Unfiltered

The temps in Central PA hit 93 (F) yesterday.  That's hot... not quite stinkin' hot, but hot enough to make you sweat.  Forecasters are predicting temps in the high 80's for today, of course, forecasters are not known for their accuracy.  Most of them are not aiming for a home run, they're just happy to get it in the ballpark... which means they can only used generalized terms, like 'sunny and warm,' or 'sunny and hot.'

My plans for today?  Finish the paint of the stair case trim.  I will be glad.  The tank is also supposed to be delivered today, as is the filter.  I'm going with an inline filter rather than something that hangs off the back of the tank.  I've never liked those.

And I want to go for a ride this afternoon.  Monday is a designated rest day for me.  How far will I ride today?  There's a section of the Corsica ride I haven't covered yet.  That's a possibility.

And, of course, there are more firestorms raging around the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  White Power, anyone?  That little video is just another nail in his coffin, as if there weren't enough nails in it already.  Now they're saying he posted that Tweet and then went... golfing, and his allies couldn't reach him  to tell him to take it down.  Yep, that's right, golfing... again.

And, of course, now officials are saying he was given a written brief back in January regard those Russian bounties.  Now, how much of a waste of time was that.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House doesn't read.  The only way he learns anything is if hears it on Fox and Friends...  Don't you find it surprising he hasn't given them Top Secret clearance so they can keep him informed?

And, of course, his administration has filed a lawsuit in PA regarding mail in ballots.  Mail boxes, you know?  Totally unsecured.  This is true.  I was truly surprised during this past primary to see all those scurrilous people in their MAGA hats prowling around mail boxes trying to steal ballots.

And, of course, the Supreme Court handed the Social Conservatives another loss yesterday.  That's 3 in a row.  Roberts voted against them because of precedent.  They are not going to overturn what they have already passed.  This means the Idiot Jerk has struck out 3 times in their books.  Now, ain't that a shame... for them.

And, finally, don't know if you've heard or not, but there's a Cracker Jack Crazy network called God TV.  Supposedly it's based in the UK, but it's broadcasting licenses are held by a group in Florida.  Well, Israel has just kicked them out.  When they initially filled out their application, they stated they were aiming their broadcasts at Christians in Israel.  Well, they lied.  Now, isn't that a surprise... from Evangelicals.  Anyway, it seems as though their main focus is on converting Jews to Christianity.  Israeli Jews.  Ouch!!  Israel is shutting them down (deep belly laugh).

Here's a pic of the filter I'm getting, except mine's Democratic Blue.

Timeliness

My weekend begins.  It's going to get hot, they're forecasting 91 (F)  Not much is planned for outdoor activities.  No mowing of the grass.  No wacking of the weeds.

Indoor activities are planned.  The staircase needs painting.  I'm putting the new tank there, where the piano sat for years and years.  I have a Korg keyboard there now.  I play occasionally, but not frequently enough for it to take up the space.  The tank, itself, is due to arrive tomorrow.  One of my plans this morning is to pick up the substrate, probably at Pet Smart.  Fish and Plants will be purchased from That Fish Place down near Lancaster.  You all know how to pronounce Lancaster now, don't you?

And I was the only Specialist at the Flooring Desk yesterday... again.  And I only had one moron customer who presented issues.  A man stopped by the desk and told me he wanted to order his blinds.  I asked if they had been designed and he said "no, but I know what I want."  No problem, except I couldn't find his measurements in the system.  I checked under his name, his wife's name, both phone numbers... nothing.  In fact, he wasn't in our system for ever having purchased anything from us, so I figured he must be confusing us with Lowe's (this happens more frequently then you might think).  Before suggesting he was making that mistake, I went into our purged order's system.  Son of a Bitch!  His name popped up.  He and his wife had made one purchase from us... a measure for blinds... in January... of 2019.  That's right, a year and a half ago.  I told him measurements only stay in the system for a year... and he grew irate.  He said, "no one told him that."  We do.  It's part of our spiel, "measurements are only good for a year."  I told him that.  I also said, "you waited a year and a half, no one waits a year and a half to decided to buy blinds," with enough insinuation in my voice to let him know I was calling him a fool.  I ended up setting him up for our Kirsch rep (very expensive blinds) to go out to his house.  Timeliness is everything.  

As for the Idiot Jerk in the White House... well, there was his 'White Power' Tweet that someone, probably not him, took down.  He doesn't understand America is not as ugly racist as his white Supremacist base.  And, of course, there's the bit about the bounties the Russkies put on American soldiers.  That's going to hurt him with the military.  How's that for bad timing.

Finally, on the music and the writing.  On occasion a song, a guitar riff, a lyric, or a melody line will create a backdrop in my head for what I'm writing about.  Here's one that's helping me create imagery for The Body in the Loch.  Picture this:  nighttime, flashlights zigzagging through the fog, baying dogs in hot pursuit of who... or what... as our heroes race to the ruined Abbey of Dun Adair.  You know, I do need to get my little action bits in.

Hellbent on destroying America

I think I did something flipped a wrong toggle yesterday on my blog settings.  Un-flipped this morning.

Yesterday was a bit of a zoo at work.  I was the only Specialist scheduled.  Some real quackers showed up.  3 people who had set themselves up for Online measures without a product came in and asked for quotes.  They asked for square footage, so I explained square footage is part of the calculation when you choose a specific flooring.  There is no magic button you can push which shows you how many square feet you have in each room.  I had the couple who decided they wanted to both carpet and put vinyl down in their family room, but failed to tell the measure tech which section was supposed to the vinyl.  I explained that needed to be broken out separately.  Then there was the woman who lost her patience because she wanted to order a blind... and I was already working with a couple.  "If I leave, I'm not coming back," she grimly threatened.  And the blond woman without a mask who slammed a roller blind on the counter and angrily said "I need this cut!  Now!"  Surprisingly, I don't get frazzled.  I just very quietly in my head say 'fuck you.'  I don't know why some people fail to realize I can't pull Specialists out of my butt.  That may sound funny, but it's true.

Last evening I ordered my tank.  It's a 50 gallon SeaClear acrylic. Also ordered was a stand which looks more like a piece of furniture rather than stand.

Of course, I had to get the one with the Blue back.

And I did see that the Idiot Jerk went golfing yesterday after all. History will put him in his own special Hell.  Abbott, the governor of Texas, is now publicly saying he regrets opening his state so soon.  What did  he think?  This pandemic was going to suddenly go away?  Oh... that's right, he's a Republican.  Believe it or not, they still do not understand.  They will lie to themselves as badly as the Idiot Jerk in the White House lies to America.

And what about those Russkies paying bounties to the Taliban for shooting Americans?  The Idiot Jerk knew and didn't care... for the lives of American soldiers.  He sure is hellbent on destroying America, isn't he? 

Pandemic Tee Off

Have we all been Workin' for the Weekend?!  I know I haven't been.  Nor have I been Workin' for the Man!  I have been punching in, and punching out, and selling carpet because they pay me very well.  Getting paid is not a bad thing, you just can't make that your number one priority in your life.  When you do that you're edging towards being a conservative.  For many of them, it's not being able to live comfortably; rather their focus is on buying the BMW or the Volvo, and buying a house with a faux front that looks like a French chateau.  These things are very important to them.  Ownership ranks their self-worth.  For them, importance is always an object to be bought.

Jennifer asked what kind of fish I might put in the tank I'm planning on setting up.  I told her Discus would be nice.  They can be difficult.  They like very warm water with a specific ph, filtered lighting, and a sedate environment.  That last one's the stickler.  I have 180 lbs of dogs that race and bounce from the futon in the living room to the recliner sofa in the writing room.  And dogs can be very loud!  So I might end up going with something less... delicate and more hardy.  This whole thing is still in the planning stage.  One thing I have discovered.  Larger tanks are difficult to come by at the present.  I guess since pet stores were deemed essential, many people chose to set up fish tanks during the lockdown.

These might be a possibility, they can get rather large

And I saw where the Idiot Jerk in the White House changed his plans this weekend, he's not going golfing at his New Jersey club.  Someone must have told him it would "really, really bad," of course that's never stopped him before.  Maybe his mind finally made some sort of connections with his petulant, spoiled brat behavior patterns and his sagging ratings... nah.  Someone just told him it would look really, really bad.  That means he's not going to make his tee time.  That's right, no teeing off during a Pandemic.

Both Florida and Texas have started returning to their lockdowns.  I understand some beachfront communities in the Sunshine State have started shutting down their beaches. They had to do this before.  Their dumbshit governor doesn't seem to realize that infection rates are still going to climb.  He's a stupid Republican, loyal to the Idiot Jerk.  DeSantis doesn't understand that the infection rate will continue to explode until someone in authority has the balls to shut it down.  That someone is not him.

Don't go to Texas!!!

Today's payday.  I'm always excited when someone puts money into my bank account, even when I have to work 40 hours in order to earn it.  One of the things the very, very large home improvement retailer has done during the lockdown was to give associates an added bonus for working.  They have extended it until July 5.  I would not be surprised if this gets extended again since Covid 19 is exploding all over the place because of failed, Republican leadership.

I'm thinking of getting an acrylic rather than glass tank.  They're a bit pricier, but weigh less, and that little bonus I'm getting will pay for it in not time.  Size wise?  I'm probably going to go with something around 50 gallons.  That way the fish can grow.  Fairly large tank... fairly big fish... sounds good to me.  I really don't want a school of 20 or 30 tetras swimming around.

And I saw where the mayor of NYC is going to have Black Lives Matter painted on the street in front of the Idiot Jerk's Tower.  And, of course, the Idiot Jerk flipped out.  

Another judge threw out the suit he was bringing against his niece for writing a tell-all book.  I think the title was "Scumbags from Hell..." honestly, I jest.  Titling your book "Scumbags from Hell" would be rather redundant, don't you think?

Don't go to Texas!  or Florida! or Arizona! or Oklahoma!  Or, practically any state run by a Republican governor.  Covid 19 is running rampant through those states!  If only Republicans had just a wit of common sense!  But they don't.  The economy was more important.  The economy was the only thing that might get the Idiot Jerk re-elected.  You know, when the governor of Texas says "shut down is a last resort," that decision is now on the table.  And that dumb shit De Santis in Florida? Now he's screaming "don't go out!  don't go out!" and making threats to shut down those very establishments he deemed essential for public welfare, like bars, and hair salons, and nail parlors.

And, of course, he's going to the Supreme Court to shut down the rest of the ACA... in a pandemic.  That shows you where is priorities are.

Finally, I've started harvesting my peaches.  Most of them are the size of tennis balls, though I do have some that are the size of walnuts.

Pigs in Shit

The first half of yesterday was semi-busy at work.  People have started the installation process for carpet.  Mostly, I think, using the stimulus checks handed out by the government.  Unfortunately, this is not what those funds were to be used for; one single purchase does not help grow the economy.  I sold measure to 2 couples, both seniors, both want Berber carpet within 5 minutes of each other.  Berber is not very popular.  It's not soft, is bad with kids and pets.  You can get pulls with Berber carpet.  Still, that's what they wanted.  Both senior couples were looking for durability.  Both are looking to sell their homes.  I wanted to tell them putting in Berber carpet limited their future buyers to older couples without grandchildren or pets... especially cats.  I didn't.

According to Governor Abbott of Texas. shutting down the state is a "last resort."  Hospital ICU's in parts of Texas are near capacity thanks to total mismanagement.  You see, they believed the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  He told them Covid 19 was going to go away when the temps warmed up.  They know he lies.  They also say "that's just the way he is."  They're going to crash their own economies.  Ouch.  Right now, the Idiot Jerk leads Biden in Texas by 2%.  That's going to change because... "that's just the way he is." (Can you hear my evil laugh?)

Biden is coming to Lancaster, PA this morning.  For those who are interested, we pronounce it Lank - Ester, not Lan Cast Er.  Boy, I'll bet that shocked your world.  Lancaster is pretty much the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.  In Central Pa, they were hit really hard by Covid 19.  Without Obamacare, the Amish have no health care.  Of course, the Idiot Jerk in the White House and his Republican ilk have nothing against health care, as long as none of their tax dollars go to support it.  They're happy as pigs in shit as long as you can pay for your own hospital care.

This is why Biden is going to talk about Health Care in a community that was ravaged by Covid 19.

And every since Jennifer mentioned her school getting an aquarium, I've been toying with idea of setting one up again.  I've probably had active fish tanks for... oh, thirty years of my life.  Right now the question, if I get one, is size.  Do I want to go big?  Or bigger?

Community Spread

It's Wednesday and that means I get to go back to work.

Yesterday was warm again, though not as hot as the day before.  However, the humidity here in Central Pennsylvania was through the roof.  I mowed my lawn, which is not that large.  Twenty minutes of pushing my little electric lawn mower and I'm finished.  And did I sweat much in that twenty minutes?  Yeah.  I was drenched.  

The Body in the Loch is proceeding nicely.  So far I've written over 14,000 words.  I'm pleased.

I saw where Covid 19 is surging badly in Texas.  Governor Abbott has said the rate of community spread is unacceptable.   He doesn't want to lock down the state, so he's telling people to stay home.  "Don't go anywhere you don't need to go," he's saying.  "Wear masks."  I though it rather amusing when he said "people here don't think it's as bad as it is."  Well... why would they?   That dumb shit has been telling Texans it's not that bad, and that it will go away for how many months now?  There's a shiny blue lining hiding beneath his Conservative ineptitude.

And Arizona?  They've just about reached the limit of their available ICU beds.  He's another incompetent Conservative.  The Idiot Jerk was in his state to sign a plaque on the boarder wall.  The he spoke in a Cracker Jack Mega Church where they said they ionize the air to kill Covid 19.  That don't work.  But then they'll believe any lie regarding this virus.  And they're saying all the cases we're seeing now are from Memorial Day...  Keep in mind, those being hospitalized today were doing anything but social distancing and wearing masks in the 3 weeks since then.  How bad is it going to get in Arizona, and Texas, and Florida?  Really, really bad.

Finally, when the Pronto Plumber came, the dogs were very excited. I took a picture of Biggie waiting in anticipation for him to walk through the front door.

Sadly, for Biggie, the plumber stayed on the front porch.

The Eruption

Golly, today's my 3rd and final day off.  I get to go back to work tomorrow.  Do you think that's a good enough reason to put on my high button shoes?  Nah.

Pronto plumbing ran a camera down my pipes yesterday and I'm clean as a whistle.  The dogs were all barky barky while the guy was here.  They wanted him to pet them and give them biscuits and I wanted him to leave.

Today I want to mow the lawn.  The temps are not supposed to get as high as they did yesterday.

We had thunderstorms last evening... well, that's not exactly correct, the thunder and lightening passed by to the east, all we got here in Enola was the rain.  Rain is good.  We're heading into summer which means unless a tropical depression moves up from the south, all we get are spits and spats from thunderstorms.

I baked an apple, cranberry desert thing yesterday.  It's tasty, but it needs ice cream so I'll be heading off to my neighbor hood Giant this morning.  I'm also going to pick up a chicken for roasting.  I have a rotisserie, so maybe I'll rotisserate the sucker.

The Idiot Jerk in the White House has proclaimed he's going to sign another Executive Order on immigration.  He's planning on visiting Arizona, where the infection rate is rising, so he can stand next to the boarder wall Americans are paying for... yep, it's another photo op, sans Bible this time.  It's his 2016 playbook, you know?  Not an original thought rattling around in that puny little brain of his.

Biden has agreed to 3 debates.  The Idiot Jerk wanted 4.  He thinks he's going to be popping home runs out of the park.  Dumb shit.  He doesn't understand that all Biden has to do is stand there and look presidential.  Oh, and maybe occasionally... politely say "that's a damn lie."  

I don't believe the Idiot Jerk in the White House understand his bad Karma is just getting started.  That faux rally was a catastrophic failure.  Very shortly, the Supreme Court is most likely going to rule that the State of New York can have access to his tax returns and Vesuvius will erupt in his head.

6200

Monday - this is my mini-hump day off...  Wednesday I will have to go back to work.  Ain't that a bite in the butt?

I'm getting a courtesy visit from my plumbers today.  They're going to run a camera down my pipe to make sure everything's clear, sort of like a sewage pipe colonoscopy.  Yep, I even get pictures.  My appointment is for 0800.  After that, my day is free.

Either today or tomorrow I want to mow my lawn.  The temp is scheduled to hit 90 (F) today.  That's stinky winky hot, ain't it?  When the temps are this warm, the Central Air runs and I keep the dogs inside.

6200 - that's the number of attendees being bandied about at the Idiot Jerk's rally in Tulsa.  At least, that's the number the Tulsa Fire Department is releasing.  The Idiot Jerk's team is saying... nothing.  Well, not quite, they're claiming over 3 million watched some sort of pre-rally virtual event.  Of course, who can possibly believe their numbers.  As for data mining, his campaign got a a lot of info from people named 'Eat Shit.'

I don't know if this is true or not, but I got a news flash from CNN that John Bolton has said he's voting for Joe Biden.  He is a bit scrofulous and his prose style tends to be meandering and self-centered, but he is a right wing hawk who appeals to a certain brand of Conservative.  Now, I'm not saying they're all going to vote for Biden, but my money's saying many of them will stay home from the polls this November.

Finally, I thought I'd share a picture of me when I was really young, just a lad in his sailor suit home from the seas.  That's my grandma, too.  I have a lot of respect for her.  My boxer, Gerty, was named for her.  When my cousin and I were both 12, my Grandma took us by train down to Philadelphia to the zoo.  Those memories are pivotal.

In case you're wondering, I'm 19 (and not 12) in that picture.

The Un-Rally

It's Sunday, the first of 3 days off in a row for me... and I slept in.  This is becoming a bit of a habit on my first day off.  Not a bad habit, mind you, one that can be enjoyable... sleeping in, you know?

And what about the Idiot Jerk in the White House?  He chose to hold a rally an nobody came... well, some brain dead white supremacists and racists showed up, but the crowd he had been anticipating.  I'd post a picture or two of the half empty BOK Arena, but they're all over the place.  All those tickets his campaign gave out?  Snatched up by people, many of whom were teenagers, who wanted to ruin his night.  They succeeded quite stunningly.  Imagine throwing a big party, getting a lot of RSVP's, and then having nobody show up...  I mean, that's who showed up... the nobodies.  What a smack to his ego that must have been.  And there are lots of pictures so he can't lie.  Well... almost.  He said "bad things were happening outside, really bad things," and that's why the crowd was so small.  The Tulsa police reported a few minor protests, nothing more.  This is not how you get re-elected, by throwing an un-rally.  It is, however, how you look like Idiot Jerk.

I did run out this morning and take a picture of one of my roses, since we should all get to see something pretty today.

Fever Pitch

For those who don't know, today is the longest day of the year.  Summer officially begins... or began... a few hours ago.... or maybe it's later this morning.  I'm not that precise when it comes to either equinoxes or solstices.  I'm sure if I wanted one, I could purchase a watch which linked to some atomic clock somewhere, and chimed the instant the summer started.  Personally, I think that would be going a little overboard.

Yesterday was Juneteenth.  One of the most striking things I read was that the Idiot Jerk in the White House was unusually quiet on Twitter.  I was always told that if you can't say anything nice, or good, don't say anything at all.  His silence in no means indicates he has finally achieved some level of common sense.  Most likely he was practicing some herky jerky moves for his Ding Dong Rally this evening.

I think it's rather amusing.  He is defining the Republican Part for the world to see.  Now we know they don't care about human life as long as they can get their hair or nails done.  They have no problem separating children from their parents.  They have no problem blackmailing others to keep themselves in power.  They lie a lot... daily.  They don't like people with dark skin.  I know I'm missing many things because their disassociation from America is so totally overwhelming.  They are in their own separate, little world... and, not surprisingly, they don't understand they are a minority group.  They like to call themselves the party of Lincoln, yet they would vote stridently against the Emancipation Proclamation were it to be written today. True, their party is old, but it is no longer grand and has not been for quite some time.

Anyway, their Idiot Jerk is going to have his Ding Dong Rally tonight in Tulsa because his ego demands human sacrifice.  For you and I, having to sign a waver promising not to sue, would give us reason to question the wisdom of attending.  Not to his base.  They see it as a joke.  An inconvenience at best.  Temperatures are supposed to be taken.  Realistically now, does anybody think they're going to stop anyone from entering that arena because they're running a fever?  They will chalk it up to an Adrenalin rush, anticipation of the fever pitch initiated by the Idiot Jerk shrieking from center stage.  Prepare yourselves, he will go off topic... a lot.  He has miles of bile to spew.  He is a bitter, bitter man who is beginning to understand how much he's hated.  He is going to be fired by the American People.  He deserves everything he gets.

And finally, for those who are interested.  I have peaches!

They were early last year, too.  I don't mind.

The Butterfly

It's Friday, June 18.  Juneteenth.  Thanks to our racist president who originally decided to hold a racist rally in Tulsa, the site of what's considered the worst racist massacre of black people by whites, now everybody knows what Juneteenth is... except his supporters.  They just don't care.  They never will.  And they do love to wear their little red hats.

Yesterday was fairly busy at the Flooring Desk.  Not only is Harrisburg the capital of Pennsylvania, Mechnicsburg is also home to one of the largest Naval Distribution Centers on the East Coast.  Recessions or depressions rarely effect us.  Because of this, many of the stimulus checks the government sent out were banked.  As things begin to open up, people are itching to spend that little bonus.  What the hell is wrong with people.  I banked mine.  Just because you have a little extra cash doesn't mean you need to run out and fritz it away.  There is the possibility things might get worse before they get better.  Money in the bank is a very good thing.

In case you didn't see it, the Supreme Court handed the Idiot Jerk and Conservative racist hacks another turdcicle yesterday.  They did not like the flavor: Rejection.  Little Stevie Miller must be beside himself.  That wasn't the only major disappointment he had to deal with yesterday.  Facebook shut down a lot of re-election ads because they used a hate symbol, a cute little design Nazi's used to designate political prisoners.  The Nazi's a number of little markings to identify their hate.  You can bet Stevie Miller knows them all.

And they're lining up outside the BOK Arena in Tulsa already.  I guess this means the tickets were General Admission only.  Unless you happen to be a particularly powerful racist, or a bottle blonde with perky, little tits, then you get to stand behind the Idiot Jerk as he shrieks out his hatred.  This is going to be amazing.  They do not understand.  Against the background of the Pandemic and the Protests, every little racist second is going to be amplified and sent around the world.  This is not only how they isolate themselves, but wrap themselves in failure.  Independent voters are going to get to see a real shit show.

Finally, when I got home from work yesterday, I saw something colorful landing on the gravel in front of my car: a pretty butterfly.  I have no idea what kind of butterfly it is, but I did take a picture.  I was a bit amazed since we usually don't see butterflies like this around here.

Heading towards the Cliff.... notes

Oh, my, isn't this week just flying by?

It's the 18th of June and in just 2 days we'll be hitting Summer Solstice.  After that we begin our slow slide into the doldrums of winter.  I looked at the calendar and thought "Holy Crap!  where has the time gone!"  Of course, we're not legally into summer yet, so I probably shouldn't be complaining. 

Criticism is mounting on the Republican governors of Arizona, Florida, and Texas as their infections rates soar.  In fact, it's climbing in all of the Sunbelt states.  No one should be surprised to find out this is the land of MAGA heads, those people with springs for necks.  Oklahoma is one of those states.  The Mayor of Tulsa says it's an honor to host the first Mega Spread of Covid 19.  I wonder if people have started leaving yet.   That's what they did up in New York, tried to move somewhere safe.  Of course, these governors and mayors listened to the Idiot Jerk in the White House without understanding he is the Destructor of their political party.

And what about John Bolton's book?  Personally, I'd have picked a better title.  "The Room Where It Happened," comes across as a little too pretentious, I think.  "Shit that Happened" is much more apropos.  The reviews I'm seeing say this tome is rather droll reading, except for the juicy bits, the ones causing the Republican Party to do flaming back flips.  Most of us have known for some time that the Idiot Jerk loves his dictators and gives them preferential treatment.  He gives them favors, the way a suitor does to a romantic interest.  For the Idiot Jerk, it's all 'tit for tat.'  He doesn't mind scratching the back of a Kim Jung Dumb if Kimmy cools it on the nuclear holocaust threats.  Remember, the Idiot Jerk said Kimmy was a good guy who had to make some difficult decisions when he was younger.  Of course, Kimmy now realizes the Idiot Jerk was just full of shit, a used car dealer who offered him a Cadillac and then sold him a Corvair.

In case you're wondering, the only way I'll buy the book is if it comes out in Cliff Notes.

There are some Democrats who are upset that Bolton didn't testify during the impeachment process... true, these revelations would have been jaw dropping.  Even so, the Republican held Senate was never going to convict the Idiot Jerk, a man of their own ilk party.  His book coming out 4.5 months out from the election is going to have far more repercussions.  And there are more revelations on the way.  My money says the Idiot Jerk is not saying ouchy! ouchy!  Nope, I think he's far past that stage.  In fact, I'm fairly certain he's past the boiling hot lava stage.  I can't even imagine the hate he's going to spew this Saturday in Tulsa, and every word coming out of his mouth is going to stab him in the back.

What the Hell?

Well, Wednesday has arrived.  I go back to work after my one single day off.  In four days, I'm getting another 3 days off in a row.  That's not bad.  I like having days off.

I had breakfast with my brother yesterday.  The waitresses had masks dangling around their necks, but weren't wearing them.  A few of the older customers came in wearing masks, most of them didn't because they are old Republicans.  We did talk politics, he's an Evangelical Supporter of the Idiot Jerk in the White House, however he has come to realize that turd is going to get flushed this November.  I repeated 'Dave's Axiom' to him (as I've done many times in the past).  I talked about those presidential moments which precede a successful presidential re-election (Reagan surviving an assassination attempt, W standing on the ruins of the World Trade Center).  Before I had a chance to finish, my brother began nodding seriously as he repeated "He blew it," several times.  He knows that little walk across Lafayette Square was the worst presidential moment in recorded history.  He Blew It.

Oh, my, can we talk about understatements here?  Some Conservatives understand, however many don't.  It's as if they've been hit across the forehead with a badly warped, white pine 2 x 4 and instead of falling down, they just stand there with a dazed look in their eyes exclaiming "what the hell was that?"

Rumor has it the Republican's are looking for an outside venue in Tulsa...  Because of Covid 19.  Attendees at the Rally from Hell are going to need to have their temps taken, be given masks and hand sanitizer, as well as sign a waver.  Excuse, but isn't this whole thing a hoax.  You know, they're going to be waiting line, turning to each other as they scratch their heads, and muttering "what the hell is this?"  I'm waiting to see the skit on SNL.  I mean, their 'stupid' pot is about ready to boil over.

Red Republican Stupid Pot

If you're planning on taking a vacation, there are certain states you want to avoid.  Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Oregon are 5 of the worst destination points right now.  Notice, Oklahoma is on the list.  Covid 19 must be setting up welcoming booths.

Finally, the Justice Department is suing to keep Bolton from releasing his memoir "Crazy Days in the Oval Office."  Actually, that's just the working title.  Anyway, it doesn't mean anything.  This book is going to get leaked, most likely sooner rather than later and America's going to turn on the Idiot Jerk even more.  What a shame so many of his base don't read.  Otherwise they's be scratching their heads and muttering "what the hell?"

Things Change

Yesterday was Monday.  I went back to work, but only for a day.  I'm scheduled off today.  Being scheduled off is very nice.  After today I get to work 4 consecutive days, however then I'm scheduled off for 3 consecutive days.  I like that a lot.

Monday was a momentous day.  The Supreme Court dumped a turd in the Idiot Jerk's hat.  Conservatives shrieked their hatred at the Conservative Judge who they feel betrayed them.  You see they believed he would betray the Constitution in favor of religion.  They were wrong.  We are a Democracy, something Conservatives and Republicans look at with great disdain.  Sucks to be them, doesn't it.  No matter how hard they try to ratchet the country into a small, conservative cube they fail because we as a people are round, we are oval, we have angles, we have curves.  Our depth and height exceeds their pale little blocky beliefs.  We are more then they will every be.  The fight is not over, but they reel because one of their own has bloodied their nose.

There was a really interesting article in Politico on how Republicans believe they're going to win the November election.  A number of them are predicting a landslide... in favor of the Idiot Jerk.  This is funny... an example of true denial.  I had to laugh when one of them said "the pandemic is over and the economy is improving."  They see only what they want to believe.  The same thing happened with Nixon, Republicans just not being able to believe a truth they didn't dictate, a reality they didn't write.

Another funny thing I read was that there is a group of Cracker Jack Crazy Christians who believe the pandemic and the crashing economy are signs that 'The End' is near.   They evidently never heard about The Spanish Flu, which was far worse for life, and limb, and the world's economy.  And what about the Black Plague?  They must have been sleeping through those classes, otherwise they'd know that pandemic ushered in The Dark Ages.  Oh, that's right, they were saying the same thing back then... and were just as wrong.

Today is a brighter day then yesterday.  No matter how desperately some might try and freeze time, lock us into a permanence which only satisfies their own selfish needs, change happens.  Life will continue evolving.  There is no stopping it.

Mask This

Monday!  the start of a work week for many, now that restrictions are now being lifted.  Be Safe.  Be Careful.  Because of inept management by the administration of the Idiot Jerk in the White House, that responsibility is now up to you.

I did end up riding 80.1 miles last week.  In fact, yesterday I rode part 1 of the San Remo route and averaged 18.2 miles an hour.  My legs are getting stronger.  This is good.  As I've said many times before, your legs are the engines of your body.  They contain the largest muscle groups.  Use them.

Yesterday I also wacked my weeds, and started a little project for the backyard.  Once it's finished I'll post pictures.  That should be in a day or so.  I have a small list of things I need to pick up at the store today, after I punch out.

For those of you preparing to attend the rally in Tulsa, Larry Kudlow recommends you wear a mask.  But... wait a minute, why would he say that if this whole thing is a hoax?  Golly Gee!  You don't think the Idiot Jerk is concerned about his base getting sick and dying off, do you?  My money's saying that arena is going to stink so badly of disinfectant attendees will need to be wearing the M5 gas masks just to breath.

I had the joy of wearing one of these when I was in the Navy.  They're great at keeping out Tear Gas.  Covid 19... not so good.

Of course, reports of infections rates skyrocketing in Republican states are becoming more and more prevalent.  Arizona, Florida, and Texas.  In Florida, they're up to 2000 new cases a day.  But then this is to be expected when you relax all constraints.  Shit!  There goes their tourist trade.  No one wants to buy a T-shirt that reads "I went to Florida, and all I got was Covid 19."  There, I gave some smart entrepreneur an idea for a novelty item... can I get some royalties please?

I was talking to my friend Betsy last evening and we both remarked at how bad the Idiot Jerk looks, sullen, and whiny, and cranky as all get out.  We decided he is a very, very angry man because for the first time in his life he finds 'truth' assaulting his ego with almost every breath he takes.  Anybody got a spare M5?

Landslide

Well, it's Sunday.  A day of rest for some, but for me?  Just because I don't work doesn't mean I haven't a list of chores.  I need to wack so weeds.  I have an old bag of potatoes that's starting to go to seed so I'm thinking of cutting them up and putting them in the ground.  This  fall I could have my very own potato harvest.

I had thought yesterday I might skip the bike ride.... ...  Well, as of last evening I've ridden 66 miles so far this past week.  Since Monday is the start of my week, rather than Sunday, I might end up with... oh, maybe 80 miles.  That would be a record for me.

The Idiot Jerk gave the commencement speech at West Point yesterday.  He spoke a lot about 'unity,' using that word a number of times.  This dumb shit of a man has spent the last three and a half years dividing the country because he stupidly believed his base was a majority group.  Not that he's trying to mend any bridges.  More likely, I suspect, one of his speech writers thought 'unity' sounded nice since his approval rating is heading towards the drainage ditch.

And it looks as if someone else understands Dave's Axiom.  We get this opinion from someone at the NYT... a conservative, no less, who evidently thinks now's a good time to run around wearing a placard shrieking "the end is nigh!"  Don't you find it interesting how "landslide" managed to creep into this opinion?

There was more trouble in Atlanta.  The police once again look bad.  The man had a taser, and he was running away from the police, so they shot him.  The Idiot Jerk's white supremacist / MAGA head base has no problem with this which, is why he will gloss over this situation giving it a superficial mention at best.  To do otherwise would be totally incongruous for this Racist Republican.  He doesn't want to offend his shrinking base.  If he does so, no one is going to vote for him this coming November.

Finally, I thought I give you a shot of my cucumbers.

I started growing these babies from seeds.  Let's hope I get some fruit... or vegetable.  What is a cucumber exactly?  A fruit or a vegetable?  Or something else?

Dave's Axiom

Well, it's Saturday.  I get to go back to work today.  For a full 8 hours I will once again be a Flooring Specialist.  When originally written, I was only scheduled for 5 hours.  Things change.  An additional 3 hours doesn't phase me, I'm just glad I looked at my schedule to see the update.

Even though I had planned on yesterday being a rest day, no cycling, I rode anyway.  I'm up to 54.8 miles this week.  I only need to ride 55 miles per week to hit my goal.  That will be reached this afternoon.  I'm going to aim for over 70 miles this week.

I've got over 10,000 words written in The Body in the Loch.  My intention this evening is to start work on Chapter 6, At the Slaughtered Lamb.  Of course, the ending is already fixed.  That's something which will never change.  The only difference between writing a fiction book and writing a doctoral thesis, or writing non-fiction, is I get to make up the stuff between the beginning and the end.  Try that in a thesis and you'll never graduate.

I see where the Idiot Jerk in the White House has postponed his first rally by a day.  Some boner brain in Facebook said it proves he's not tone deaf.  Nope.  He doesn't care what the majority of Americans think, his only concern is is base.... and his ever sinking approval rating.  Some wise guy, obviously not that racists Stevie Miller, more protests were going to make his chances of getting re-elected even bleaker, not that moving to one day later is going to help.

And the RNC is going to leave their 2016 platform completely intact, even the criticisms of the current president and his administration (in 2016 it was Obama).  Now, tell me, isn't that a half-assed way to run things?  Surely that document has to be on Word.  Of course, maybe they'll just print it off and use a Sharpie or a Crayon to cross out the maligning words.

And for those who didn't see this, voter turn out in Georgia was 3 times what it was in 2016!!!  And that's in spite of the Chaos.  You can bet the GOP didn't see that coming.  America is pissed off.  For those who haven't heard this before, I'm going to tell you Dave's Axiom:  "America is overwhelmingly Centrist.  A Popular president can edge it to either the Left of the Right.  An Unpopular president will always move it rapidly in the opposite direction."  The Idiot Jerk in the White House, and his Cracker Jack Christian / Racist / White Supremacist base is moving America deep into Progressive Territory.  For every action, there is a reaction.  They do this because they believe themselves to be special when in reality they are just plain stupid.

Finally, how about a picture of my peaches?  Some of them are tiny, not nearly as big as a tennis ball, but they will be tasty.

What the Hell?

Good Morning World!

It's Friday!  Sadly, this is the last of my 5 day vacation.  Tomorrow I go back to work for a full 8 hours.  But then I'm off on Sunday, so things really aren't too bad.  I did seriously consider taking a personal day tomorrow, however we do have an associate in my department who's developed the bad habit of calling off on Saturdays... or Sundays, which ever one he's scheduled to work.

Yesterday was somewhat busy.  I drove down to York to see my friend Betsy.  I gave her my old Galaxy S8 since all she has is a flip phone.  She's a very liberal Democrat living in a very Red Zone.  She told me she's still waiting for her first unemployment check, which surprised me.  She explained that normally there isn't this long of a wait, but because so many millions signed up... the system bogged down.  

And what about the Dow yesterday?  Boy, that baby dropped, didn't it.  I understand the Idiot Jerk was complaining with some consternation... that's probably not a strong enough word.  More likely he was approaching his Boiling Lava stage.

And for those who say the RNC does not have a sense of humor... well, I beg to differ.  Supposedly (?) moving their convention to Jacksonville did not permit them enough time to write a new party platform for the 2020 election.  That's what they say, at least. What the hell does changing the location have to do with writing the party platform? So instead, they simply rolled over their platform from the 2016 election... which condemns the current president.  In 2016 Obama was still president.  Of course, now the Idiot Jerk is in the White House so he's the one they're condemning.

Oh, and if you plan to go to either one of his rallies, or the convention itself, prepare to sign a release.  Yepper.  You need to promise not to sue the GOP if, or when, you get Covid 19.  This is really confusing since they say it's nothing more than a hoax.

And that little statement from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff Mark Milley?  That was an unofficial note to the Idiot Jerk that when he loses the election in November, they will not be there to help keep him in power, though they might be there to help him move out of the White House.

And yesterday, when I got home from York, I took a ride from Milan to San Remo.

My route was only down the bottom section, next to the shoreline.  18.02 miles.  It took me an hour and 2 minutes.  I was only going to ride a portion, but when I realized I only had 4 miles to go I said "what the Hell, I might as well finish."

Using the 2016 playbook

Okay, so it's Thursday... and I ended up sleeping late.  Yepper.  Set the alarm, it went off, I shut it off and laid back down and dozed for another hour and a half.  Yikes!  I did ride the bike yesterday for that boring 14 mile ride around Amsterdam, it's so flat and there's nothing to see until you head downtown.  I also learned that the new Lady Gaga album doesn't work well on boring rides.  I need something with a little more spice, a little more bass, and a lot more rock and roll.

Otherwise, yesterday was stinky hot and humid.  I bought some Scottish Smoked Salmon, however when I got it home from the store I realized it had lemon flavoring.  Meh.  While I don't mind have fresh lemon juice squeezed over my salmon steaks... I don't want it tainting the smoky flavor of smoked salmon.

I also started working on a dumbbell routine yesterday.  We'll see how this goes.

And I guess everybody saw that the Idiot Jerk is going to begin having his campaign rallies again.  His first is in Tulsa, on Juneteenth.  So, is anybody surprised?  Not really, this is the all white Republican Party.  There will be such a gathering of MAGA heads... and Covid 19.  Do you really think he's going to test temperatures before he lets his worshiping flock in?  Or have them wear masks?  Unless they come dressed as active members of the KKK, masks will be verboten.   Remember, they believe this whole thing is a Democratic Hoax.  And, if you think about it, it's rather funny.  A number of them will get infected and a number of them will die.  They'll become part of the statistic they denounce.

You see, the Idiot Jerk put his old team back together, the ones who helped him squeak out an Electoral Win... and they're going to use the same playbook. No one ever said he was intelligent... except himself.  His poll numbers are collapsing because Americans are fed up with his lies and his divisive  tactics, his racism and total inability to unify anyone but White Evangelicals and White Supremacists.  His rallies will only amplify his failures.

And he has plans to hold future rallies in... are you ready for this?  Arizona, a state that is almost ready to declare a state of emergency because of rising infection rates, they're running out of hospital beds.  And Florida is another future rally state.  The RNC also wants to hold their convention in Jacksonville...  I suspect those senior citizens are not too happy about 40 or 50 thousand people coming to their state from across the country.  But then when has the RNC or the GOP ever thought of, or considered human beings?

Finally, I had been hoping the temps would have been cooler this week so I could take the bike off the wall and go for a ride outside.  What bike on the wall, you ask?

This one, my first Cannodale.  A cyclocross.  Known to my friends as the X6.

GO GOLFING INSTEAD!

Holy Crap!  It's Wednesday!  2 vacation days are gone.  On the first I was Mr. Relaxation.  On the 2nd I work outside:  the lawn was mowed, 2 more pepper plants were added to a shiny new container, a zucchini plant in, and a ride through Andalusia that took over an hour (what can I say, there's a hill 4 miles long).

The temps here hit 91 (F) and today they're supposed to hit 92 (F).  Remember last summer.  Temps got really, really hot around the world.  Global warming, you know?  That thing Republicans don't believe in?

Oddly enough, I've learned that if you purchase the Kindle version of my books, some of the chapter numbers are duplicated and others disappear.  It's a Kindle thing.  Everything's where it should be in the paperback versions.  Isn't that interesting?

 And I had thought the Idiot Jerk in the White House was silent yesterday... wrong.  He actually Tweeted some sort of lies about that 75 year old protester who had been pushed down by police, sourced from an anonymous blog, of course.  Can we talk about ironies here?  On the day of George Floyd's funeral, the Idiot Jerk in the White House Bore False Witness against a 75 year old man.  I do believe Joe Biden was in Houston for the funeral.  The Idiot Jerk?  Once again he proved his callous indecency.  This is to be expected.

There's also word that he's regrouping the team that managed to get him his Electoral College win...  As if that's going to help his sorry ass.  They're also saying his campaign is struggling to come up with a message that will resonate with the voting public. They ought to hire me.  I came up with one in... oh, 3 or 4 seconds.  So tell me, what do you think?

GO GOLFING INSTEAD!

Can any message be more concisely precise?  Getting in a round of 9 holes is so much more fun than dealing with a pandemic.  Or Racial Injustice.  Being under par is one of the best feelings you can have... except for maybe praising white supremacists (you know, they're really fine people).  So, tell me.  Do you think it will fly with the voting public?  Does it have a sharp enough ring of truth?  Let's be honest here.  The country's in a recession because he chose to go golfing rather than deal with an approaching pandemic.  Ouch!

Tit for Tattying

Tuesday, Vacation Day Number 2

Yesterday I didn't do much of anything, besides buy stuff on Amazon: new case for the new phone (red), a wireless charging station, a pre-order of Cyber Punk 2077 (video game).  I drove to Target because I wanted a pair of sandals / flip flops... the smallest size they had was 13.  I have tiny feet, men's size 8 1/2.  A size 13 would fall off when I walked.

UPS dropped off the wrong package.  I had ordered a Lenovo tablet.  The box I opened contained large plastic syringes and plastic tubing.  About 2 minutes after I opened it, there was a loud pounding at the door.  It was the UPS Driver with the correct package.  Ooops.

I want to swing by the store this morning and get another jalapeno pepper plant.  Something, most likely the curious nose of a dog, snapped the one I had in two.   That sucker's a gonner.  And I do want to grow peppers.  My one tomato plant has flowers already.

I also want to mow the lawn this morning... before it gets too hot.  The temp is supposed to soar into the 90's (F) today.  Tomorrow we have the same forecast.  From then on it's kind of iffy because of Cristobal.  That storm front is supposed to join up with another, larger front moving east creating a much larger storm.  We're going to get wet.

Strava sent my my May stats yesterday.  I rode 284 miles last month.  I'm happy with that.  

For those of you with a hankering to play the Stock Market right now... hold off.  It's going to drop.  Let the super rich take the hit when it comes, because it is going to come.  The vast majority of Mom and Pop investors don't have the necessary financial cushion to survive the serious drops when they come.

And again, yesterday seemed a rather quiet one for the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  That does not mean it was politically quiet.  Billy Barr said that it was the Secret Service who told Bunker Boy he needed to go into hiding.  Ouch.  He and the Idiot Jerk seem to be in some sort of little blame game, tit for tattying each other.  Of course, they're both gutless Republicans so this is normal.  Someone else is always to blame.

Finally, I snapped a picture of one of my red roses yesterday. This has color and perfume.

Vacation Entry - Monday

Yes, that's right, I am on vacation.  For the next 5 days.  And while I will not be at some resort, I will be relaxing.  And it actually started yesterday afternoon.

First off - I finally broke down and bought myself a new phone.  A Google Pixel 4 XL.

It's bigger than the S8.  Everything transferred from the old phone to the new phone, though I had to sign into a few of the apps which meant trying to remember the passwords I used.

Then last evening I watched a Chinese Science Fiction movie called The Wondering Earth.  It was... okay.  The actors used to dub the English language version were... not good.  The science was also lacking... tremulously.  The only thing to appreciate was the special effect eye candy, which was nice.  Luckily it was free on Netflix.

Today I don't have much planned besides relaxation.

I didn't really pay too much attention to the Idiot Jerk in the White House yesterday, so I don't know if he added to his list of acts of pregnancy. Biden continues to pull away from him.  This was to be expected.  America doesn't want a moral degenerate in the White House who only works for a minority group of white racists.  My money says Melanoma is already walking down the halls tagging things they're going to steal.  

The Rejection of Ivanka Danka

Okay, so it's Sunday.  After today I have 5 (count 'em) 5 days off in a row.  I'd like to say I'm really excited, but mostly... I'm just really pleased.

Yesterday the other specialist scheduled to work with me called off.  This associate did the same thing last Saturday.  I offered to stay past my scheduled time and the Assistant Manager say, "no, it is what it is."

A friend of mine and his wife stopped in at the store yesterday.  He and I worked together back when I worked for Marriott.  I left, he stayed, and is now a manager with a large Hospitality group.  The funds for their  Covid - 19 stimulus package ran out on Friday.  He told me not to believe the unemployment figures the Idiot Jerk was dancing about.  The group he works for sent termination letters to all of those people they had furloughed. He said, "it'll take a long time for the Hospitality Industry to come back."

And for those who haven't heard, Ivanka Danka had to deal with a little rejection.  Her 'virtual' commencement address was canceled. And she was pissed.  And she's pissed.  Not only is she the spawn of the Idiot Jerk in the White House, she's also married to that sleazy weasel Jared.  She was so insulted she decided to post her speech on line.  That's her way of proving she's special.

If you didn't find that disappointing, I'm sure the following bit might make you feel a bit jovial.  The Idiot Jerk has chosen to cancel his round of golf today because of... bad optics.  Yeah.  Bad Optics.  Translation:  In the past 2 weeks his campaign has had to pump over $650 million into Ohio, a state they considered a sure thing.  His team is concerned people in that state might want him to demonstrate at least of smidgen of interest in the racist issues plaguing this country rather than T-ing off.

Then there's the bit about LG (Lady Graham not Lindsey Graham) and his use of male escorts and male porn stars.  Ouch!  I suspect his career will be ending... shortly.  Good.

And Billy Barr is desperately trying to put more than a little distance between his walk of shame and himself.  Now he's blaming... Park Rangers?  The once who patrol the grounds around the White House on horsies?  His new favorite saying is "The Buck Stop with You."  He knows how big and bright he's going to look in orange.

Finally, here's a pic of my nectarines.

The tree is loaded with them.  Yum!

Share This

It's Saturday here in Central Pennsylvania and we're in for a bit of a stinker as far as weather is concerned.  Spritzling rains with the likelihood of a thunderstorm or two are in the forecast.  

Yesterday was busy at the store.  More and more customers are foregoing mask.  So far all of them have been white.  Remember, except for Harrisburg, this is a conservative area because so much is rural.  We have lots of teeny weeny towns that that blood red Republican.  Good ol' northern boys that are dumber than a box of rocks.

Today is going to be busy, too, in spite of the heat.  What a shame this is going to be one of the lasts of my short days.  After today, there will 2 remaining before I kick back into my full time schedule.  A lot of people at work think I've gone the part-time route, so I have to correct them.

Yesterday's job's report was good, unemployment dropped.  That didn't surprise me in the least.  My store has hired in more than 30 associates over our normal summer hiring.  A lot of new people are working curbside delivery.  That being said, many of those jobs will be disappearing.  When they go, some of those new hires will be given the opportunity to work as 'lot' associates, ie loaders and lot attendants.  Many essential businesses did the same thing.  Those jobs will disappear as well.  Of course, the Idiot Jerk in the White House rang his ding dong bell claiming the economy was back on track.  Not so fast, Bunker Boy.  Unemployment for minorities continued to rise, of course those people are not important to him.  He's only worried about his White Supremacist Base.  Oh, and the Cracker Jack Christians.

Here's a little something from the Lincoln Project.

As of yesterday, also, Joe Biden is the Democratic Nominee.  He has enough delegates.  Now the work begins.  The worshiping base of the Idiot Jerk is not going to suddenly change their collective mind and vote for a Democrat.  Nope.  Our job now is to demoralize them to a point where they stay home from the polls this November.  They will not vote for Biden.  What we need to insure is that they don't vote for the Idiot Jerk.  Here's the link for the above ad.  Share it.  Post it in Facebook.  Copy it into Twitter.   If you follow the Idiot Jerk on Twitter, copy it into his feed.  This is how we grow the Blue Wave.

A cup of cold water

Once again your Friday is my Hump Day.  Of course, I only have a 5 hour shift so things aren't that bad.

We did have a lot of rain last evening... and thunder... and lightening, but very little wind.  During the height of the storm I came upstairs to find both dogs sleeping on the bed.  Some dogs hate storms, mine sleep through them.  Unless they're banging away right over head, I'm pretty much the same way.

Yesterday afternoon I rode 14.5 miles down the Milan to San Remo route.  The entire route is over 58 miles.  I'd like to complete the entire ride... someday.

In case you didn't see, Billy Barr tried to throw himself on his sword yesterday and take responsibility of the gassing of the peaceful protesters.  This had more to do, I suspect, with 90 year old Cracker Jack Christian Pat Robertson releasing a statement that 'the walk and and Idiot Jerk's use of the Bible' was not Christian.  That Evangelical base?  They're fracturing, splitting  apart, cracks and fissures are appearing all over the place.  Son of a bitch!

Senator Lisa Murkowski threw a cup of cold water on the Idiot Jerk.  She agrees with Mattis and might not vote for the Idiot Jerk this fall.  He spit out his usual response.  What she needs to right now is tell him to stick it up his ass.  The more people who tell him that, the more likely we are to see his tiny little, orange head explode before the November election.

And, if that wasn't bad enough news for the Idiot Jerk, it's gets worser!  Senator Chuck Grassley (R) from Iowa has put on hold the nominations of all those Conservatives the Idiot Jerk wants installed.  That's right.  He wants investigations into the firings of those 2 Inspector Generals.  You know?  The ones who are there to keep tabs on the Idiot Jerk, the ones who are supposed to keep his dirty, little schemes of corruption from reaching fruition.  Oh... dear me.  I think this is much more a demonstration of Chuck's self-preservation skills than anything else.  He knows... they're going to lose the White House in November... and probably the Senate.  And then there are going to be investigations.

When I was talking to Lily about this she gave me one of her 'oh shit' looks.

And finally, because there is so much Chaos swirling around the Idiot Jerk, Silly Lindsey Graham has put on hold some sort of wack job legislation meant to further Obamagate...  which is really nothing more than a brain fart by the Idiot Jerk in an attempt to turn attention away from his total incompetence. 

  

Using Nazi Tactics

Oh, my, it's Thursday.  They're forecasting hot and humid (upper 80's F) and possibly more thunderstorms.  We had one late yesterday morning while I was at work, but last evening they all skirted around Enola.  There was thunder in all compass directions but never any overhead.

The VA gave me an excuse and an offer.  The excuse: last summer 2 Optometrists quit at the Cumberland Valley facility and they chose not to replace them thinking patients would move to Civilian Providers.  The offer: to start the paperwork letting me move to a Civilian Provider while allowing me to keep my VA pricing benefit.  I said:  Start the Paperwork.  This is evidently what they wanted to happen, however they failed in their promulgation of this information to Veterans.  My PCP hasn't changed, just the eye work.

A Big Thanks!! to my Readers for giving my books Good Reviews.  I haven't figured out how to shoot off fireworks around photos yet on the new version of Blogger so words will have to do for now.

I have the Central Air on because the humidity is already wretchedly high.

Last evening I spent some time with Nick Baker learning about the forests of Scotland.

The setting for Dun Adair is important.  At first I thought of locating the castle in the Upland Oakwoods.  I found something about the Pedunculate Oak intriguing.  In the end, I chose the Wet Woodlands since they surround Lochs.  Now my characters will be moving beneath Alder, Downy Birch, and Willow trees, and... of course, in the Wet Woodlands there is... fog.

By now everybody's read, or heard what Mad Dog Mattis has to say about the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  That shrieking sound you might be hearing is every molecule of air rushing out of Republican lungs at a high rate of speed.  I liked the bit where he said this president is using Nazi tactics to divide America.  Can you hear those Republican screams?  They're growing louder daily.  Wisely, Mattis did not specifically call him a Nazi.  That would be an instant failure since no one can be as bad as Hitler.  He did, however, use the term Nazi Tactics.  This administration has just lurched into a death spiral.  The stampede will begin shortly.  

Flushing Trump

I don't know why, but for some reason today seems like it should be Friday.

This is my last full week of 5 hour shifts.  I have one day next week... but then I only work 1 day next week.

I sent a blistering email to the VA yesterday.  I have borderline glaucoma.  I had an appointment scheduled for February 2020, however they canceled that back in September 2019.  They did offer me an alternative date 5 days after they called to cancel and I worked that day.  So I made a new appointment for 7/22 of this year... and the VA cancelled it, not because of Covid - 19, but because the Dr isn't going to be in the office.  So I called yesterday do reschedule and the soonest they can get me in is March of 2021, more than a year and a half after they canceled my original appointment... because the Dr wasn't going to be in the office this past February.

On the cycling scene, I rode one of the Corsica stages yesterday - 19.53 miles.  It took me an hour and 10 minutes.  My average speed was 16.4 miles per hour (there are some hills).  And my little leggies were sore.  And what music was playing through my Jabra ear buds for that trek?  You all holding onto your seats?

And you know how I talk about presidential moments, those things branding themselves into America's psyche which foretell either the success or failure of his bid for re-election.  Well, the Idiot Jerk had another failure with his little walk through Lafayette Park.  And then yesterday he had another when he and Melanoma visited a shrine for St Paul II.  The Archbishop of Washington denounced the visit, criticizing the Idiot Jerk for politicizing religion.  Defense Secretary Mark Esper threw more cold water on the Idiot Jerk when he told the press he had no idea the walk to St. John's was going to be turned into a political photo-op.  And now his minions are saying it was Billy Barr's idea.  Ouch!  Looks like Billy's getting an up close and personal look at bus tires.  Oh, shit! and it gets worse.  North Carolina has rejected the RNC's bid for a full convention... so they're moving it.

While the bad news is continuing to unfold for the Idiot Jerk, Joe Biden, looking very presidential, gave an emotionally powerful speech up in Philly yesterday.  

One needs to be elected in November.  The other needs to be flushed down the toilet

Black Out Tuesday

We are not North Korea

Well, what do you know, today's my Sunday... or to be more precise, the last day of my weekend.  And, of course, it's supposed to be drizzly, shitty, and crappy.  That's fine.  For the rest of the week I'm on an 0800 - 1300 shift (my last one!), and after that I have vacation.

Today is primary day in Pennsylvania.  The outcomes are pretty much set.  Surprisingly, Tulsi Gabbard is on our ballot.  She may have dropped out of the race, but you can still vote for her if you want.  Bernie's on, too.  I'm sure he'll get a few votes.

Yesterday I did some chores around the house, but must just relaxed.  No bicycle riding.  This has become my routine.  No ride Mondays are a chance to give my legs a break.  Today I'll be on the bike again.

The first 2 chapters of The Body in the Loch are finished, well, not quite.  They need to be revised.  Right now there are too many words.

In case you didn't know it, the Idiot Jerk in the White House came out of his bunker yesterday and had a bit of a press briefing, no questions from the press, though.  He has now become the Law and Order President, because he failed so terribly at being the Pandemic President.  Let's be honest, he was never going to succeed at that one, his heart is just not in saving thousands of lives.  Instead, he's moved on to turning America into a police state.  While that might appeal to the crazies of his far right base, this attempt is already destined for failure.  He and his party have never understood America, or Americans.  They are not the chosen ones.

And in a desperate attempt to consolidate his base, after riot police used tear gas and concussion grenades to clear the way, he took a short walk to St. John's Episcopal Church for a photo op.  The Episcopalian Bishop has called it a total failure, in fact, she is outraged he chose to turn a holy church into a re-election prop.  The Idiot Jerk is not only stupid, he is bad.  The Cracker Jack Christians created this mess without understanding he will destroy them.  They don't understand he has done more to damage their religion then any man in history.  This is how life is.  They became slovenly drunk on the power he offered them and thus became failures.  

The Idiot Jerk continues to decline in popularity.   Biden increases.  Unpopular governments always fail.  We are not North Korea.

And now for some levity.   I baked Italian bread yesterday.  For some odd reason (don't ask me why) I decided to use bread pans.  I prefer free standing loaves.  Anyway, it tastes good, just looks a bit funny.

Tweeting from the Safe Room

My weekend begins today.

I'm pleased to say I didn't have to deal with a single asshole yesterday.  Some not too very smart people, but there's no getting away from them, it's not like I'm walking through a forest of total idiots.

Before leaving the store yesterday, I picked up a large, metal garbage can for dog food since I'm now buying it in 45 lb bags.  The dogs love the new food.  This was a good move.

Yesterday, when I got home from work, I rode 11.18 miles at Lago di Garda and this was after walking over 13,000 steps at work.  It was my fastest time ever for that route, with a lower Relative Effort and a lower heart rate.  Evidently walking so many steps at work is far more beneficial then I had thought.

And, of course, we had another night of Civil Unrest throughout the country.  While there are those who feel we are descending into Hell, we are not.  This is the destruction of the White Republican party.  The MAGA heads who put the Idiot Jerk in the White House are in way over their heads.  They are a minority group who stupidly thought they could dictate their will to the majority.  They will never understand why their power is being taken away.  For that to happen they would need to experience an Epiphany, a realization that they have been wrong about so many things.  Were that to happen they would all be driven instantly insane.  Instead they will wallow around forever in the shallow depths of their cluelessness.

I understand the Idiot Jerk was ushered to a safe room in the basement of the White House, a room that has never been used, and all the time he was asking if the protesters were yelling at him.  This man is one dumb fuck.  Even a poor president would attempt to calm the nation, this fool asks if they're calling him names.  Keep him away from a microphone, his lack of sincerity easily over reaches the grasp of his tiny fingers.  All he seems capable of doing is sitting the corner Tweeting bitterly.  He is what God sent to the Evangelicals.  The Idiot Jerk is not the answer to their prayers, rather it seems he is their destruction.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a pic of my cucumbers plants.  I started them from seeds.  I'm pleased. 

Sometimes you starts things from seeds and you get meh...  The basil I planted is doing fine, my spearmint?  Still waiting.