Humans Caring for Humans

Well, golly gee wiz!  I thought I was scheduled off today.  Seriously!  So I bought myself a little bottle of wine (Giant sells beer and wine), and watched "The Pale Horse" (not one of Agatha's best) on Amazon, and slept in this morning.  Imagine my surprise when my phone chimed notifying me I had to be at work in a half hour.  Son of a bitch... kind of...  Guess who's getting three days off this week?  And 2 of them will be consecutive.
I understand the Idiot Jerk called in to Fox and Friends to talk to his mini-blow bro Sean Hani (something or other).  They are the only fake news network to let him play the Brag and Blame game.  Fools, they don't understand everything is recorded by numerous groups and these tapes can't be erased.  Snippets of his profound stupidity will be around for generations.  Scholars of the future will scratch their brows in amazement at how easily the network pandered to such an ignoramus.
Good news!  GM is going to mass produce ventilators by the thousands.
Bad news!  It's will take about 3 months for those thousands to start reaching the hospital.  Do not doubt, the Idiot Jerk will blame either Obama or Bill Clinton.  In fact, that is the only thing you can count on with spineless Republicans, their ability to blame someone else is, at this point, simply legendary.
I did read a bit about how Covid - 19 is is so many nursing homes and senior living facilities.  The number was rather high. That's a terrible shame.  Seniors should not have to worry or fear something like this.  What a tragedy their lives might end because of the ignorance of one single man.
On a bright note, there will be no Cracker Jack Crazy Christian Films hitting the big screens this Easter.  Oh, wait, they don't call them that, do they?  No.  They call them Inspirational Films,  How phony is that?  They totally want to disregard any message, any story that isn't tainted with their belief.  In this time of crisis, there are a lot of inspirational people out there and unfortunately for a certain religious sect they are not just Evangelical.  Nope.  Take your hats off to the Buddhists, and the Muslims, and the Hindus, and those with no religious affiliation at all who are fighting to save lives.  Isn't it good to know there are those humans out there who really only care about other humans.
And finally, Don, one of my three editing readers, returned his copy of "The Body in the Well," and he thanked me for letting him read it.  That's never happened before. He evidently liked it.  He said there are passages that are 'laugh out loud' funny.  Who ever thought my twisted mind could find humor in murder mystery set in the ghost towns of the Colorado Rockies?
Anyway, I'll let you guess which lines from this little song made it into the final manuscript.

The Liberty U Doodah

It's the first day of the work week and I, unlike many of you out there, have to go to work.
I ran through my first Yoga lesson yesterday.  I did order myself a set of Yoga blocks, due to arrive on Thursday.  I have lots of points on Amazon so they were free.  The lesson itself wasn't too difficult.  I practices a long time ago, though I'm older now and not quite as flexible.
I saw the residents of Lynchburg, VA are pissed off.  Remember when Jerry Falwell, Jr, a tongue in ass supporter of the Idiot Jerk in the White House decided to bring back students because Covid - 19 is "just media hype," and the Idiot Jerk said "it's not that bad."  Well, evidently a number of those kids are sick, 4 of whom have been hospitalized.  Oh... shit!  Now Jerry is saying returning students need to self-quarantine for 14 days.  Jerry Jr is starting to look a lot like an asswipe, isn't he?
Oh, and if you haven't heard, Social Distancing has been extended to the end of April.  I don't think that's quite going to work.  A number of countries in the EU are using that date to end their quarantine and 'stay at home' orders.  Those countries are also about 2 weeks ahead of us in this timeline.  I don't expect us to be getting back to work until the middle of May.  I had figured, if we had acted aggressively at first the duration was going to be about 7 weeks.  Thanks to the Idiot Jerk we were not aggressive.  Son of a bitch!
Right now I'm waiting for the store to kick into Stage 2 - limiting the number of people in the store.  This, supposedly, is going to cut back on browsers.
Finally, here's another song who's lyrics made it into "The Body in the Well."  This sucker's even older than I am.

Separating Church and State

Sunday.  Yippee.  Yesterday morning the store manager asked if I'd work my first 2 hours in paint today.  No problem.  Homer buckets (5 gallon orange buckets) have been set up as a barricade in front of the desk to keep customers back and obligatory 6 feet.  There are dumbshits out there, you know?
As far as the flooring department goes, I got one call yesterday from a customer who had been measured and was questioning when the installs were going to begin.  My response:  "installs have been stopped until further notice."  The day before I received a call from a whining woman who's daughter's living room was supposed to get measured... and that was cancelled.  She wanted to be first up on the list when they started measuring again.  I put her in the system for 4/10, the first day available.  I told her that might change.  She's one of those simple minds who simply don't understand. 
If you read Random Thoughts you know Treaders lockdown was extended.  She seems to be handling it well.  When that happens in America (and it's on it's way) people are going to go bat shit crazy.  I know because yesterday the store was filled with browsers again; couples pushing around a shopping cart with just one can of spray paint, or a box of screws.  When asked, they will tell you, "we're just looking."  The idea that more people congregate in one area, the higher your risk gets for being infected.
And, speaking for congregating, Covid - 19 is giving us all a primary reason for why there needs to be a separation of Church and State.  A minority group of Americans has managed to get a dumb ass into the White House and he is going to try and give these Zealots every wish their selfish little hearts desire.  Because they are Zealots concerned only with their personal, selfish beliefs, they will ignore what is happening to the rest of the world.  It's only about themselves.  They beliefs put them above everyone else, they make them special.  Once this shit is over, we need to enforce the separation of Church and State.  They can believe what ever they want, we just need to take the power away from them and never let them have it again.
Finally, yesterday we had rain, slow and soaking through most of the day.  Last evening we had thunderstorms, with more noise than anything else.  In the afternoon, though, I ran out and snapped another picture of my nectarine blossoms in the rain.

Evangelicals are demanding their sacrifice

Okay, so it's Saturday and I'm sure a lot of you out there are planning fun filled weekends!  I know there are a lot of people going to be hitting our 'life sustaining' garden center in order to purchase their 'essential' mulch.  For many, Covid - 19 is a serious issue... somewhere else.  Up in New York, for example, it's really bad.  Here?  We are on the cusp of going bad.  And, of course, people don't stay home.
My friend Betsy, from York, was called yesterday and told her position was being eliminated.  She worked one on one with handicapped individuals and new guidelines have been issued.  Those who are handicapped tend to have many more health issues than your average person.   From what she was telling me, it seems as though they are going to create 'safe houses' for them until this thing passes which makes her employer seriously over-staffed.  This is another casualty because of the incompetency in the White House.
And I'm beginning to see push back on the Idiot Jerk's decision to send everybody back to work around April 7, just in time for his Evangelical Base to celebrate Easter.  That's almost word for word what I read in Bloomberg, and that source is not alone.  There are 2 reasons he wants people back to work:  if the economy sinks, so does he, and his Evangelical base.  He needs his base.  He made a deal with them:  he would make this country as Cracker Jack Crazy Christian as they wanted if the supported him, and protected him.  And his Crazy Christian base?  They don't care how many Americans get sacrificed as long as they get what they want.  They are the selfish face of Christianity.  They are also Republicans... and their favorite pronoun is 'my.'  Covid - 19 is going to piss the hell out of them before it ravages them.
The weather yesterday was wonderful.  Temps were in the mid 60's (F).  I had the back door open and the dogs were running in and out... and in and out.  And then around 7 PM they crashed.  Tired puppies they were.
I did manage to take this picture of my nectarine blossoms.  Nifty, huh?

While Republicans Scratch their Ass

Well, here it is Friday, the end of the work week for some.  Surprise!  the work week has changed.  Because of Covid - 19 more people are working from home rather than going to the office.  Be aware that if your company finds this much more cost effective than paying rent for a brick and mortar building, this will become your new reality.  When you work from home, the protocols for a Monday through Friday work week change.  Be prepared.
As of yesterday, the number of Covid - 19 cases in Pennsylvania stood at 1687.  That's a spike of 560 cases in 24 hours.  Cumberland County is up to 15.  Conservatives still don't get it.  The believe this thing is going to end in a week or so...  I am serious.  The nod their heads every time the Idiot Jerk speaks.  For him he is the truthsayer.  Their inability to understand he's a lying sack of shit will be the death of them... well, some of them, not all of them, but probably enough of them to shake their little Conservative world.  They look at Spain and Italy and shake their heads... "so heartbreaking," they say.  In their heads it's 'over there,' it's 'not here.'  The can not even conceive of how infectious this thing really is, or that a lack of social distancing is going to increase the rapidness of its spread.
Whereas the Idiot Bush had his Katrina, Covid - 19 is going to be the Idiot Jerk's Vietnam.  The reality is we may lose over 58,000 Americans.
You have to look on the bright side, however, those taking the necessary precautions, who are avid about practicing Social Distancing are Democrats and Republican.  We keep a distance of at least 6 feet between us, and the scratch their heads.  We wash our hands and they scratch their ass.  We'll be keeping ourselves safe and secure and they'll be crying at Granny's funeral... well, they're going to learn funerals are going to become passe.  They'll find out that anyone touching Granny while she was alive is too sick to attend.
On a brighter note, "The Body in the Well" is heading into it's final edit.  I talked to Cori yesterday and reminded her that April is fast approaching.  Let's be honest here, reading a new mystery / thriller might be the best way to spend some of that self-quarantine time.  Since I like to let readers know which songs have found their way into the manuscript, this is the last song from which I've sampled lyrics.   Don't you just wonder how this could play into the story line.

Dressing a Hoax

It's Thursday and I get to go back to work... for 5... maybe 6 hours.  Most of our customers still do not understand the seriousness of the situation, they see this as more of an inconvenience.  They still believe the media is blowing this way out of proportion.  This is what our state looked like yesterday around noon.  In their minds, there is no connection between the fact that people who test positive were tested because they're sick, not because they were just nervous, and those that test positive?  They're all self-quarantined at home.  The fact that hospitals are clamoring for supplies doesn't sink in... at all. 

I guess the Idiot Jerk in the White House has set the hounds of his legal team on a Liberal Pac which is running an political ad in which he claims Covid - 19 is a hoax.  Of course, what he actually said is on record.  They're claiming what he said was the Democrat's attempt to politicize this were a hoax.  The truth is he spit out word salad and his attorneys are trying to say the dressing he used was mild, almost bland.  Unfortunately for him, this is not the case.  This was said at the same time he was blaming the media, and telling the country Covid - 19 was no worse than the flu.  This has always been a tactic of his, use corrupt lawyers to litigate any opposition to death.

And in case you're wondering, Chloroquine works no better than the meds they're already using to treat patients.  In case you've forgotten, this is the same med he had a "really, really good feeling about.  It's going to be a game changer."  Remember, this guy will sell you snake oil of you give him the chance.

And yesterday I did get quite a bit accomplished, including a ride through Burgundy.  Sometimes I ride fast.  Here's a video of me going through a couple of turns.  They were difficult to film because I tend to lean.  It's more fun when you blow it up.

Finally, I'm still waiting for the artwork for the next book cover.  It will be interesting to see an artist's rendering of what I'd like.  Cori and I talked about a number of different elements which would make it snap... including... well, to be a blunt... a touch of blood.

The Putin Upstage

Wednesday!  And another day off.  Sadly, the forecast is for drizzly weather for most of the day, with temps only in the mid 40's (F).  Not a good day for lawn work.  Yesterday was sunny and mild.  My peonies are zoom zooming all over the place.  Of course, this is to be expected because it is "spring."  Both my peach and nectarine trees are filled with burgeoning blossoms.  Here's a pic of the peach tree looking towards the front yard.

And, for those who are really worried about Covid - 19, don't worry.  Evidently everything is going to go back to normal by April 7.  This is what the Idiot Jerk in the White House says.  He says this is to help the economy.  At least, that's what he's saying publicly.  Personally, I think it has more to do with his resorts... you know, the ones that are closed down?  I don't doubt he is more concerned about losing money than he is the safety of the American People.  He has no problem putting people in danger just to make a buck.
Of course, one of the most preposterous things this dimwit has done is set a timeline for when this is going to end.  For those of you who are really devout, rest assured, you'll be able to go to church on Easter Sunday.  Didn't anybody think to tell this duffer that the worst thing you can do in a pandemic is set and end date?  Just a few hours after he carved that date in stone an urgent warning was made to all those people leaving New York:  self-quarantine for 14 days.  Son of a bitch!  Still, he has to satisfy his base.  The Cracker Jack Christians desperately need to be sitting in a pew on their most holiest of days.
Raise your hands if you think Liberty University is going to turn into a Covid - 19 hot spot.  Those young people are just coming back from spring break, and they're still under the belief they're almost immune, and so they didn't self-quarantine, and....  Oh... Shit.
Legislation has been passed to help those most destitute during this crisis:  the corporations.  Oh, sure, the small guys are going to get some help, but mostly it's the big guys who are getting bailouts. As someone who work in retail home improvement, it's the little guys, the Mom and Pop contractors that are going to be hurting more.  Conservatives have never really cared for them.  Nope.  Their fascination with greed has always drawn them to the flame of corporations.  The same thing happened when they did the bailout for farmers because of the Idiot Jerk's trade wars.  Most of the buckos went to the corporate farms rather than the Mom and Pop farms.  It's a size thing, you know?  For Republicans, bigger has always been better.
I'm sure everybody saw where Putin, donning a hazmat suit and venturing into a hospital, upstaged the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  The Russians also admitted that Covid - 19 is far worse in Russia then they had led the world to believe.  Like many other European countries, they are on the verge of going into a complete lock down which will most likely last past Easter.  Our Idiot Jerk is not going to do anything as risky as that... the hazmat suit, you know?  He might dress Melanoma up in some frilly, designer suit and maybe have her stand outside a hospital, followed by a 2 month isolation period in that building he owns in New York (aka Ground Zero).
Finally, I'm considering yoga if we end up having a 3 or 4 weeks shut down.  You know, something to include in my cycling adventure.  Yesterday I had a nice ride in Gascony.  The other day I took a ride through Burgundy and got behind a grape (harvester, or picker, or what ever it's called).  Damn those things are big.

The Buck Stops at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Well, here it is, the first day of my weekend, which starts on Tuesday this week.  Surprisingly, most of my laundry is already done - I left work early yesterday.  I'm only working 5 hour days this week and next week.  What happens after that?  Hell, it's anybody's guess.
The store was steady yesterday, slow in the morning, but then business picked up in the afternoon as bored people, forced to stay home from work, decided to take advantage of our 'life sustaining' status.  They are all dumb shits who say things like "well, not everybody's going to get it," and "it's a hoax," and "this whole thing's been blown out of proportion by the media."  Keep in mind I live in a very Conservative area.  We have a lot of loyal, old Republicans living here... for the time being.
What are my plans for today?  Well, as I type this, I'm also clipping my fingernails.  Later on, I'm going to drive to Giant to pick up dog food, they should have started restocking by now.  Sometime this morning I'm going to one of my reader's homes to pick up "The Body in the Well."  Her initial response: really like it.  This is the reader who thought "The Body in the Tower" was a bit dry because of the cycling bits.  After that, I'm going to make a corned beef and take a ride on my bike, and the work on my Greek.  Busy day for me.
I saw where the Idiot Jerk wants everybody to go back to work after 15 days.  Because of the economy, you know?  Remember way, way back, about 4 weeks ago, when Covid-19 first raised its ugly head, he had been saying things like "it's not going to be that bad," and "you can go to work with it?"  Well, his thinking has never really changed, has it.  His base has never really comprehended the seriousness of this illness.  And you know those Evangelical advisers who lay their hands on him are whispering "don't worry, God will protect us."  You know who I'm talking about, don't you?  Human stains like Joel Osteen, who's discovering 'live streaming' can be far more lucrative than he initially imagined.  And then there's that dumb shit David Green, who owns Hobby Lobby.  I saw this on I Should be Laughing and was morbidly attracted by the sheer stupidity.  Holy Shit!  This is a first class example of Evil Greed.  I can see the headlines now "Hobby Lobby Hot Spots Spread Covid-19."  And then there's that dumb shit Lieutenant Governor from Texas, Dan Patrick who say he, and other grandparents, don't mind getting sick and possibly dying as long as it helps the economy.  I wonder how many grandparents and seniors citizens he is really speaking for... my guess is not many.  He is terribly concerned that Covid - 19 is going to change the 'American Way of Life.'  This man is a soon to be 70 year old fool.
Change is on the way, and that terrifies Conservatives.   It horrifies Evangelicals.  They want the world to be rigidly orderly.  For them blessings are big bank accounts, and they're frightened at how fast this little virus is draining their assets and leaving only liabilities.  Tough Shit.  Someone needs to pull out the passage in the Bible that says 'believers get rich.'
And in this country, the Idiot Jerk wants everybody to go back to work.  He actually said they are working on masks for those infected so they can go back to work.  That is simply insane.  He doesn't understand the buck is going to stop at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Finally, to end on something a little bright, here's the latest picture of my peach blossoms. 

Tomorrow, maybe a pictures of my nectarine blossoms.

Prostituting a National Crisis

Monday, the beginning of the non-work week for many unless you're home working, or happen to work in essential 'life sustaining' positions.  Certain retailers are considered 'life sustaining' because of the products and services they provide.  They are open for those people out there who are experiencing emergencies.  Say your refrigerator dies and you need a new one, or your water heater explodes, these retailers are open for those people.  Believe me when I tell you, yesterday the definition of 'life sustaining' was seriously challenged.  People were browsing the 'life sustaining' floor samples and buying the 'life sustaining' paint.  They showed up at our garden center eager to purchase 'life sustaining' mulch.  One woman complained about our mulch pricing of 3 for $10 when the bags of mulch rang up at $3.33 each.  There were a lot of MAGA hats walking though our front doors, but to be perfectly honest, there were just a lot of dumb fucking people.
I understand things are going to be different today.  Certain decisions have been made to curtail the casual shopper who shows up simply because we are open.  I suspect certain non essential 'life sustaining' departments will be closed.  Customers will most likely not be allowed in to test the patio furniture.
Evidently there's a lot of complaining about our Idiot Jerk's daily updates regarding the plague he so easily dismissed a few weeks back.  I was talking to a friend last night who said she turns them off when he starts talking about himself.  I asked "does he?" and she replied "hell, yeah."  I checked this morning and complaints are coming from so many on how he's turning these updates into mini-campaign rallies.  You have to remember, he is a reality TV Host who will use any and every opportunity to sell his orange ass.  His supplicants will bow down in adoration.  Sane Americans, on the other hand, are turning off his lies.  How like a Conservative to prostitute a National Crisis in his bid to get re-elected.
Finally, I took a pic of one of my daffodils.  Is this sucker bright or what?

Evolution Works

Sunday!
We were very busy yesterday.  You know, this is what happens when you're declared 'essential' and everybody else shuts down.  Stupid people believe that if there's only one place open in town, in spite of State of Emergency, they need to go there.  It's Saturday, they think, my day off, I need to go somewhere.  Never underestimate the stupidity of people.  A rather young gentleman asked me "hey, why is the store so busy today?"  I responded, "because we're considered essential, we're one of the few places allowed to be open."  His reply:  "Really?"  I kid you not.  We had a customer complain to the Service Desk that we were more interested in talking about being sick than waiting on customers.  Yep, that happened.
This area is populated by stupid Republicans who cannot believe their Idiot Jerk would lie to them. They say things like "the media is blowing things way out of proportion."  They will only understand the reality when it effects them personally, and until that happens they will smugly pass judgment.
I did change my schedule, I'm only working half days.  As Conservative minds begin to crack and shatter at the truth, they will begin to stay home to avoid being contaminated.  A week from now they will be seriously concerned as the death toll in the state continues to rise.  Because of their Republican mindset, we are going to be just like Italy.  A lot of the older conservatives will die.
To give you one example of just how damn stupid these Republicans are, both the House and the Senate attempted to push through legislation overturning the Sate of Emergency declared by Governor Wolf.  They said it was 'unconstitutional.'  They have absolutely no idea they just shit away their future in politics.
In case you didn't know, this is how Evolution works.  The smart ones sit patiently at home waiting for the dumb ones to out, get themselves infect, and the die.  We are seeing Survival of the Fittest... and smartest.
Finally, I was going to pop in a pic of some of my daffodils but then last night, as I was going through another slow edit of the book, I looked up and saw Biggie sitting on the sofa looking at me.  I call this "Biggie Waits."

The Nasty Question

It's the weekend!  Of course, with so many now working from home and so many non-essential businesses closed, we're heading into just 2 more days.  There's no going to the bars, they're closed, nor is having a nice dinner out a possibility, or taking in a movie, or a nice concert.  I feel sorry for the bar crowd.  For a lot of gay men, that is their social network.  Now it's shut down... and for how long?  Nobody knows. 
Just like the bars, we also have non-essential customers who shop our store one, maybe two times a week, not to really buy anything, but just to walk around.  They nod to us as though we're old acquaintances.  We don't strike up long conversations with them, that's not why they are there.  We provide a safe environment for them.  Most of these non-essential customers are seniors, the ones who are most at risk.  And it's not just home improvement stores where they go to hang out.  My Mom used to go to K-Mart.  She knew a lot of the sales associates.  They became her friends.  Covid - 19 is shuttering down those friendships.
Of course, there were also a lot of assholes in the store yesterday, as well.   Contractors who were defying the Governor's orders, and that group which it turns out is putting so many people at risk: the millennials.  I can tell you, a lot of them are pretty damn clueless as they browse the aisles, looking at paint chips, and carpet samples.  For them, now is a good time to change their shower head, or check out the drills, or saunter through our patio sets.  I spent some time in the Paint Department.  It was extremely busy.  I suspect today is going to be much of the same.
And how about the Idiot Jerk's news briefing yesterday afternoon.  This man is brainless.  Reality does not match a single word coming out of his mouth.  "There's this drug," he exclaims, "we can use for treatment."  He doesn't tell people that if administered incorrectly it can kill you, or if it will actually be of any benefit because it hasn't really been tried yet.  And he becomes really incensed when you question him.  His insanity requires you believe he is the voice of authority.  For him truth is nasty.  Questions which try to ind out the truth are nasty.  The truth is that this video is nasty... I did watch it though and it didn't make me vomit.

And Pence, the putz, repeated that the effects for Covid - 19 will be minor for most Americans, and that we need to "stay vigilant."  Surprise, one of his staffers has just tested positive... and Pence is in that virus' target age group.  Oh, shit.

Conservatives on the Menu

Well, I went back to work yesterday.  For how long?  It's anybody's guess.  I am in that 'age' group you know, but not by much, and I do like to think I've kept myself fairly healthy.  No underlying health concerns as far as I know.  And, of course, there were some assholes shopping:  an older woman shopping for Bruce Hardwood Cleaner.  She said she was told it was in aisle 34 (kitchen sinks, clearance tile, and curtains).  An associate took her to aisle 11 - we're out.  She pleasantly told him he didn't know what he was doing and walked back to aisle 34.  About 5 minutes later I saw her coming out of aisle 31 and asked her if I could help.  Once again the aisle 34 nonsense, so I took her to aisle 11 and showed her the empty space.  Out of stock.  Losing her patience, she started getting close so I told her I interact with many people during the day and reminded her about the 3 feet.  Well, she stomped her foot and walked away.  This is how it goes.
There was the contractor who stormed down the aisle shouting obscenities because we'd shut down our free coffee dispensers.  And the older contractor, another woman, who needed a specific tile.  I could tell she was totally out of touch with what was going on in the real world.
And then late yesterday afternoon Governor Tom Wolf ordered all 'non-life sustaining businesses' shut down.  There should be less contractors in the store to day.  Dumb shit parents who see our store as a source of entertainment for themselves and their kids will undoubtedly still show up.  To be honest, I don't mind going to work if I don't have to... work.  I don't mind them paying me to sit at a desk without customers.
Of course I know that's not going to happen.  We've cut back our hours.  Now we are open from 0600 to 1800 (6 PM) for our contractor business.  With contractors now having to shut down, it's just going to be be the dumb shit parents showing up. 
And, as this virus spreads, truths will come out.  Like Richard Burr. This is why you don't elect Republicans.  He is a loyal supporter of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  In his comments to a group of wealthy Republican supporters, he said that Covid - 19 is "highly infectious to a degree not seen since the Spanish Flu."  And then he sold $1.5 million in stock before the crash.  Even crazy Tucker Carlson of Fox News is pissed.  We sane folks have always known a feeding frenzy was just on the horizon... well, the dinner bell has just rung... and Conservatives are on the menu.
One if the many things I did during my 4 days off was move the futon back into the living.  The sofa, with the built in recliners, is now in the writing room.  The dogs were quite happy.

Redacted

Well, it's Thursday and I get to go back to work today.  Without a mask.  Practicing social distancing in a retail world.  As the white rabbit once said, "curiouser and curiouser."
China had no new home-grown cases of Covid - 19.  The only new cases they had were from those returning from other countries.  It took them what?  3 months of serious quarantines.  We are unprepared here... though I do have 20 lbs of rice and 23 rolls of toilet paper on hand.
Two members of the House have now tested positive... dear me.  Does anyone know of Ted Cruz has come out of his bubble yet?  Who am I kidding, that's never going to happen.
And what did I do yesterday?  Started prepping my staircase wall for painting.  Quite a number of years ago I coated it with a faux finish, something called Venetian Plaster.  It's a nice terracotta color.  However, the time has come for a change.  This means sanding off some of the texture.  Can we talk dust, here?  There's not as much as when you sand drywall, but there's still a lot. 

I'm going to do something to save the bas-relief and yes, that is my hand print in the upper right corner.
As the virus spreads, so do the lies of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  They are like pablum to his base voters, many of whom might perish in the onslaught of Covid - 19.  He's now saying he knew this was going to be a pandemic.  Pardon my French, but this man is dumb as a fucking brick.  The truly frightening thing is that in his head, he truly does believe he knew.  All those lies that came before, about this thing being like the flu, and about it being over in a short time have been expunged from that jelly structure he calls a brain.

This is how his brain works

That's right, he takes a Sharpie, probably the same one he used to alter a forecast map, to strike out words and thoughts he no longer wants to remember.  The fact that is his inaction and failure to respond will lead to the deaths of many people isn't even a line that can be scratched out.  We do not exist to him.  This is why he, and his party, and his base, need to redacted during the next election.  He has absolutely no comprehension of the evil he has wrought upon America.

It Sucks to be a Conservative

Well, I baked 2 loaves of bread yesterday and... they fell.  That's right.  They were all nice and fluffy when I put them in the oven and 30 minutes later they were 2 inches high.  I'd show you pictures, but then I'd have to lie and tell you they were fat flat breads. 
There were primaries yesterday and Biden swept them all.  He offered an olive branch to the Bernie supporters and Bernie... gave a 20 minute live stream in which he talked about legislation he was going to bring to the Senate.  Hhhmmmm.  Not one word from his lips about the primaries or his continuing losing streak.  He knows which path he is walking down.  He knows his job now is to unite... and attack the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Wow, it's really going to suck to be a Conservative.
I don't dwell on the virus much.  I only looked at a map of the United States once yesterday, and that was last evening.  As of 9 PM last evening, there were 10 confirmed cases in Cumberland county.  Up here, the liquor stores closed yesterday and my brother-in-law's favorite hang-out, the Lawnton Legion was closed.  Elton John has been postponed until sometime in either late July or August.  Most Americans have been taking this virus seriously for the past 3 - 4 weeks.  Who hasn't?  Republicans.  Who doesn't understand the need for quarantine?  Republicans.  They don't understand it's going to really suck to be a Conservative.
I saw where Governor Abbott, of the once red state of Texas, has admitted publicly Covid - 19 is going to spread through the state exponentially.  In fact, this thing is going to go through those deeply red southern states like shit through a goose (Patton said that).  There are not a lot of liberals or progressives in those deeply red southern states.  All those Republicans down there are wake up (maybe) one of these mornings, wipe the sweat from their brows and cry "damn, don't it suck to be a Conservative."
I see the Idiot Jerk is telling people he knew this was going to be a Pandemic long before anyone else.  Someone should tell this dumb ass there are thousands and thousands of sound bits and video clips out there of him making the total opposite claim, that you can go to work, that it'll be over in a few weeks.  Who believes him?  His Republican base.  I don't know if they will ever understand how much it sucks to be a Conservative.
Marc had posted this a few days ago.  I thought now would be a good time to repost.

Keep in mind who put this loser into the White House.  He is not going to answer their prayers, but they are going to realize how much it sucks to be a Conservative.

The Target Market

Well, here it is Tuesday.  I'm going to bake bread today... and begin the painting of my stairwell.  I have chosen a nice, calming color,  soothing to the eye, imbued with hues relaxing and tranquil to quell the trembling of my battered aura... it's called Zen.  Shit!  Maybe I should switch to Romance Novels.
So, while the movie theaters are still open, I went to see "The Invisible Man" last evening.  It dragged at times.  The first half works really hard to make you sympathize with Elizabeth Moss... and I didn't.  She claims to be running away from an abusive marriage...  I tend to be very cynical about people who make generalized claims without be able to site specifics.  In the original, Claude Rains ran around naked to achieve full invisibility, this was not the case with Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
I did get some rather sad news yesterday.  My store is considered "essential."  That's right, we are not going to close.  This is because a number of contractors, plumbers and electricians, and so on, shop our store for their needs.  Personally, with Covid - 19 preparing to run rampant through the country, I would not want some stranger in my house.  I picked up my paint yesterday and there was a woman there with her kids... cause schools are closed.  And she was browsing paint colors.  Can we talk stupid here?  She has absolutely no clue it is going to be people like her who are going to be spreading this virus.
When I go back to work on Thursday, I will need to find out how they are going to deal with people like me... since the virus has designate people over 65 as part of its Target Market.
And I guess yesterday was also the day when the Idiot Jerk in the White House finally understood how terribly serious the situation is with Covid - 19.  He is going to be remembered not for the economy, but for how atrocious he was handing this pandemic.  Projections for the amount of deaths in this country are dire.  This moron now knows he's going to go down in the history books as the worst president in the history of this country.  Blame those who put this monster into power.
And... finally, to end on a nicer note.  Blossoms are sprouting all over my peach tree.  This is what spring looks like.

Welcome Spring.

Collect This

Well, today is my 2nd scheduled day off in a string of 4... of course, that might change.  As of yesterday there were 5 cases of Covid - 19 in Cumberland country.  That number is going to go up.  At some point things will be shut down to contain the virus.  Since I work for a non-essential home improvement retailer, I don't doubt at some point we will shut our doors.  The only question is 'when.'
Yesterday I did stay home, but today I might venture out.  There are certain non-essential things I want to buy... like paint for my staircase.  If I'm going to be home for 2 weeks, I might as well do something somewhat constructive, besides yard work.  I also want to stop off at my local Giant.  While I'm fairly certain most of their canned goods and frozen foods are gone, I'm feeling pretty sure their fresh fruits and vegetables haven't been touched.  People were looking for things they can stock up on and fresh food doesn't last more than a few days.
I saw where Devin Nunes (pronounced new nyez) was advocating for adults to ignore the health warnings and go out to bars.  He still thinks this is a hoax and there's nothing to worry about.  His beliefs are quite common among Republicans.  I do not doubt many of them will catch the virus and the older MAGA heads will die off.
And the Fed drop rates yesterday to between 0 and .25% in an attempt to stave off a crash of the stock market.  Almost immediately afterwards the S & P 500 dropped 4%.  Prepare yourselves, Wall Street is at the tipping point and soon it will go over the cliff.  While the average American is going to be hurt, the billionaires of the world are going to be brutally savaged.  In this country, Conservatives are going to be running around like their hair is on fire.  They put an Idiot Jerk in the White House, a man who has always too quickly jumped to bankruptcy as a way avoiding his incompetence.  Ouch.  Very shortly Betsy DeVos may not be able to afford her expensive haircuts.  If you think she's a bitch now, just wait until that happens.
Finally, because of the virus, quite a number of churches were closed up here.  I understand from Jennifer this was not the case everywhere.  For Evangelicals, Covid - 19 is stabbing them in the heart... well, maybe.  Like addicts, they need to feed on their drug over, and over, and over again.  Some will survive going 'cold turkey' and some will not.  Churches used to seeing large collection plate hauls are in for an ugly surprise.  Now, ain't that a shame.  Of course the big ones, like Joel Osteen's, will no doubt be calling members of the congregation and asking for their credit card donations.  I know Jimmy Swaggert does this.

But then he also drives a Porsche and cavorts with whores.

3 Cases Here

So, left work late yesterday afternoon to begin my 4 days off in a row and decided to stop in at my local Giant.  There were a lot bare shelves, no paper products what so ever, though there were canned goods and frozen foods available for purchase.  While walking to their wine aisles, I ran into one of our cashiers.  He told that there were now 3 cases of the virus in Cumberland County and that the school districts were shutting down.  I had no problem checking out.  Right after that the panic buyers arrived.  An hour later, with all registers open, there was a 45 minute wait.  Me?  I did not alter my schedule one iota, I came home, drank some wine and ate some Ramman Noodles.
This is not the time to panic.  This is not the end of the world.

The 3 cases in Cumberland County:  2 adults and one child.  2 of them were in a country where the virus was prevalent.  They did not provide information as to how long ago that was. One case is looking like it might be part of a Community Spread; they are researching to find out where that person might have come into contact with the virus.  That is not good news, though oddly enough I am not really concerned.  I have no problem staying home from work. Should they decide to quarantine the state essential services will continue:  neither the Giant nor the Weis Market will shutter down.
Not surprisingly, 84% of Republicans feel the Idiot Jerk is doing a fine job handling this crisis.    My money says they are the ones who will break quarantine because the Coronavirus is "just like the flu," and "you can go to work if you have it," and "it'll be gone soon."  They are the ones who will continue to spread the Virus.  Stay away from Republicans... and Evangelicals, they are unclean.
I have a funny feeling I'm going to get a lot of lawn work done in the next couple of...maybe weeks.

7 weeks

Well, it's Saturday morning and jumpin' Cracker Jacks am I up early!  Full bladders caused the dogs to get me up around 0330 and since I had the coffee maker already prepped, I decided to stay up for a bit.  I still have to go in to work, but I might sneak back into bed to take a bit of nap before then.
Yesterday I sold some blinds to a customer who... gets on my nerves.  She's loud and impetuous and is constantly asking "don't you like that?" and "don't you agree?"  In her 70's, she decided to buy a new (older)( ranch house and is basically having it rebuilt.  Her back yard is being turned into a Japanese Garden, pea gravel, no grass.  She has been going back and forth on the number of blinds she wants.  She wanted to avoid a vertical blind for her sliding patio door because she wanted to replace the door... until she discovered how much it was going to cost.  After she had paid for them and gone home, she realized she had ordered 1 to many blinds, so I had to credit her account for the full charge and rebuild her blind order with the change.  I don't have to be a licensed fortune teller to know there are going to be future problems.
So, the Idiot Jerk declared a National Emergency yesterday and the stock market rallied.  I had to laugh.  The Democrats had a Family Health package in place and the GOP baulked.  They wanted some of the Idiot Jerk's ideas included, like cutting your payroll tax, of course you'd owe taxes at the end of the year because they weren't going to change the tax rate.  They wanted something other than completely free testing for everybody because they believe their tax dollars are more important than human life.  This is to be expected.
I saw where Ted Cruz is extending his self-quarantine by another 2 weeks but says he has not tested positive.  Ted's a cowardly sack of shit, isn't he?  Supposedly deeply religious, he needs to put his faith in God and go out an mingle.  That'll never happen.  I think we need to change the definition of GOP from Grand Old Party to Gutless Old Party.
Companies shutting down for 2 weeks?  That's amusing.  The virus is active in humans for 37 days, so unless the entire nation shuts down for 7 weeks and nobody goes absolutely anywhere, or has an social contact what so ever, all you're going to get is 2 weeks paid vacation.  Three to four weeks from now there's a possibility you just might get sick.
As for the stock market rally?  That's a hoot from hell.  Because the administration downplayed and denied the seriousness of this virus, testing is still pretty much a shit show.  This means that unless you meet the specific criteria set up, you are most likely not going to be tested.  At present, under the limited testing, we are getting about 500 cases a day.  Son of a Bitch. This thing is all over the place, and it's the Idiot Jerk's fault.  His party is going to lose a lot of old MAGA heads.  As conditions worsens and more and more closure happen, Wall Street is going to go down.
Anyway, on the Brighter Side, my daffodils are preparing to bloom.

Stay safe my friends.

Saint Moritz, TP, Coronavirus & me

After one day off, I get to go back to work today and who knows what I'm going to find.  Our patio displays have been set and are ready for spring shoppers.  Usually they come in to peruse and sit down on a summer chaise or settee screeching halt...  probably not this year.  Why gamble on getting infected?  And think about installations:  someone you don't know coming into your house and touching things!  Hhhmmm.  Because this administration treated this as Fake News, and a Democratic Hoax, we are behind the 8 Ball.  This is everything we should have been expecting from an Idiot Jerk Administration.  I mean, he did spend the weekend before his speech golfing down at Mar a Lago.
And I did go to Giant yesterday and, as I had heard, the toilet paper and paper towel aisle was nothing but empty shelves.  I understand this is because people are stocking up just in case they find themselves self-quarantined.  Me?  I tend to buy in bulk.  Three weeks ago I purchased 20 rolls of Scott Toilet Tissue.

... Was that too much information?
Anyway, I also went for a ride up in Saint Moritz.  Hannah's Banana!  There were so many cyclists on that trail.  At one point there were 18 other people riding the same route.  Looking at the pic down below, all those little circles at the bottom of the screen are some of them.  Yeah, they show up.  If I click on them I can see their names and their stats.

Oh, and a little poll just popped up on my phone.  Evidently 44%, or less than half of all Republicans are not concerned about the Coronavirus.  My money says those are the Crazy Christians.  This why we need to keep them out of the Government. 

Take a Deep Breath

Finally, my day off or, as tends to be the case, the day I clean the house, do the laundry, and go to the store.  I've already been told I will find the toilet paper aisle in my local Giant stripped clear because there is a respiratory virus sweeping the land.  Maybe fear of catching it is giving everybody the shits.
Yesterday was an odd day at work... the 'odd' people are coming out.  I had an interesting conversation with a nicely dressed woman who claimed to have just come from our Blue Competitor.  One of their ladders had been parked in front of a selection of blinds she had been looking at, and when she asked an associate if she could move it he responded by saying "it's one of our toys, we'll move it."   Well, "it's one of our toys" incensed her to no end.  She told me she thought him very rude, and all I could do was think of how bat-shit crazy this lady sounded. What she really needed to do was just take a deep breath and move on.

One of their toys

And, of course, the Idiot Jerk in the White House spoke from the Oval Office last even regarding the Corona... Virus.  That's how he said it, putting a pause between Corona and Virus.  And yes, I did watch some of it... and then I took a deep breath.

I didn't hear him say really pertinent, no comments about 'flattening the curve,' the reason people are being quarantined.  As of Friday, travel to and from Europe will be restricted because this is a 'foreign threat.'  Someone should have told him the virus is already here.  He wants Congress to waive Personal Income Tax so that even if you're sick, you'll go out to the stores shopping.  (That was a pitch of his re-election in case you didn't know).  Take a deep breath, now.

Because denied the Coronavirus right from the beginning, because he eliminated positions at the CDC, because his administration funneled funding for the CDC to other areas, because the initial test kits were flawed and gave incorrect results, because even now only those who fall within a narrow criteria are getting tested, we have no idea how many people are infected in this country.  But he is going to make sure small businesses can get low interest loans to help them through this crisis.  Take a deep breath, now.

He did say something about companies giving associates with the Virus 2 full weeks of sick time, of course to qualify you will need to provide test results, and... as we know, at this point testing is still fairly limited to the criteria the Idiot Jerk's administration has in place.  Take a deep breath.

Be prepared, he will try and use this to his advantage because he is a duplicitous sack of shit.

Priceless

Oh, dear me, business was slow yesterday... really slow.  I wonder why?  People worried about coming down with a cold... or something?  I don't know.  Maybe it was just a slow day.  Tuesdays are like that sometimes.
Out of curiosity, I put a tad of cardamon in my oatmeal this morning.

The result is... interesting.  Normally, I only use this spice when I make Chai Tea.  For right now, I think that's where it will stay.  Oatmeal with peanut butter does not make for a good combination.
There were primaries yesterday... again.  Bernie continues to fall behind.  I saw where his speechwriter shrieked something about Warren, how her failure to jump behind the 'Bern' is hurting his campaign.  This is rather amusing since the same person was writing down words used by the 'Bern' to attack her.  While Bernie continues to 'moonwalk' backwards, Biden is beginning to accelerate forward.  Polls indicate most Democratic voters see Uncle Joe as the one best suited to wipe shit eating smile of the orange baboon's face.  You don't think I was too negative there, do you?
I read that as of yesterday the CDC could only verify that 4384 people had actually been tested.  Son of a bitch.  The director of the CDC has call the roll-out of testing a terrible blunder.  Hhhmmm, now who should Americans blame?  Probably the same person who wants to give Americans a great tax cut... until after the election.  You see, the Idiot Jerk believes Americans are going to endanger themselves by spending that tax cut.  His philosophy is the same as other Republicans:  if they got it, they'll spend it.  The Idiot Jerk doesn't understand that when grandmas and grandpas start dying out there, people are going to blame him... and his base.
And finally, I find it interesting that the Idiot Jerk has no rallies planned in the foreseeable future.  I understand he's a germaphobe, so this Democratic Hoax might be scaring him.  Or, it might be that the last thing he wants is for all of his aging, white supporters to die off before the election.  Either possibility is... well, quite spicy to think about.  I mean, the 5 phony bone spurs he used to stay out of the military shows how gutless this sack of shit really is, so a virus that puts a big target right in the middle of his back?  Priceless.

Signs

CPAC was a bad place to visit this year.  At least 5 Republican Congressmen have gone into self-quarantine.  You do have to remember, however, that CPAC is a gather of older, white Crazy Christians desperate to force the country down the narrow path they hold so dearly in their hearts.  It looks to me as though they've been given a Sign (capital S), not that they're going to recognize it as one.  That would mean they've made an egregious error.  Personally, I think it's a bit of a hoot, those holier than thou individuals on their way to becoming a Coronavirus hotspot.
There were some of the Idiot Jerk's supporters at the flooring desk, an older couple, he was wearing an camo cap with the Idiot Jerk's name emblazoned in red.  They spit out the same phony talking points the Idiot Jerk spits out: "more people die from the flu."  We all bite our tongues.  Correcting customers is not in our job description.  They do not understand, but every time the quote the Idiot Jerk, they are a Sign of his imminent downfall.  People want the truth.  He tells them what he thinks will make them happy.  The sad truth is he's only concerned about Wall Street.  The sadder truth is that this older white couple don't know they are the primary targets of the Coronavirus.
And, back to those 5 Congressmen in self-imposed quarantine (at least that's what they're claiming).  One of them just happens to be the 'new' Chief of Staff.  Son of a bitch!  How's that for bad luck?  My money says the Idiot Jerk is just about in a frenzy behind the scenes.  He's a fat, yellow-skinned (by that I mean cowardly) old man whose sloth-like body offers little defense against the new virus.
The sad truth is, rather than admit this is a serious health issue, he's going to wear a MAGA cap to the CDC because this is an election year.  Oh, and now he's talking about payroll tax cuts, and extending sick hours... for something he still calls a Democratic Hoax.  Really, all he's looking at is the Dow Jones.  You know how it works, a tax cut makes the stock market go up and his orange ass looks shiny.  If you give voters a tax cut they'll vote for him this November.  This is not the kind of Sign Americans are looking for, which is why he'll go down as the worst president of all time.
Finally, speaking of Signs, Tacx likes it when you post an image of yourself.  It can be a photo, or a letter, or drawing.  I had thought of using a picture of the dogs, but, well, there are 2 of them and their heads would have to be rather small.  Then I thought about where I live, not only in Pennsylvania, but in Pennsylvania Dutch country.  We do have images that represent us.  So I chose one of those to be my sign.  Here it is:

For those who don't know, it says "Welcome."

Carriers

After today I'll be halfway through my 4 day work stretch.  I will be celebrating by having a single, 1, uno, un day off.  Believe me, my excitement is percolating quietly in the background... and you though it was your tinnitus.
Yesterday was the first day I got home from work and we had extended sunlight.  I went for a ride in Amsterdam.  It was... interesting.  There were lots of cobblestones, and people, and a lot of cyclists.  I passed a lot of cyclists with dogs on their bikes, and kids, and groceries.  For a while there was a young gentleman riding in front of me whose spandex was quite... revealing, way too tight.  I wonder if he knows quite a number of people in the world have seen his buttocks bobbling back and forth.  I will have to remind myself to take a video of him for you.
Not surprisingly, 2 members of Congress have decided to 'self-quarantine' after coming in contact with an individual now hospitalized for Covid-19.  Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, said he had extended contact (can someone define extended contact) with the person, and Ted Cruz, a Republican numb-nuts from Texas claims he had a brief interaction (?).  They, as well as many others, were exposed at (drum roll please) CPAC, that Crazy Christian Political Action Committee meeting held this year in Baltimore.  Can we talk about irony here?  Or just good old fashioned Karma.  Knowing these 2 gents side heavily with the Idiot Jerk in the White House, I'm sure both have tested positive.  They might not get ill, but they are probably both Carriers.  And, of course, you have to ask yourself how many others were infected at CPAC?  And CPAC was 2 weeks ago.  A lot of old Crazy, Christians attended.  I don't know about you, but I think this is rather humorous... Crazy Christians spreading the disease among themselves.  I think I've already mentioned this is going to be devastating when it hit their Mega-Churches, and we already know they're going to blame Bill Clinton.  And for those of you who don't know, this is what a Carrier looks like:

Thanks to the gentleman above, someone's granny might die.

Anyway, yesterday I worked with an very nice Hispanic couple who were having their bathroom tiled today.  That's right, the work is being done today.   And they came to the store the day before to start making their tile selections.  I wonder why their contractor hadn't told them this needed to be done ahead of time.  You see, sometimes (quite often) we only have limited quantities in stock.  We do not have a warehouse in the back.  We do not carry unlimited supplies.  Unlike Ted and Paul, we are not Carriers.

Scratching Deeply

Well, here we are on Sunday.  Did everybody remember to change their clocks?  Most of mine do it automatically, the few that don't... well, they're already changed.  The last thing I want to do is show up at work late today...  right.
I got a lot accomplished yesterday, including a ride along this road by Wastwater, in the lake district of the UK.  There were sheep, but none of them crossed the road in front of me as they did up in Scotland.

Regarding my Tacx trainer and software, (pronounced tocks, as in tick-tock): I like it better than the Rouvy.  Longer rides are broken down into stages, so you can ride a stage rather than go the full distance. A 43 mile ride may have between 4 - 6 stages, and you can pick and choose to ride either all 43 miles or just a section.

I went to bed a little early last evening - clock change, you know?  I wanted to make sure I got my full 7 hours of sleep (usually I get less, seldom more).  Because of that, and the fact that I don't have cable, I missed Saturday Night Live.  I understand they skewered the Idiot Jerk's administration on their handling of the Coronavirus, which isn't quite a pandemic even though it looks a lot like one.  Even reading about it, I had to chuckle.  Fox News is geared completely for his base and I can tell you, except for one person, everyone who's worn a MAGA hat into the store has been old, 70's and 80's - the crowd most susceptible to the virus.

I saw where Mick Mulvaney was deported to Ireland.  Was he in this country illegally?

The real fear Americans should have is that the Idiot Jerk and his administration will release some sort of flawed vaccine on the citizens of this country just in time for the election.  This is something you should really be concerned about.  He and his party care not a wit about human life.  They will do anything to stay in power.  Right now, their precious economy is prepping to do a swan dive into the cesspool of recession.  You can bet your bottom dollar they are all scratching deeply into their collective asses searching for any little turd they can offer as proof that they are successful.  And they will lie.

Panic at the CDC

It's Saturday and it's one of my off days.  I had requested it off because today is the first Saturday in March, the day we hold our Kid's Workshop.  We usually have between 280 and 310 kids and their parents showing up.  This is good for families, good for communities, and also very good for business since their parents almost always buy something.  But not today.  Our Kid's Workshop has been cancelled because of the Coronavirus.  I suspect this will be the first of several.  You see, the Coronavirus has come to Pennsylvania, one in Delaware County and one in Wayne County.  This was to be expected.
My plans for today are simple: cut my nails, get in a bicycle ride, and spend some time on my Greek.  That's right, now that the book is (for the most part) finished, I have some extra time on my hands.  One of the things I had done was buy a workbook to help with learning the Greek Alphabet.  That has proven a great help, since I now know letters and sounds.  Believe me, it's a lot different than English but much closer to Latin, which makes sense since the early Greeks had a tremendous influence on early Italy.
And, of course, so much about what this Administration has been telling us about the Covid19  is based on the Idiot Jerk's hunches.  He actually said that.  The World Health Organization feels the mortality rate is around 3.4%, however they also tell you that might not be correct because of America's botched response.  That's right, the Idiot Jerk's reliance on his hunches have botched the response by the CDC.  Not enough test kits, flawed test kits, no real sense of urgency, all because he thought we were going to be immune.  Another of his hunches?  This case is going to stay on the West Coast.  As of this morning, I believe 25 or 26 states have had patients with positive test results.  This thing is especially serious to Senior Citizens and those with underlying health conditions.  Overnight 2 patients in Florida died.  Do you have any idea how many Senior Citizens live in Florida?
Anyway, yesterday the Idiot Jerk actually went to the CDC.  His trip was on, and then off, and then finally on, no doubt because someone told him it would look terribly bad if he didn't show up.  And they took pictures, no doubt to prove he was actually inside at least one of their buildings.

Look at the panic on this man's face.  Do you see how his eyes aren't really focusing on... well, anything.  Or, maybe he's trying to focus on a teleprompter and someone keeps moving it.  Or maybe the thought rattling around inside his brain is "don't touch anything! don't touch anything!'  In case you didn't know, this is what panic looks like.

Will the Real Ivanka Raise Her Hand?

Well, it's Friday and it one of my 'on again days.'  Yepper, I get to go be a Flooring Specialist for 8 hours.
Evidently one of my measures 'blew up' yesterday while I was off.  A customer had called a week ago... a woman, and requested info our having commercial carpet installed.  She didn't like the fact that we charged for our measure services (fee is deducted once you purchase) and hung up.  She called up on Sunday and set up the measure, didn't have the name of the carpet with her, so I keyed in a generic.  I told her to tell the measure services she was dealing with the store.  She didn't.  She got an expensive quote emailed to her which included all the measurements.  Her boss called and started shrieking at one of the Assistant Managers about 'price matching' and how they got less expensive quote from other installers.  In the end, someone decided to refund her (him) the measure fee.  That's right, this person wanted a free measure and got a free measure.  I was not there.  It was my day off.  I would have said "no."
More cases of Covid-19 have sprung up across the US.  Four more states have tested positive.  And the Idiot Jerk, at a town hall in PA, evidently admitted it might slow down the economy.  He also said something to the effect of "Americans are traveling so much, they're staying home and spending their money here."  So, his focus is on people spending money, not on people getting sick and possibly dying.  That's so... Republican.
One thing that is going to be hurt terribly by the virus is Mega-Churches.  Oh... dear.  You know, like evil Joel Osteen's church.  That's going to hurt his pocket book.  Poor Joel, what's he gonna do when the money stops rolling in?

And Joel's not the only one.  There  are a lot of them out there using their Rock / Broadway show appeal to sell phoniness, their main goal being the collection plate.  I can't see Joel visiting hospitals to comfort the sick, or visiting their house to give them moral support. Or Frankie Graham, for that matter.  For the life of me, I cannot even begin to imagine Frankie saying "Hey, I'm going to stop at hospital today and visit a bunch of Coronavirus patients."  Maybe Melanoma should go visit a hospital... or Ivanka Danka.  There was a time when politicians and their wives did that sort of thing, to help calm American's fears and worries.  Wouldn't that be a hoot, seeing either of them gussied up in their protective gear?

Can you spot her?  She's the fourth one from the left.  

The 3 Faces of Mike

It's my 'Off Again Day.'  Yep, no work today.  I hope the weather is nice, there are a few things I need to get done outside.  The tips of all of those bulbs I planted in the fall are beginning to push up through the soil.  It's almost time to plant the zinnias.
I thought it was interesting how Wall Street responded to Biden's big Super Tuesday win.  The stock market climbed almost 4%.  That was not only a smack in the face to Bernie, but also the Idiot Jerk in the White House who likes to glory in how 'he' is personally responsible for the economy.  Of course, it has already begun to retreat.  The world has a bit of a health issue.
Speaking of that little problem, yesterday, while I was I work my phone buzzed with a notification.  The Stepford Man, who goes by the name of Mike Pence, and his Task Force were leaving some sort of meeting.  Of course there was a picture (there's always a picture) and I couldn't help but think how phony he looks.

At first glance, I thought I was looking a pure arrogance, the upward tilt of his head as he tries to keep his nose higher than those around him.  Then, looking at his thin, unsmiling lips, I wondered if perhaps he might just be very angry.  He's failed with health issues before in Indiana, and now he's been saddled with something global... a growing pandemic.  Shit!  However, then I glanced at his eyes, glazed and unfocused, and realized I was looking at stupidity.  This is a man whose beliefs define everything, a man who is totally lost when things fall outside their narrow boundaries.  Looking at those 3 faces of Mike, I couldn't help but wonder if the only thought rattling around in his noggin was "but this never happened on 'Leave it to Beaver.'"

I didn't see that coming...

I get to go to work today.  In case you don't know, you're not seeing my excitable side.  There is no shiny, glittery aura surrounding me at my anticipation of spending 8 hours at the flooring desk.
Yesterday saw me having an enjoyable ride in Catalonia.  That as fun.
Yesterday also so the first case of the Coronavirus in North Carolina.
Oh, and the Fed did what the Idiot Jerk in the White House has been shrieking at them to do for months:  drop half a percentage point off the prime... and the stock market dropped 800 points.  Oh... shit.  That wasn't supposed to happen.  I can say with much certainty that many Republicans scratched their heads and said..."I didn't see that coming."  And, of course, the Idiot Jerk was looking for stability... and that didn't happen.
I saw a funny little clip of him in a meeting saying he thought the government would have a vaccine for the virus in 2 months...  Surprise.  He frowned when he was told that was not likely to happen.
Holy Crap.  And his administration is thinking of using our taxes to pay for the medical the expenses for those uninsured people who need to be hospitalized because of the Coronavirus.  Isn't that what Obamacare was supposed to do, make sure everyone was insured.  Wow!  and this from a Republican.  I didn't see that coming.  Must be because it's an election year.
And, speaking of the election year, Joe Biden did well yesterday... very well, indeed.

Joe was looking happy.  Bernie was looking a bit... burned.  He thought he had Texas in the bag... oops.  He also thought that after yesterday he was going to have a lock on the nomination.  That didn't happen.  In fact, to his terrible chagrin, Uncle Joe is now seen as the Front Runner.  You can be Bernie didn't see that coming.  He spent a lot of time and money in both California and Texas... oh dear.  And the reason many turned out to vote for Joe?  They believe he's the only one who can beat the Idiot Jerk.  This morning I saw one of Joe's campaign slogans:  "Let's bring values back into the White House."  Betcha the Idiot Jerk didn't see that coming.

Fifteen White Guys Fail

I start my 'off a day, on a day' week with drizzly weather outside.  I am not excited.
For a number of years, I've hung a Warwick Rowers calendar on my wall.  This year will be the last.  The days of rowers coyly hiding their privates behind oars, and soft drink cans, and tea pots are gone'; there's nothing cutesy in this year's calendar.  Their strength was always in their humorous visuals, rather than in simple nudity.  This is not the case anymore.
Both Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar have endorsed Joe Biden.  I suspected this was going to happen.  The party is finally uniting.  Now we need Warren to do the same thing.  Bernie needs to be taught a lesson.
Interestingly enough, the Idiot Jerk in the White House has begun stepping up his attacks on Biden.  This is why he tried to blackmail the Ukrainian President.  Dirt on Biden was essential.  He can only survive on dirt.  He needs to feed his base an angry little chant, like 'lock her up.'  The dumb shit tried it with the Coronavirus.  At first it was the 'next great Democrat hoax,' but he dropped that line as cases and deaths continued to mount.  The he put that Crazy Christian Pence in charge of a task force.  And then again yesterday the Idiot Jerk said something like "I have really, really good doctors who are working on a vaccine, maybe even a cure."  He doesn't want anybody challenging what he says, so nobody around him has a brain.
And speaking of that silly little task force, a number of Crazy Christians published pics of that group praying yesterday.  Instead of relying on men of science, that fool Pence is going to pray for guidance.  He did this in his approach to HIV while Governor of Indiana which resulted in a mini-epidemic.  This man is just like the Idiot Jerk in the White House... dumb as a brick.  The first thing that went through my head when I saw that photo was "what the hell is going on here."

This is a pictures of fifteen white guys (and 1 woman) praying.  That's right, Pence has assembled a white task force made of of middle-aged and aging white men.  Were there no Asians, no Latinos, no People of Color smart enough to make the cut, or he just more comfortable surrounding himself with white Christians?  This train wreck is not even going to leave the station.

Good People

So, it's Monday.  My schedule looks like it was written by a monkey on crack. Yeah, this is the week I get to work every other day... for the entire week.  I do have 4 days in a row coming up, but that's not for another 2 weeks.
By now everybody has heard the news that Mayor Pete is out of the running.  I was impressed by how much press coverage his departure received.  This gay man has achieved so much more, gone so much farther in American Politics then any other gay man in history.  I do not doubt his life in public service is just beginning.  I know the Republicans are frightened he might decided to run for governor.  One loud thought shoots through my head when I think of that:  Run, Pete, Run!  Take them down and take them out.
Overnight there was another death from the Coronavirus.  More cases were diagnosed in more states as the virus spreads.  And you know Sister Mary Pence is on her knees praying this thing acts like the flu and disappears in April...  In fact, from what I've heard, that is the foundation of this administrations policies.   Yep, the Idiot Jerk has surrounded himself with henchies who are telling him exactly what he wants to hear, that spring will end the coronavirus.  Except this isn't like the flu.  Warmer weather is not going to bring about the demise of this new disease.  This is obvious since new cases are cropping up in countries with moderate to warm climates.
If you read any of the financials, you've seen a number of opinions on the corporate prospects of 2020.  They're not going to be good.  CEO's are hoping their corporations will be able to report slim profits... though it's becoming more apparent daily that is not going to happen.  This is the terrible Karma the Republicans have wrought upon the world... and believe me, it is the world.  Such is the ruination brought by greed.  In Brazil, deforestation  is happening so farmers can grow soybeans to export to China because... of the Idiot Jerk's Trade Wars.  In America, billions are borrowed to aid farmers hurt by the Idiot Jerk's trade policies.  What goes around, comes around.  The End of the Republican Party is nigh.
And who's going to help bring them down?  People like Mayor Pete. Good people.  Honest people.  Diverse people.

Do not doubt, he will play a major part in the reshaping of America.