see that Dr. Ronnie (Candyman) Jackson might be withdrawing his name for consideration as the new Head of Veteran's Affairs.  This is about par for the course.  If you praise the Idiot Jerk in the White House, and kiss his ass, you tend to get what you want.  Dr. Ronnie said the Idiot Jerk was in outstanding health, that he'd probably live to be 200 (he actually said that), and got himself promoted to Admiral.  And then, with a few swipes of his tongue, Dr. Ronnie got himself a nomination to a cabinet position.  Woah!  Doesn't Dr. Ronnie move fast!  The fact that Dr. Ronnie seems to have no problem self-medicating didn't seem to bother the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Or like crashing a car under the influence?   No doubt he went to see Michael (The Fixer) Cohen on that one.  And you know The Fixer said "Don't worry Dr. Ronnie... Don't worry Dr. Ronnie, your fix is in the bag."  And Dr. Ronnie no doubt replied "I know the fix is in the bag... that's why I crashed."
Ah... well these flights into reality are simply too disturbing.  Shall we head back into something less... real?
To go with my new shoes, I bought myself some new socks.  Riding Socks.  Brightly colored!  ooohhhhh.....

They arrived yesterday while I was at work.  Holy Crap!  I couldn't wait to slip my little tootsies into them.  They're supposed to help wick away sweat.  You know?  I'll bet if Dr. Ronnie had been wearing socks like these he probably wouldn't have crashed.  Hell, he wouldn't even have been driving a car.  No way.  He'd have been too busy trying to focus his dilated pupils on the pretty colors decorating his feet, watching as he slowly twisted his toes from side to side, too awestruck to do anything but drool.

Coordinating your Tops and Bottoms

Today's Wednesday and... my weekend is over... for a day.  I'm off again tomorrow.  This is okay.  Today is going to be crappy, shitty, rainy.  Tomorrow?  Not so bad.  If the weather is fine enough, I'll take the Synapse out on the road.  If I do, I want all of you fashion mavens out there to rest assured my Tops and Bottoms are covered.  Stylish coordination between the two is almost my middle name.  You see, both my cycling shoes and my helmet are made by the same company, Giro.  And, for those of you who don't know, my most favorite color in the whole world is red, which is why I bought the helmet.  I had 3 color choices for shoes:  Black, White, and Black and Red, so I went with the Black and Red.  Now while the Red in the helmet is incestuously close to the Red in the shoe, they're not a precise match.  But you can believe me when I tell you that when I'm wearing my tight, spandex shorts no one is going to notice the discrepancy.

Anyway, there was a special election in Arizona yesterday.  In a heavily Republican District, a district which the Idiot Jerk won by 21%, the race was tight.  As expected, the GOP candidate did win, but only by a 5%.  So, what happened to the other 16%?  The Trumplodyte supporters who threw away their votes to the Idiot Jerk?  Stayed home?  Suffering from 'buyer's remorse?'  You have to remember that Arizona is the state that gave us the very white, very conservative, crazy Jan Brewer.  The candidate who won is a former state senator, her Democratic opponent was a first time candidate.  That should give the GOP reason to worry, having a new kid on the block get so very, very close.  This almost a really big Ooops for them, especially since they flooded the state with Republican $$$.
This is a case when the political Tops and Bottoms are really, really close.

Feeling a bit like Dorothy

I got a call yesterday from World Cup Cycle and Ski just as I was walking into my local Giant.  My shoes had arrived.  This meant my 'to do' list ended getting altered.  I did get the giant holly bush at the end of the front sidewalk chopped down to size, but I didn't get to the trim in the dining room.  Today will be a better day for the trim anyway.  Weather is supposed to be overcast and rainy.  Knowing I'd be itching to actually go for a ride with my new shoes made this a rather easy decision.
And they look spectacular.  I must say, when I put them on at home I did feel a little bit like Dorothy... without the lacy socks.  Sweat socks will do just fine.

You'll notice there is patent leather on the toes.  Guys in kilts?  Watch out.
As I said, cycling shoes have clips on the soles that fit into pedals.  My whole life I've been avoiding them because they're more expensive and require special pedals.  The investment was worthwhile.  In fact it took about 4 seconds before I slapped myself up side the head and said "I should have done this years ago."  End result:  I cut 10 minutes off a 5 mile ride and that makes a world of difference.

The clip is are at the balls of your feet

Think of them as super, duper tap shoes.
Twice the Idiot Jerk in the White House has denied spending a single night in Moscow during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant.  Surprise, surprise, they appear to be lies.  For those who don't know, that is when he was supposedly filmed in a Golden Shower video.  And it seems as though he spent at least one complete night, and flew out in the early morning hours of the 2nd night.  There is, of course, no comment from either the White House or the Idiot Jerk's team.  You can bet that when they do say something, the first two words you'll see will be "Fake Media."
I'll leave you with one amazing fact, for those who didn't know.  Everybody has balls on their feet... even women.

Hannity, HUD, and the Thimblehead

 Okay, so it's Monday and some of you had to go to work today... I didn't.  My weekend started last evening around 7 PM.  Two days off.  Then I get to back and work for a day before having another day off.
This doesn't mean, however, that my next 48 hours are going to be leisurely.  Not in the least.  There are all sorts of chores and jobs planned.  I always over plan, and over schedule.  Usually I end up surprising myself when I realize just how much I have accomplished.
The Guardian did a revealing story about Sean Hannity and his Real Estate holdings.  Seems as though he owns a number of properties in areas specifically classified as being 'Low Income,' and 'Poverty Areas.'  This pretty much means he's a Slum Lord.  Now is anyone really surprised?  I wasn't.  Some of these properties also appear to be getting assistance from HUD, and we all know who the dupe is running HUD... our very own Crazy Christian Ben Carson.  Now, ain't that spicey?  No wonder the Slum Lord isn't happy.  People are starting to wonder just how deep his hand is in Ben Carson's pants... maybe I mean pockets... how far down does his hand go in Ben Carson's pockets.  Right... as though a little bit of fabric is going to make any difference.
I haven't heard from World Cup Cycle and Ski about my new Giros, they said it would take about a week.  If they call today, I'll probably make an appointment to get them on Thursday since I have take the bike in.  They will put the new pedals on and then I'll have to clip the shoes on and off a couple of times to make sure everything is hunky dory.
There was also this funny story about how the coal industry is continuing to flounder; another coal reliant power plant is on the verge of filing for bankruptcy.  One such group wants the Idiot Jerk to declare a power grid emergency in order to get a government hand out.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House is going to thank all of those coal miners who voted for him a plate of shit.  Ooops.  This is just one more example of how he's nothing more than a thimblehead.

Anyway, the time has come for me to start tackling my list.

Spring just might have arrived

Sunday... Sunday... Sunday, and I get to work.  My weekend starts tomorrow.  That means while a lot of you will be doing the Monday Morning Soft Shoe, I'll be... well, lawn work.  And I have to paint the trim in the dining room... and rehang the tapestry... and the art... and, of course, there are the draperies for some bit of privacy.  The last thing I want is for Chris next door, or his bearded tenant, watching me through the shrubberies as I dance naked through the dining room.
I saw that the people in Utah gave Mitt Romney a plate of shit.  Looks like there's going to be a primary in June to decide which Republican gets to run for the Senate.  A lot of people thought Mittens would hit a grand slam with the voters of that state.  Sadly for Mitt, he came in 2nd.  Oops.
And what about North Korea and their amazing announcement on ending their nuclear testing program?  Only a knucklehead would believe them, you know, like the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Let's be honest here, this has a rather odorous smell, like a 3 day old open can of tuna.  Everyone needs to be on their toes.  Just like the Idiot Jerk in the White House, Kim Jung Whatever is not going to change.  There's no new leaf, no true olive branch.  If anything, the Idiot Jerk from North Korea will meet the Idiot Jerk in the White House believing he's they're 2 world dictators having a pow wow.
Anyway, I rode 7 miles this AM - and I was pleased.  This is the first time I was on the bike in 8 days, which is weird.  Hopefully tomorrow there will be more mileage.
And the weather is supposed to be nice.  I can't wait.  Spring might have finally arrived. 
These are the days when I get to leave the back door open so the dogs can run in and out whenever they want.  Life is good.  Life will be great after November's Blue Wave.

The Sooner the Better

The weather seems to be turning... warmer.  We had another 'freeze warning' for last night, however I don't believe the temperature got any lower than 34 (F), which is still cold for the middle of April.  Today's supposed to nice and sunny which means the store will be busy, especially the Garden department - Tis the season for mulching.  People buy mulch by the truckload.  We actually schedule people to work in what we call the 'mulch pit' for one hour shifts at a time.  Loading bags of mulch is back breaking work.
I had planned on riding 10 miles this AM... however I woke up around 0400 and couldn't get back to sleep.  Then, around 0615, when I was ready to get on the bike, I felt very tired... at the same time I got an update on the laptop.  So, I thought I'd lay down for 15 minutes until the update was finished and... I woke up 45 minutes later.  End result:  no ride this AM.  Maybe tomorrow.
I didn't hear from World Cup and Ski about my shoes which means they probably won't get to the store until Monday.  This means I might not get them and the new pedals until Tuesday.  If it's any later I'll have to wait until my next day off.  That's fine.  The weather has finally started to improve and I can't wait to take the new bike out on the road.

The sooner the better

And what about Michael Cohen?  The question of his turning no longer seems to have an validity.  Rather most people are now wondering just when that will happen.  As for his loyalty to the Idiot Jerk in the White House?  As with most everyone else surrounding the Idiot Jerk, that seems to be a purchased commodity.  Time is not on Cohen's side, and he knows this.  If he has one smidgen of intelligence, he'll flip faster than a two bit whore offered a ten dollar tip.  And he knows where all of the bodies are buried.  Sure, there will some attempts to delay the inevitable, but they will fail.  The longer he waits to turn, the worse it will be.  The sooner the better.
 

Truth and statistics

Well, it's Friday.  For some this is the end of their work week, not for me, my weekend begins on Monday.  This means that while many are going to be dragging themselves back to work, I'm going to be doing a little happy dance.
Monday is the day I get my new bike shoes and pedals.  That's also the day I'm going to finish touching up spots in the dining room.  There are also 2 doors that need to be painted, a closet door and the door to the basement. 
So, my niece has had to deal with some serious drug issues, and unfortunately for her she was raised by conservatives.  Translation: she's pro-gun.  This AM she posted a stat on Facebook noting that there were 4,382 opioid deaths since Parkland and no one is focusing on that, rather gun control is getting all of the attention.  I tried to verify that statistic and couldn't and so duly pointed this out.  Of course my brother stepped into the conversation implying I meant something else, so I corrected him.  I said that without proof, that statistic amounted to fake news.  All I've heard since then is silence, though I'm suspecting my comment didn't go over too well.
Now I'm not saying there weren't that many opioid deaths, what I'm saying is "put up or shut up."  I really do get tired of Conservatives spitting out surmised facts as truth, especially when they use them as an attack.  Evangelical Christians, especially white ones, use this tactic constantly.  We've all heard their threatening chant "there's a war on Christianity."  No there isn't.  People just want equal rights.  It's your prerogative not to believe in those rights, but don't claim there's a war just because round people don't fit into your square hole.  Don't manufacture a statistic to justify your belief.  Don't cherry pick a fact from 3 years ago and force a summation into what you believe is current.
Anyway, I was going to ride the bike today but didn't.  Anticipation, you know?  The new shoes.  There are toe-clip pedals on the bike right now, and I can't wait to go clipless.  For those who don't know pedal descriptions are a bit of a paradox.  Bike shoes actually clip on to clipless pedals.  Toe-clip pedals refer to a band or small cage that wraps around your foot to keep it in place.  That's right, there aren't just pedals anymore.

Standard toe-clip pedal

To avoid confusion, above is a toe-clip pedal, mine are black.

Clipless pedal

When you look at the difference between the two, you'd almost think a conservative was responsible for the nomenclature.

Blue

Well, it's Thursday and I get to go back to work... for 4 days, and then I'm off for 2, back for 1 and then off again.  The following week's schedule is shit since I don't have any consecutive days off, however in 3 weeks I will have 3 days off in a row.  I guess that makes up for it.
The dining room walls have been painted.  Juniper Berries is much bluer than I was anticipating.  This turned out to be a 3 day project, 1 day for stripping, 1 for patching, sanding and priming, and the third to put on 2 coats of paint.  That's right, I always put on 2 coats of paint.  I'm not a big fan of the single coat coverage paint that's out there.  For one thing, I always tend to miss a couple of spots on the first go through, or I don't apply the paint thick enough.  The 2nd coat doesn't take that long, and personally, I think the finish is better.  Once I have everything hung back on the walls I include pictures.
I went to see my Mom yesterday.  This is always an interesting experience.  Dementia, you know?  I found her sitting in the lobby without her glasses.  She told me "they told me to sit here and I left my glasses in my room."  When I asked who told her to wait there she said "I don't know."  She seems to be stuck in the past, about 50 years ago, since those are the memories which come up in the conversation.  She knows they're in the past, but doesn't know how far back she's going when she talks about Rusty.  Rusty was an Irish Setter, and her most favorite dog in the world.  She will say "I wonder how he's doing."  We don't tell her he died half a century ago; that makes her cry.
Evidently Melanoma is having a birthday.  Just what do you get a Trophy Wife, especially one contracted to the Idiot Jerk in the White House?  A 'Get out of Jail Free' card?'
And I was reading how things are really beginning to look bleak for the GOP in November.  So many people retiring, such high disapproval ratings, and fundraising that's somewhat lackluster.  There was a cautionary edge to the article, though, saying it's "too early to call the election a blue wave," evidently they can't say it's a blue wave until the election is upon us.  Instead they're going to say things like "there might be," and "the possibility exists," and "voters are much more appreciative of the Democrats."  And it's only 6 months away.

I wonder how many more Republicans will abandon ship before the truth hits home?

Disapproval Rating headed into the Records Book

Well... we had some snow yesterday... and it hasn't melted away yet, most likely because the temp is hovering around 33 (F).  Isn't it a good thing I wasn't planning on going for a bike ride.
Barbara Bush has died, as if you hadn't heard.  She was 92; that's beyond elderly.  She was married to George H, a one term president who started off as a Democrat...  He had problems keeping his head above water while in the White House.  She also gave birth to George W, the 2nd worst president in American History.  The son she most desperately wanted to see in the White House was Jeb, unfortunately for him W blew that possibility to smithereens.
Right now the Idiot Jerk in the White House obviously has targeted in on W's 2nd Worst President position.  I can say this because his approval rating continues to slide downward.  At no time, since they've been recording approval ratings, has any president been this low 15 months into his presidency.  This, in a rather bizarre twist, should actually please the Idiot Jerk since he's always wanted to great at something.  He is... at being a scumbag.  Everyday his disapproval ratings make the record books and the good news, for him at least, is that they keep going down.
And today, being my last day off, will most likely be busy.  I want to get two coats of paint on the dining room walls.  Pictures tomorrow.  The color is Juniper Berries - which is a lot of Forest Green with a dabble of Sky Blue.  That explains a lot, doesn't it?
And rather than do the dishes by hand, I'm going to load them into the dishwasher.  Yes, I have one of those.  I like to run it every two or three weeks to make sure it still works.
Anyway, I was looking for a graphic on the Idiot's approval rating and found this - on the Faux News Twitter feed - which is surprising.  The only thing they got wrong was his disapproval rating which they list as 56% - Gallup shows it at 59%.

I think W dropped down to 28% when the stock market fell apart.  The Idiot Jerk may get that low without the crash - now wouldn't that be something for the record books?
 

Shuffle into this

Well, what a day we had yesterday.  I ordered my new cycling shoes.  I'm going with a Giro Savix rather than the Louis Garneau because... I am not the most symmetrical person in the world.  Symmetrics are very important in things like body building (you don't want your left side bigger than your right side).  They're also important in cycling shoes.  Unlike regular shoes, the soles are stiff rather than flexible.  Like many people, my feet are not the same size.  My left foot is longer, and my right foot is wider, so you could, should you want to, say that I'm long and wide.  To accommodate the wider foot, I ended up going with a longer shoe size and rather than use Velcro fasteners there's one strap and strings (with a dial).  The dial is becoming very popular since... I am not alone.  They had black or white in stock... and I wanted something with a little pizzazz, so I ordered these:

Can we talk snazz here?

And then later in the afternoon the news broke about Cohen's other client... the one who's name had been shrouded in mystery.  And I started laughing.  I mean, really laughing out loud.  The 3 clients Cohen worked for last year were.... the Idiot Jerk in the White House, a republican fundraiser named Briody, and... Sean Hannity.  Cohen only works for scumbags.  And of course the Internet is going zippidy doo dah.  When Alan Dershowitz told the Idiot Jerk's attack dog Hannity he should have made that fact public, the Faux News scumbag shuffled into a little "I'm entitled to privacy" dance.  What makes this really funny is that Dershowitz is an ally of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Hannity said it was a small matter... somehow I doubt if Cohen fixed a couple of parking tickets for him.  It was rather obvious Sean wasn't wearing a pair of Giro Savix shoes, otherwise he'd have fallen  flat on his ass when he tried shuffling into his phony little two step, as it was, all he did was continue to lie.

There's fun in stripping

Well, we have another crappy weather day here is Central Pennsylvania.  Flood warnings are out for most of the region.  And, of course, this is one of my days off.  I use Accuweather and always check approaching weather patterns on my days off.  So far, for the next 3 weeks, things don't look too good.
I spent a good portion of yesterday stripping - no pole, no music, just a steamer and a ladder.  The grape border around the dining room is now gone.

Yes, that is a blue lava light on the table

About halfway through the job, Big Seig came to stand... and watch, but only briefly before going back to lay on the sofa.

Anyway, I see the Idiot Jerk was busy trying to keep all of the dirt his attorney has out of the public eye.  He knows that once that shit hits the fan.... well, the shit will hit the fan.  Wouldn't surprise me if the truth is far worse then we even imagine.  And, of course, people don't really like him.  You can feel the anticipation growing.  His bad Karma is going to take a hammer his world.  For what is probably the first time in his selfish, self-absorbed, self-centered life he might have the slightest inkling of fear.  He is losing control, the one thing he has lorded about having.  He thought being president would give him the power to do what ever he wants, dumb shit.  Didn't anybody ever tell this fool that every president is under a microscope?  Well, somebody probably did, however he doesn't really listen.  Perhaps if he'd seen it on Faux News... maybe.  

Just like the grape border that used to top my dining room walls, the Idiot Jerk is going to come down, stripped away and thrown into the trash.  When that day arrives, think of all of the fun we're going to have.  Which goes to prove how much fun there is in stripping.

LESSONS

What a difference a day can make.  Yesterday the temp hit 86 (F) and I turned on the ceiling fans, every one in the house.  We had a balmy, summer day right in the middle of spring.  I'm sure the mulch pit at the store was freaking busy.  Just about everybody buys mulch this time of year.  Today, however, the temp is going to hover around 48 (F) and there is a fine, misty rain which worsen until we have downpours later this evening.  In fact, the next 3 days are supposed to be shitty.  Wednesday, though, is forecast to be nice.  If this happens to be the case, I may take my new bike out on the road!
The Itoh peonies were planted south of Little Stonehenge (my description) and have been properly caged.  Never let your peonies run free!

I saw an interesting opinion this AM on Democrats using "impeachment" of the Idiot Jerk as a means of getting elected in the coming Blue Wave.  While author illustrated well the difficulties of impeachment, there is a greater lesson to be learned:  Don't Beat a Dead Horse.  The Republicans have never, ever learned this lesson which is why the Benghazi hearings seemed to run for an eternity.  The only people that waste of American tax dollars connected with were those already going voting for the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  They changed no opinions, yet those crazies on the right could not stop beating that dead horse.  The same thing with the Clinton email scandal.  The only ones angered about that were the ones who would vote Republican even if Stalin were on the ballot.  The only way to get this loser out of the White House is to make his life difficult.  Don't threaten him with impeachment... go after his finances.  Making his attorneys squirm is the key.  The loyalty the Idiot Jerk demands has always been purchased.  Put a better offer on the table and that loyalty will disappear.  This needs to be the difference between Democrats, Centrists, and Independents when dealing with Republicans.  They see an opportunity and pick up a club, when we see an opportunity we need to make a better offer.  We need to learn our lessons well.

The Nice Day

Well, it's Saturday and the temperature will hit the mid 80's (F) again, and I decided to take the day off from work.  That's right, I called off.  This will give me 5 days off in a row.  Very nice.  I've had a lot of sales this past week, so I'll probably hit 200% of my goal, which should make everybody happy.
I saw this AM that we shot missiles at Syria.  This is the 2nd time we've shot missiles at that country.  The first time the Idiot Jerk in the White House called the Russians to let them know in advance... and of course Syria is a close ally of Russia.  This time the Idiot Jerk Tweeted up a storm on how we were going to fire missiles.  Stupid things like "get ready, here they come."  Ooops,  Let's make sure they have enough time to move their war toys out of the target zone.  Now the Idiot Jerk is crowing "mission accomplished."  Excuse me, someone with at least an average IQ should tell him this was a mission failure.
And I watched some of "Lost in Space" last evening.  I like it.  There are a lot of references to the original series, including the end music.  Dr. Smith is... really bad.  For those who don't know, or who don't remember, Dr. Smith was really bad for the first season, when the series was in black and white.  In fact, that whole season the show's focus was much more dramatic.  It wasn't until the second season that Smith became a caricature.  The Netfilx reboot is much more like the first season.  Let's hope it stays that way.

The only thing I didn't understand was the chicken.  So, if anybody knows how a chicken got on one of the Saturn space ships, please let me know.

And because today's so nice, the back door is standing open so the dogs can run in and out.  They will be sleeping well this evening.

Sizzle

Rest day!  Well, not from work, rather no workout and no cycling scheduled for today.  Tomorrow I la to ride for at least 12 miles.
I sold some carpet yesterday to a woman who's divorcing her husband.  She has 2 kids, one is 6 and the other is 9.  Oh, and she's planning on taking the kids and moving down to South Carolina so she can be with her boyfriend.  She said her parents are going to be upset, but then they "don't really know him," as in the boyfriend.  I was also told she really thinking about her kids... as well as herself.   Oh, and she's divorcing her husband because he never completes anything.  There was more negativity regarding her soon to be ex, and I ignored it.  The truth is the only person she's thinking about is herself.  She will totally disrupt the lives of her children just so she can be with her boyfriend.  I feel bad for the kids since they are the ones who are going to suffer the most.  You know things are going to go bad when people start using the innocent to justify their actions.
Oh, and for a big laugh, James Comey's book is coming out.  Of course, Faux News won't go near it with a 10 foot poll.  Any thing critical of the Idiot Jerk is off limits because... well, he's friends with Rupert Murdoch, for one, and secondly, he exemplifies everything bad about Conservatives.  Their approach has always been to ignore and lie about everything which makes them look like scumbags.  The more terrible the Idiot Jerk becomes, the deeper they fall into attack mode.  Like a wild animal in a trap, they're going to start chewing off their own limbs.  Paul Ryan's decision is the perfect example.
Anyway, we're about half way through April and the temperature is forecast to go up into the mid 80's (F).  That's hot for this time of year.  Steamin!  And guess who has to work today, and tomorrow, when the temperature is again supposed to be hot.  Oh, and guess who has off for 4 days when the temperature is going to flip flop faster then the Idiot Jerk in the White House (think Trans Pacific Trade agreement).  That's right.  I'll have off and it's going to be cool and rainy.  I need to remind myself that warmer days are coming.

And we all know warmer days are not what the Crazy Conservatives want at all.

Oh, and a little tidbit, rumors have it that the FBI raid on the Idiot Jerk's attorney let them snag voice recordings of.... guess who?  Sizzle.  Sizzle.

Catch this

Eleven miles on the bike this AM - my average heart rate dropped to 116 per minutes, and I was averaging about 68 RPM (tire revolutions per minute), which wasn't bad.  It's an improvement from 2 days ago.  We like to see improvements.
I have customers coming in this afternoon to design blinds.  Two of their windows are narrow.  The Coolaroo blinds they want are too wide for an inside mount, so they decided an outside mount was best.  So, I get the measurements yesterday and they're all for inside mounts.  When I talked to her on the phone she said, "and we've chose our pattern."  And.... it's not going to fit.  This means I'll need to call the installer this AM and see if we can use those measurements for outside mounts.  Now, why didn't they just tell him to measure for outside mounted solar shades?  Blind people.
And Paul Ryan's leaving Washington.  I wonder if this means we're going to get more half-naked selfies from him.
And John Boehner joined some sort of marijuana board...  maybe we should start calling him Bong Boehner.
Ah, and I saw somewhere that the Idiot Jerk's ex-bestie Steve Bannon is saying Rosenstein needs to be fired as well as Mueller.  Now, isn't that rich.  There's evidently some sort of bi-partisan effort under way to keep this from happening.  You see, even some crazy conservative politicians realize this would be like jumping in front of a moving locomotive.  One second the Idiot Jerk is standing there, the next second he's smashed out of the way by the cow catcher.  You see, cow catchers never really caught cows, they were just very, very bad for cows.

Democrat and Republican cow catchers

Of course, the Idiot Jerk is going to listen to the allied ass kissers and sycophants surrounding him.  I don't even want to try and imagine what kind of shit explosion we're going to see.  Maybe we should start practicing for that big day.  Do as I say:  "duck and cover, duck and cover."

Recovery

Well, here it is a couple of minutes after 8 on a Wednesday morning and the Dow is already down over 300 points.  Oops.  And inflation data is going to be released a little over half an hour from now.  The Middle East is set to explode, and stock market's dropping ever lower on a weekly basis, gas prices are surging... this is making America great?  Of course not.  What you're seeing is the Idiot Jerk running towards another bankruptcy.... except this time he's going to crash the country.  In case you didn't know, this is what the Evangelicals voted for...  Now we know who to blame.
On the Middle East, I wouldn't be surprised if this time the region does explode.  Mostly because we have an Idiot Jerk in the White House.  He's dumb as a brick.  The Russians are more interested in disrupting the American political landscape than Syria, and the Idiot Jerk is giving them exactly what they want.  He is diminishing the greatest nation in the world.  His policies will crash the economy.  Hold onto your bootstraps, this is going to get messy.
And, of course, I have four more work days until I have 4 days off.  And, of course, the weather is going to be beautiful during those 4 work days and crappy as hell when I'm off.  Tomorrow the temp is supposed to hit 70 (F), on my days off the high is only supposed to be in the upper 50's.  That sucks.
I'd no longer seeing Kilmore Eye Ass for my glaucoma.  Yesterday I made an appointment with the VA.  I can go to the clinic in Camp Hill, which is 4 miles away.  Very nice.
Yesterday my Supervisor told me he got a par-time job at a bike shop in York.  He, too, is an avid cyclist, though he's more crazy at it than I am.  He knows a lot about bikes but has no structure, if you know what I mean.  His organizational skills always seem to be about one step behind where they're supposed to be.  Being ex management I tend to help him out.  He's a nice guy who tends to run from responsibility.  That's frustrating.  I stepped down because I didn't want to have to deal with this kind of shit anymore.  Ah, well, this too will pass.  Just like the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  I just hope the recovery isn't going to be too painful.

Heroes among us

It's Tuesday and yippie! skippie! I get to go back to work... for a week - 5 days in a row.
I only rode 10 miles this AM.  Around 6 miles into I had to stand up and retuck farther to the left, believe me, when you're going to be sitting on a bike saddle for more than twenty minutes the last thing you want is to be sitting on a stray fold... if you know what I mean.
Speaking of cycling, Taylor Phinney crossed the finish line in 8th place.  For those who don't know this is great!  Four years ago he crashed into a steel guardrail when an official on a motorcycle crossed into his path.  Compound tibia and fibula fractures.  That's right, the bones were sticking out.  Four years later he came in 8th at Paris / Roubaix.  This is the stuff heroes are made of.

Taylor Phinney, scars and all

On the other end of the spectrum is Laura Ingraham who's returned to pollute the airwaves with her Right Wing hatred.  She's been farting out turds, complaining Liberals are attacking Freedom of Speech.  What she doesn't understand is that Americans are beginning to hold Fox News accountable for their words and actions.  This is, however, what we should expect.  She is, after all, on the most least trustworthy of the major news networks.  

So, who trusts Laura Ingraham?  Small minded people who like their hate spit at them by a peroxide, blonde, bimbo.

Oh, and the FBI raided the Idiot Jerk's personal attorney... and the Oval Office had to endure another shit explosion.  There's shit in every nook and cranny.  That Mueller's turning into quite the hero as well.  No doubt the Idiot Jerk's terrified his personal attorney will end up turning State's Witness.  This is what happens when the only way you can get loyalty is to buy it.

Abstract Penises

Well, here it is Monday... and some will have to go back to work, but not me.  My work week will start tomorrow.  Then I will work for 5 days and then have off for 4 days.  That's fine with me.
I had a call from my Mom's Senior Living Facility yesterday morning, but there was no message to call them back.  They will call to remind me of 'family fun days' from time to time, however yesterday was not a fun day.  Evidently my Mom thought my brother was going to pick her up, and so stood outside waiting for him.  This was her being very confused.  No such plans had been made.  My brother had planned to go over last evening, which he did.  The sad thing is then she'd forgotten the whole thing.  Dementia.
Yesterday I rode 12.5 miles in 'race mode,' and my legs were sore.  That's not a bad thing.  There's a difference between pain and soreness.  Soreness means you worked the muscles, pain means there's something wrong.
I saw this AM that the Dow is on a bit of a bounce back.  The Idiot Jerk needed to Tweet something about Trade Wars, and how they might not be necessary for this to happen.  His henchmen Mnuchin and Kudlow hint at back door talks.  The Chinese, however, said that's not happening.  The Idiot Jerk also said he believes the Chinese will cave first... of course, he's also as dumb as a fucking brick.
And speaking of the Chinese, they've evidently been building resorts off their southern coast on man-made islands.  Phoenix Island is one such place.  So, I'm reading through Bloomberg this AM and I see a picture of some of the hotels and think... "wow, don't they look like abstract penises in condoms?"

Gee, the architect even gave them little heads.  I thought I'd investigate and... lo and behold, there's an abstract vagina as well, and brightly colored, too.

Leave it to the Chinese.  You know that the Crazy Christians who want dictatorial control of America would flip out if someone tried building abstract penises in this country.  However, I'm fairly certain that an abstract, brightly colored vagina would make them giddy as hell.

Study this

Well, it's Sunday morning... and I don't have to work.  I did do my Local Taxes, the last to be filed.  I owed nothing.  That's normal.
Weather wise the temp is supposed to go up to 45 (F), so it will be on the chilly side.  Sunny and chilly is fine with me.
Paris-Roubaix is live right now.  Called the Queen of the Classics, I don't really know how many queens are riding in it.  Since I'm a Cannondale fan, I'm rooting for Taylor Phinney, a floppy haired ginger who's always had lots of potential.  Today we'll find out how good he is riding over cobblestones.

For those who don't know, Paris-Roubaix is known for its cobblestones - miles and miles of them.  Just the thought of that makes my riding bones ache.
Scanning around the news this AM, an article in the BBC caught my eye.  Evidently there's a Bible Study Group in the White House.  Now, I don't know about you, but the constitution seems to make it perfectly clear there is supposed to be a separation of church and state.  Of course, if you're a Crazy Christian, the American Constitution has absolutely no value, no authority, and... well, for them at least, no purpose in existing.  What makes this worse is that these people believe they are wealthy and powerful because of their beliefs.  Gee... I must have missed that scripture.  These people don't understand that their shit stinks worse than their hatred for those 3 dirty words 'Freedom of Religion.'  They are the biggest hate group in America.
Time has come to clean house.  Sweep the rubbish out to the curb.  They don't understand that their Judgement is coming, sooner than they think, and it's not going to be the Judgement they want.  Ah, but then that's life.  The world is going to leave them and their hatred behind.  Be prepared, when they realize their losing they will get ugly.

Rack This

Well, here it is... Saturday, and I get to go to work.  As I'd said earlier, this is the beginning of our Spring Black Friday Event...  This is also the first Saturday so we'll be hosting the Kid's Workshop, and looking out the window right now, I see we have snow showers.  This is going to be a fun day... well, maybe not.  Hopefully it will pass quickly.  I'm off for the next 2 days, and that will be great.
Did some weight training this AM.  Felt good.
And yesterday I rode 10 miles... inside.  The weather was supposed to be crappy,
Today is also the first day of the Township picks up yard waste - my big Home Depot brown bags filled with sticks, and twigs just got picked up.  That's nice.
I saw where Steve Mnuchin, you know the Idiot Jerk lackey with the expensive trophy wife, said he's "cautiously optimistic" regarding the possibility of a trade war.  Using the word 'cautiously' should give you a reason to worry... a lot.  Especially since this is coming from a guy who made most of his fortune buying up stock after the "W" Recession.  Oh, and that horses ass Larry Kudlow says that there are all sorts of back door talks being held with China to avoid a Trade War.  This guy has always been a numb nuts.  Saying there are "back door talks" is like being "cautiously optimistic."  The Chinese people will suffer through a Trade War if their government feels they can win it.  Americans don't like to suffer.  If things go south for the American Economy, the country will seek vengeance on that group who put the Idiot Jerk in the White House.
Anyway, I need to pick up some things from the store before I leave this evening.  Peony racks for one.  They are large, wire grills that keep your flowers from drooping down to the ground.

Spring

Friday, and I have a day off, though someone didn't tell the dogs.  Nope.  They were wide awake at their normal time.  You see, every day is a day off for them.  Nice, right?  Today, however, is not like any other Friday.  The Carhartt guys are back to finish the roof across the street.  Excitement rules!  Strangers!  In bib overalls, no less.  As soon as the over-sized pickup truck showed up Seig and Lily were out barking up a storm, warning the whole neighborhood about the persons unknown present.  If those roofers were smart, they'd just walk over and give the dogs a couple of biscuits.  They bribe easily.
Tomorrow we start our "Spring Black Friday" sale.  And it's supposed to rain.  Starting tonight and into tomorrow, with a dusting of snow, the weather is not going to be very spring - like.  This happens every year.  The idea is to capitalize on the 'Black Friday' theme, which just happens to be today, but the weather always hands us a plate of shit.  How successful will this sale be?  Middling.  We never quite hit expectations, mostly because Black Friday in November preps for Christmas and people buy all sorts of junk intended to be presents.  That holiday doesn't happen in the summer.  A majority of people don't see the importance is seasonal landscaping.
Anyway, I have to go to the supermarket today.  Seig and Lily ate the last of the dry Beneful this morning.  Time to get another big, big bag.
Hopefully I'll get a ride in this afternoon.
Oh, and the stock market's dropping again.  Am I the only one who's noticing a pattern here?  The Idiot Jerk mentions Trade War and the Dow falls.  You get 2 -3 days of recovery, and then the Idiot Jerk farts out something stupid about Trade Wars, and tariffs, and the markets drop more than they gained...  Does anybody think the Idiot Jerk cares?  Absolutely not.
And what about Scott Pruitt?  He's one of those Crazy Christian attorneys who's moved out of reality.  I don't doubt that he believes everything that goes in his favor is a blessing.  Like a room in an expensive condo, owned by the wife of a favored lobbyist, for on $50 a day.  However it seems that on the lease the name of the lobbyist's name was scratched out and his wife's name was inserted.  Oh, and it seems that one of Scott's kids was staying there as well, in another room, that wasn't covered in the lease.  And there's the bit about his favored assistant, a blonde named Ms Davis, who suddenly quit.  That shouldn't have come as a surprise since she evidently didn't show up for work for almost 3 months.  She must have thought she was really Blessed.  I did think it was funny when one of Pruitt's supporters said all this negativity was because Pruitt was one of the most successful Cabinet members.  Nope, more likely this Crazy Christian is ethically challenged.
Anyway. my challenge today is to complete several chores - one of them is supposed to be yard work, and it's a shitty, drizzly day outside.  Should I have expected more?  Nope, this is spring in Central Pennsylvania.

 

The room view a view

While I was doing my endurance ride this AM, the dogs (mostly Big Seig) started barking... loudly.  They do this when an unknown presence approaches the house - they are very good watch dogs.  So I climbed off the bike to see what was going on and it seems that UPS Tammy (across the street) is having a new roof put on her house.  Strange men wearing Carhartt bib overalls were looking up at her roof and nodding seriously among themselves. 

After about 5 minutes of barking, the dogs realized these strangers weren't going to go away.  At that point they decided they'd be much more comfortable inside the house, sitting on the sofa, and watching out the front window.

Anyway, I see that the Idiot Jerk wants to send the National Guard down to the boarder.  Of course, this is for publicity's sake, a gesture enthrall his supporters.  I wonder if any of those imbeciles are asking themselves "hey, who's going to pay for this?"  Of course, the answer is 'none of them.'  Remember, these are the State National Guard, not the Federal Government National Guard.  Paying for this expensive demonstration of ineptitude is going to fall on state shoulders, draining money from state treasuries.  I don't know about you, but that's not where I want my state tax dollars going.  Fictionalizing urgency to satiate the appetite of his racist, minority group, seems to be the only thing the Idiot Jerk is any good at.
And have you noticed, more and more Republicans are beginning to mutter and stammer about the approaching 'blue wave.'  Everybody except Faux News, which is desperately trying to keep his supporters heads buried in the sand.  What are they going to do when November rolls around and their majority seats in congress flip?  Blame the Russians?  I doubt that.

Safer

Well, it's Wednesday, which is kind of... but not really, my hump day.  I'm off Friday, but then I have to work on Saturday... and then I'm off Sunday and Monday.  Friday I need to gather up and brown bag the sticks, twigs, and small branches, also known as 'yard clean-up' because on Saturday the township sends a truck around to pick it up.  They'll do this the first Saturday of every month until October.  Now, ain't that sweet?
I saw where China has put on their trade war gloves.  Supposedly there is a 60 day wait period before the actual fight begins.  Who will cave first?  My money says the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  The Chinese people will be forced to endure.  The American people, however, will soon start chanting "Lock Him Up!"  There will be a thunderous stampede of feet to the voting booths as the blue wave rises to immense proportions.
Evidently there was a big, blue surge in Wisconsin because whining Scott Walker is... well, whining.  Funny thing is that when you read the article he obviously is more concerned about his own political ass than anything else.  When he said "they will target me," I burst out laughing.  He's always been a selfish conservative scumbag.
This morning was free weight day. I did 28 sets of 314 reps and the total weight lifted was 6014 pounds.  My arms and shoulders are swelled.
This morning I also moved my 401K earnings to someplace safe.  I do this every year since the great recession.  I lost retirement savings then, and even though my 401K did recover, there's no getting back those dollars that disappeared.  It's much better to be safe rather than sorry.  This is especially important now that we have an Idiot Jerk in the White House.  While he might brag about the stock market going up, he won't say a damn thing when it drops.  There's no way to milk praise when the Dow goes down.  Remember, this is a fool who's filed for bankruptcy 4 times.

14

So, what does the magic number 14 represent?  The number of months left in the Idiot Jerk's presidency?  Possibly.  Or, could I have ridden 14 miles on my bicycle this AM - well, no, though I did start some endurance training.  Could I have 14 yellow rosebuds?  Nope, not yet, though all 6 bushes are flush with spring foliage.  How about dog toys?  Might I have picked up 14 dog toys and carried them downstairs to their toy box?  Yeah, that sounds about right.  Over the period of 2 days they brought 14 of their toys upstairs and left them lay:  on the bedroom floor, on the weight room floor, down the hallway and... at the top of the stairs.  And, of course, this morning while I'm making a pot of coffee, Lilly wants to play... however, all of their toys are upstairs.  Surprise.
I thought this tidbit of information in Bloomberg was interesting.  Evidently the beginning of the 2nd quarter was the worst since the Great Depression.  Eeh Gads!  This is not a good thing.
Another funny thing is how the Idiot Jerk is going after Amazon - he hates Jeff Bezos.  You see, the Idiot Jerk feels everybody should kiss his ass, and Jeff is say "I ain't getting with a mile of that stinky thing."  The fact that Amazon, through its distribution centers, through it's use of FEDEX, UPS, and the United States Postal Service, keeps millions of people employed means absolutely nothing to the Idiot Jerk.  All he cares about is having his ass kissed.  Oh, ad he wants Putin to like him... a lot.
That was anther funny, wasn't it?  The Invitation.  Don't you like the way their trying to spin it?  Moscow misunderstood the phone call.  Bullshit.
Anyway, I have 3 more work days and then I'm off for a day.  Split days off, I hate that. 
That and living in bunny hell.  There are bunnies all over the neighborhood.  If the dogs could, they'd grab each individual bunny and shake the shit out of it.... unfortunately for them, the bunnies are all outside of the fence.  And those little bastards can be such a tease, shaking their little bunny tails at Seig and Lilly.  You know they're taunting "wouldn't you like to take a big bite out of this?"

I wonder.... if I took the fence down, how long would it take the dogs to get 14 bunnies?

Ready Player One, & other stuff

Okay, so I got up this morning to snowfall.  Not much.  Two inches, maybe, and while 2 inches of snow doesn't phase me, I suspect the Idiot Jerk in the White House would be pleased to brag about have 2".
I had planned on riding about 10 miles this AM but my legs are a bit sore.  Squats were on the agenda yesterday - 40 pounds of dumbbells.  Now I'm contending with a wee bit of ache in the quads.  The glutes are fine, firm and supple as ever.  A bit of pain is, however, an after effect of squats.  The stiffness is a good indicator the leg workout was effective.  Micro-tears in the muscle fibers are not bad.  As the cells repair themselves, they will be stronger which is what we want to happen.  They will grow more cells to act as a reinforcement, this is also good.  No one said that building muscle was easy.
And I went to see "Ready Player One," last evening.  I liked it.  Not only a film about gaming, this is a celebration about Pop Culture, about trends that come and go, about popularity that last long enough to create an icon.  Welcome to Trivia mecca.  This is also a movie about people who learn that the "real world is... real."  Depicting the bad side of big business, detailing how if not held in check, corporations will continue to grow and dominate and control "Ready Player One" is about greed and power.  Gaming personas fall apart as people grow beyond their avatars.  And finally, if you like your nostalgia over the top, this is the movie for you - make sure you see it on a big screen!

Oh, and I saw this AM that China has started announcing tariffs on American products... Hello, Trade War.
Here's a pic of the snow this AM, taken from my front porch looking back the side of the house.

Not surprisingly for this time of year, it's melting faster than the Idiot Jerk's ass on a Trade War Hotplate.

Stardust

Ah, April Fools Day... and we're supposed to get 3 to 5 inches of snow tonight - the morning commute tomorrow will be slushy for some.  That's pretty funny, isn't it?

Today is also a major religious holiday for a certain group of people.  While Christians like to pat themselves on their backs, saying they're the number one religion in the world, they're not when you recognize the population of China - suddenly they're number 2.  And they don't understand they have a problem - they're not making babies.  They're just not making enough grandchildren.  This is how evolution works.  Two other religions, Islam and Hinduism, are beating them in the baby making business... big time.  In about 25 years the number 2 religion fall to 3rd, and about 25 years after that will fall into 4th place.  Another interesting statistic is that sometime around 2045 or 2046, or in about 27 years, the white population in America will move from majority status to minority status.  Again, this is how evolution works.

Another interesting thing is that many of the proponents for these religions speak about eternal life and far too many completely fail to get the message.  They confuse the soul with consciousness.  Hindus make a point of separating the two whereas many Christians believe there's going to be a big family reunion when they get to heaven.

I find this amusing since we already have eternal life.  Not a consciousness which will last for ever, but an eternal life just the same.  Molecules.  Every single molecule in your body has been around since the Big Bang.  Every single neutron will continue to spin around every atom in every one of your molecules until the end of time.  Your consciousness will die when your body dies while your molecules will continue on, living forever.  I find this amazing.

We are immortal.

We are stardust