The 2nd amendment

 So, the Memorial Day weekend is over.  Our garden department was busy.  That didn't mean we didn't have customers in the flooring department.  Surprisingly, I can't remember a single person asking me "what's on sale?"  2 of my installs sold.  That puts me at my sales goal for the week.   There was a cookout for the associates, I had a burger and a hot dog, some macaroni salad (I love pasta dishes), and ended up with terrible indigestion.   I do believe my grazing days are coming to an end.  That's fine.

I'm not scheduled to work for the next 4 days.  Plans are in the works.  Nothing extravagant.  I want to drive down to That Fish Place to get some snails and plants for the new tank.  The snails will help with the algae problem.  I'd like to get away from scraping down the sides every 3 days.

There are Spotted Lantern fly nymphs on my roses.  Not a good thing.  An unwelcome pest from South Korea, these pests are tree killers.  I'm going to try the non-pesticide route.  I will let you know if my concoction works.  

You know how the gun nuts run around shrieking a shortened variation of the last 14 words of the 2nd amendment, "the right to bear arms?"  Well, I do believe the time has come to begin shoving the first half of the amendment down their throats.  The time for cherry picking the definition they desperately want needs to end now.  For those who've never read the 2nd amendment, and a large majority of Americans haven't, the first half talks about a well-regulated militia.  However, the well-regulated bit hands the gun lovers a plate of shit, so they always ignore that.  Here is what the 2nd amendment to the Constitution says:

Rather Cute

 Well, here it is... Memorial Day.  For us in the home improvement retail business, this is our busiest day of the year.  People always find that surprising.  They believe Black Friday is the holiest of holies in the retail world.  Well, it is if you sell flat screen TVs and trendy fashions.  However, when it comes to gas grills and picture-perfect curb appeal, this is our day.  Now, I know you're asking yourselves who would wait until the Official start of summer to go out and buy a grill for a cookout planned for that very day?  The same people who bought illegal, Memorial Day fireworks two months ago.  Need I say anything more?

And I do get to work today.  We're having a cookout at the store, burgers and hot dogs.  The grill we are using was marked down at the end of last summer.  There's no way we're going to lose a grill sale today.

There are lots of little patriotic American flags being flashed around today.  I have one.  It's in the closet downstairs.  I don't usually fly it because the pole is very inexpensive aluminum that is unsuitable for flying a flag.  In fact, the only reason I have one is because my parents gave it to me as a gift.  If anyone asks about my patriotism, I tell them I voluntarily joined the Navy and went to Vietnam.  If the person happens to be a loser, I'll follow up with the question:  what have you done for your country?

Here, never before seen on the internet is a picture of me in my Navy dress blues with my mom.  As I scanned this into my computer, I thought "shit, I was rather cute back then."

President Biden went to Uvalde yesterday.  From my understanding, his presence was greatly appreciated.  Evidently Governor Abbott made an appearance too.  He was booed.  I find that rather fitting.  I'm sure his people are desperately trying to play that down because... well, they're more interested in his approval rating than they are the families of Uvalde.  

I find it interesting that this time the talking heads of the Republican party, those who continually cite only the last few words of the 2nd amendment, are getting a lot of smack-back.  They represent a small, loud minority of Americans, but God forbid they do anything to alienate one of those voters.  You would think they'd realize that by veering towards gun control they'd actually grow their voting base.  However, that will never happen.  That would mean admitting they are wrong... on so many things.  The more they try and splinter America, the more their minority shrinks.  In a way, they are doing their patriotic duty by continually eliminating the scourge of hatred their party depends upon.

Lessons

 Well, we are now halfway through the Memorial Day weekend.  The temps here in Central PA are supposed to climb into the mid 80s (F).  The Central Air is on in the house.  We are heading into a mini heatwave with temps predicted to rise into the mid to upper 90s for most of the week.  Since I'm off most of the week, that's fine with me.  My lawn needs to be mowed thanks to all of the rain we've been having.

As usual, they're providing snacky things over the weekend, today it's 'make your own sundae' and there's freshly popped popcorn.   There's a cookout scheduled for tomorrow: standard hot dogs and hamburgers cooked on a grill behind the store.  Covid ended the cookouts, now they're back.

Business at the flooring desk was slow yesterday.  We were fully staffed and most of us ended up pretty much pissing the time away.  Not that our specialty manager did show up from time to time urging us to find some busy work.  He wants us to be aggressive salespeople, so he looks good.  We gently ignore.  The decision was made to give free measures this weekend, they usually cost $35, but that's deducted when you purchase your install.  People weren't buying it, even for free.

Here's an old picture of Lily.  Ain't she just the cutest little lady?

A few days back I mentioned how the Republicans were again hinting that they might be open to some form of gun control, and that it was as fake as it ever was.  This morning, the Washington Post said the same thing, however they put the blame on McConnell.  The terrible truth is the Republicans have a base that will always vote Red as long as the GOP stops gun control in its tracks.  Those voters are a sure thing.  There's no way they are ever going to do anything to lose those votes.  That group alone, however, is not nearly enough to get Republicans elected to office.  The time has come to teach them a lesson.

Poll Science

 So, we're into Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend.  I work.  Only 5 hours this afternoon.  Most of our business is done in the morning to early afternoon.  Things should be heading into the slow down period as I pull into the parking lot.  That's fine with me.

If you're looking for an appliance, this is a good time to buy.  Or paint, we usually have a paint sale over the holiday weekend.  While I can't say for certain, since I only occasionally work in that department, I'm betting there's going to be a rebate coupon.  I can remember a time when there was an actual 'sale,' but then some smart guy from corporate realized that not everybody gets around to turning in their rebate coupons.  Translation:  If you don't apply for the rebate, you bought the paint a full price and they make more money.

Here's a blast from the past.  A picture of what my dining room ceiling used to look like.  Don't you just love the raspberry trim on the staircase and the grapevine border?

One of the things frustrating Democrats over the last elections cycles has been the inaccuracy of the information pollsters put out.  Predictions of victory have made us complacent.  A number of people didn't vote because they believed Hillary was a shoe-in.  Could those polls have been any more wrong?  While the polls aren't entirely to blame, they are one of the big reasons why we ended up with the Spawn of Satan, Donald Trump in the White House.  

Why do I bring this up now?  Well, this morning Newsweek sent me an article about Florida and how the polls were saying DeSantis had a large lead.  Double digits in some cases.  Of course, I'm smart enough to recognize conservative propaganda when I see it.  While one of the pollster's names was recognizable (FiveThirtyEight), the rest were not, and the data these pollsters were supposedly referencing was from back in February.  The article was meant to hearten Republicans and dishearten Democrats and I don't doubt for a second it worked for some individuals.

The truth is that most polls are bullshit because most people realize a political tool when they see one.  Here's some advice on how to use this tool.  If your phone rings, and you answer the unknown caller, and it just happens to be a pollster, lie.  Republicans have been doing it for years.  Tell the pollster you worship the holy MAGA worm.  You see all those pre-fascist Republicans will suddenly begin to pay attention to the polls once they believe they're winning.  Make them think red voters are going to take the midterms in a landslide.  And then go vote Blue and vote those dumbshits out of office.

Dog Day

 Day off! 

Outside the sky is overcast.  I woke up to a 'weather warning' from Accuweather on my phone, possible areal flooding from thunderstorms this afternoon, not that I was planning on doing any real yardwork.  The elephant ear I planted has been nibbled on and will probably not survive.  I live in bunny hell, remember?

Just before I left work last evening, a couple came up and began sorting through the area rugs we keep on a very large table behind the flooring desk.  They ask the same questions everyone else asks:  what size are they? (They are all 5 x 7), do they come in larger and smaller sizes? (No), and will they be going on sale this weekend? (No, they never go on sale).  People believe everything goes on sale for Memorial Day weekend.  It doesn't.  One of my fellow associates told them this and their disappointment was obvious.  When someone asks me if we're running any specials, I say, "yeah, in appliances."

Besides laundry, a bit of work on the next book, and possibly a ride on the bike, there isn't a lot planned for today, so I thought I'd post a pic of the dogs.

I saw Governor Abbott of Texas has chosen to cancel his speech at the NRA convention in Houston.  Instead of spending some quality time with his donors, he's going to put on his phony Debbie Downer face and visit the grieving town of Uvalde because voters are unhappy.  Beto made him look like dog shit.

Ted Cruz will still put in an appearance.  He knows which minority group butters his campaign bread.

So will the Spawn of Satan, Donald Trump.  No guns will be permitted on the premises while he's there.  He spoke at their last convention and the same rules applied.  I'm wondering if this year, besides outlawing guns, they also outlaw fruit.  I understand he now has a fear of pineapples.

My Newsweek feed sent me an opinion this morning on Herschel Walker's campaign.  The writer believes he has a good chance of winning.  I mused about that for a few moments.  This is a man who only speaks in coherent sentences when he's reading a teleprompter.  He will never debate.  And you can bet he will only take questions from his friends at Fox News.  Rather than respond personally to issues, Walker will let someone from his campaign speak for him. Warnock is going to play hardball, and that's the wrong sport for an aging Walker.

Needing Special Forces

 Thursday.  Fixed workday.  The temps are barely supposed to hit 70 (F).  The skies are overcast and there is a 25% chance of rain.  

I was supposed to go see Downton Abbey last evening but cancelled.  I was not in the mood to sit through 2 hours of costume drama silliness.  Instead, I ate ice cream (lots of ice cream) and played Elden Ring.   For those interested, the little white Speedo is gone; I'm now wearing brightly colored clothing.

Mike (the plumber) came back yesterday morning are replaced the old, cracked cast iron piping with brand, new PVC.  It took him about 3 hours.  He was not talkative.  I spent most of the time outside with the dogs, who were very excited someone was working in the basement.  Now and then, I'd take them in.  They were very good: laid on the floor waiting to hear his feet climbing the stairs.  He seemed fine with them.

I'm not a big one for having strangers in the house and even though he'd been here on Tuesday to do an assessment, I was pleased when his work was complete, and he finally packed up his gear and headed out to his truck.  For those interested, here's a picture of what $1700 of new PVC piping looks like:

And of course, the country is still reeling from the Tragedy in Texas. For those who missed it, Beto O'Rourke challenged Governor Abbott of Texas in a press conference.  Beto challenged him, saying he was doing nothing.  Republicans were not happy.

Abbott is scheduled to speak at an NRA convention in Dallas on Friday.  When asked about his scheduled appearance last evening, Abbott refused to answer.

Mitt Romney is under fire for his standardized 'those families are in our prayers,' comment.  People began noting that over the years he has received approximately $13 million in donations from the NRA.

The security at Robb Elementary was top notch, and the shooter still managed to gain entrance.  There was at least one-armed officer he managed to get past.  The shooter shot and injured 17 other people, including police officers because he was using an AR-15, something they were not prepared for, and it took a special force team to actually stop him.  Think about that.  A special force team.  This was an 18 year old who just recently purchased 2 AR-15s.  Needing a special force, armed border patrol team to take him out says a lot about the problems of letting 18 year old kids buy automatic rifles.

Bullshit

 For some reason, I thought today was Thursday, and went into see if my schedule had been updated.  I was wrong.  We're only into Wednesday.  The updating will come sometime this afternoon.

Yesterday was a no-go as far as everything that had been expected.  Mike (the Plumber) showed up but had to take his truck in to get inspected.  He took pictures, and a video of the bad pipe, and gave me a quote.  Very high $$$, but I'm going with it.  This is the same reputable company I've been dealing with for some time, and I can afford it, however the truck inspection took longer than expected, so he'll be back this morning.

I did drive over to World Class Ski and Cycle to pick up the check for selling my X6 Cannondale.  The first check they'd sent me got lost in De Loy's screwed up postal service.  And then, of course, 19 days after the first check was mailed, the carrier dropped off the first check last evening.  A black sharpie had been used to scratch off the first delivery bar codes on the envelope, indicating the check had been delivered to the wrong address and that person had returned it to the Enola post office, which sent it back to the Camp Hill post office so it could be processed a 2nd time.  The bicycle shop put a stop payment on the first check and issued a 2nd.  This is almost the height of postal incompetence.

My roses are beginning to come in.

There was a terrible tragedy down in Texas yesterday.  Many children were shot to death.  Chris Murphy, the Democratic senator from Connecticut has said enough of the bullshit!  He is right on the money.  President Biden said, "we need to stand up to the gun lobby."  He is off.  It is not the gun lobby, rather it is the Republican party that needs to change.  They won't.  Any form of gun control would cause them to lose the votes of 2nd amendment assholes.  Lose votes?  Conservatives are so craven for power they will accept any form of gun violence.  They do claim to pray a lot, but I suspect those prayers are mostly hoping that the majority doesn't finally turn against them.  As expected, Ken Paxton, the corrupt Attorney General from Texas, and Ted (I would rather be in Cancun) Cruz suggested putting armed officers in schools.  I will tell you that from the deepest part of my heart, I do not believe our founding fathers envisioned the need to have armed officers in schools when they added the 2nd amendment to the Constitution.  Anyone who believes that is full of bullshit.

Cracked

 The first day off of my mid-week weekend and the weather is cool and overcast.  We'll be lucky if the high hits 70 (F) today.  

Usually, I begin my weekends playing the part of the Laundry King.  Not today.  Hey, I haven't even sorted the whites from the colors, and the towels are still hanging on the rack.  Am I changing up my routine?  Nah.  I have a plumber (expensive) scheduled for this morning.  You see, I have a crack in my pipe.  Now, I know that sounds bad, and it will be if the pipe breaks, but that's not likely to happen.  There are still a few, small sections of caste iron pipe still remaining in the house.  This section, which is about 5 feet long, is attached to the PVC drainage piping put in decades ago.  Water from the bathroom, kitchen, and washer drains through this pipe.  Today the pipe is getting replaced, and I'm not kidding myself, it will come with a hefty price.

My peaches are the size of walnuts already:

An interesting turn of events is happening in the Pennsylvania GOP primary.  Dave McCormick, who is losing to Oz, the seemingly impotent, by less than 1000 votes is suing to have mail-in ballots counted.  What makes this so very interesting, is that McCormick is one of those candidates who has been pushing the The Big Lie.  Yep!  He's hoping those voters who mailed in their ballots will now save his phony political ass.  At issue are those ballots which don't have a hand-written date on the back of the envelope.  That little bug-a-boo kept ballots from being counted during the 2020 presidential election.  Ouch!  Isn't it funny ho0w that endorsement from the Orange Anus didn't automatically Oz, the impotent, directly into the winners circle.  Mail-in ballots?  Who'd have thunk?

And it appears that an endorsement from Trump isn't nearly what it's cracked up to be.  Take Georgia, in which David Perdue is expected to lose badly.  Now, let me be perfectly clear, there is no way I want to see George go red again, but having the opportunity to watch the Orange Anus and his endorsement basically used as shit paper by Brian Kemp is... somewhat pleasing.  It's kind of like watching him stick the pointy end of the ice cream cone into his eye repeatedly.

All about wretches

Odd schedule today.  I don't have to be at work until 2:30 PM, and I only work for 4.5 hours.  Mondays are usually 8-hour days for me, not that I mind, there are always chores to be done.

I have ants in the kitchen, by the sink.  Fairly large ones.  Even though I hate to do it, I'll bring some ant spray or ant traps home from work, since the big ones can be destructive.  

Enterprise Car Rental was also called.  They placed a $100 security deposit on my debit card for the car I rented while mine was being repaired.  My insurance company covers everything, so last Saturday I get a voice mail / text telling me they were processing a credit.  So far, no credit.

Also, my old X-6 Cannondale sold, and World Cup Ski and Cycling mailed me the check and... no check, and it was mailed on 5/8, and they're dawdling.  Hopefully the replacement check will be waiting to be picked up shortly.  I told them mail service here in Enola is screwed up.  Instead of delivering mail from our post office, everything comes out of the Camp Hill post office by part-timers who don't have fixed routes.  Centralization is evidently this is part of DeLoy's plan on making the postal service more profitable.  As a result, mail is frequently delivered to the wrong people, and quite often those 'wrong' people simply throw it into the trash.

I took a picture of me as a 'wretch' character I'm playing in Elden Ring.  Good news, I now have clothing, I just put it on until I level up, which will probably be sometime this evening or tomorrow.  Then I'll be snazzy.

I saw this humorous article in The Guardian about Herschel Walker and which voters want to vote for him.  If you need a clue, think white people... white people who think black people will vote for him because he's black.  If you were to tell them their thoughts are systemic racism, they'd look at you dumbly.  Need I say anything more?  As for Herschel, it seems as though a lot of what he says simply isn't true.  He was never at the top of his graduating class in college.  Not only was he never at the top of his class, but he also never graduated.  Oops.  And, if he tries to hit you for a donation to a charity?  Watch it.  It seems as though as though the charities for which he gets paid to be a spokesperson aren't really charities.  Let's be honest here, I may be a nearly naked wretch (with a fab body) in Elden Fields, in the real-world Hershel Walker turns out be nothing more than one more duplicitous conservative wretch.

Shall we say "Hello" to the turbulent 60s again?

 Three hours until I leave for work.  Wonderful.  Temps today are supposed to match yesterday's, low 90s (F), though today they're calling for thunderstorms.  Tomorrow they will only climb up into the mid 70s (F).  If the long-range forecast is correct, every afternoon should find them hovering there.

I spent a lot of time working on the tall tank, which is the one in the living room housing the 12 barbs: rosy, golden, and spotted, 4 of each.  While I don't have to work on at least one of the tanks daily, they each get their walls cleaned at least 3 times a week to keep the algae down.  I've come to the conclusion that most of this added green growth is the result of the LED lighting; it's so much brighter than the old fluorescent bulbs we had when I was a kid.

My peaches are growing very fast.  And the flowers?  Wowza!

Conservatives trying to foist their agenda onto America are running into all sorts of problems.  This doesn't mean that they care, at least not yet.  They will.  The last time this country embraced social conservatism this badly was back in the 1950s.  Most conservatives today have either forgotten, or are too young to remember, but that decade led to the turbulent 60s, not that those years mean anything to their shortsightedness.  I'm old enough to remember when you started your school day with both prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.  Today's politicized evangelicals want those days back.  Without their ability to begin grooming students at such a young age, their future is in jeopardy.  What they never counted on, however, is the youth of today; young people who have grown up with gay friends, and brown friends, and black friends.  And these young people are growing angrier by the day  This is not what conservatives want.  They need a majority of Americans to become sheep, to bow their heads and lo their acceptance.  Well, that ain't happening soon.

Nasty as Hell

 Well, hello Weekend.  While today maybe Saturday for a lot of you, today is my Sunday since I have to work tomorrow... and Monday.  But then I do have another weekend.  In fact, next week I will be working 4 (count 'em) days, though they will not all be 8-hour long days.  I am part-time, remember?

Yesterday turned out to be a bit of a slugfest for me.  I played the part of a slug.  I did clean the one aquarium, and I went to the store, and also put some work in on The Body Under Ice, but mostly I sat around waiting for The Elden Ring to load.  Holy Crap.  Hours and hours it took.  As with all games, there is a tutorial prolog to play through to teach you which buttons on the controller do what.  However, the second I exited the tutorial, I got my ass killed by a big knight with a big sword.  As for character, I'm playing as a male wretch, which means I get to run around wearing only a G-string.  Don't worry, at some point I will get a cape to make myself more dashing.

Temp wise, today's supposed to hit a high of 95 (F).  Global warning, you know?  

Flower wise?  My buds are finally beginning to bloom!

And we need to begin prepping now for the November elections, not so much because a majority of us will find them earthshattering.  Rather, we will need to deal with all the Q'anon crackpots like Doug Mastriano who will not take losing badly lightly.  They desperately want to adhere to the belief that Trump was sent by the deity they worship to make America socially conservative.  All deniers need to believe that they have the power, that they have been chosen to lead America down their crookedly righteous past.  To even consider otherwise would be to commit blasphemy.  Losing marks that authority as being weak, and that cannot be.  Understand this, these losers will be nasty as Hell.

Lie and Cheat

 Sometimes my weekend begins on Friday, and sometimes it's just another day off for me.  Today, my weekend has already begun.  I slept in.  I enjoy that.  So do the dogs.  Around 0600 Lily had to go potty outside, but after that we both went back to sleep.  Today might be busy.

While back at work yesterday, I told several people how I had said "shut up, you old bitch," to a fellow associate.  Every response was the same.  They all laughed.  Not one person chastised me.  No one said, "wow, maybe you shouldn't have done that."  This says more about the person I yelled at, rather me, which is a shame.  We should all try and respect everybody's opinion, however that's difficult when they have no respect for any opinion but their own.

My new mouse came yesterday.  In case I hadn't mentioned it, I bought myself a new Razer gaming mouse.  It's nice.

I also bought a copy of Elden Ring.  It's a video game written by George R. R. Martin, the same guy who wrote the Game of Thrones series, which means it's probably all the same violence with all the same sex.  Most of the trailers are 'age restricted' on YouTube, this is the only one that wasn't.

And here in Pennsylvania we are heading into a recount among the Republicans.   If you remember backto the General Election of 2020, recounts were never kind to the Moral Degenerate, Trump.  He always lost votes, never coming close to gaining all the votes he lied about losing.  Yesterday was the 2nd day he advised Dr. Oz to cheat.  No surprise there.  This doesn't say much for those Christian Nationalists believe the Orange Anus was sent by God.  Ouch.  

Let's be honest here.  If the deity I believed to be omnipotent had sent Donald Trump to build the socially conservative America I was praying for, and Donald Trump's advice was to Lie and Cheat in order to achieve that dream, I'd become a little suspicious of that omnipotence.  Holy Shit.  Omnipresent and omnipotent are not really as powerful as they're cracked up to be.  Or.... maybe they are, just not in this universe.

Lost in Cracker Jack Crazy Land

 Well, workday Thursday has arrived.  Yep.  Because I'm available to work on Thursdays, I normally do.  No problem.  After today, my Friday and Saturday are free.  And the temps are going to be steaming.  The high today is supposed to reach the lower 80s (F).  After that, we're to be in the scorching 90s (F), and you can be my Central Air will be cranking.

Yesterday was another uneventful, unproductive day.  Last week was so good when it came to getting things done, so far, this week a lot less has been accomplished.  That leaves me Friday and Saturday to add a bit of a shine to a lusterless 7 days.

The new keyboard arrived yesterday and has now been set up.  This is how I set up the colors.  Most of it is a lime/green-yellow.  I avoided reds.  Even though I like red, I find that at times the color can be distracting. 

And in case anyone is wondering, they're still counting the votes from Tuesday's primary, and yes, the Republicans are going to be relying on the mail-in ballots.  The Orange Anus is shrieking for Oz to declare victory just in case MacCormick happens to 'find' enough ballots to make him the winner.  Now, ain't that funny? Oz is ignoring him, which is no doubt pissing him off.  

One of the things I like to look at after a winner is declared, is the numbers.  Numbers say quite a lot.  Take the Mastriano winning the Republican nomination for Governor.  He desperately wants to be a Qanon King. (Big Laugh).  The GOP is not ecstatic. Nope. Not in the least.    So, what do the numbers say?  1.3 million Republicans voted on Tuesday.  Mastriano received 524,000 votes.  Almost 800,000 Republicans voted for someone else.  Now, that's an ouch from Hell.  I can also tell you that many of those voters who supported Doug, believe that every one of those 800,000, who voted for someone else, are going to throw their support behind Doug.  Well, that's not going to happen.  Mastriano is lost in Cracker Jack Crazy Land.  This is the reason so many Republicans are whispering that he is unelectable.  800,000 voters were not impressed with Trump's endorsement.  Many will either stay home come November rather than vote for Doug, and they sure as hell aren't voting for a Democrat.

Leaf Curl

 After a number of days of being very productive, I have to admit that yesterday was not.  There were a number of things on my agenda, but few were completed.  Mostly, I blame the candy.  I never buy candy, however yesterday morning, while at the store, I picked up 2 bags to take to the store.  Big mistake.  I was fine for about hour after getting home, but then temptation reared its ugly head and I ripped open the bag of Payday candy bars.  It was all downhill from there.  I ended up chowing down on candy bars, watching the news, and taking naps. I have not stepped on the scale this morning as I am certain it will break.  

I did discover what's wrong with my nectarine tree.  I have leaf curl. And it's not only on my nectarine tree, my peach tree is infected, too.  Leaf curl is a fungus.  Normally, it's dormant until you have long, drizzly days when the rain lasts for more than 10 hours.  Well, we've had that.  We had that last year, as well.  The only treatment is a copper spray which needs to be applied in late winter, before spring rains arrive.  Well...it's a bit too late for that one.  I did mark my calendar to buy some in late February.

And, of course, a number of states held their primaries.  A lot of people are cheering that Madison Cawthorn lost is primary.  Me?  I'm thinking maybe he should have squeaked out victory and then let a Democrat take him out in the General Election.  Now the Democrats of North Carolina will have to deal with a candidate who comes across as more normal.

In Pennsylvania?  We have big John Fetterman as the Democratic candidate to replace Pat Twomey.  The Republicans race is too close to call, and there is a good possibility it may force a recount, which is never good for a candidate since breeds hostility.  Barnette, who lost, has already told the press she will not support another candidate, so the bloodletting continues.  This is what happens when you build a party of selfish individuals who refuse to compromise.

For Governor, the Democrats have Shapiro, who has handily won every campaign he has waged.  He'll be running against the Cracker Jack Crazy Doug Mastriano.  Doug is a radical MAGA, to say the least.  He was in Washington on January 6 and has pushed The Big Lie extensively.  Many in the GOP are of the opinion is too much of an extremist to win.  An example:  Last evening he claimed that Jesus was behind his victory.  No separation of Church and State in his playbook.    

Candor

 My first weekend of the week begins today.  I'm pleased.  The sun is shining.  The temps are predicted to climb into the upper 70's with low humidity, so I'll be spending some time outside.  Thanks to the rain we've had my lawn needs a mowing which will happen either today or tomorrow.

I lost my temper at work yesterday with an associate.  Most of the time I can hold my tongue, but there are instances...  Me and another associate were discussing the million lives lost to Covid, when another part-time associate spoke up saying "well, they didn't need to die.  Doctors had all these modifications, vitamins and treatments that would have saved lives and the government wouldn't let them."  Is that statement enough to let you know she's a Fauci hating MAGA?  And, of course, I'm at the point where I've had it up to my earlobes with shit like this, so I let loose... sort of.  I said, "shut up you stupid, old bitch."  She didn't take that lightly and retorted.  "You probably voted for Biden."  She also said Covid wasn't that bad because she didn't get it.  Rather than resort to fisticuffs, we ended the conversation.  

Later, knowing I shouldn't have lost my temper, I approached her and said, "I apologize for my candor," knowing full well she had no idea of the definition.

Today is primary day in Pennsylvania.  Tra-la-la-la-la.  The Republican bloodletting is about to begin... or, since it is nearly 0800, has already begun.  Doug Mastriano, a state senator who marched in Washington on Jan 6, will probably be the Republican nominee for Governor.  There is a horse race for the Republican nominee to replace that loser, Pat Twomey.  Too Close to Call.  Barrnett has said that if she doesn't get it, she will not support the candidate that does.  Now, how is that for being a team player.  Both she and Mastriano are considered unelectable.  The GOP is beside themselves. Perhaps if their candidates had more candor, instead they proffer the public nothing more than lies and deceit.

The Time has Come

 Well, can I get a bright hello to a drizzly Monday morning?  Humidity, showers, and possible thunder showers are in our forecast.  Whatever we get, you can bet it is going to make the grass grow.

Work was slow yesterday, up until the last half hour, then I signed up 2 couples for measures and possible installs.  That should make the big boys happy.  They're always looking for sales.  I don't mind selling measures and installs, as long as I don't need to work too hard.  Semi-retired, you know?  The Gung-Ho days are long gone.  Not that I was ever really Gung-Ho about any of my jobs.  I did them well enough to get decent pay increases, but I was never a 'do or die' loyalist to management.  Being in management was nice, but I never felt to need to keep climbing.  Maybe I'm just not greedy or selfish enough.  

I work with an associate who's like that, has a 5-year plan.  He, however, sees managers as being that group of people who do less and have others do more.  Hah.  He wants the authority without demonstrating the require work ethic.  We did just bring in a new assistant manager... who walks around wearing a small backpack.  Yesterday, as I was leaving, I saw the wannabe sporting... you guessed it, a small backpack.  

The latest book cover is now on the wall.  Next up, The Body Under Ice.  

Of course, we had that horrific shooting up in Buffalo and, of course, we have crass Republicans desperately trying to be more vulgar than the next.  I saw where that white supremacist Wendy Rogers said it was a 'false flag' thrown up by the Feds.  Someone needs to start punching her in the mouth every time she blurts out her stupidity, not that she'll learn anything, but at least someone will have the pleasure of punching her in the mouth.  

In fact, we, as a party, should have started punching back a long time ago.  Remember when Michelle Bachmann used to claim there was a war on Christianity?  Well, we should have started bopping her upside her head back then, rather than play Mr. Nice Guy.  All you have to do is look around to see where being nice has gotten us.  A minority group has managed to squeeze themselves into the power seat and their hatred of everything that isn't, by their standards, socially conservative, is under attack.  Over time, they will only get worse as they attempt to rule.  The time has come for bopping them upside their heads.

The Failure of Thomas

 Holy Crap!  it's Sunday!  and on this day of rest, I have to work.  Very cloudy overhead, with the forecast to reach into the upper 70s (F) and thunder boomers this afternoon.  

Yesterday was only semi-productive.  The veggie meal I was planning was replaced by 2 bowls of salad and a chimichanga.  I did get a 14-mile ride in on Lago D'Iseo, which is one of my favorite rides. 

The Central Air was also turned on yesterday.  It will be turned on today before I leave work since temps are predicted to get warm.  If the long-range forecast is correct, next week we will be hitting the 90's (F) here.  That's much too warm for this time of year.  Global warming is real.  At least we don't have the energy problems Texas is having.  Keep in mind, they do have a Republican governor who added to the inflation problem with his stunt of shutting down the border. 

I ordered a gaming keyboard for the gaming computer.  What can I say, I got a deal... a really good deal.  Purchasing my new Alienware PC gave me so many points, and then I received a coupon in the mail for 10% off any Alienware products, including accessories.  Rather than paying the $154 for the keyboard, I'm getting it for $63.  Thats not a bad deal.

Feel the Rainbow!

Finland is joining NATO!  Putin is all pissy, and this is not what our pro-Russkie senators want: the MAGAs hate that his authoritarian government is being challenged.  Oddly enough, I was talking to a friend on the phone last evening who mentioned that Vlad was struggling with cancer, and not fifteen minutes after that conversation I got a flash from Newsweek blurting out that he had blood cancer.  He is costing the oligarchs money; they want him out of there.

There were many, many Pro-Choice walks yesterday, and I do believe there are going to be more today, not that they're going to affect the Cracker Jack Crazies hunched down in their pews thanking Jesus for helping them overturn Roe v Wade.  Believe me, they are happy as pigs in shit.  Remember, if you're not with them, your expendable.

And Clarence Thomas is also spitting out his normal vein of horse shit.  I took the time to watch a video of him speaking at this conservative conference.  He truly is a bloated toad filled with arrogance.  His ego is bristling with joy that he is part of this decision.  How presumptuous of him to blame everyone else other than the court.  People in the room laughed when he claimed that the court was actually like a dysfunctional family that's fine when it gets together for lunch.  Being dysfunctional is not good and believing that the 'superficial' fineness of shared lunch is terrible.  And he blames everybody else.  This leak has diminished the Supreme Court because 5 justices are politically motivated to force their religious beliefs upon a majority.  Thomas is a failure as a human being, and a black man, and he seems quite happy to blame everyone else for his failings.

We Are Not Sheep

 Well, it looks like we have an overcast, dizzily at times Saturday in store for us here in Central PA.  Nice, huh?  

Today's going to meatless for me.  Veggies sauteed in olive oil are on the menu.  By veggies, I mean cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms... though the last is really a fungus.  So, I suppose, if I wanted to be precise, I should say it will be a veggie / fungi day.

I used the 'saw on a stick' yesterday.  It worked well.  I didn't get hit by any falling branches!  The 3 I cut down were cut up and put in large paper bags to be picked up as lawn waste.  The only problem with that is residents can only put our 4 bags at a time and pick up is only once a month.  I'm definitely going to have more than 4 bags when I'm finished.

There are going to be many Pro-Choice demonstrations today across the country.  There is no doubt in my mind that turnout will be huge.  Not that it will change the Supreme Court ruling.  The fanatics running that show have already made up their minds.  the numbers today are not for them, rather they're meant to demonstrate to all the Republican legislators across the country that they are entering a no-win scenario.  The GOP still believes the economy will be the overriding factor in this November's midterms.  Of course, you have to remember, they are the party of greed.  Don't doubt for a second that their own polling proves their point, however, we all know how invalid polls can be, and Republicans have become very proficient at lying to pollsters. 

Still, keep in mind that even when the turnout today is massive, those numbers will be ignored.  The GOP desperately wants a socially conservative, authoritarian government.  They will have no problem trying to shove their agenda down the throats of the majority.  They are going to learn we are not the sheep they believe us to be

Treason

 Yesterday was the last of the sunny days for a while.  Temps are forecasted to stay in the mid to upper 70s (F), but cloudiness and showers are going to be hanging around.  No long, soaking rains are predicted, of course that doesn't mean the grass is going to stop growing.

My 'saw on a stick' arrived yesterday.  Full extended, it's heavier than I was expecting.  8 pounds weighs a lot less when you're holding it next to your body than it does when it's attached to a pole 10 feet away.  Then you begin dealing with balance, and counterbalance.  Unfortunately, I am the fulcrum and I'm at the end, not in the center.  In between the showers today, I hope to cut a few small branches.  We shall see how it goes.  My friend, 6'5" tall Justin has volunteered to help if any is needed.  

I tried a new white bread recipe yesterday.  This one is a keeper.

Oh, and I have peaches!  Right now, they're about the size of marbles.  They will grow.

And, of course, yesterday the January 6 committee sent out a few more subpoenas. This time those little 'hellos' went out to sitting members of Congress.  And those members of Congress?  They were very, very silent.  These 5 members haven't been indicted (yet), but they have been invited to sit down and talk with the committee before the end of May.  Timeliness is everything, remember?  I was really pleased to see that Scott Perry from PA was one of those to get an invite.  It got me to thinking.  We used to hang people for treason, is that something we still do?

A little reminder that our primaries are on Tuesday.  Save The Date.  The Orange Anus blurted out a criticism of Kathy Barrnett yesterday because she is neck and neck with his candidate, Oz the Incompetent.  Neither one is electable.  All he's doing is auditioning to be on Celebrity Apprentice, and Barnett's extremism is so far to the right she takes homophobia and anti-Muslim attacks to a whole new level.  Had she been a senator on January 6, she would have joined the traitors.

The large bat

 Yesterday was a good day.  The sun was shining.  The temps climbed up into the high 80s F).  Yard work was done.  I bought a spankin' new hose for the yard - 100 feet long!  This one will stretch to the driveway, should I ever have the desire to wash my car.

Oh, and I bought a 'saw on a stick,' at least that's what I like to call a branch saw.  I have a number of trees surrounding my yard with branches that need to be trimmed back or removed completely.  Investing in a branch saw was much safer than climbing up on a shaky ladder with my chainsaw.

Last evening, I went to see Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  This movie is definitely non-brainer entertainment.  A cornucopia of CGI effects, the plot is a bit thin.  Spiderman, No Way Home introduced the multiverse, Dr. Strange tries to explain it... kind of, but my way is better:  there are many parallel universes, and we all exist in some way, shape, or form in each of them.  My movie buddy said, as we were leaving the theater, "they must have been doing some really fine drugs when they wrote that."  I have to agree.

Next Tuesday, Pennsylvania has its primary election.  We are one of those odd states where you can only vote if your registered as either a Democrat or a Republican.  Those registered as independents always sit out primaries.  More people are registered as Independents than the other two parties.  This means no one should look at Tuesday's election as an indicator of what's going to be happening in the state this November.

Too close to call, is what they're saying about the Republican primary.  Three candidates are neck and neck.  That's right.  Three.  McCormack, the guy from Connecticut who seems to be dropping in the polls, Oz, Trump's choice who seems to be climbing in the polls, and Kathy Barnett (sp), a black woman who has never held political office and who out MAGAs the other two.  That's right.  This woman is so far to the right she makes Oz and McCormack seem mainstream.  Tuesday will be interesting.

As expected, the vote for WHPA failed yesterday.  Democrats need to take that and turn it into a large baseball bat and start to batter the hell out of Republicans.  The time has come to take action.

Choice

Yesterday was a day of accomplishment!  Most of the lawn got mowed.  Sadly, I had to recharge the battery on the mower.  The rest will be mowed today.  I did some planting.  Got in a 13.86-mile ride, my legs were a bit sore last evening.  Set up the new storage and downloaded a game: This War of Mine, you scavenge through the town to get supplies to make your house more livable.

Of course, I have to tell the weather is marvelous.  The high today is supposed it 78 (F), which is a very good temperature for yardwork.  I have buds everywhere.  I can't wait for the color.  I even planted some marigolds.  You know?  The stinky, pretty flowers that last all summer.  And an elephant leaf plant.

For those interested, the next book is coming along fine.  The Body Under Ice.  Mackinac Island in the winter.  There is a ferry service which takes you to the island most of the year.  However, in the winter it shuts down.  When that happens, there are 2 ways to reach the island: flying in on a small plane or driving across the ice bridge.  The ice bridge... now, doesn't that sound like fun?  Believe me, if I had a choice of how to get to the island in the winter... I'd probably take the ice bridge.

Just in case you're living in the United States and haven't noticed, states are having their primary elections to choose their candidates for the fall.  Sadly, everyone in the news media is focused on the Trump endorsed candidates.  They see this as a gauge of his stranglehold on the Republican party; the more he loses the weaker his grasp.  He lost a really big one in Nebraska last night, picked up a smaller one in West Virginia.    The more he loses, the angrier his MAGA base gets.  Republicans have entered slice and dice politics and the red meat their carving up and throwing to the crowd is their own.  Very nice.

Al Jazeera has called the move by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade 'so far out of the mainstream,' which I find fascinating.  Al Jazeera knows a little bit about extremism, so when they say the current actions by the Supreme Court are out of the mainstream, they're talking about serious extremism.

Finally, Chuck Schumer is having the Senate vote today to... well, they're not going to get enough votes to codify the WHPA, but every Republican and every Democrat who vote against it will publicly identify as being against a woman's right to choose.  You see, this whole thing is about choice.  It's not about anti-abortion or pro-abortion, it is about choice.  Those who are against choice will lose.

 

Republicans believe Women are Stupid

 Well, good morning people!  Today begins a 5-day stretch without work!  Now, while that is nice, most importantly, the temps are supposed to be in the mid to upper 70s (F).  That means yard work, which will start this afternoon with a mowing of the lawn.

Soon, the flowering will begin!

Yesterday work was... meh.  No measures, no sales.  I was asked to tape and tidy up boxes of vinyl plank flooring, however the store is out of packing tape. We're also out of shrink wrap, something we wrap our rolls of cut carpet in to make them easier to maneuver.  This running out of 'essentials' always happens at the end of the fiscal month, or fiscal quarter, or fiscal year.  Shrink wrap and tape are an expense.  It's bad business to put an expense on your books when you're trying to end your month, quarter, or year with a bang... or, since we're not making our plan, not too deep in the hole.

I did get my car back yesterday.  No more Jeep Wrangler Sport.  This is a good thing.

One of the things I debated about when I bought my new computers was storage.  I had already owned a 1TB SSD drive, so I couldn't see paying Alienware a fortune for another 1TB.  Still, video games take up space... a lot of space.  While that is true, it's also true that I once I get bored with a game, I delete it.  What I ended up doing was buying a 512GB SSD drive just for games for a 1/4 the price Alienware was going to charge me.  

Of course, yesterday the Senate voted to give the Supreme Court justices and their families added police protection.  I wonder if this is because they suspect things are going to get worse before they get better.

One of the most surprising things of this Roe v Wade fiasco the court has put themselves in, is their apparent belief that women are stupid.  This is no doubt based on the conservative male's determination that they are the superior sex, that women are stupid.  Not only that, this antiquated guy's club also believes women should be 'barefoot and pregnant.'  The ending of Roe v Wade is intended to put women back in their proper place.  Republican men need a patriarchal society in order to define their masculinity.  Of course, this is all horse shit to a majority of Americans, something conservatives will never understand.

And, finally, Republicans believe that come November, women will put vote for the economy over their right to choose.  Can you hear me laughing at that?  This is the premise they are counting on.  Lyndsey Graham said as much, that in November people will be more concerned about the economy than the right to choose.  As I've said, Republicans believe women are stupid.

The Body in Repose

 For those of you who have been waiting, The Body in Repose has just been published.

A great big Thank You goes out to my proofreaders / editors: 

Patty V.

Don M.

Dave P.

Kris K.

Their work is greatly appreciated.

The story:

The rain had just begun to drizzle down around Eli and Max’s camper when the call came in from New Orleans.  Someone was killing the beautiful young people of the French Quarter.  Three murders in three weeks, and each body had been found staged in a state of repose.  They are challenged to both solve a crime and stop a fourth murder, as uncomfortable truths make them wonder if the police have made a terrible mistake.  They will traverse the French Quarter, from the Nefertiti Theater in the Amon Ra nightclub to the Sight Lines Art Studio, dogged by a relentless reporter, as they search for clues to solve the mystery of The Body in Repose.

Available for Kindle, or as a paperback.

Not True

 Happy Mother's Day!  Just think, if the Republicans get their way there will be so many, many more of you!

Here in Central PA the rain has stopped! The forecast was for between 3 and 5 inches.  Up here in Enola, we definitely got at least 5.  I know this because I had water in my basement.  For those who don't know, my basement is like a dry riverbed in Arizona, when we get a lot of rain it floods, and because I have a 117-year-old stone foundation, and because not level (higher in the back, lower in the front), water will run in from the back and out at the front.  Literally, a stream runs through it.

And in spite of the rain, I was busy at work yesterday.  People bought carpet installations. A customer asked to sign up for a credit card (I never ask), I got a measure, and I had a $4000 sale.  Management should be happy with me for at least a week.  

Today, breakfast is healthy.

I saw where Mitch McConnell said, "there may be a nationwide ban on abortion."  He believes this because he also believes that these midterms are going to follow the same route other midterms have followed: since the Democrats won the presidency, the Republicans will pick up seats in the House and Senate.  Conservatives have always believed their own lies, and there are a lot of them.  Like their belief, proven by Reagan's landslide reelection) that there is a massive, silent majority of conservatives in America.  Not true.  Otherwise, wouldn't need to rely on the electoral college to put someone in the oval office.

They believe Americans suffer from short term memory loss, that the events of January 6 will have little or no effect.  Not true.  Even though they continue to downplay that attempted coup, Republicans like Tom Rice are speaking out in debates against Trump.  If you get a chance, watch that little video, it's gotten hundreds of thousands of views in just a few hours.

They believe Americans will forget comments such as the one Amy Coney Barrett made in her brief defending the overthrow of Roe v Wade, that as a country we need "a domestic supply of infants."  Not true.  Their religion does not allow them to believe that women are not vessels, they're not cattle, and they are not breeders, but human beings, each with a mind and a will of her own.

This morning, as I was reading McConnell's comments in my Newsweek feed, the inference was made that his and other Republicans beliefs were no longer a certainty, that they were no longer insured to take back both the House and Senate.  This is true.  The midterm results so far are not a joyful celebration of their return to power, rather they decry the struggle Republicans will face just to keep from losing the power they have.

Pennsylvania Politics

 We've had over 24 hours of rain.  The forecasters are not calling for it to end until early this afternoon, about the time I head off to work.  At that point, the sun is going to slowly appear, the temps will slowly creep up, and the grass will begin to grow like hell.

Today is also the first day of Kids Workshop, and, as I said, it's raining.  I have no idea how many parents show up with their kids, prior to Covid it was not unusual to get between 250 and 300.  That place is going to be a mess, which is why I'm no longer available to work before 1 PM on Saturdays.

Because yesterday was rainy, I found myself doing very little... other than snacking my way through the day.  Not a good thing.  I didn't step on the treadmill, didn't climb aboard the bike.  Instead, I puttered around trying to take selfies with the dogs.  If I'm standing up, they listen.  If I'm sitting on the floor, they do not.  With that being said, here's a very rare photo of me and Biggie.  Word of warning, this might burn out a lot of pixels in you monitor.

Evidently the Orange Anus had a rally yesterday out near Pittsburgh... in the rain, for Dr. Oz.  The cultists were not enthusiastic.  The local police were supposed to help with security, but that got canned.  Usually they will run the metal detectors, however his team wanted them to actually be security, however their attorney axed that fast.

It was supposed to help Dr. Oz. who's not too popular among the MAGA base being that he's a Muslim on top of being an alien, well, not quite an alien, he has dual citizenship.  It seems as though the Republicans are grating themselves to pieces in Pennsylvania.  Good.

One on the speakers yesterday was JD Vance, the Trump backed, hillbilly author, who just won the Republican nomination for senator in Ohio.  People pointed out that it was Trump's candidate that won, but those people should probably hit the brake pedal.  Vance ended up with a little over 340,000 votes, however, over 680,000 Republican voters in the state of Ohio cast their ballot for someone else.  Someone needs to tell the Republicans Vance did not have a stunning victory.

And, finally, yesterday Clarence Thomas said that Americans need to stop bullying government intuitions.  This makes him look like a hypocritical piece of shit after his fat wife tried to bully Congress into decertifying the election.  Isn't it time we flushed this turd?

The Conservative Problem

 How's your Friday going?  Mine is drizzly and rainy.  Yepper!  We have a real soaking weekend heading our way with a possible 3.5 inches of rain in the forecast.  In fact, we're under a bit of a flood watch until tomorrow afternoon.  Heavy rain on a Saturday is not good for our garden department.

I had my monthly 'one on one' review yesterday with Specialty management.  As always, they want us to push credit, and, as always, everything they said went in one ear and out the other. In fact, almost everything they say does that.

My Cannondale X6 cyclocross bike sold at the World Cup and Ski bike sale and swap.  If you remember, Dave G. (one of the managers) suggested $300 as an asking price, well, some fine customer paid $350.  I'm happy.  I was never going to ride that bike again, and that sale will cover the $250 deductible I need to pay for my car repair.

There is a planned karaoke section planned for my next book in which something inopportune might... well, occur.  Will good and bad juxtapose each other?  Hhhmmm, I'll never tell.  Anyway, I'm seriously considering this little ditty.  And who might sing it?  Perhaps a character with some serious coordination issues on the dance floor? 

I saw that the Democrats are going to have a vote on codifying the Women's Health Act in order to get Republicans to vote against it.  The leak of the Supreme Court's anti-abortion manifesto (and if you look at Alito's warped logic, it is a manifesto) has put that extreme wing of the Republican Party in a bad place.  How did they get here?  Probably because Trump lost in 2020.  You see, usually the party whose presidential candidate loses picks up seats in the House and the Senate in the next mid-term election.  Conservative logic would have been that this is a good time to overturn Roe v Wade because we're going to take back control in 2022.  Hence the leak, or test balloon as I like to think.  The truth Conservatives will never understand is that their base does not represent a majority.  Trump's little shit show on January 6 cost them a lot of Centrist / Independent voters, a fact they fail to comprehend.  They also believe there is a silent majority of conservatives in America.  They believe this lie because of Reagan's landslide win.  They see and hear Trump's loud, shrieking MAGA base as representing a majority of crazy Americans.

  Wrong.  And their biggest problem is that they believe American voters are both stupid and gullible.  We are not.  And so, they have an extremely bad problem which will continually compound itself in the run-up to the midterm elections.  American voters are going to slap the shit out of them this November, which is a very good thing.  They need to be seriously slapped, and quite often.

Acountability

 Well, it's Thursday, the sun is shining, and the temps are supposed to reach up into the lower 70s (F).  I'm supposed to work today, that schedule is not fixed in stone, however.   I have to call the repair shop this morning and see how they are doing with my car.  When I picked up my rental Jeep, I was told I was supposed to return it today. If this is not the case, I'll need to contact Erie Insurance and let them know there's been a delay.

I received 2 notifications within the past week of utilities that have applied to increase their rates.  Son of a bitch!  Both water and electric have asked to charge more.  Per PP&L (my electric provider), the average family could see their cost go up by as much as $34 per month.  If mine goes up that much, it would be a 33% increase.  I will have to wait until June to see how much my rate will go up.  I feel sorry for single parent households when the costs go up and the paycheck stays the same, but then that's American Capitalism for you.

While I don't watch too much TV, there are certain shows I like.  I tolerate (barely) Picard.  My biggest problem is that it seems like every single cast member has a story arc.  I wonder if they have it written into their contracts that they each get a personalized, four-minute storyline in each episode.

One show I really am liking is Halo, on Paramount, and not because it stars 6-foot, 5-inch Pablo Schreiber as the MasterChef.  Scientists took him as a child and made him into the perfect fighting machine... well, not quite.  Whereas Picard is cartoony, this show is quite intense.  If you're looking for warm, fuzzy, feelgood endings stick with Picard.  If you want to sit in your chair and say, "Holy shit!," give Halo a watch.

For those who don't know, there has been a surge in hepatitis among children under 6 years of age.  One of the things they know about his illness is that all of these children had Covid, and were too young to be given a vaccine.  These cases are not isolated, but are happening all over the world, and every day more children are diagnosed.  

And I understand justice Alito has cancelled an appearance at a Circuit Court meeting scheduled for today. That's just one tidbit.  Barriers are being put up around the Supreme Court building, that's another.  Sounds like they're expecting an outpouring of American rage.  Not that the Republicans care.  They are the party of the selfish.  They need to be taught the lesson that they are not special, that they too have accountability.