Fools

 Ah, the last day of August.  For most of you out there, like here in Central PA, this has been a very hot summer.  I can remember a time when a string of days when the thermometer was constantly in the mid to up 90's (F) was called a Heat Wave.  Now?  The temps need to register in the low 100's (F) for that to happen.  Global Warming, you know?  That thing a large number of Americans still don't believe in because it cuts against the grain of their socially conservative beliefs.  Fools.

Over the next couple of days the temps are are supposed to be moderate, in the low to mid 80's (F).  I'm up for that.  We're approaching a seasonal change.  One of my neighbors who has spent most of the summer disparaging the heat said the stupidest thing to me yesterday.  "I hope this means we have a warm winter."  Evidently her mind has a problem understanding the relationship between a warm winter and a hot summer, or that one is most likely going to lead to the other.  Fool.

While I am on Twitter, I don't follow the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  I understand there are literally millions who follow him, not because they like him, rather they do so to mock the Hell out of his Tweets.  It's not the responses he cares about, just the number of followers.  He would never follow any of these people, in fact the loudest voices he would like to silence.  Who does he follow?  Conspiracy theorists.  He desperately wants to turn their "what ifs" into reality, especially those that are negative.  The fool still believes in the old 'divide and conquer' cliche.  You split them apart by trying to throw as much shit at them as you can find.  He loves his conspirators without understanding how big of a fool they make him look.  His brain is already fried.  They make it worse.  To prove how badly his neurotransmitters are, I'm going to borrow a bit from an old PSA.

These are Conspiracy Theories

This is his brain on Conspiracy Theories

He is as big of a fool as a back alley junkie.

As Expected

 Starting a 3 day miniva (new word.  mini + vacation... this will probably show up on the test).  So, I stayed up late watching "BioHackers."

I'll be honest, I thought this was going to be rather forgettable and I was wrong.  The cast is interesting and their problems and secrets help build the suspense.  The episodes are short, I think the longest is only 46 minutes.  There's not a lot of what I think of as character building fodder used by a lot of series to bring you hour-long episodes.

And, of course, the greatest cycling race in the world started yesterday in Nice, France.  I will be honest, it did bring a tear to my eye watching all those riders in the Peloton.  Lots of crashes ( a bad thing), but there are always crashes.  Here's a highlight clip.

Finally, as expected, the Idiot Jerk in the White House Tweeted some sort of inanity about his convention having lower ratings than the DNC.  His Ego Extravaganza was supposed to reboot his campaign.  Biden's approval rating when up after the Democrat's Convention.  The Idiot Jerk's... well, it stayed the same.  He does have his base who will stick with him like flies on shit.  To paraphrase CNN, 'a loud minority support him, not a silent majority.'

Christmas in July

 Okay, so it's Saturday.  This is the end of my work week, not the end of what I consider my 7 day week, that's tomorrow, Sunday.  Believe me, tomorrow is not going to be a day of rest.  I've things planned, not necessarily fun things either.  Chores, you know?  

I have a new set of cycling shorts coming today.  The foam padding in an older pair came loose and flip flopped while being washed.  Both pads always ended up under my left butt making my ass lopsided.   You have no idea how uncomfortable that is... having a lopsided ass.

I saw Chadwick Boseman lost his battle with cancer.  Such a terrible loss.  While he starred in a number of films, he will always be remembered for "The Black Panther."  Disney had no idea how well a superhero film with a mostly black cast was going to do; they expected moderate success.  "The Black Panther" swept around the world breaking box office records wherever it played.  It is a good legacy. 

Viewer ratings are in for the RNC.... oh, dear, I'm sure the Idiot Jerk must be fuming.  I'm surprised they haven't started shrieking fake new!  Fake News!  They got beaten quite handily by the Democratic Convention.  I read in BBC America how even his base said the convention was geared specifically for them.  This was not meant to be a 'growing' event.  Nope, I suspect this was more of a tourniquet procedure.  Where ever the virus goes, he loses support.

And this past week was horrendously bad for White Evangelicals.  Jerry Jr stepped down... albeit with a nice chunk of change.  The man, and his wife, are moral degenerates on par with the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  For years this man, and his wife, have been using their cherry picked scriptures to pass judgement on so many others while they, themselves, were living a sordid, little lie.  And the revelations continue to fall like turds.  Now, it turns out, the wife performed oral sex on one of their son's friends.  Maybe she was trying to show him how to correctly blow his horn.

And finally:

The Tour de France starts today!!!!

What with the stinky RNC tv ratings, and the Falwell fallout, this is almost like Christmas in July August.

A "Tepid Response"

Today is almost the end of my work week, that will happen tomorrow.  Starting Sunday I will have 3 consecutive days off, now, isn't that nice.  I get these little 3 day mini vacations on a regular basis so I'm not complaining.

Yesterday?  Well besides the fact that it was stinky, winky hot, not of interest really happened.  The temp was 99 (F) when I left work.  During the 12 minute ride home (yes, I live that close to my store) it dropped down to 98 (F).

Paint chips are hung up and down the wall of my hallway as I decide which color is going to proved the best canvas for that 25 foot corridor.  I checked at the paint desk yesterday to see if there was going to be any sort of promotion during the Labor Day weekend.  Nada.  Honestly, I wasn't expecting one.  Our sales have been so great during this Covid Crisis.

As Anne Marie noted in her comment yesterday, last night was finale in the RNC Shit Show.  Even Fox News gave the Idiot Jerk's speech a "tepid response."  Republicans have always been eager to offer their revisionist vision of history.  They seem to believe this a good qualification for the presidency.  Last night, apparently, they were trying to be at the top of their game in this regard.  Oops, someone should have told them giving the Idiot Jerk a microphone is a bad idea.  That fool spoke for over an hour.  I wonder how many out there grasp the paradox of his campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again, Again," in that it was under his presidency the country began seriously falling apart.  If, as he claims, he handled Covid 10 well, what made the country fall apart?  Does he even think about what he's saying?  Or does he just accept that MAGA heads will swallow his every word.

And now for a bit on The Body in the Loch.  As many of you know, I often use song lyrics.  Sometimes they foreshadow, sometimes the reveal inner character, and sometimes they help set the atmosphere.  Lyrics are poetry set to music.  Here's a little ditty that has several lines going into the new book.  It's by Rabbie Burns, a Scottish bard who wrote, among other things, Auld Lang Syne.  Sit back and enjoy the moment.

 

Last Night's RNC Convention

I had a lot of words written, but when I tried to insert this video Blogger deleted them.  Mostly they were about the fact checkers and the RNC Convention, how the the same falsehoods have been used so many times, there really isn't any work for them anymore.  Here's a link to a WaPo article.  One of the most strident lies is the one where he says the Idiot Jerk shut down travel from China before the first Covid Case was diagnosed.  And this guy calls himself a Christian.  Liar.

As for the video below, either Halloween has come to my store, or this is what the last night's RNC Convention really looks like.

Were there any people of color on night 2 of the RNC?

 Wednesday.  I had to get up 3 times during the night to let the dogs out.  You have to believe me, when Biggie has to go, Biggie has to go.  Crap!  I'm chalking it up to too much dinner.  I was thinking about the storm door that's going I'm going to be replacing at the back door.  I started pricing them out yesterday.  Now you have to remember, the last time storm door I purchased, about 26 years ago, cost around $65.  They've gotten pricier, by about 300%.  I hate spending money on the house because I know that I'm going to be selling when the dogs pass on to puppy heaven.

Night 2 of the RNC was evidently filled with a number of false and misleading statements.  Boy, are they keeping the fact-checkers employed which, oddly enough, proves that the Idiot Jerk has created jobs the pandemic hasn't taken away.  Here's what the NYT listed.  There was fact checking at the DNC Convention, but nothing like this.  

And can we talk about all the family members talking up the Idiot Jerk, trying to make a moral degenerate look better.  What's the saying?  You can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear?  Let's be honest here, they're not even working with that.

I understand Melanoma said she knows what life is like to be an immigrant.  I guess that's true if you happen to be a model / call girl looking for anyone with deep pockets.  She was supposed to smooth out the Idiot Jerk's rough edges... sorry, she forgot her sandblaster.

As I looked through the commentary this morning, one thing stood out, except for the pardoning of Jon Ponder, I don't think there was another Black face to be seen.

Now, isn't that whitely benevolent of the Idiot Jerk?  Proof that he isn't a racist?  Gee.  Since I didn't watch I don't know for sure, but were there any people of color represented?  Asians?  Or does Niki Haley have them all covered?  Latinos?  Native Americans?  Were there any people of color at night 2 of the RNC?

A Truth They Cannot Accept

Okay, so a friend and I installed a new / old back door yesterday.  First of all, I have to say that I'm glad it fits, this is often not the case when you own a 115 year old home.  Things don't fit since there are very few square or rectangular spaces.  All I need to do now is tack up the trim work.  The only problem we had was that it rained like hell.  Buckets and buckets and buckets... while we hung the new / old door.  Ah, well, these things happen sometimes.  I always say, "if that's the worst thing to happen to me in my life, then my life has been pretty damn good."

For those who don't know, the Idiot Jerk's new Reality show hit the airwaves last night.  He made 2 appearances.  Supposedly the GOP was going to go optimistic... okay, now stop laughing.  They are not optimistic about anything, which is why they went negative.  Ominous is the word many in the media are using.  Their full hatred of everything they can't control is on display.  For those who don't remember, or weren't born yet, Barry Goldwater went negative and he lost badly.  In case you're wondering, this show is only going to get worse as the Republicans desperately try to hold onto their base.

How disorganized are they?  Hell, they couldn't even getting enough of their ducks in a row to write a new party platform.  They're using the planks put together in 2016, the ones that say the current president is bad.  If they had read it, they'd have known this.  Of course, not having a platform means they are going to let the Idiot Jerk set their agenda should they once again win the White House.  

Well, we know that's not going to happen.  The truth is there are very few sitting on the fence with this one.  If you think the Idiot Jerk and his flock of demons are angry now, just wait until they lose.  Their hatred will flow.  The take rejection very poorly.  It means that they have not been chosen, that they are wrong.  Ouch!  Only time will eliminate the polarization they depend upon for power.  We are the dam which keeps their rage from flooding America.  But keep in mind they are old, and getting older and America is changing in ways they cannot accept.   The last time I had breakfast with my brother I told him "there are more Blacks, and Hispanics, and Asians in this country then there are Republicans," and he looked down and away.  That is a truth they cannot accept.

And finally, as of yesterday, I can no longer wear a gaiter to work.  Masks are now required.  They're also going to check our temperature and we're going to have to fill out a survey each and every day we work.  I bought some new masks.

I don't know about you, but I'm kind of concerned some perky young thing in a snazzy bikini is running around topless.

Bad Omens

 While the rest of you are going back to work today, or returning to your home offices, I'm off.  Now, that doesn't mean I'm not going to be doing anything.  The back door is going to be replaced today.  In about a month, I'm going to be putting on a new screen door, too; the last one was broken by 180 lbs of dogs rushing to go out and chase a bunny.

I took a ride through San Remo yesterday and was disappointed to see my speed had dropped from 18.5 mph to 18.3 mph.  I need to focus more on my cycling.  I've been spending way too much time scanning news articles.  I blame it on the election.

And what about Kellyanne's daughter Claudia?  Seeking emancipation from her parents?  While she evidently gets along better with her father, she's none too pleased about his Republican beliefs.  However, she passionately hates the Idiot Jerk in the White House, which implies she has no respect what so ever for her mother.  Claudia has already warned people this is going to be a very public separation.  

The Idiot Jerk's convention begins tonight.  Oh, my.  They released the list white speakers, most of whom are either family or bigots prominent in his administration.  Oh, yeah, those two gun toting, double knit mavens of the fashion industry are going to speak as well.  I'm betting they show up wearing black polyester and toting their guns onto the stage.  Think of a badly written skit for Saturday Night Live that will go over big with the white supremacists.

One of the most interesting aspects of this imbecilic affair  is that while the Republicans are celebrating the incompetence of their role model, two hurricanes are barreling towards the Gulf Coast.  Can we talk about unprecedented?

Both are expected to make landfall prior to the Idiot Jerk's speech on Thursday. Can we talk about Omens here?  This is a really bad sign from above.   I wonder, did he ever think Global Warming might interfere with his accepting the nomination for tinfoil dictator... oh, I mean incompetent president.  Does anyone know if he's gutted FEMA yet?  Do not doubt, these hurricanes will be blamed on the Democrats.

The Good Week

 Oh, my, Sunday has arrived.  What a week we have experienced.  There were a number of highs:  a co-worker has left the building... for good.  Our schedules for the next couple of weeks are chaotic, but the wasn't that much of a help when he was there.  The Democrats had their Convention.  That was really big.   But probably the biggest thing was how everything coalesced, and as a united majority we came out swinging.  And we landed punches.  And the world now knows we are America, not the crazies on the Right with their petty, tinfoil dictator wannabe.

By the way, did anybody listen to some of the recordings by the Idiot Jerk's sister?  I listened to the one where she said he has 'no principles.'  We've known that for quite some time.

The Republicans are having their convention this week.  Once again it is being called another attempt to reboot the Idiot Jerk's campaign.  This is what?  The third or fourth time it's been rebooted.  They're in reboot Hell.  Not surprisingly, he's scheduling himself to speak every night.  This shouldn't be a surprise.  To add to the entertainment value, I understand they've brought in 2 producers who worked on The Apprentice.  That's right, those poor suckers watching are going to get to watch a reboot of his reality show.  I wonder if he's going to say "you're fired."

And now for something completely different.  While working Thursday, I found a butterfly in aisle 9.  Not knowing how it got so far into the store, I took it outside.  Yesterday I found another one back by the restrooms.  The Kitchen Designer was kind enough to take pictures.  Here I am holding the little guy / girl.

And here's a close-up.

I took him out to our garden area.  It was the oddest feeling when he flew from my fingers to a small branch.  Last week was a very good week.

The Paradox of Numbers

 Life is a blast.  There are also disappointments to consider.  We all have those to contend with.  How we deal with them demonstrates our character.  I always say "they help build broad shoulders."  Believe me, I have nothing against a set of broad shoulders.  During my vacation, I gained some weight.  Every time I step on my scale I see a number I really don't like.  It irks me.  How could all those goodies I ate translate into a number I dislike?  Well, the truth is that if you don't do anything my caloric intake will always provide me with a number I don't like.

Of course, some high numbers are better than others.  At work, even though my sales numbers are not the highest, I'm number one flooring specialist in the store because the number of leads for future jobs I get is good.  People don't need to buy those jobs if they don't want.  It's the number of leads I generate that compensates for my lack of sales.

A number that was higher than most which is important is 24.6 million.  That's the number of viewer who turned in the last night of the Democratic Convention.  That's a good number.  We will have to wait until the Republican Convention to see how well they fare.  One thing (another number) you can count on is that if fewer people watch, (a lower number, which is good) the Idiot Jerk in the White House will lie.  The numbers he spouts, though, have always been the subject of hilarity... I mean reality.  But then he's not known for having very large shoulders, a gut yes, but not shoulder.

Here's another numerical paradox for you.  The Idiot Jerk's approval rating has actually gone up... slightly, I believe it now sits with 40.5 % of the country approving his performance.  However, that increase has not diminished Biden's chances of winning the election, in fact, they are continuing to edge upwards.  The truth is that they could hold the election today.  There are very few voters sitting on the fence at this point.  This doesn't mean you can sit home and skip voting this year.  Nope.  Our numbers need to be crushing.

Go Biden, Go!

 It's Friday.  I don't work.  I will be working 5 consecutive days before I have another day off.  That will be fine, since today is the last day of nobody's favorite specialist.  He's headed down to the Wilmington, NC store.  I asked him if it was high volume, lots of customers.  He told me there were 2 stores in Wilmington and his new store was the one to the north, so evidently he doesn't know.  One of the first things people ask is when they transfer is "how busy is the store?"  You want to gauge what your workdays will be like.  He doesn't know.

Anyway, I slept in this morning because I stayed up last night to watch the final night of the Convention.  What about Brayden Harrington, the 13 year old overcoming his stutter, a disability?  Didn't that bring a tear to your eye?   That was an amazing moment.  There were several moments like that.

And of course Joe's speech.  I watched the NYT stream, with running commentary.  The comments from the NYT political writers have been concise throughout the convention.  One of them was monitoring Twitter to provide the Social Media input, another was watching Fox News to get their biased opinions.  Me?  I was impressed.  Biden was clear and concise.  I couldn't help but think how Republicans have been trying to paint him as... well, a bit feeble.  That man is sharp as a tack.  They think the Idiot Jerk is going to run rings around him during the debates, but then Republicans have never been too damn smart.  Biden is going to call their president a liar to his face, he may even call him a 'damn liar,' and America will get to see the Idiot Jerk seething with rage.  Won't that be nice?

 For those who missed it, here Joe's speech:

I understand the Idiot Jerk wasn't impressed.  He really is a joke of a human being.

Will Melania plagiarize again?

 So, what will today bring?  The temps are supposed to be nice, not too humid, not too hot.  I have to work so it doesn't really faze me too much.  The sun is setting earlier, which is fine with me.  I like my daylight but evening is nice as well.  

Another big  bag of dog food was delivered yesterday.  I like this so much better than having to cart them home from the grocery store.

I've decided that next year I'm not going to be putting my tomato plants in containers.  My harvest is small... literally.  My Big Boys are about 2 inches in diameter.  Not a good thing.  The only thing that really did well are my peppers, Jalapenos and Problamos.  They did quite well.  The basil I planted did very well, while the spearmint was very disappointing. 

I didn't watch any of the convention last evening, but evidently Obama lanced the boil we know as the Idiot Jerk and he seethed all over Twitter, in all CAPS, no less.  While the Idiot Jerk's base loves to sweeten their breakfast cereal with his nightly scat droppings, most of us realized a long, long time ago this is what happens when you stick a pointy object into a festering sore.  I wonder who cleans the spray off of his TV?  That must be a really disgusting job.

And, of course, the Idiot Jerk's convention is approaching.  You know, it's always bad to go... 2nd, because his little shit show extravaganza is going to be compared with what's going on right now.  The Democrats are going full steam American, the Idiot Jerk?  My money says he's going to gaudy has hell, an unsocially distanced crowd in a ballroom, and a live speech that's going to run at least an hour and a half and will touch on any and every conspiracy theory that pops into his otherwise empty head.

Just think, before you know it we'll be hearing Melania Trump coo and bill her loving sentiments of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  ... ...  Well, that's not exactly true.  I'd say most of us are waiting to see if Melanoma plagiarizes Michelle Obama one last time.

Probably not, even money says she's aiming for Jill Biden this year.

South of Moscow

 Well, I get to go back to work today.  The specialist who's transferring is off.  I'll get to work with him tomorrow.  His last day is Friday... I'm off Friday.  One of our kitchen designers is a Chef.  Gone to school and certified legit.  One of her gigs was working at Microsoft out in Seattle.  Can you imagine working for a company that has a Chef cooking up your meals in the cafeteria?  Though, from what she says, she more or less set up very tasteful luncheon buffets made with like... real food.  Anyway, she's going to bring in and apple strudel for his last day.  Son of a bitch.  You can bet there ain't gonna be none of that left on Saturday.

Today is also Lily's birthday.  She's 7.  

My brother and his wife also celebrate their birthdays today, as does Bill Clinton.  Yippee!  We actually celebrated Lily's last week during my vacation.  White cake (no chocolate) with white and blue flowers, and ice cream, of course.  While she ate hers like a little lady, Biggie ran around with a smear of blue flower on his chin.  Dogs.

I didn't watch the convention last evening.  Bed time rolls around just when it begins.  

But what about the Senate investigation on the 2016 campaign and Moscow.  They recommended there be investigations into 4 additional people, one of whom is the spawn of the Idiot Jerk, Donnie Jr.  And evidently the Idiot Jerk made 3 undisclosed trips to Moscow.  Why try and keep them secret.  Something about he and Miss Moscow.   The bipartisan committee feels that the Russians don't have any compromising information.  Immediately his aides began throwing cold water on the whispers he was planning to meet with his blow bro Vlad before the election.  Imagine how odd that would look?  In the middle of what some will think will be a close race, the Idiot Jerk decides to take off a few days so he and Vlad can summit together.  Of course people are thinking subterfuge.  In reality, Vlad might be showing the Idiot Jerk some pics of a few very nice Dachaus that just went on the market south of Moscow. 

The Gloves Are Off

 Since I have today off, and to celebrate the arrival of Jules Laurant at Dun Adair, I stopped off on my way home from work yesterday to pick up a bottle of his favorite beverage: Port.  Tasty stuff.  I actually like it better than Sherry.  Port is very good for sipping.  

And lots of good stuff is planned for today:  return the broken track lighting, install the new track lighting, go for a ride on the bike.

And did anybody watch the opening night of the convention?  I did.  On my computer.  Since I have a subscription with the NYT, I watched it in its entirety... without commercials.  There was commentary scrolling down the side I could read rather than watch advertising.  I have no idea how the ratings were, though I suspect since the entire event was virtual, many may have turned in just out of curiosity.  One of the commentators noted that normally viewership is between 11 and 15 million.  However, because of the format, you can watch the entire thing in bits and pieces on YouTube. Being a virtual convention, it did not run late... well, I think 5 minutes.  The only thing that didn't work for me were the shots of average Americans applauding in their living room.  This might work for sporting events, but came across as rather surrealistic.  Now I will admit to occasionally standing up while watching the final sprint to the finish line during the Tour de France, I don't usually do that for speeches.  

As for the verbal attacks on the Idiot Jerk in the White House?  I found them invigorating.  We all hold a lot of anger towards this man.  It was good to see so many others demonstrating the same emotion.  The Gloves are Off.  The time has come to pummel this administration and the Republican Party until they're senseless...  Oh, hell, that's right... they're already pretty damn witless.

    

The 'bad tank' for 'bad fish'

 Holy Crap!  I have to go back to work today... but then I'm off tomorrow, so I'm sure I can endure 8 hours of retail.

The new track lighting is due to arrive today.  Tomorrow, the set that's broken get's dropped off at the UPS Store on the Carlisle Pike.  The credit will hit my account shortly after that.  The new lighting actually cost less... whoopee for me!

And, as Sixpence has already guessed, I did go out and buy a small tank for the bad fish.

The little sucker is hanging on the side of the intake tube as I type.  Don't worry, some plants will be added, probably this Friday as I'm planning another jaunt down to That Fish Place.  

And, of course, as anyone with half a brain could have predicted, the Idiot Jerk's decision to go Postal is getting all sorts of backlash.  I'm serious.  Half-wits have more common sense.  When he shits in his publicly shits in his pants, he does it big time.  While the Idiot Jerk hasn't come right out and said "I really don't know him, but I'm sure he's a nice guy,"of Louis DeJoy, the mega-donor henchie he put in charge of the postal service, he has begun to put some verbal distance between himself and DeJoy.  Now the Idiot Jerk is saying that all decisions made by DeJoy are his alone. 

This attack on the Postal Service is just another act of desperation by a failed businessman, a fool who has 6 bankruptcies under his belt.  Yesterday, Mark Meadows admitted they have 'no proof what so ever' of voter fraud in regard to mail in ballots.  Ooops.   The reason the Idiot Jerk is pulling all of this stenchy shit is because when he loses, he's going to have 2 choices: either stay in the country and let them take him into custody and spend a lot of time in the 'bad tank' for 'bad fish,' or self-exile himself in a country friendly enough to let him live there. That's probably why he wants to meet with Putin before the election, to start the house-hunting process. 

 

Handbasket to Hell

 Yesterday did not go as planned.

I did remove one of the Chinese algae eaters from my tank.  He was very aggressive towards the other fish, and don't doubt for a second he was responsible for the death of the gourami.  He's now in a large jar in the kitchen awaiting a decision on his fate.

The installation of the track lighting in my hallway went as planned.  It took me about 5 minutes to take down the original chandelier.  Wiring in simple.  I plotted out where my track was going to go (it hangs vertically from supports), drilled the holes, put in the supports.  The main fixture, however, came in pieces which needed to be assembled.  The metal covering plate was about half an inch thing so all the wiring had to be snug and secure before it could be screwed into place.  I ran the tracks, attached the lights, and turned on the switch.... Zippo.  Nothing.  So I took off the covering plate to check the wiring.  Fine.  I checked the connectors providing power for the track and realized they were not attached.  They had been pulled out of the supports that hold them in place.  There was no way it was going to provide power to the track.  Son of a bitch.  The power head was broken.  So I took the whole thing down, packed it up, and processed a return.  From start to finish, it took me about 4 hours.  It took me 5 minutes to remount the chandelier.  A new set of track lighting has been ordered.

So, I see the backlash is beginning in regards the the Idiot Jerk's attempt to steal the election by putting a Henchie in charge of the US Mail.  I understand that yesterday, speaking at his private golf club, he tried to put some distance between himself and his decision.  Neither he no the Republican Party understand they are a minority group trying to foist their Conservative policies upon a majority and this majority realizes his actions are those of a failed president knowing he's going to go down.  Voices are being raised and he doesn't like the sound of them.  They speak of his future and it is ugly.  And he's angry, because his ratings are going to hell in a hand-basket.

How angry is he?  He's planning campaign events during the DNC Convention.  Not to reach the American people, rather this is his desperate attempt to keep his base from splintering away.  It's almost funny, you know?  You can almost smell the stink of Republican fear.

Raise your voices.  Let them all know they're in that Hand-basket  going to Hell.

Start Sharpening Your Stakes

 Well, it's Saturday and one of my Dwarf Fire Gouramis has died.  Yep, he's floating around the top of the tank.  This happens with fish, which is why when starting up a new tank never buy anything expensive.  I'd be flipping upset if it were a $50 discus floating belly up.  

I was scheduled to work today, but... I am scheduled to be off tomorrow.  And then I work Monday and am scheduled off on Tuesday.  Anyway, today's going to be a personal day.  That will give me 7 days off in a row.  I can't remember when I've had this many sequential days off.  

One of the things that's changing in my hallway is the elimination of the chandelier.  It's dusty as hell and the time has come to say goodbye.

I installed it about 22 years ago.  When I moved into the house the lighting fixture looked like a fake copper kerosene lantern, without the globe which dimly lit the staircase.  The chandelier brightened things up, however the bulbs kept burning out.  If one of the little candelabra bulbs lasted 4 months I was lucky.  Believe me, I went through a lot of bulbs.  The LED bulbs lasted about a year, not a 5 or 6.  New track lighting is going up today.

And I got on the scale to see how much weight I had gained during this staycation of mine and was horrified to see it flashing at me... That much weight, I thought?   And then I realized it needed new batteries.

And what about the Idiot Jerk in the White House using the US Postal Service as a bargaining chip?  This man is so incredibly stupid.  His approval rating will drop lower than its current 38%.   Biden got a bump with his selection of Harris, even among Progressives who realize this election is about driving a stake into the heart of the Republican Party.  There are so many problems with the Idiot Jerk and his party.  American Voters are fed up with this hate message they've been regurgitating for years.  Since he can't offer anything of substance, he's looking for a new nickname for Biden...  Just think about that for a second without questioning the juvenile absurdity of that idea.  Biden is going to give his acceptance speech and American will tune in to listen.  The Idiot Jerk will give his acceptance speech and his base will tune in, and then he's going to shit a brick when he sees how bad his ratings are and then... maybe, he might realize that a major majority of Americans are sharpening their stakes.

Do you regret Your lies?

 Friday.  I ripped most of the border off yesterday, all that's left is a little steaming and scraping which I figure will take about an hour... if that.  The only problem so far has been the little chandelier at the top of the staircase.  It's going to be going away, replaced by some track lighting.  My hallway is 22 feet (6.7 m) long and there has only ever been 1 light... at the top of the stairs.  The new lighting is arriving today.  Hopefully all the trim will be painted and all I'll have to do is pick out a color for the walls.

I went for a nice little ride in the Pyrenees yesterday which had a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) hill, 6% grade.  I found the climb... invigorating.  

Yesterday I received an email from the PA State Department regarding my mail in ballot.  I'm set up, nothing to worry about, I should be receiving it in the mail between September and October.  I soon as I get that sucker I'm filling it out and dropping it in the mail.  The Postmaster of PA has also issued a statement that if you apply for a mail in ballet close to the election you may not get it in time.  Translation:  if you want to mail in your vote don't dawdle.  If you haven't applied for it yet, then do so today, don't wait.  Any wishy washy indecisiveness may very well cost you your vote.  One good thing, the US Supreme Court has ruled that in Rhode Island, as long as your ballot is postmarked November 3, it has to be counted.  That pissed off the GOP.  Good.  Oh, and I also saw where a Federal Judge has asked to be given concrete proof that there is any kind of voter fraud in voting by mail.  

Finally, from the Hindustani Times, what they are calling the 'uncomfortable question.'

It took him a second before he moved on.  I don't think the Idiot Jerk understands that a major majority of people in this country see him as a liar.  

Odd

It's Thursday, my new waffle iron / sandwich maker arrives today.  I'm excited.  Probably more so for the sandwich side of things since I'll now be able to grill them.  Now I can be my own little Panera's at half the cost.

I did finally get my butt on my bike yesterday for a nice ride in Lombardy, the first half of Stage 1 of the ride.  Both stages come to around 50 miles.  Completing that would be an accomplishment.

There was a big spider in the kitchen sink this morning.  Since spiders do more good that bad, I used a broom to help him escape.  That's right.  I saved a spider.  Some of you will think this rather odd, but remember they eat a lot of bad insects... like mosquitoes.

I'm planning spending some of today stripping.  That's right.  Peeling away the nonessential.  While I won't be on a stage, I will be on a ladder.  And what am I going to be stripping away?  This ugly apple border in my hallway.

Why apples?  I wanted something red to go with the yellow walls of the hallway.  It was a mistake, of course.  Apples.  I don't like apples.  The only way I'll eat them is in a pie.  Yeah, I know, I'm a bit odd.

One thing that wasn't odd were the attacks on Harris by the racists on the Right.  You know who I'm talking about, the Idiot Jerk in the White House and Fox News.  I understand Tucker Carlson spent quite a bit of time making fun of her name....  This was coming from a man named Tucker, rhymes with Sucker, you know?  I understand these personal racist and sexist attacks are of great concern to the GOP.  Not because they are racist and sexist, rather his campaign has had how many months to prepare their attacks zeroing in on specific differences for each and everyone of the potential VP selection, and all they could muster in the end were petty sexist and racist attacks.  A thirteen year old child could come up with something better.  But then, this is what we have come to expect from the heart and soul of the Republican Party.  They are predictable.

The Ticket

Okay, so yesterday I added water and cleaned the fish tank.  The cleaning bit wasn't supposed to be difficult, just scoop out floating plant debris, and wouldn't you know it, the second I stuck the net in the water 3 fish swam directly into it.  In fact, they kept swimming into it.  So, it took a little longer than I had been expecting.  Dumb fish.

And, of course, there Kamala.  She's a big problem for the White Republican Party.  They were prepared to issue mini-attacks, but then there were prepared for just about any person Biden might choose.  Pence uttered some sort of nonsense about seeing her at the debate.  Duh.  She was chosen for a number of reasons, one being her aggressive, prosecutorial style she had already demonstrated in debates.  There will be a low, rumbling roar as white Evangelicals drop to their knees in prayer as she fillets his words and actions.  Mike, the android man, will lie, and she will call him on it.  As far as the White Republicans are concerned, this was the worst choice Biden could make.  Kamala's aggressive.  She will bullet point every one of their shit stained lies.

And that's not the only problem White Republicans face; there's a serious decline in Conservatives, or a least those who identify as Conservatives.  Remember Dave's axiom:  A popular president can move the country to either the left or the right, an unpopular president will always move it in the opposite direction.  The Idiot Jerk in the White House proves daily that Conservatives are selfish, self-centered, and ugly as hell.  No matter how desperate they are, they will not be able to force their will upon the American People.  They do not understand they are are feeding their own defeat.

Anyway, it's Wednesday.  I'm about halfway through my vacation and I've already finished most of the chores I wanted to get done.  One of the things I did was order a new waffle iron, actually it's a combo type thing, waffles, sandwiches, you name it.  That should be arriving tomorrow.  I can't wait.  Just as I can't wait to see if Biden's VP pick gives him a bit of a boost in the polls.  I wouldn't be surprised if he goes up another point or two.

Swept Away

 Well, I got out of bed at my standard 0445 this morning.  This is how life is for me.  I'm a morning person.  I like to get things done as early as possible so I have the rest of the day to do what I want.  Managing your time is important, it is yours after all.  True, you have to give some to your employer in order to get a paycheck, but after those 8 hours are done it all 'your time' to spend as you wish.

I'm going to spend some of my time this morning by driving into Staples - I need some small tablets for making my grocery lists.  A walk with the dogs is also planned; early though, because of the heat.  Yes, it's still hot here, at least for today.  There is a 60% chance of thunderstorms.  Tomorrow the temps are supposed to only get into the low 80's (F).  Hopefully the hottest part of summer is over.  Just think, thanks to global warming, every summer will be getting warmer.

Yesterday, as I was walking down the stairs, I caught a glimpse of both dogs sitting on the futon in the living room.  Since I had my phone with me, I snapped a picture.

And, of course, for those of you who haven't realized it yet, those Executive Orders by the Idiot Jerk in the White to help benefit the (cough, cough) common man, were really designed to give him a boost in the polls.  It isn't going to work.  Believe it or not, most Americans have already made their minds up on how they're going to vote this November.  That, too, should not come as a surprise to you.  That decision began to solidify almost 4 years ago, when an electoral win put him into the White House.  The Second Republicans started saying "shut up, we're in charge," votes were already being set in concrete.  Rather than move to the center, they hardlined to the Right, all the while saying "we have the majority in the House and Senate."  Their inability to understand America, their need to force their Conservative will onto a Centrist country, is the reason the lost the House in 2018.  That lost was a real eyeopener for them.  America was not going to sit back and swallow their hatred.  They knew back then that the odds of the Idiot Jerk surviving into a 2nd term were shrinking daily.  And so they buckled down on tearing apart Centrist America believing all their changes were going to be permanent.  They don't understand.  Everything they've put in place is going to be swept away.

Standard Operating Procedure

 SOP for me is always the same, on the first day of Vaca I sleep late.  It's the only day, usually.  And, since this is Monday, I won't ride the bike.  Mondays are always my rest days.  That doesn't mean I'm going to laze around all day, just that I'm not going to  climb onto the bike saddle.

I sold a flooring job yesterday to a woman wearing an Idiot Jerk mask.  She said, "since I have to wear one I might as well wear one I believe in."  I said nothing.  I did nothing.  It's against company policy to smack sense into customers.  We are there to take their money, nothing else.  I suspect my silence said volumes.

On the way home from work yesterday I stopped at my neighborhood Giant and picked up a bottle of Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, it was on sale for $13.99.  It's from New Zealand, a country which has gotten a really good handle on this pandemic.  I also watched the last episodes of The Umbrella Academy.  I had seen somewhere that the show was cancelled, but then I've also seen it's one the most popular series on Netflix.  

I was thinking about the approaching conventions, both Democratic and Republican, and the size of audience they will attract.  Biden has the Poll power.  He's going to have a running mate, a female, most likely black.  Everybody's going to want to hear what they have to say.  The Idiot Jerk?  Everybody knows exactly what he is.  The only ones watching him will be his base.  Can we talk about dismal ratings here?  

And what about Pence?  He's been snapping back little verbal attacks against liberals, as one would expect from the the toad playing the Idiot Jerk's mini-me.  He has to do this because if the Idiot Jerk loses badly, it will interpreted as a sign that he did something very, very wrong.  Can we talk about SOP here?

Don't Lose Your Job

 Today will be my last day at work... for an entire week.  I'm expecting the 8 hours I spend on the clock to be... normal.  By that I mean the Specialist who is leaving, will call off.  This will 2 aisle associates and myself to run the department... the definitive word there is 'myself.'  This is how life goes sometimes.  It's not as though they're going to be pulling out my fingernails with a pair of rusty pliers.  At 4:30 PM I will punch out, come home, and maybe take a ride on my bike.  Mostly the week ahead is filled with... chores.  The Specialist who is leaving asked me where I was going on my vacation.  "Why would I want to go anywhere?" I asked.  "There's a virus out there."  I don't know why, but for some reason this idea has grown almost worldwide, that when you take time off... a vacation... you need to go somewhere and spend money... usually, lots of money; more than you earn in a week.  I can guarantee that I will spend some money, but the dent in my savings will be minimal.

The Idiot Jerk in the White House signed some Executive Orders yesterday in an other episode of "Who Wants to be a Dictator."  Neither party was going to budge, in fact I've read things which indicate both the Republicans and the Democrats wanted this to happen.  The Republicans because they're slovenly drunk on the power they think the Idiot Jerk gives them, and the Democrats because these orders have no validity under the Constitution.  We're a Democracy, not a right-wing dictatorship.

He's attempting to eliminate Social Security.  Republicans have always hated the program.  It's Socialism, they whine... yet they take advantage of it.  They complain about Medicare, too, yet they use it and save money on their medical expenses.  Just think, eliminating the Social Security tax until December benefits employers more than it does workers.  Suddenly, they're getting another tax break, courtesy of the Idiot Jerk in the White House.  Do you think they care about their employees, or how they're going to survive in their senior years?  Absolutely not.  Oh, sure, they'll say we have 401k retirement options, just don't lose your job, and pray nothing happens to the stock market.

Anyway, I took another picture of my Zins when I got home from work yesterday.  They are quite colorful!

 

Think About It

 Saturday.

I just fed the fish dried blood worms.  They love 'em.   Almost as much as brine shrimp.  The dried flakes?  They eat them, but they don't relish them the way they do the worms.  Does anyone know if fish have a sense of taste?

Today is my 4th day at work.  Things are slowing down.  We're still getting measures, but not like we were when they eased the lockdown.  As time goes on, people are beginning to realize this virus is not like the flu.  We are not going to have a vaccine by November.  An economic recovery is not going to happen next week.  Yet there were dumbshits celebrating only 1.8 million people filed for unemployment last week.  There is no coordinated effort by any branch of this administration to deal with this.  Instead they come up with quick fix bandages.  I'm a flooring specialist.  If you have a sub-floor that squishy and in need of repair, putting down new carpet doesn't fix the problem.  Conservatives have always been about the appearance, rather than the substance.  This is why they get voted out of office.  That's why we're going to clean house this November.

I see where Falwell Jr is now on an indefinite leave of absence.  I was surprised to learn he has a brother who (supposedly) takes care of the spiritual side of the business and that Jerry Jr is the money guy.  Could have fooled me.  I do believe he was one of those Cracker Jack Christians laying hands on the Idiot Jerk while they were praying in the Oval Office.  Of course, we don't know to what god he was praying, do we?

And the Idiot Jerk wants to eliminate payroll taxes until the end of the year.  This sounds great if you're a dumbshit.... except if you're not working it's not going to effect you.  And, if you are working... well, I do believe he wants to eliminate more than Income Tax.  He wants to also do away with Social Security deductions.  This means it will be a bad year on which to gauge your Social Security payments.  And, if you don't pay your half of the deduction, your company is not going to be paying their half.  Now, isn't that a nice perk for corporations who have already gotten a sweet deal of a tax cut?  He's not thinking about people, he's thinking about $$$.  He has never thought about people.  Why would he start now?  Think about it.  Everything he's done has been for the sake of the Holy Dollar.

Finally, we've been getting a lot of rain.  I took a picture of my Zinnias again. 

They haven't really changed much, have they.  Even the grass is still brown.

First Family From Hell

 We have rain this morning.  It rained yesterday, and the day before.  It's a little late in the growing season, if you know what I mean.  I have peppers and tomatoes.  My cucumbers?  meh.  I'll probably try cucumbers again next year, however I probably won't put them in a container.  I'll probably just stick them in the ground like most people.

Yesterday I found out that Sunday will be the last day we will enjoy the presence of a certain Specialist.  How many of those days will he actually work?  Don't know.  He is neither popular, nor does he care for those of us he works with.  He desperately needed to be number one, even if it meant lying about it.  He liked telling people his sales made him the Number One Specialist in the store.  It wasn't true.  We have a kitchen designer whose sales beat his hands down.  Still, that didn't stop him from trying to impress customers with his sales tales.  He's a lot like the Idiot Jerk in the White House, a man who has no problem lying to impress.

I see Blogger is now inserting blank lines between paragraphs.  

Speaking of the Idiot Jerk... Deutsche Bank is turning over the documentation he provided from back when he filed for some very large loans.  Actually, I do believe they began complying with the subpoenas back in April, 2019.  Of course, this is one of the main reasons why he's lying to get his sorry ass re-elected.  A sitting president can not be taken into custody,  The second Biden is sworn in, however, that protection disappears.  The minute Biden wins, the exodus of evil will commence.  I, for one, would not be surprised if his future includes a Reality Show in Russia:  Who Wants to be an Ex-President.  Maybe they could do something with Ivanka Danka turning over letters... or numbers... or fashioning striped sweats suits as Mealy Mouthed Jared collects cash from the audience.  I don't know about you, but I can see Melanoma making a boatload of cash from a solid stable of hookers models.  Or, maybe the show will be similar to The Osbournes.  They could call it The First Family From Hell.

Let's end this with a parting shot of one of America's phoniest Cracker Jack Christians.  This is how you grow respect.

Just 23%

So, what's on your agenda for today, Thursday, August 6?  I'm going to go to work.

I found out yesterday that the Specialist who's transferring to North Carolina will be moving down on August 22.  Wow.  I might have the joy of working with him for 8 of those 15 remaining days... doubt it.  He's going to be taking some time off between now and then...  The great orange home improvement retailer I work for gave those of us over 65 six weeks of personal time, just in case we came down with Covid.  I'm betting he takes some of that.  He doesn't like coming to the store.  He doesn't get the respect he thinks he deserves.  The sad truth is people are counting down the days.  He also has a bad case of short-timer's attitude.  That's not a good thing to have when you're unpopular.

Otherwise, things are slowing down in the store.   That's normal for this time of year.  

A Reuters poll shows two thirds of Americans oppose delaying the election in November, and well over half of them believe the Idiot Jerk made the suggestion, hoping to provide himself with some political protection.  Interestingly enough, only 23% of those responding said the elections should be delayed and they were...(are you ready for this?) Republicans.  For those who don't know, that is the core of his base.  Ouch.

The Body in the Loch is proceeding nicely.  Whereas in The Body in the Well the entire team arrived at Rattler's Den as a group, here Jules and Bobby get to the 'scene of the crime' at different times.  For a while I had thought of excluding them in this mystery, but then I realized I really needed Bobby to shout out "Let loose the hounds!"... oh, gee... I think that might be a spoiler.  Sorry.

And of course I have started picking out lines from songs.  They are always important.  They always reveal something that is happening, or about to happen.  Here's an example:  Towards the end of The Body on the Lawn there's an important lyric.  At that point, Eli turns into a knight in shining armor and goes to slay a dragon.  A lyric or two from this song are going to be in The Body in the Loch.

Okay, so how do you think this is going to play into the story line?  I can be so evil at times 😈😈😈

It is what it is

Well, I get to go back to work today.  Can you feel the excitement?  Are the words I'm typing more vibrant?  nah.  I'm entering a 5 day stretch before I have an actual vacation.  You know?  One of those things that lasts a full week.  It's actually necessary.  September 4th is my anniversary day and I need to use all vacation before then.  We're not allowed to carry it forward.

Of course, Isias swept over us yesterday.  Lots of steady rain, no downpours.  No wind, just some light breeziness.  Right now the temp is a comfortable 66 (F) outside.  We are in August, however, so it will warm up again.  Still, I'm hoping the worst of the heat is over.

There was a big explosion in Beirut yesterday.  I watched some of the videos.  Bad shit.  2700 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated, the same stuff Timothy McVeigh detonated in Oklahoma City in 1995, except he used a couple of barrels of the shit.  I'll admit to being a bit stunned when one official said the stuff had been sitting in that warehouse for years... unprotected.  For years.

People are talking about the Idiot Jerk's interview with Axios.  Like the Beirut explosion, there are snippets all over the place.  He evidently showed up with some graphs with fudged statistics, they made his administration's dealings with the pandemic look exemplary.   When the inaccuracies were pointed out, all he could do was splutter.  Oh, and as for the death toll so far, all he could say was "it is what it is."  Who says that about the loss of human life?  "It is what it is."  That's another way of saying "just deal with it."  Nothing's going to change what has already happened.  Nothing's going to slow down the deaths, so just accept it and move on.  In case you didn't know, this is how Republicans deal with Covid.

I saw where Kris Kobach lost the Republican primary in Kansas.  Evidently there was some real concern that this pro-Idiot Jerk henchie might win... and because he is a pro-Idiot Jerk henchie, the Republicans would lose another seat in the Senate.  Think about that.  Now is not the time to be a pro-Idiot Jerk.  In fact, now is not the time to be a Republican.

I did ride my 19.28 mile Corsica route yesterday.  I even cut 18 seconds off my previous time.  Burned 612 calories.  To celebrate, I baked a loaf of banana bread.

Scrumptious

Deluge

Yesterday was dry, today it's going to be wet.  Isais has arrived in Central PA.  If this forecast holds true, Anne Marie in Philly will get around 2 inches, here in Harrisburg we should get about 4.  When you're talking about rain, 4 inches is a lot.

I tried to get the dogs to go out before the deluge arrives... Biggie doesn't like to get wet.  Because he's a good dog, eventually he will go out.  I keep a large towel waiting for just such occasions.  

My ride yesterday was in West Cork, Ireland, along the Atlantic coast in a place called Skibbereen.  It was very nice, but very hilly, and we know how much I love hills.

So far this year I've ridden 1490 miles, only 1010 more to hit my goal of 2500, and I'm actually ahead of where I'm supposed to be.

I saw where the Idiot Jerk called Birx pathetic because she refused to bear false witness about the pandemic.  Because it's now everywhere, people will get sick and die everywhere.  Where the virus goes, his poll numbers drop.  He will keep on lying about this, to do otherwise would make him culpable of so much death.  

Oh, and in case you didn't see, a little more information was released yesterday regarding the investigation into the Idiot Jerk's finances.  Bank and Insurance fraud... oooohhhh.  I always suspected there was more to this then just hooker payoffs.  And it's not just him.  There was an information drop about Ivanka Danka and her mealy mouthed husband, something about executives from Deutsche Bank and a property they had purchased.  The Idiot Jerk's family has gotten some serious loans from Deutsche Bank, just in case you didn't know.  Dear me, it looks like some serious rain is going to be falling on their parade.

Cancelled

Oh, my, it's Monday.  One would never know, would one?  I, for one, wouldn't.  Yesterday seemed like Monday most of the day.  Not a lot of news happened, perhaps that's why.  I usually start getting emails after the Sunday morning pundits have their shows and that didn't happen.  Nothing of importance must have been said.

I had a nice 10 mile ride in Flanders along the Ijzer Front 1914 -18.  I ride by World War I memorials and ancient German bunkers.  The entire ride is 30 miles long and is broken down into segments.  I've ridden bits and pieces before and every time I've done so I think about the poem In Flanders Fields.

In Flanders fields the poppies grow,

between the crosses, row by row 

It's a somber little poem.  Here's the link if you'd like to read it in its entirety.  However, yesterday I rode through Flanders fields wearing my Taco socks.

If you look closely, you can see a bit of chain grease on my calf.  It's a habit I have, leaning into the chain.

I did see where Mark Meadows, a henchie for the Idiot Jerk in the White House was on... CNN possibly, saying that there was going to  be an election on November 3, and that the president was going to win.  Don't you find it interesting how the Idiot Jerk in the White House rails against fake news, but has no problem sending out his henchies to these networks to seed his lies?  I do.  

And, finally, I saw an interesting opinion in The Hill his morning on how the Idiot Jerk's presidency has been more of a reality show than a presidency.  I liked the comparison between the Idiot Jerk and Paris Hilton, another reality personality who was cancelled, cancelled being the operative word.  The man has never been a politician, one of his many, many shortcomings.  Rather, he's more of a petulant 'B' actor who lucked into a starring roll in a show which exemplified his lack of qualifications.  This November, because of his shitty performance, America is going to fire him.  He's going to be cancelled.

My mini-vaca begins today.  It actually began last evening.  Instead of going for a ride, I watch the first 2 episodes of the 2nd season of The Umbrella Academy.  Season 1 was okay, it got better towards the end.  Season 2 started off with a bang.

And I didn't ride because... I ended up staying late at work.  The Specialist who is transferring to North  Carolina likes to tell customers he's an 'architectural engineer who's designed schools and office buildings.'  Well, that's not true.  The truth is he can't design anything.  So when a couple showed up at the flooring desk at 4:25 PM, he pointed to me and said, "he's our blind specialist."  That's right.  I had to stay late and design blinds for a house because he can't.  His transfer cannot come soon enough.

We did have rain last evening, about half an inch.  This is good.  We have been so dry.  However, now the humidity is so thick you can cut it with a knife.  And it quite warm, too.  We might get thunderstorms this evening, but the forecast doesn't specifically call for rain.  That's suppose to be here tomorrow and Tuesday, and then later in the week I guess we'll get the remnants of Isaia.  We're far enough inland we don't usually get too much wind, but we do get rain.

I didn't see where TikTok was banned yesterday, no Executive Order being issued by the Idiot Jerk in the White House.

With just 3 months until the election, his approval rating is still in a slow death spiral.  Quite a number of reasons have been floated as to why he can't turn his campaign around.  Some say he doesn't have a clear message.  Others say it's his total incompetence with the Corona Pandemic.  And there there are those who say he treasures the loyalty of white supremacists over average citizens.  Some say it's because he sees women as nothing more then sex toys.  The truth is that there is no one reason, rather there is a cesspool of festering problems which need to be flushed in their entirety.

And did I hear something odd yesterday, that when the Idiot Jerk gives his acceptance speech no media are going to be present.  I suspect this is because it's going to be one humdinger of a hate curse.  Maybe he's going to call all white supremacists to rise up.  Whatever he says is going to get out.  There's no keeping it a secret.  Maybe it's because his very words are so often used to prove his incompetence.  One thing you can count on is that it's going to be a conflagration of hate.

Tacos or Bigfoot

After today, I get 3 days off in a row, a mini-vaca, so to speak.  Today is also August 1.  We are heading into the dog days, that time of the summer where temperatures are high and rain is scarce... just like we've been having for the past month.  I look at the weather app on my phone and see rain north of us and south of us, Central PA, however, seems stuck in a band of dryness.  My little potted garden is suffering.  I do have tomatoes and peppers, jalapenos and poblamos, and my basil is doing okay, but the cucumbers are tiny.  Since the dogs don't eat them, next year I'll plant them in the ground.

So, I see the Idiot Jerk in the White House is going to ban TikTok with an Executive Order.  He gives a lot of reasons, but remember, he lies constantly.  Also remember that it was people on TikTok who claimed responsibility for trolling his Tulsa rally to death.  While that validity of that statement is questionable, it did make a lot of headlines... and the Idiot Jerk in the White House has been known to hold a grudge.  He hates it when people mock him and make fun of him, which is exactly what TikTok did. So, it wouldn't surprise me if this banning has more to do with revenge then anything else.

There was an interesting article in Politico concerning polls for Florida.  Floridians were evidently rejecting the 13% spread of the Quinnipiac  polls siting past errors.  Okay, so 13% is extremely high.  Unfortunately for the Idiot Jerk, even Fox News is putting him into a deep hole.  The article in Politico didn't address the rest of the polls so those complaining must have no problem them.  The fact that the Idiot Jerk has been increasing spending in the Sunshine State (by a lot) indicates internal polling is showing the same thing.  Ouch.

Finally, I'm trying to decide which socks I should wear on tonight's ride.  Tacos or Bigfoot?